Win Rate: 50.6%
Pick Rate: 2.3%
Ban Rate: 6.2%

Katarina Mid Build: Items & Boots

AssassinMage

Patch: 26.20
Games: 4,612
Lane: Mid
Tier: All Tiers
Last Updated: Oct 22, 2026 UTC
Methodology: Data Methodology
Author: Dakota Chinnick

The most-played Patch 26.20 Katarina build is Spellslinger's Shoes, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Lich Bane, Mejai's Soulstealer, Rabadon's Deathcap, Oracle Lens: 8.03% of games, 58.89% win rate. Below are the boots, first items, starting items and summoner spells players pick most, each with its own win rate and game count.

Select a Katarina Build

Best WR

Highest Win Rate Build

Shadowflame
Lich Bane
Rabadon's Deathcap

Best Katarina Build - Highest Win Rate Items

Full Build

Early Build Order

Top Summoner Spells

Flash + Ignite
60.9%Win Rate96.4%Pick Rate
Teleport + Flash
53.9%Win Rate2.1%Pick Rate

Build Stats

60.82%Win Rate

+10.23%WR Diff

6.65%Pick Rate

610Matches

This Katarina build focuses on ability power for maximum spell damage. Build the core items first for your power spike, then adapt with situational items based on enemy team composition.

The core items for this Katarina build are Shadowflame, Lich Bane, and Rabadon's Deathcap. This item combination achieves a 60.8% win rate across 610 matches analyzed.

At full build, Katarina gains a total of 40 AD, 440 AP, and 100 Health, giving a strong power profile for magic damage.

Best Katarina Runes

Domination

Resolve

View full runes

Katarina Abilities

View ability details

Build Strengths

Katarina build strength based on the items chosen in the build when compared to all builds across every champion. Strongest in: Physical Damage. Lower in: Physical Resistance, Gold Efficiency, Magic Resistance.

Build Deep Dive

Katarina Starting Items

The most popular starting items for Katarina are Dark Seal, Refillable Potion, Stealth Ward with a 60.2% win rate and 19.3% pick rate.

Dark Seal

Refillable Potion

Stealth Ward

60.2%Win Rate

19.3%Pick Rate

Doran's Ring

Health Potion

Stealth Ward

56.3%Win Rate

7.9%Pick Rate

Best Katarina Core Items - Build These First

These are Katarina's essential core items that you should build in nearly every game. Shadowflame (53.9% WR, +3.3% WR diff, 53.4% pick rate) provides 110 AP. Lich Bane (53.4% WR, +2.8% WR diff, 51.4% pick rate) provides 100 AP, 0.06% Speed. Rabadon's Deathcap (58.4% WR, +7.8% WR diff, 20.6% pick rate) provides 130 AP. Rush these items first to reach your power spike and maximize your impact.

Shadowflame S Tier
Shadowflame
3,200
53.90%Win Rate
+3.31%WR Diff
53.38%Pick Rate
Lich Bane S Tier
Lich Bane
2,900
53.42%Win Rate
+2.83%WR Diff
51.39%Pick Rate
Rabadon's Deathcap S Tier
Rabadon's Deathcap
3,500
58.38%Win Rate
+7.79%WR Diff
20.58%Pick Rate

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Any item combo — even off-meta
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Katarina Build Path & Item Timing

Katarina players complete Lich Bane first in 47% of games, winning 52.9% of them. The median first item is finished at 11:18 (25th to 75th percentile: 9:54 to 12:42).

First item

Build	Win Rate	Pick Rate	Done at	Games
Lich Bane	52.9%	46.8%	11:18	2,026
Blade of The Ruined King	58.0%	2.3%	12:18	100
Kraken Slayer	48.9%	23.1%	11:18	999

First two items

Build	Win Rate	Pick Rate	Done at	Games
Lich BaneMejai's Soulstealer	82.6%	2.9%	14:00	115
Lich BaneRabadon's Deathcap	71.4%	0.7%	20:54	28
Blade of The Ruined KingKraken Slayer	62.5%	1.8%	19:54	72

Three-item core

Build	Win Rate	Pick Rate	Done at	Games
Lich BaneShadowflameMejai's Soulstealer	78.4%	3.4%	20:06	97
Lich BaneMejai's SoulstealerShadowflame	78.3%	2.9%	19:12	83
Lich BaneShadowflameRabadon's Deathcap	58.0%	11.1%	25:54	317

Stages keep purchase order, so "A then B" and "B then A" are counted separately. Completion time is the minute the last item of the stage was bought. Boots are tracked separately.

Large sampleBased on 4,332 matches. That is a large enough sample for these numbers to be reliable.

Katarina Skill Order

Katarina players max Q > E > W in 90% of games, winning 51.2% of the 3,968 games that followed that order. The grid shows the most common ability at every level.

Skill priority

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Q	1			2	3		4		5
W			1											2	3		4	5
E		1						2		3		4	5
R						1					2					3

E > Q > W: 8% of games, 46.5% win rate
Q > W > E: 2% of games, 38.4% win rate

Large sampleBased on 4,426 matches. That is a large enough sample for these numbers to be reliable.

High Win Rate Situational Items for Katarina

Top situational items for Katarina include Mejai's Soulstealer, Hextech Gunblade. These can be swapped out depending on the enemy composition and team needs.

Mejai's Soulstealer S Tier
Mejai's Soulstealer
1,500
82.13%Win Rate
+31.54%WR Diff
8.74%Pick Rate
Hextech Gunblade S Tier
Hextech Gunblade
3,000
49.72%Win Rate
-0.87%WR Diff
23.03%Pick Rate

Katarina Boots

The best boots for Katarina are Spellslinger's Shoes. Adjust based on enemy team comp.

Spellslinger's Shoes S Tier
Spellslinger's Shoes
1,100
52.87%Win Rate
+2.28%WR Diff
55.53%Pick Rate

Katarina Trinket

The recommended trinket for Katarina is Oracle Lens for vision control and map awareness.

Oracle Lens S Tier
Oracle Lens
0
52.62%Win Rate
+2.03%WR Diff
24.85%Pick Rate

Complete Katarina Build Item Stats

Combined statistics from all items in this Katarina build.

Movement Speed:45
Ability Power:440
Movement Speed:6%
Health:100
Attack Damage:40

Build Comparison

Best WR

Most Played

Speed

440

465

Speed

0.06%

Health

100

Katarina Counter Build Advice

When facing Katarina's top counters like Vladimir, Ahri, Yone, consider adjusting your situational items to increase survivability and match their damage output. If counter champions are building high damage, prioritize armor items against AD-heavy counter picks or magic resistance items against AP threats in your situational item slots to reduce burst damage and improve trading potential. Your core build provides strong damage output. Against tanky counter picks, consider penetration items or percentage-based damage from your situational options to maintain kill pressure. Adapt your final build slots with items like Mejai's Soulstealer or Hextech Gunblade based on which counter champions you're facing and their itemization patterns. Monitor enemy builds and adjust accordingly for optimal Katarina performance.

When Should You Play This Katarina Build

burst mageFirst Power Spike3,200gLich Bane at 11:18 (median)

This Katarina burst mage build is optimized for players looking to maximize their impact in League of Legends. With a 60.8% win rate across 610 matches, this build has proven highly effective in the current meta. The build's key strengths include devastating ability power scaling with 440 total AP. Choose this build when your team needs magic damage, especially if teammates are primarily AD-focused. Katarina with this build can punish teams that stack armor. Consider the enemy team composition when finalizing your situational items to maximize Katarina's effectiveness. However, be aware that this build lacks defensive stats making Katarina vulnerable to burst damage and low health pool requiring careful positioning. With a total gold cost of 15,200, this Katarina build scales into the late game. Focus on farming efficiently and reaching your Shadowflame, Lich Bane, and Rabadon's Deathcap power spike before taking major fights. For optimal results with this Katarina build, focus on proper itemization timing, positioning in teamfights, and adapting your situational items based on the specific challenges each game presents.

Strengths

Devastating ability power scaling with 440 total AP

Weaknesses

Lacks defensive stats making Katarina vulnerable to burst damage
Low health pool requiring careful positioning
No built-in sustain for extended fights
Limited ability haste may result in longer cooldowns

Champions with Similar Builds to Katarina

Katarina Mid Boots, Starting Items & Summoner Spells (Patch 26.20)

4,400 games

Most Katarina Mid players rush Lich Bane first (47% of games), finished at a median of 11.3 minutes. Spellslinger's Shoes are the usual boots (58%). The standard summoner spells are Flash + Ignite (95%). The game usually starts with Dark Seal + Refillable Potion.

Katarina boots

Option	Players	Win Rate	Games
Spellslinger's ShoesMost played	58.2%	52.9%	2,560
Chainlaced Crushers	16.0%	47.2%	705
Immortal Path	12.5%	54.6%	549
Armored Advance	5.6%	50.0%	248

Katarina starting items

Option	Players	Win Rate	Games
Dark Seal + Refillable PotionMost played	23.0%	51.5%	1,012
Doran's Blade + Health Potion	16.3%	47.2%	718
Dark Seal + Refillable Potion + Stealth Ward	14.9%	55.5%	656
Doran's Blade + Health Potion + Stealth Ward	10.2%	50.9%	448

Katarina summoner spells

Option	Players	Win Rate	Games
Flash + IgniteMost played	94.9%	50.8%	4,174
Flash + Teleport	2.7%	45.0%	120
Teleport + Ignite	0.9%	40.0%	40

Every option is listed with its own pick rate, win rate and game count from ranked games this patch. Options under 40 games are left out.

Katarina First Item and Core Build Timing

Which item Katarina players finish first and which three-item core they build, with the median completion minute and the middle 50% of games — the timing to beat if you want to spike before your opponent.

First completed item

Items	Finished	Players	Win Rate	Games
Lich Bane	11.3 min 9.9-12.7 min	46.8%	52.8%	2,025
Kraken Slayer	11.3 min 10.1-12.7 min	23.1%	48.9%	999
Hextech Gunblade	11.5 min 10.2-13.0 min	20.9%	48.2%	906
Nashor's Tooth	11.3 min 10.0-12.7 min	3.8%	48.5%	165
Blade of The Ruined King	12.3 min 10.5-13.9 min	2.3%	58.0%	100

Three-item core

Items	Finished	Players	Win Rate	Games
Lich Bane → Shadowflame → Zhonya's Hourglass	26.1 min 23.8-28.7 min	17.5%	55.9%	501
Kraken Slayer → Blade of The Ruined King → Terminus	25.7 min 23.7-28.4 min	12.0%	55.8%	344
Lich Bane → Shadowflame → Rabadon's Deathcap	25.9 min 23.1-29.1 min	11.1%	58.0%	317
Lich Bane → Shadowflame → Mejai's Soulstealer	20.1 min 18.3-21.7 min	3.4%	78.4%	97
Lich Bane → Mejai's Soulstealer → Shadowflame	19.2 min 17.7-20.8 min	2.9%	78.3%	83

Every Katarina Mid Item by Win Rate

The completed items Katarina players build most this patch, with the share of games each one appears in and its win rate. Situational items sit low in pick rate for a reason — read the win rate next to the game count.

Option	Players	Win Rate	Games
ShadowflameMost played	55.9%	53.9%	2,460
Lich Bane	53.8%	53.4%	2,369
Zhonya's Hourglass	29.2%	56.7%	1,283
Kraken Slayer	26.8%	50.1%	1,178
Hextech Gunblade	24.1%	49.7%	1,062
Rabadon's Deathcap	21.6%	58.4%	949
Blade of The Ruined King	18.3%	52.0%	806
Terminus	17.5%	54.4%	769
Nashor's Tooth	11.5%	49.8%	506
Mejai's Soulstealer	9.2%	82.1%	403
Void Staff	6.5%	51.6%	287
Death's Dance	6.2%	60.2%	274

Katarina Build Planner

Plan a build

Start from Katarina's most common core and swap items to see the total gold and stats. When your picks contain a three-item core players actually build, its recorded win rate shows up.

Katarina's most-built items

Your build (4/6)

Total gold10,450

This core is in our ranked data: 55.9% win rate over 501 games.

Total stats from items

Ability Power: 315
Armor: 50
Ability Haste: 10
Magic Pen: 35
Magic Pen %: 8%
Move Speed: 45

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Katarina Build - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Katarina build?

The best Katarina build in this patch includes Shadowflame, Lich Bane, and Rabadon's Deathcap. This build has a 60.82% win rate and is picked 6.65% of the time.

What are Katarina's core items?

Katarina's core items are Shadowflame, Lich Bane, and Rabadon's Deathcap. These items provide the best stats and synergies for Katarina's kit and playstyle in League of Legends.

What are the best boots for Katarina?

Spellslinger's Shoes are the best boots for Katarina. These boots provide optimal mobility and stats for Katarina's playstyle. They are included in 6.7% of Katarina builds.

What is the best trinket for Katarina?

Oracle Lens is the best trinket for Katarina. This trinket provides optimal vision control and map awareness. Using Oracle Lens helps Katarina maintain vision around objectives and track enemy movements.

Are there alternative Katarina builds?

Yes, alternative Katarina builds include options like Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, and Lich Bane. Different builds can be more effective depending on team composition and matchups.

Where does MetaBot source build data for Katarina?

MetaBot sources its build data for Katarina directly from the Riot Games API, provided to developers for ingesting game data from League of Legends. MetaBot analyzes hundreds of thousands of matches daily to help it determine build statistics.

How does MetaBot determine what the best Katarina builds are?

MetaBot only counts Katarina games that reached a completed build (boots plus at least three finished items), groups them by their three core items, and ranks the groups by a confidence-adjusted win rate (Wilson lower bound) so a build with a handful of lucky games cannot outrank a well-played one. A build is only presented as the highest win rate once it has at least 50 games and a tenth of Katarina's build sample; otherwise the most-played build is shown.

Katarina community builds

All Katarina builds →

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Katarina Mid Build: Items & Boots

Select a Katarina Build

Best Katarina Build - Highest Win Rate Items

Full Build

Early Build Order

Top Summoner Spells

Build Stats

Best Katarina Runes

Katarina Abilities

Build Strengths

Katarina Starting Items

Best Katarina Core Items - Build These First

Shadowflame

Lich Bane

Rabadon's Deathcap

Theorycraft Your Next Katarina Build

Katarina Build Path & Item Timing

First item

First two items

Three-item core

Katarina Skill Order

High Win Rate Situational Items for Katarina

Mejai's Soulstealer

Hextech Gunblade

Katarina Boots

Spellslinger's Shoes

Katarina Trinket

Oracle Lens

Complete Katarina Build Item Stats

Build Comparison

Katarina Counter Build Advice

When Should You Play This Katarina Build

Strengths

Weaknesses

Champions with Similar Builds to Katarina

Katarina Mid Boots, Starting Items & Summoner Spells (Patch 26.20)

Katarina boots

Katarina starting items

Katarina summoner spells

Katarina First Item and Core Build Timing

First completed item

Three-item core

Every Katarina Mid Item by Win Rate

Katarina Build Planner

Plan a build

Katarina Build - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Katarina build?

What are Katarina's core items?

What are the best boots for Katarina?

What is the best trinket for Katarina?

Are there alternative Katarina builds?

Where does MetaBot source build data for Katarina?

How does MetaBot determine what the best Katarina builds are?

See Also

Katarina community builds

Katarina Build - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Katarina build?

What are Katarina's core items?

What are the best boots for Katarina?

What is the best trinket for Katarina?

Are there alternative Katarina builds?

Where does MetaBot source build data for Katarina?

How does MetaBot determine what the best Katarina builds are?