How to Play Katarina Top: Tips & Power Spikes (26.20)

Max order: Q > E > W
Gold vs lane at 15: −211

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Katarina Power Spikes (Patch 26.20)

Top

When Katarina Top gets stronger, in the order it happens in a typical ranked game: ability unlocks from the most common skill order, item spikes at the median minute players finish them, and the game length Katarina wins most.

Lv 3
All three basic abilities at level 3
Katarina's full combo is online — the first point where trading all-in is realistic.
Lv 6
Ultimate rank 1 at level 6
The biggest early spike: look for a kill or a roam as soon as Katarina hits it.
Lv 11
Ultimate rank 2 at level 11
Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Katarina can start or win.
Lv 16
Ultimate rank 3 at level 16
Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Katarina can start or win.

Item timings are medians: half of players finish later. Fall behind in farm and every item spike moves back with it.

Katarina Top Laning Plan

Katarina plays an even lane: no extreme in gold, leads or scaling, so the matchup decides how hard to push. On average Katarina Top is 211 gold behind the lane opponent at 15 minutes and ahead in only 41% of games. Katarina averages 1.57 solo kills by 15 minutes.

Katarina win rate by gold at 15

Ahead51.6%
Behind34.1%

Katarina Mid and Late Game

What Katarina does better or worse than other champions after laning, from this patch's ranked games — percentiles where 100 is the highest of every champion.

Play to these strengths

Katarina is a main damage source (89/100): stay alive and in range for the whole fight rather than diving first.
Katarina wins 7.4 points more in short games than long ones: group, take objectives and end before the enemy scales.

Mistakes to avoid

Vision is a weak spot (15/100): buy Control Wards and sweep before you face-check.

Playing Katarina

Picking up Daggers will significantly reduce Shunpo's cooldown.
Try waiting until the other team is distracted with fighting your team, and use Shunpo to teleport into the fray and unleash a devastating Death Lotus.
Using Shunpo on an allied Champion, Dagger, or minion can be a great escape tactic.

Playing Against Katarina

Katarina's abilities deal magic damage, so even if she's building Attack Damage items, get magic resistance to counter her.
Try to save a disable for when Katarina uses her Death Lotus.

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How to Play Katarina FAQ - Patch 26.20

When does Katarina power spike?

Katarina's spikes in a typical ranked game: All three basic abilities at level 3; Ultimate rank 1 at level 6; Ultimate rank 2 at level 11; Ultimate rank 3 at level 16.

Can Katarina come back from behind?

Katarina wins 34% of games when behind in gold at 15 minutes (over 44 games), against 52% when ahead — so a lost lane costs Katarina games, but it is not decisive.

How do you play Katarina Top?

From this patch's ranked data, Katarina wins by playing to these strengths: survive and deal damage in teamfights; end the game early.

Katarina How to Play: Tips & Power Spikes