Kayn - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
50.6%
Pick Rate
4.1%

Kaynvs Karthus

AFighterAssassin
Patch26.7
Matches949,984
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedApr 19, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Kayn vs Karthus is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Kayn wins with a 55.9% win rate (+11.8%) over Karthus based on 34 games. Karthus wins the early laning phase while Kayn scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Kayn build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Kayn vs Karthus matchup.

Kayn Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Kayn performs against them. You'll get head-to-head win rates, laning stats, the best build and runes for the matchup, and early vs late game analysis — all based on real ranked data.

Compare against an opponent
Karthus - 55.9% win rateKarthus(55.9%)
Kayn - 55.9% win rate in this matchup
Kayn
55.9% WR
VS
Karthus vs Kayn matchup - 44.1% win rate
Karthus
44.1% WR

Who Wins the Kayn vs Karthus Matchup?

Kayn wins the Kayn vs Karthus matchup
Winner
Kayn
Matches: 34
55.9%
Win Rate
44.1%
1.1
CS / min
1.4
794
DMG / min
1,122
14,480
Gold / game
14,486
543
Heal / min
295
782
DMG Mitigated / min
505
0.4
CC / min
0.6
41.7%
Early Game WR
58.3%
63.6%
Late Game WR
36.4%

Kayn vs Karthus Matchup Summary

The Kayn vs Karthus matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 34 recent matches analyzed, Kayn wins with a 55.9% win rate compared to Karthus's 44.1%, giving Kayn a 11.8 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Karthus controls the early laning stage, but Kayn outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Karthus needs to press advantages before Kayn reaches their power spikes, while Kayn should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Kayn leads by 525 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Kayn players can confidently pick into Karthus and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Karthus away from CS whenever possible. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Kayn vs Karthus Laning Phase Breakdown

Karthus wins the laning phase against Kayn in League of Legends

Karthus is favored during the laning phase against Kayn, winning 4 out of 5 key stat categories. Karthus holds advantages in farming, damage, gold income and crowd control, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
1.1Kayn
1.4Karthus
Karthus edges out Kayn by 0.3 CS per minute — a moderate farming advantage that adds up to roughly 5 CS over a 15-minute laning phase. This translates to earlier component purchases and slightly faster power spikes for Karthus.
Damage
794Kayn
1,122Karthus
Karthus heavily out-damages Kayn by 329 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Kayn should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Karthus's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
14,480Kayn
14,486Karthus
Kayn and Karthus generate nearly equal gold per game, with just a 5 gold difference. Neither champion has a clear economic advantage, so gold leads will depend on individual play quality, kill participation, and objective contributions.
Utility
0.4Kayn
0.6Karthus
Both Kayn and Karthus provide similar amounts of crowd control (0.2s/min difference), meaning neither has a significant advantage in locking down opponents for ganks or team fights. Lane ganks are equally effective for both sides.
Sustain
1,325Kayn
800Karthus
Kayn vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 525 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Kayn can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Karthus is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Karthus, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Best Kayn Build Against Karthus

Ionian Boots of Lucidity is the optimal boots choice against Karthus, providing the mobility and stats Kayn needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Kayn against Karthus are Hubris, Axiom Arc and Serpent's Fang. This combination gives Kayn an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build performs exceptionally well, achieving a 100.0% win rate across 3 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Karthus. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Kayn vs Karthus matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
58.3%
+16.7% advantage
Kayn early game win rateKayn41.7%
Karthus early game win rateKarthus58.3%
Late Game
Kayn
63.6%
+27.3% advantage
Kayn late game win rateKayn63.6%
Karthus late game win rateKarthus36.4%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 58.3% win rate — a 16.7 percentage point lead over Kayn. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Kayn is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 63.6% win rate — 27.3 points above Karthus. Extended games heavily favor Kayn, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

This matchup features a dramatic power shift: Karthus must aggressively press their early advantage and close out the game before Kayn reaches their scaling breakpoints. If Kayn survives the laning phase without falling too far behind, the matchup flips in their favor. Dragon and Rift Herald control are pivotal — the team that secures early objectives can snowball or buy time to scale.

Best Kayn Runes Against Karthus

Precision rune tree - Kayn primary runes vs KarthusPrecision
Conqueror - best Kayn rune vs KarthusTriumph - best Kayn rune vs KarthusLegend: Haste - best Kayn rune vs KarthusLast Stand - best Kayn rune vs Karthus
Sorcery rune tree - Kayn secondary runes vs KarthusSorcery
Axiom Arcanist - best Kayn rune vs KarthusTranscendence - best Kayn rune vs Karthus
60.0% WR

Running Precision primary with Sorcery secondary allows Kayn to press their advantage against Karthus, amplifying the strengths that make this a favorable matchup.


Kayn matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.7. The table below shows Kayn's win rate, gold difference, and performance stats against every champion in the current meta. Click any champion name to see a detailed head-to-head breakdown including the best Kayn build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Kayn matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.7
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
50.50%2001.176313,00952.6%48.5%
48.21%1951.073612,64339.1%55.6%
46.11%1801.169612,53347.1%45.2%
53.18%1731.177113,71160.6%48.0%
46.63%1631.176212,51042.1%50.6%
48.95%1431.282314,24649.1%48.9%
58.59%1281.181613,60963.6%54.8%
55.34%1031.174512,59552.9%57.7%
52.43%1031.275612,77646.9%57.4%
45.92%981.373112,64544.2%47.3%
47.96%981.280113,32356.4%42.4%
59.57%941.91,04614,01954.8%61.9%
46.74%921.073712,69343.2%50.0%
56.98%861.184313,51163.6%52.8%
46.99%831.177412,79647.4%46.7%
53.09%811.172112,28053.5%52.6%
52.50%801.076213,12855.6%50.0%
46.15%781.477312,83945.7%46.5%
47.95%731.181913,25044.1%51.3%
52.86%701.284313,64253.1%52.6%
54.29%701.193214,35042.9%61.9%
49.25%671.478313,26265.4%39.0%
55.74%611.181113,96460.0%52.8%
45.61%571.784212,20940.7%50.0%
38.60%571.472812,46853.6%24.1%
52.63%571.177013,46144.4%56.4%
39.29%561.481113,32036.4%41.2%
50.91%551.280412,80043.3%60.0%
50.91%551.176913,21753.9%48.3%
53.70%541.375912,40455.2%52.0%
45.28%530.976312,74143.5%46.7%
40.00%501.276314,53146.7%37.1%
41.67%481.073313,00131.6%48.3%
36.96%461.170512,61533.3%40.0%
54.35%461.182113,30152.4%56.0%
47.83%460.968111,49343.3%56.3%
46.67%451.274612,52737.5%57.1%
50.00%401.980012,70550.0%50.0%
47.50%402.669912,46346.1%48.1%
51.35%371.869213,23335.7%60.9%
48.65%372.484413,80250.0%47.6%
77.78%361.280714,62776.9%78.3%
61.76%341.776113,36852.6%73.3%
32.35%342.481313,46325.0%36.4%
55.88%341.179414,48041.7%63.6%
42.42%331.781112,46635.3%50.0%
48.48%330.860910,91435.0%69.2%
37.50%321.066111,95437.5%37.5%
56.25%323.184013,95061.5%52.6%
55.56%271.592714,94250.0%57.9%
40.00%251.087814,28044.4%37.5%
52.00%251.281713,21040.0%60.0%
63.64%225.01,04714,53371.4%60.0%
47.62%212.374812,33555.6%41.7%
50.00%201.171813,24663.6%33.3%
52.63%191.492414,39566.7%46.1%
50.00%182.61,17915,13566.7%46.7%
52.94%172.073214,06840.0%58.3%
53.33%150.987012,17071.4%37.5%
46.67%151.975514,31233.3%55.6%
53.33%151.71,02515,90766.7%50.0%
41.67%120.864814,04833.3%44.4%
16.67%123.295410,8530.0%50.0%
41.67%121.165914,37875.0%25.0%
33.33%121.071313,23150.0%16.7%
72.73%116.584911,19657.1%100.0%
80.00%104.598112,57166.7%100.0%
88.89%91.199116,427100.0%80.0%
55.56%91.41,15116,8640.0%55.6%
75.00%84.175813,42466.7%80.0%
75.00%86.084113,36466.7%80.0%
37.50%84.81,14614,4270.0%42.9%
57.14%74.01,30114,3750.0%80.0%
71.43%70.963411,82075.0%66.7%
16.67%66.587212,59033.3%0.0%
16.67%66.26786,92420.0%0.0%
33.33%61.97418,85850.0%0.0%
66.67%62.681513,44866.7%66.7%
16.67%63.172812,1410.0%25.0%
80.00%51.51,18412,84550.0%100.0%
60.00%53.785812,01675.0%0.0%
40.00%55.695914,2580.0%50.0%
60.00%52.38479,90575.0%0.0%
40.00%57.097514,06350.0%33.3%
40.00%55.59389,89125.0%100.0%

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Kayn vs Karthus - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Kayn do against Karthus in League of Legends?

Kayn wins the Kayn vs Karthus matchup with a 55.9% win rate compared to Karthus's 44.1%, a 11.8 percentage point difference. This data is based on 34 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Kayn do against Karthus in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Kayn with a 58.3% win rate versus 41.7%. Karthus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Kayn do against Karthus in the late game?

In the late game, Kayn takes over the Kayn vs Karthus matchup with a 63.6% win rate compared to 36.4%. Kayn scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Kayn vs Karthus matchup?

Kayn wins the matchup against Karthus with a 55.9% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 11.8 percentage point advantage means Kayn is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 34 games analyzed.

What is the best Kayn build against Karthus?

The best Kayn build against Karthus includes Hubris, Axiom Arc, Serpent's Fang with Ionian Boots of Lucidity. This build achieves a 100.0% win rate in the matchup. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Kayn runes against Karthus?

The best Kayn runes against Karthus use the Precision primary tree with Sorcery secondary. This rune setup achieves a 60.0% win rate in the Kayn vs Karthus matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Kayn counter Karthus?

Yes, Kayn has a favorable matchup against Karthus with a 55.9% win rate. Kayn strongly counters Karthus in lane based on current patch 26.7 data.

How do I play Kayn against Karthus?

When playing Kayn against Karthus, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. Play safe early and scale into your power spikes where you outperform Karthus. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.