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How does one play XIn Zhao these days?

General Elephant··1 votes·569 views

I like playing XIn Zhao, but recently, and especially after the changes to sated/guinsoo (which was broken af), he just feels.... bad.

i don't know if he is just in a really rough spot, but for a champion who is almost entirely AA reliant, with 1 mobility skill and a displacement on his ult... he seems like he can't do nearly as much as his counterparts in the jungle. most of his strength comes from super heavily committing to fights and sustaining and being an overall nuisance... but he doesn't really fill any role that other champions don't fill better. He feels underwhelming, and yes, while people can have success with him, he has low cc and can't function as a tanky/frontline champ until he gets at least his 3rd or 4th item...

He can't burst people, he can't stick unless he buys an item to do so(item 3022 yuck) or if he runs ghost....

I just feel like he is in the really weird spot where he is a bruiser/diver... but isn't really good at either until late game.... even Vi is in a much better spot than he is...

I have found a few things that have worked for me, but I feel like in doing so i am just patching up his pretty obvious flaws and trying to find ways to work around them....

anyone else kinda feel this way about XIn? Are there even any Xin Zhao players anymore? Has anyone found a good build path/runes/masteries that allow him to function a bit better?

10 Comments

Eedat1 votes

uhhhhh you hopefully get ahead early but then mid game comes and you just get kited to death every single fight. Pretty much how Xin works

Stalinium1 votes

You don't, you play Gragas because almost all of his abilities are similar to but better than Xin's

Unstoppable Monk1 votes

{quoted}

You don't, you play Gragas because almost all of his abilities are similar to but better than Xin's

This is probably the worst comparison of champions I've seen in a while.

xxxDogmanxxx1 votes

I am a shameless Xin Zhao main. My main account is currently in Diamond 1 and I like to play Xin Zhao with the Blue-Green Build. Stalker's Blade - Cinderhulk > Frozen Mallet > Mercury Treads > Frozen Heart > Iceborn Gauntlet > Spirit Visage. I go in and stay in the fight forever. Nobody gets away.

General Elephant1 votes

{quoted}

I am a shameless Xin Zhao main. My main account is currently in Diamond 1 and I like to play Xin Zhao with the Blue-Green Build. Stalker's Blade - Cinderhulk > Frozen Mallet > Mercury Treads > Frozen Heart > Iceborn Gauntlet > Spirit Visage. I go in and stay in the fight forever. Nobody gets away.

any reason for getting FH and IBG? I wouldn't think those items would be all that great on him, but it seems like you build him straight tank aside from mallet.... maybe this is a really noob thing to say, but doesn't he need some damage or lifesteal? it seems like he would do no damage otherwise.... i might give it a try, i always thought resistance stacking might be an under rated startegy on him....

also isn't ibg and frozen mallet a bit redundant...? the slows at least

xxxDogmanxxx1 votes

I get both FH and IBG because they provide a 155 armor and 40% CDR between the two of them. Also, don't underestimate 900 extra mana. Xin Zhao heals enough even without items to always be at full health outside of combat, but he has no means to gain more mana, and running out of mana, not health, is usually the main cause of me recalling. The extra mana allows me to literally never go have to go home except to buy items.

Notice that I buy two straight up Health Items (Cinderhulk and FM) first. Since these two provide 1207.5 extra health on their own, resistances become so much more efficient to stack.

In team fights, AoE is King. IBG is there for the AoE Physical Damage and AoE Slow, Cinderhulk is there for the AoE Magic Damage, and Frozen Heart is there for the AoE Attack Speed Debuff. Frozen Mallet is just there to make sure no stragglers get any bright ideas to run away.

xxxDogmanxxx1 votes

Also, I'm gonna share the best way I use to win more games using this Xin Zhao build in particular.

Every time you successfully gank, type in all chat: "Let It Goooo! Let It Goooo!"

They definitely won't get it at first, but once you start getting the frozen items, you can bet they'll get tilted to oblivion. Try it, it definitely works.

Unstoppable Monk1 votes

Xin Zhao is GREAT in low elo.

Merxamers1 votes

I remember a couple years ago i would build the warriors item for the strong early ganks, then into full tank for late game. I only did one game with the devourer/rageblade combo when it was a thing, and it was hilariously strong; the enemy WW built the same thing and would be annihilated in a duel with me. I feel like the temptation to go heavy damage is strong, since so many damage items work well on him, but it's best to go mostly tanky based on how his kit works. I'm honestly interested to see what the responses here are, myself.

agbudar1 votes

i would say item 1416 item 3078 and lvl W for sustain. OR item 1400 item 3025 but w/e you do get a sheen item not lichbane. from there on out go tanky item 3143 item 3047 for when they are heavily ad /aa reliant do not underestimate ninja tabi the damage reduction from those in jungle and against adc in early mid is insanely usefull. for mritem 3065 should be your first defensive item other good mentions are item 3156 item 3102 .

if your build looks like this item 1400 item 3078 item 3047 item 3065 and you feel like you are carrying hard item 3053 item 3026 to make sure you keep carrying

as a general rule of thumb item 1416 is for objective controll you get this when your team is doing reasonably well. item 1400 is for ganking lanes.

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