Why all the hate on Kai Sa?

Illabethe·Oct 7, 2019·4 votes·3,475 views

I've started tinkering with builds a bit, and why to people seem to hate Kai Sa as a viable unit?

[img]https://i.imgur.com/jowaMJU.png[/img]

This is one of the most common builds in the game right now. I still have every unit it asks for.

Except..... I didn't get Akali until well into late Round 4. I did however get a Neeko's help and 2 Kai Sa's.

And ofc, although I planned to put the IE's on Akali, she came too late and I never quite 3 Starred Pyke (and he was doing fine on his own).

But some funny interactions I had the game before this made me think about slotting her in:

I had a 1 Star Kai Sa with a Sword Breaker, and a Guinsoo's if I remember. At some point there were only 2-3 units left on the board, and Kai Sa was the only one left for ME. She was just charging up over and over, and ran around Sword breaking with her insane attack speed. Eventually it was just down to her vs a 3 Star Fiora.

3 Star Fiora was permanently Sword Breaked. However, the hits kept letting her use her Riposte, and stun Kai Sa. As soon as Sword Break was about to release, Kai Sa would become unstunned, and the duel would continue. Eventually Kai sa won. Funny as hell.

Well.... this game I subbed her in for my Akali in the formation above. Gotta say...... it's pretty insane. She's one of the few assassins who can leave the back line and go back to the front, which means she can disengage. Furthermore, she attacks and deals enough damage that a Bloodthirster is worth it.

But.... I think I could have Optimized her better; BT + Giant Slayer + Guinsoo's probably would have been a MUCH stronger build.

The one thing I think is kind of weak about her: Even at 138 AD, her average hits in game are like 43, because of how her skill dishes it out. Even as an Assassin, it seems like her damage per hit is not correctly multiplying. The most I saw in a single hit was like 184. She should have been hitting for like 200's at least.

12 Comments

PhearBunnyOct 7, 20192 votes

Kai'sa is harder to rank up than Kayle, and shes useless as a rank1 unit. Thats my only gripe with her. Its extremely unlikely to rank her up, and isnt something you can reliably lean on to carry you. Better off putting effort into Akali in my opinion.

I would imagine the optimal build for her is- Spear of Shojin, IE x2. With a spear she resets her attack speed steroid, so a AS item like Guinsoos is kinda pointless.

ZtokaOct 7, 20191 votes

Wouldn't she get mana faster w/ 5.0 attack speed than no attack speed and a spear? Just asking..

PhearBunnyOct 8, 20192 votes

{quoted}

Wouldn't she get mana faster w/ 5.0 attack speed than no attack speed and a spear? Just asking..

initially yes, but after she gets her first cast off. Spear+ her AS steroid alone is going to top her mana off before her AS steroid falls off.

ZtokaOct 8, 20191 votes

Makes sense. I have used her 2x (nice 4th ranger option) and she wasn't bad. Not op imo either though.

MrEndsOct 8, 20192 votes

1.25 attack speed plus assassin void (wild is optional) 6 assassins give massive extremely fast true damage crits that get faster and faster and she gains her attack speed faster than any other unit in the game because the base attackspeed gives her 0.075 attack speed per stack on rageblade unlike someone like yasuo who if he has rageblade gets 0.05 attack speed per stack (this is what you will get if u do the math) and true damage crits with bonus damage are going to be coming out faster than any other void champion in the game. so in my opinion if used correctly she is one of the best assassins in the game by far. (plus she's ranged) The items i would recommend on her are these

The first item is Rageblade (must have)

secondary item would be something like Shojin (gives her a constant shield and makes her very hard to target), giantslayer (good for extra damage, attackspeed, and max hp true damage), blade of the ruined king (incase you want to get max AS even faster and are feeling like splitting between a hybrid build involving blademasters), Rapid Fire Cannon (longer attack range and more attack speed makes her more likely to survive long enough to use her ult and get started stacking attackspeed with more survivability aka her shield), or an Infinity Edge (provides the ability for the true damage crits to deal ALOT more damage then before so you can blow up the enemy team even faster)

The last item could be a sustain or defensive item such as Phantom dancer (against other assassins), Bloodthirster (this is the one i'd recommend because the crits will heal a ton and true damage makes you so you always heal equal to your damage unlike if they have armor which would reduce your healing because healing is based off of damage dealt), or Dragon Claw (so you dont get deleted by a spell).

IllabetheOct 8, 20191 votes

Wild isn't optional on Assassins right now :)

MrEndsOct 8, 20192 votes

{quoted}

Wild isn't optional on Assassins right now :)

wdym though, rengar exists btw and there is an assassin trait item or are you trying to say wild NEEDS to be on assassins...?

well if you do add wild to your assassin void comp then you want to get as many assassin trait items as possible until you get 6

Trist mid opopOct 7, 20191 votes

I have been running 4 wild 4 voids lately with great success. Shiv, rageblade, last whisper with void and wild makes kaisa obliterate every unit in her way

Sire HippingtonOct 7, 20191 votes

The only issuze with kaisa is that she's tier 5, so she comes in llate and unreliable. She also is about the most item dependent tier 5, which is an issue cause usually by the time you get her, you already placed most if not all your items on other units.

Though i still find her strong for assasin setups simply for triggereing the void bonus, and while she's a bit weak for a tier 5 without items that make use of her high as, she still is as good if not better than most other assasins.

ThilmerOct 8, 20191 votes

I don't like any 5 gold units because they are so rare you can't make any reliable strategy with them.

Just making a 5 gold unit level 2 is ridiculously hard.

IllabetheOct 8, 20191 votes

Then I doubt you'll climb. Pantheon/Kayle/Swain are some of the biggest team movers in the game. Kai Sa can be if on the right team.

That's also what Neeko's help is for.

If you think Tier 5 is rare, you probably don't econ right. I get 2 star Tier 5, Level 8/9 almost every single game.

ZtokaOct 8, 20191 votes

Shouldn't say hard, rather lucky/unlucky.. I have gone games w/o seeing a Kayle and those rare games you get 3 Kayles on the same roll and get an insta 2 star..