Kayn is most commonly played as Fighter in League of Legends. Their kit is tuned for this lane, though flex picks into other roles can be viable in specific matchups.

Is Kayn hard to learn?

Kayn's difficulty is rated 8/10 by Riot. High skill ceiling — mastering combos, positioning, and matchup knowledge takes significant practice.

Based on current patch data, Pantheon is one of Kayn's hardest counters. Consider banning or adapting your build when facing them.

Kayn

the Shadow Reaper

FighterHardAssassin

Skins

Counters

Kayn is Strong Against

Kayn is Weak Against

Base Stats

655

Mana

410

Armor

Magic Res

Attack Dmg

Atk Speed

6.7

Gameplay Ratings

Attack

Defense

Magic

Per Level

HP / Lvl+103

Mana / Lvl+50

Abilities

Shadow Step

Kayn can walk through terrain.

21/19/17/15/13

R:400

Passive

The Darkin Scythe

Kayn wields an ancient weapon and fights Rhaast, the darkin within it, for control. Either the Darkin will triumph, or Kayn will master Rhaast and become the Shadow Assassin. Darkin: Heal for a percentage of spell damage dealt to champions. Shadow Assassin: For the first few seconds in combat with enemy champions, deal bonus damage.

Reaping Slash

Kayn dashes, then slashes. Both deal damage.

7/6.5/6/5.5/5

R:350

R (Ultimate)

Umbral Trespass

Kayn hides in an enemy's body, dealing massive damage when he bursts out.

120/100/80

100

R:550

Blade's Reach

Kayn damages and slows targets in a line.

13/12/11/10/9

40/45/50/55/60

R:700

Playing As Kayn

-Look at the line-up of both your team and the enemy's team when picking your form.
-Remember that nearby enemies can see which wall you're in.

Playing Against Kayn

-Umbral Trespass requires Kayn to damage a target first. Try to dodge Blade's Reach to deny him a long range cast of Umbral Trespass.
-When Kayn is in terrain near you, you will get a visual warning on the edge of the terrain he's in.
-Damage Kayn while he's in Shadow Step to shorten its duration, or apply hard crowd control (stun, charm, knockup, etc) to end Shadow Step immediately.

Lore

A peerless practitioner of lethal shadow magic, Shieda Kayn battles to achieve his true destiny—to one day lead the Order of Shadow into a new era of Ionian supremacy. He wields the sentient darkin weapon Rhaast, undeterred by its creeping corruption of his body and mind. There are only two possible outcomes: either Kayn bends the weapon to his will... or the malevolent blade consumes him completely, paving the way for the destruction of all Runeterra.

About Kayn, the Shadow Reaper

How to Play Kayn

Playing Kayneffectively comes down to understanding the champion's role, combo patterns, and power spikes. As a fighter, Kayn benefits from the recommended runes and core items shown above, which reflect the current meta across ranked play.

Strengths & Ally Tips

Look at the line-up of both your team and the enemy's team when picking your form.
Remember that nearby enemies can see which wall you're in.

Playing Against Kayn

Umbral Trespass requires Kayn to damage a target first. Try to dodge Blade's Reach to deny him a long range cast of Umbral Trespass.
When Kayn is in terrain near you, you will get a visual warning on the edge of the terrain he's in.
Damage Kayn while he's in Shadow Step to shorten its duration, or apply hard crowd control (stun, charm, knockup, etc) to end Shadow Step immediately.

Kayn Counters and Matchups

Kayn's toughest matchup this patch is Pantheon. Conversely, Kayn performs strongly into Caitlyn.

Difficulty and Who Should Play Kayn

Riot rates Kayn's difficulty at 8/10. Kayn rewards mastery and has a steep learning curve — expect to spend dozens of games before seeing the payoff.