Kassadin Guide – Build, Masteries, and Counters

The short, pro guide to dominate as Kassadin in mid lane. Learn the builds, masteries, counters, and special fighting tactics to carry as him in LoL.

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Lane Strategy

• Acknowledge Kassadin's weakness early. Don't go for a last hit if you'll take multiple auto-attacks otherwise you'll get pushed out of lane fast. Consider Corrupting Potion for most lanes or Doran's Shield if you suspect a lot of autos will fly your way to try counter early weakness
• Use Nether Blade to last hit under tower. Even if you know you'll miss a last hit, auto-attack to get mana from the ability's passive
• Last hit siege minions with Null Sphere. The gold is worth the mana cost
• Generally preserve Null Sphere for last hits because it gives you an auto-attack animation reset
• You are unlikely able to get a kill on your lane opponent until level 6. Your lane strength comes once you hit 6
• Your kill or harass combo in lane is R > E > W > Q. A good enemy can flash as your Q flies through the air unless you get close with your ultimate.

Team Fight Tactics

• Get a Force Pulse across the maximum number of champions. The slow and damage is devastating. Coupled with Zhonyas to waste their abilities
• Silence an enemy dependent on abilities. This may not always be an AP enemy. A Zed who ults in does no damage if you silence once he ults
• Charge up your ult if you have the mana and know a fight is moments away. The added AOE damage will surprise
• Your Riftwalks early in a team fight should allow you to reposition to combo a front line threat. Rarely are you able to dive straight into the back line
• Have a pink or red trinket on the side near a team fight where you can remove enemy visibility then wait until a team fight starts so you jump in to assassinate a squishy
• If the enemy team clumps and your team is around, Riftwalk and cast Force Pulse then quickly use Zhonya's Hourglass. it's an aggressive play with high reward potential
• If your AD carry is fed, peel with your slow. You can wreak the enemy back line later with Riftwalk

Sneaky Tactics

• Riftwalk under crowd control abilities like Morgana's Bind towards the enemy if you deem the situation to warrant instant aggression
• Activate Nether Blade and Riftwalk when at base to charge up Force Pulse or Tear of the Goddess
• Riftwalk in unusual places when you go to gank to surprise. Kassadin is one of the best roamers in League of Legends
• Your Nether Blade wrecks tanks who go Sunfire Cape
• As long as Riftwalk takes you over the halfway point of a wall, you appear on the other side
• Backdoor like Xpeke

Warnings

• Always weigh up if you should Riftwalk in for a momentary position advantage and damage versus Riftwalk out to escape
• Your passive attack speed boost is useless against an AD-based team because it depends on receiving AP damage
• A lot of champions can kill you mid level 2 or 3 due to their higher burst and synergy from abilities like Anivia, Brand, and Cassiopeia
• Vulnerable to the enemy jungler camping because Kassadin is melee and has to move up further to last hit minions

Kassadin is Countered By

• Bruisers like Irelia, Jax, Gangplank, Jayce, Riven, Zed, and Yasuo
• Poke heavy like Ziggs, Anivia, Urgot, and Orianna, but you counter them late-game

Kassadin Counters

• All squishy AP champions like Twisted Fate, Karthus, Lux, Veigar, and Ziggs

Counter Mechanics

• Counter with early lane dominance through poke
• Consider doing an early 2v1 against Kassadin to shut him down
• Tanky bruisers hurt because they can sustain any poke and are not greatly limited by your silence
• Kassadin works well against AP champs mid because he can burst with Riftwalk, which further gives him potential to chase down and dodge abilities