Xayah ADC Build Guides, Runes, Items, and Abilities

Xayah, the Rebel, is a marksman champion in League of Legends known for her unique feather mechanics and exceptional ability to kite enemies. With a kit that blends powerful burst damage, utility, and self-peel, Xayah thrives in the hands of players who value precision and positioning. Her synergy with Rakan, her partner both in lore and in-game, further enhances her effectiveness in team compositions. Mastering Xayah requires understanding how to manipulate her Feathers to deal damage and control the battlefield.

1. Strengths:

• AoE Damage and Waveclear: Xayah’s passive, Clean Cuts, allows her basic attacks to hit multiple enemies after using an ability. This makes her excellent at clearing minion waves and dealing AoE damage in team fights.
• Strong Utility: Her Bladecaller (E) can root enemies caught by Feathers, providing strong crowd control and peeling potential.
• Self-Peel with Featherstorm: Xayah’s ultimate, Featherstorm (R), grants her untargetability and creates a burst of damage while dropping Feathers. This ability allows her to avoid critical enemy abilities and retaliate effectively.
• Scaling and Synergy: Xayah scales well into the late game with high attack speed and critical strike builds. Additionally, she pairs seamlessly with Rakan for enhanced mobility and survivability in the bot lane.

2. Weaknesses:

• High Skill Ceiling: Xayah’s effectiveness heavily depends on precise Feather placement and recall timing, which can be challenging for new players.
• Limited Mobility: Aside from Deadly Plumage (W) and Featherstorm (R), Xayah lacks mobility tools, making her vulnerable to gap closers and crowd control.
• Reliance on Abilities: Her passive and Bladecaller require frequent ability usage to maximize damage, which can lead to mana issues in extended skirmishes.
• Dependent on Positioning: Poor positioning can limit Xayah’s damage output and leave her exposed to assassins or divers.

• Feather Placement is Key: Always think ahead about where your Feathers land. Use abilities like Double Daggers (Q) and auto-attacks strategically to set up a lethal Bladecaller (E).
• Maximize Deadly Plumage (W): Use Deadly Plumage before engaging in fights to enhance your attack speed and damage. Focus on hitting champions to gain bonus movement speed.
• Save Featherstorm Wisely: Don’t waste Featherstorm (R) unnecessarily. Use it to dodge critical abilities, avoid lethal damage, or reposition for a game-changing Feather recall.
• Kite Effectively: With her passive and Deadly Plumage, Xayah excels at kiting. Move between auto-attacks to maintain distance from enemies while dealing consistent damage.
• Coordinate with Rakan: When paired with Rakan, take advantage of their bonus synergy—especially his ability to dash to you for increased mobility and protection.
• Zone Control in Team Fights: Use Bladecaller to root multiple enemies and disrupt their positioning. Xayah’s Feathers are excellent tools for zoning and controlling objectives.

• R + E + FLASH: Catch enemies out by using R E, then Flashing to root your targets.
• W + AA + Q + AA + E: Your standard trade is to W then AA Q AA, followed by E to root.
• Q + AA + E: For a fast root quickly Q AA and E.
• W + Q + FLASH + AA + R + AA + E + AA: Kill a low mobility target quickly. Use W Q and then Flash mid animation, then AA and R. When you land AA E and AA.
• R + E + W + AA + AA + AA + Q + AA: You can use your ult for damage by casting R then E W. AA three times, then Q and AA.
• Q + AA + E: To root an unsuspecting enemy use Q AA and E, then quickly activate Galeforce while the feathers are flying through the air.
• R + FLASH + E + W + AA + AA: To lock down a kill use your R and Flash towards your target while in the air. E to root them, then W and AA.

1. Early game

• Play safe for the first few levels. You need time to come online and you shouldn’t be fighting unless you have a clear early advantage.
• After destroying the bottom lane tower, rotate to the mid lane and try to take that tower. This will open up the map and give your team a gold lead.
• Once you have a few levels under your belt, you can start to play aggressive and look for aggressive plays. You benefit from extended trades, so try to go for them frequently.

2. Mid game

• Try and stick with your Support throughout the mid-game. You’re quite vulnerable and easy to kill if you’re on your own. By staying with your Support, your survivability will increase.
• Continue picking up farm in the side lanes when no team fights are occurring, but spend as little time away from your team. You need gold and XP to buy items and if you fall behind, it will be unlikely that you’ll be able to dish out damage in fights.
• Look for picks with your Support/Jungler to get kills and increase your lead. If you kill a key target, you could make the call for Baron.

3. Late game

• Just like in the mid-game, you should stick with your Support throughout the later parts of the game. Do not go around the map alone as you will die easily.
• Do not play super aggressive in team fights. Just kite and auto-attack the nearest enemy champion. If you walk too far forward, the enemy will focus you and take you down.
• Continue to kite in team fights and consistently adapt your positioning. Avoid standing still in fights as you’ll be an easy target.

Xayah is a dynamic marksman who rewards players with strong mechanics and game sense. Her ability to control the battlefield with Feathers makes her a unique and impactful pick in any team composition. While her skill ceiling may pose a challenge, dedicated players who master her mechanics will find themselves with a champion capable of turning the tide of battle. Whether paired with Rakan or flying solo, Xayah is a force to be reckoned with on the Rift.

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Good luck to you! – Cheng