Best ARAM Kayle Builds in League of Legends

Pentakill kayle skin
Image via Riot Games

Introduction

Tired of losing ARAM games in League of Legends with Kayle, the Righteous? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll go through the best ARAM Kayle builds, runes, summoner spells, and strategies to help you dominate the Howling Abyss. Ready to become an ARAM Kayle master? Let’s dive right in!

The unique challenges of ARAM

ARAM presents several unique challenges that set it apart from other game modes in League of Legends:

  1. Team composition: With random champion selections, players are often forced to adapt to unusual team compositions. This can result in either a lack of balance or a lack of synergy within the team, which can drastically impact the outcome of the game.
  2. Limited resources: In ARAM, there are no jungle camps or multiple lanes to farm. This means that gold and experience are in shorter supply, making efficient farming and effective gold distribution essential for success.
  3. Sustain and poke: The constant skirmishing and lack of healing in ARAM place a premium on champions with sustain and poke abilities. Since there are no recall options, champions that can poke enemies down or heal their teammates have a significant advantage in the Howling Abyss.
  4. Snowballing: Due to the single-lane nature of the map, games in ARAM can snowball quickly. A single teamfight or objective can lead to a substantial lead, making it difficult for the opposing team to come back.
  5. Teamfighting and positioning: ARAM is primarily focused on teamfighting, which means understanding each champion’s role and positioning within a fight is crucial. Proper positioning and target selection can often be the difference between victory and defeat.

Why Kayle excels in ARAM

Kayle Skin - Kayle in ARAM
Image via Riot Games

Kayle’s Abilities and Recommended Skill Order

To maximize Kayle’s potential in ARAM, it’s essential to have a thorough understanding of her abilities and the ideal skill order. Here’s a breakdown of her abilities and the recommended skill order for ARAM:

Passive: Divine Ascent

Kayle’s attacks are empowered by the heavens as she levels up and spends skill points. Her wings are lit aflame as she progressively gains Attack Speed, Move Speed, Attack Range, and waves of fire on her attacks turning her into a late game powerhouse

Q: Radiant Blast

Kayle’s Q ability, Radiant Blast, fires a celestial sword in the target direction, dealing magic damage and shredding enemy armor and magic resistance for a short duration. This ability is excellent for poke and short trades during the early game.

W: Celestial Blessing

Celestial Blessing, Kayle’s W ability, heals herself and a targeted allied champion while granting a short burst of movement speed. This ability is essential for sustaining yourself and your teammates during the game.

E: Starfire Spellblade

Kayle’s E, Starfire Spellblade, empowers her next basic attack to deal bonus magic damage, scaling with a percentage of the target’s missing health. At higher levels, this ability also grants Kayle’s basic attacks bonus range and splash damage, making it a core component of her damage output.

R: Divine Judgment

Divine Judgment, Kayle’s ultimate ability, makes the targeted allied champion or herself invulnerable for a short duration while channeling a barrage of celestial swords around the target. This ability deals substantial AOE damage and can turn the tide of a team fight.

Recommended Skill Order

For ARAM, the ideal skill order for Kayle is:

  1. E – Starfire Spellblade (level 1)
  2. Q – Radiant Blast (level 2)
  3. W – Celestial Blessing (level 3)

After level 3, prioritize leveling abilities in the following order:

  1. R – Divine Judgment (ultimate)
  2. E – Starfire Spellblade
  3. Q – Radiant Blast
  4. W – Celestial Blessing

Kayle is a late-game scaling champion, and her unique kit offers several advantages in the ARAM game mode:

  1. Scaling: Kayle’s passive, Divine Ascent, allows her to scale into a powerful ranged damage dealer as she levels up. This can make her a huge threat in the late game, as many ARAM games tend to reach this stage.
  2. Poke and wave clear: Kayle’s Q ability, Radiant Blast, and her E ability, Starfire Spellblade, provide her with decent poke and wave clear. This allows her to contribute to her team’s efforts in pushing the lane and harassing enemy champions.
  3. Sustain: With the right build, Kayle can acquire a significant amount of sustain through items such as Riftmaker and runes like Taste of Blood and Ravenous Hunter. This can help her stay healthy in extended fights and skirmishes, a valuable asset in ARAM.
  4. Utility: Kayle’s W ability, Celestial Blessing, grants her and an allied champion a movement speed boost and a heal. This can be useful for both engaging and disengaging from fights, as well as providing much-needed sustain to her team.
  5. Game-changing ultimate: Kayle’s ultimate, Divine Judgment, can be a deciding factor in teamfights. By rendering herself or an ally invulnerable for a short duration, Kayle can turn the tide of a fight and secure victories for her team.

Core Items for ARAM Kayle

Here are the top 3 Kayle item builds in ARAM based on popularity and winrate, along with explanations of why each build works:

Item Build 1 (Popularity: 4.8%, Winrate: 64.0%)

  • Core Items: Recurve Bow > Nashor’s Tooth > Riftmaker > Rabadon’s Deathcap

Explanation: This item build focuses on maximizing Kayle’s ability power and damage output. Starting with Recurve Bow, which builds into Nashor’s Tooth, provides Kayle with early attack speed and on-hit damage. Nashor’s Tooth further amplifies her on-hit damage and grants Ability Power and Ability Haste. Riftmaker enhances Kayle’s sustained damage by providing bonus Ability Power, Health, and Omnivamp. Additionally, it grants a damage boost based on the duration of combat. Rabadon’s Deathcap is the ultimate Ability Power item, significantly increasing her AP and making her abilities and passive scale even harder.

Item Build 2 (Popularity: 15.4%, Winrate: 61.1%)

  • Core Items: Recurve Bow > Nashor’s Tooth > Riftmaker > Wit’s End

Explanation: This item build aims to balance Kayle’s magic and physical damage while providing some magic resistance. Starting with Recurve Bow and building into Nashor’s Tooth grants Kayle early attack speed and on-hit magic damage. Riftmaker further enhances her sustained damage with bonus Ability Power, Health, and Omnivamp while also granting a damage boost based on the duration of combat. Wit’s End provides Kayle with a mix of attack speed, on-hit physical damage, and Magic Resist, making her a more versatile damage dealer and slightly more resilient against magic damage.

Item Build 3 (Popularity: 1.7%, Winrate: 60.8%)

  • Core Items: Recurve Bow > Nashor’s Tooth > Wit’s End > Riftmaker

Explanation: This item build prioritizes early attack speed and mixed damage output. Recurve Bow is built first and then into Nashor’s Tooth, granting early attack speed and on-hit magic damage. Wit’s End is built second, providing additional attack speed, on-hit physical damage, and Magic Resist. This combination of items makes Kayle a potent mixed damage threat early in the game. Riftmaker is built after Wit’s End, which enhances her sustained damage through bonus Ability Power, Health, and Omnivamp, while also granting a damage boost based on the duration of combat. This build is particularly effective against teams with a mix of squishy and tanky champions.

Top 5 End Game Items for Kayle in ARAM

Kayle Skin - Kayle in ARAM
Image via Riot Games

Here are the top 5 end items for Kayle in ARAM based on popularity and winrate, along with explanations of why each item works well as a late-game addition to her build:

Rabadon’s Deathcap (Popularity: 4.1%, Winrate: 63.7%)

Explanation: Rabadon’s Deathcap is an excellent choice for Kayle to maximize her Ability Power and scaling potential. This item grants a significant amount of Ability Power, and its passive increases the total Ability Power by a percentage, making her abilities and passive scale even harder into the late game. Rabadon’s Deathcap works best when Kayle has already built a few Ability Power items, as it amplifies her overall damage output.

Zhonya’s Hourglass (Popularity: 1.4%, Winrate: 63.5%)

Explanation: Zhonya’s Hourglass provides Kayle with a mix of Ability Power, Armor, and Ability Haste, making it an ideal choice against teams with high physical damage threats. Its active ability, Stasis, can save Kayle from dangerous situations, allowing her to avoid fatal damage and crowd control while her team follows up. This item is particularly useful when facing high burst damage or champions with strong engage tools.

Void Staff (Popularity: 1.8%, Winrate: 62.2%)

Explanation: Void Staff is a powerful option for Kayle when facing teams with high Magic Resist. This item grants Ability Power and a significant percentage of Magic Penetration, which allows Kayle to cut through the enemy’s Magic Resist and deal more damage. It’s an excellent choice when the enemy team has multiple tanks or champions building Magic Resist items.

Runaan’s Hurricane (Popularity: 1.9%, Winrate: 61.4%)

Explanation: Runaan’s Hurricane is an attack speed item that grants Kayle additional on-hit damage and a unique passive that allows her basic attacks to hit additional targets. This item is particularly useful when facing multiple melee champions or when Kayle needs to clear minion waves quickly. Runaan’s Hurricane synergizes well with Kayle’s passive and on-hit damage, enhancing her overall damage output in team fights.

Wit’s End (Popularity: 3.3%, Winrate: 61.3%)

Explanation: Wit’s End is a versatile item that provides Kayle with attack speed, on-hit physical damage, and Magic Resist. This item is suitable for situations where Kayle needs a mix of damage and defensive capabilities. The on-hit physical damage and Magic Resist make Wit’s End a valuable choice when facing magic damage-heavy teams or when Kayle requires additional mixed damage to complement her magic damage output.

Top 3 Kayle Rune Setups in ARAM

Here are the top 3 Kayle rune setups in ARAM based on popularity and winrate, along with explanations of why each setup works (Source: LeagueOfGraphs):

Rune Setup 1 (Popularity: 66.6%, Winrate: 54.7%)

  • Primary Tree (Precision): Press the Attack, Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, and Coup de Grace
  • Secondary Tree (Domination): Taste of Blood and Ultimate Hunter
  • Stat Shards: +9 Adaptive Force, +10% Attack Speed, and +6 Armor / +8 Magic Resist / +15-140 Health (based on level)

Explanation: This rune setup focuses on maximizing Kayle’s early game power and reducing her ultimate cooldown. Press the Attack enhances her damage output by exposing enemies to more damage after three consecutive basic attacks. Triumph provides bonus gold and healing on takedowns, which can be crucial in the snowballing nature of ARAM. Legend: Alacrity grants additional attack speed, which synergizes with Kayle’s kit. Coup de Grace increases your damage to low-health enemies, making it easier to secure kills. The secondary Domination tree with Taste of Blood and Ultimate Hunter provides extra sustain and reduced ultimate cooldown, allowing Kayle to use her Divine Judgment more often.

Rune Setup 2 (Popularity: 20.7%, Winrate: 55.2%)

  • Primary Tree (Precision): Press the Attack, Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, and Coup de Grace
  • Secondary Tree (Resolve): Bone Plating and Overgrowth
  • Stat Shards: +9 Adaptive Force, +10% Attack Speed, and +6 Armor / +8 Magic Resist / +15-140 Health (based on level)

Explanation: This rune setup focuses on maximizing Kayle’s early game power and survivability. Press the Attack enhances her damage output by exposing enemies to more damage after three consecutive basic attacks. Triumph provides bonus gold and healing on takedowns, which can be crucial in the snowballing nature of ARAM. Legend: Alacrity grants additional attack speed, which synergizes with Kayle’s kit. Coup de Grace increases your damage to low-health enemies, making it easier to secure kills. The secondary Resolve tree with Bone Plating and Overgrowth provides extra survivability during the laning phase, allowing Kayle to scale into the late game.

Rune Setup 3 (Popularity: 6.8%, Winrate: 55.1%)

  • Primary Tree (Precision): Press the Attack, Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, and Coup de Grace
  • Secondary Tree (Sorcery): Transcendence and Gathering Storm
  • Stat Shards: +9 Adaptive Force, +10% Attack Speed, and +6 Armor / +8 Magic Resist / +15-140 Health (based on level)

Explanation: This rune setup emphasizes Kayle’s late-game scaling potential. The primary Precision tree remains the same as in the first setup for its strong synergy with Kayle’s kit. The secondary Sorcery tree with Transcendence and Gathering Storm helps Kayle reach her late-game power spike faster. Transcendence provides valuable Ability Haste, while Gathering Storm grants increasing amounts of Adaptive Force as the game goes on, ensuring Kayle becomes a formidable damage dealer in the late game.

Summoner Spells for ARAM Kayle

Top 5 Summoner Spells for ARAM Kayle

Here are the top 5 summoner spells for Kayle in ARAM based on popularity and winrate, along with explanations of why each spell works well for her:

1. Ghost & Mark (Popularity: 0.2%, Winrate: 57.7%)

Explanation: This combination of Ghost and Mark provides Kayle with both mobility and engage potential. Ghost increases her movement speed, allowing her to kite enemies or chase down targets more effectively. Mark, on the other hand, grants Kayle the ability to engage from a distance by throwing a snowball at an enemy, and if it hits, she can dash to the target. This combo is especially useful for aggressive players who want to capitalize on enemy mispositioning.

2. Flash & Ghost (Popularity: 71.0%, Winrate: 55.5%)

Explanation: Flash and Ghost are the most popular summoner spell combination for Kayle in ARAM. Flash provides Kayle with an instant gap-closer or escape tool, making it invaluable for dodging skill shots or positioning in team fights. Ghost grants Kayle increased movement speed for a short duration, allowing her to chase down enemies, kite effectively, or reposition during fights. This combination offers both mobility and survivability, which is essential for Kayle as a squishy, scaling champion.

3. Cleanse & Flash (Popularity: 4.8%, Winrate: 54.2%)

Explanation: Cleanse and Flash are a strong defensive summoner spell combination for Kayle. Cleanse removes all disables and grants her a short period of crowd control immunity, which is crucial for avoiding lockdown and staying alive in team fights. Flash is an essential tool for repositioning, escaping, or engaging, making it a versatile choice for any situation. This combo is particularly effective against teams with heavy crowd control.

4. Exhaust & Flash (Popularity: 3.7%, Winrate: 53.3%)

Explanation: Exhaust and Flash are a powerful combination for Kayle when she needs to mitigate the damage output of enemy champions. Exhaust reduces an enemy champion’s movement speed and damage dealt, making it an excellent choice for shutting down high-damage threats. Paired with Flash, which offers mobility and repositioning potential, this combo provides Kayle with both offensive and defensive tools to navigate team fights.

5. Flash & Barrier (Popularity: 3.2%, Winrate: 52.4%)

Explanation: Flash and Barrier are a defensive summoner spell combination that focuses on survivability for Kayle. Flash offers mobility and repositioning options, while Barrier provides a temporary shield that absorbs incoming damage. This combination is especially useful against high burst damage champions or when Kayle needs additional protection to survive in team fights.

Kayle Strategy in ARAM

Kayle Skin - Kayle in ARAM
Image via Riot Games

Early Game

During the early game, your primary focus should be on farming and surviving. Kayle is a scaling champion, and she needs time to gather experience and gold to reach her power spikes. Keep these points in mind during the early game:

  • Position yourself safely behind your team and focus on last-hitting minions with your basic attacks and abilities.
  • Use your E, Radiant Blast, to poke enemies from a distance and secure last hits on minions safely.
  • Avoid trading with opponents unless you have a clear advantage or your team is providing pressure.
  • Pay attention to enemy cooldowns and engage in short trades when their abilities are on cooldown.
  • Use your W, Celestial Blessing, wisely to heal yourself or allies, and manage your mana efficiently.

Mid Game

As you reach level 6 and start to unlock Kayle’s full potential with her passive, Arisen, you can begin to play more aggressively. Here’s how to approach the mid game:

  • Continue to prioritize farming, but don’t hesitate to join your team in skirmishes and small-scale fights.
  • Use your Q, Starfire Spellblade, to slow enemies, making it easier for your teammates to engage or kite.
  • Utilize your E’s ranged attacks and on-hit damage to poke and trade with enemies.
  • Make use of your ultimate, Divine Judgment, to turn fights in your favor. Use it on yourself or a high-damage teammate to mitigate damage and dish out significant AOE damage.
  • Position yourself wisely in fights, maintaining distance from enemy threats while dealing damage from afar.

Late Game

In the late game, Kayle becomes a hyper-carry and can single-handedly carry team fights with her sustained damage and utility. Here’s how to play Kayle during the late game:

  • Stick with your team and avoid getting caught out of position, as death timers are long and losing a carry can cost the game.
  • Focus on shredding tanks and frontliners with your on-hit damage, but always be on the lookout for opportunities to dive the enemy backline when it’s safe.
  • Use your ultimate to deny enemy burst damage or save a key teammate from certain death.
  • Keep track of enemy cooldowns, especially crowd control abilities, and position yourself accordingly to avoid getting locked down.
  • Prioritize objectives such as turrets and inhibitors, using your range and damage to quickly take them down.

By understanding and executing these strategies during the early, mid, and late game, you’ll be able to maximize Kayle’s potential and carry your team to victory in ARAM.

Conclusion

By following this guide on the best ARAM Kayle builds, runes, and strategies, you’ll be well on your way to dominating the Howling Abyss. Remember to adapt your build and playstyle based on the enemy team composition and game state. Good luck, and may the Righteous prevail!

FAQs

  1. What is Kayle’s role in ARAM?
    • Kayle’s primary role in ARAM is a late-game hypercarry who can dish out massive amounts of damage from range while providing utility with her ultimate.
  2. When should I build defensive items on Kayle?
    • Building defensive items like Guardian Angel or Banshee’s Veil can be beneficial if you’re being heavily focused by the enemy team or need additional survivability.
  3. How important is positioning for Kayle in ARAM?
    • Positioning is crucial for Kayle in ARAM. As a squishy, high-damage carry, proper positioning allows her to deal maximum damage while avoiding threats from enemy champions.
  1. Which champions are good synergies with Kayle in ARAM?
    • Champions that provide crowd control, peel, or healing are excellent synergies with Kayle. Examples include Leona, Thresh, Soraka, and Lulu.
  2. How do I adapt my Kayle build based on the enemy team composition?
    • To adapt your build, consider the enemy team’s damage sources, crowd control, and healing. For example, if the enemy team has significant magic damage, consider building a Banshee’s Veil. If they have a lot of healing, Morellonomicon can be an effective choice.
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