Who am I ?

My name is Solène, I'm and EUW platinum player who started the game around ~2 years ago. I started playing Kayle since her rework last year and I stand around 70% win rate in ranked with her in Season 10!

Informations on this guide !

So, in this guide I will try to explain how to play Kayle up in the midlane or in the toplane, as much as I can !

Why play Kayle ?

Kayle is a champion that can easily carry games, and that is very strong when mastered. She is a hard scaling champion that is almost unbeatable in late !

Pros and Cons

Summoner Spells

Flash: Flash is a must have for Kayle, as she has no mobility if it isn't for flash. You can use it to flash and Gunblade to slow your opponent and kill him if you're fed, as a gap closer, or as an escape.


Teleport: Playing teleport with Kayle is something you wanna do half of the time, it allows you to go back to your lane faster, but mostly when you split push to go back to your team if they wanna do a teamfight or an objective. Also, as you don't need any other spells most of the time, it's better to go TP, except if you don't feel comfortable with TP.


Cleanse: Against compositions where they are having a lot of CC, like with Renekton, Elise, Sejuani, or Twisted Fate. It can help you to dps more in teamfights as you won't take that much CC. Though most of the time you prefer to take a QSS rather than a Cleanse.


To conclude, most of the time you might wanna take Flash and Teleport

Runes

So, for the Runes I mostly use this one : with Lethal Tempo as it gives more impact in Late Game as the attack speed steroid can be very important, although you can also take Fleet Footwork if you like to substain more, or if you like to kite, or Conqueror if you feel more comfortable with it, I just personally like Lethal Tempo more. With Precision, I like to take Triumph as it can help you survive and I don't think Presence Of Mind or Overheal is that important. After, the runes you take is a variant of what you like more (except Coup de Grace oops), you can take either Legend: Bloodline if you like substain more, or Legend Alacrity if you like Attack Speed more, both are good I'd say, let's just see what you like more.

For the second tree, I mostly take Inspiration
with Perfect Timing as the free stopwatch can be interessant to tempo, but if you don't like stopwatch, you can take Biscuit Delivery as it can synergize well with Time Warp Tonic that we'll take after. Time Warp Tonic is good because, as you'll start with Corrupting potions, you will be able to regen more in lane.

You can also take Sorcery or Domination Second.

With Sorcery, you should take Manaflow Band for the plus mana, and Gathering Storm as it scales really good, and as Kayle you're looking to scale.

With Domination, you're aiming for substain, so you should take Taste of Blood and Ravenous Hunter.

Passive : Divine Ascent

Kayle ascends through four forms before reaching her divine state.

Zealous (level 1): Kayle's attacks grant 6% bonus attack speed for 5 seconds, stacking up to 5 times for a maximum of 30% bonus attack speed. At max stacks, Kayle becomes Exalted, gaining 8% bonus movement speed.

Arisen (level 6): Kayle becomes a ranged champion with 525 attack range.

Aflame (level 11): While Exalted, Kayle's basic attacks additionally launch a wave of fire in the target's direction, dealing 10−30 (based on Starfire Spellblade's Rank) (+0.1 per bonus attack damage) (+25% of ability power) magic damage to enemies hit.

Transcendent (level 16): Kayle takes on her final form, becoming permanently Exalted and gaining 50 bonus attack range.


Kayle's passive is what will allow her to scale. As it doesn't do that much pre-6, avoiding fights is what you should do before 6. Once you get your 6, you can try to poke your opponent if you're in a melee matchup with your range, and, once you get 11, you should look for splitpush and/or 1v1 potential as you're pretty good. Finally, when you hit 16, if you're team looses, go for splitpush, or if you win teamfights, go for teamfights. Your level 16 is your powerspike.
Also, you can use the movment speed that your passive gives to kite.

Q spell Radiant Blast

Kayle plants a portal at her initial location that faces the target direction. After a 0.25-second delay, a celestial sword launches forward from the portal.

The sword explodes into a cross upon collision with an enemy, dealing 60 / 100 / 140 / 180 / 220 (+0.6 per bonus attack damage) (+50% of ability power) magic damage and slowing targets struck by 26 / 32 / 38 / 44 / 50%, while reducing their armor and magic resistance by 15% for 4 seconds.

Radiant Blast refunds 50% of its mana cost for each enemy champion hit.

Kayle's Q should be used in lane to farm when your opponent has pressure; but still care because it use a lot of mana. As you won't max it, you should consider Radiant Blast damage has auto damage. You can also use it in trade to be most likely to win it with the resistance shred.

W Spell Celestial Blessing

Kayle and target allied champion are healed for 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 (+30% of ability power) health and gain 24 / 28 / 32 / 36 / 40% (+ 8% per 100 AP) bonus movement speed for 2 seconds.

If cast without a valid target, or self-cast, Celestial Blessing will automatically target the most wounded ally in range.

Kayle's W isn't the most effective part of her kit, but it can still be usefull. In lane, if you don't have mana problems, you can use it to substain, or if you get ganked, as the movment speed boost is quite big, you can use it to escape ganks. In late game, you should just use it for the movment speed boost.

E spell Starfire Spellblade

Passive: Kayle's basic attacks deal 15 / 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 (+0.1 per bonus attack damage) (+25% of ability power) bonus magic damage. Additionally, Aflame's base damage is increased.

Active: Kayle's next basic attack within 6 seconds deals 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12% (+1% per 50 ability power) of the target's missing health as bonus magic damage. While Aflame, it also damages enemies surrounding the target.

Prior to becoming Arisen, Starfire Spellblade also causes Kayle to become a ranged champion with 525 attack range on the empowered attack.

In lane, much like Radiant Blast, you should use it to farm, from range, or to reset your auto as it can count as an auto reset. The on-hit damage are also very good, so I recommend maxing it.
In late, you can use it to reset your auto to do more damage.

R Spell: Divine Judgment

Kayle conjures swords around the target allied champion or herself over 1.5 seconds, after which she brings them crashing to the ground, dealing 200 / 350 / 500 (+ 100% bonus AD) (+80% of ability power) magic damage to all enemies in the area.

Divine Judgment also grants the target invulnerability for 2 / 2.5 / 3 seconds. Kayle cannot attack while channeling this ability.

You should use it to survive all-in, so play safe until 6 at least, or to yourself all in, as the damage Divine Judgment does is not bad, even good. In late, you can use it either on you to tempo, or if you have a frontlaner such as Malphite or Rammus to save them while they are in the middle of the enemy team and to do damage.

Kayle starting items are most of the time three Corrupting Potion , because the substain can help you to go through laning phase, that can be quite hard, but also because you will take most of the time Time Warp Tonic.
If you want it, you can also take Doran's Blade but I still like Corrupting Potion more.

As a support, you should Spellthief's Edge if you feel like you can freely poke in lane, or Relic Shield if you don't.

For the rest of the build, there is two "Main" build for Kayle:
AP core build and AD core build

AP CORE BUILD

Kayle's AP based color will give her an earlier powerspike, and will be more usefull when you need ap in your team.

With this build, here are the core items:

Hextech Gunblade

While building Hextech Gunblade, you should back with either Hextech Revolver or Bilgewater Cutlass at your first back, as those two are pretty good early and can help you poke/kill (poke with revolver and kill with cutlass slow).
If you have only 900 gold, you should get a Vampiric Scepter.

Then, after you bought your first component to the item, back to buy the second and then finish gunblade.

Hextech Gunblade is actually one of Kayle's powerspike as you should get it around level 9 and at that moment, you can easily trade, as you will substain, do damage, and can even finish your opponent with the item's active.

Nashor's Tooth

Most of the time, you will start building this at the end of the laning phase, so you should back with your Fiendish Codex , then your Stinger and finally farm to finish it.


Nashor's Tooth is a must have for Kayle while going ap, as it will give you ap damage, CDR (even though it's not that important for Kayle, it can still be good to reduce R cd), on hit damage that can help you win trades and finally attack speed.

This item just gives everything Kayle needs, once you have it, you can be sure to 1v1 everyone that is the same level as you (and not ULTRA FED).

Guinsoo's Rageblade

Finally, there is Guinsoo's. This one is not that much of a must have for Kayle, but it's still very good, and what you should build most of the time if you don't have to build Wit's End or Zhonya's Hourglass instead.

It will grant you Attack Speed, Ability Power, and damage. This synergize very well with Kayle as it will gives her a lot of DPS and as it is easy to stack when you are in the backline.

Once you get your guinsoo's as a third item, look either to splitpush as you're sure to 1v1 anyone (except ultra fed of cource) or to teamfight because you're kinda sure to win.

AD CORE BUILD

Kayle's AD core build is more likely to be around AD damage, and crit, as Kayle's passive waves can crit. I think it's kinda underrated right now, as it is pretty good!

While going for the AD build, here is what you should build:

Muramana

Building Muramana is very good on Kayle, as she is a big auto attacker, that will also aim to 1v1 when she splitpushes and that can have mana problem, also because it is quite cheap and can help her go through laning phase more easily.

With Muramana, you should back with your Tear of the Goddess or Pickaxe depending on what you like more. Backing with your tear will help you stack it earlier, meanwhile pickaxe will get you more damage. If you have enough gold, you can also buy both, but you rarely do.

Finally, when you have your too components you can finish your Manamune.

Runaan's Hurricane

With Runaan, just buy a Zeal and finish your item.

Runaan will grant you crit, attack speed, and most important, AOE damage.

It is good with Kayle's AD build, as she need to build crit, and Runaan is a crit item that synergize well with Kayle as it gives her AOE damage, that can go well with the one she already have, and attack speed.

Phantom Dancer

While building it, you should get a Zeal and finish the item.

Phantom Dancer is good on Kayle, as it can give her escape with the ghost, gives her crit, and finally a good amount of attack speed, and that's what Kayle is looking to get. The Shield it gives can also help survive, and that can be quite important in fights.

While building crit on Kayle, you want Attack Speed crit item, and Phantom Dancer is one of the best.

SITUATIONNAL ITEMS

Mortal Reminder: Mortal Reminder is to take when you have to get anti heal, it is cheaper than morello, and gives damage and armor penetration, that can be good on Kayle before 16 mostly.




Guardian Angel: This is what you should take when they have AD assassin for example or you really need to survive late game. It is okay on Kayle because AD is good, and it can help her survive even more because she can get out of GA and R.




Guinsoo's Rageblade: This is mostly for the AD build because in the AP build, guinsoo is a must have most of the time. In the end of your build if you really fed you can take it.




Infinity Edge This mostly applies to the AD crit build, after building your 3 core items, you can get an IE if you want more crit, or more damage on your crits.




Lich Bane: In an AP build, if you feel like going for more "pure ap" rather than attack speed. You can also build it around the end of the game if you don't have anything else to build.






Mercurial Scimitar: This is what you should build when they have a lot of CC that could reduce your dps, or against champion like Mordekaiser or Malzahar as it cancels their ultimate.




Phantom Dancer: In an AP build, this is if you need to survive an all in with cc, if you can't R.




Rapid Firecannon: In a crit build, if you want to build 100% crit chances. Just if you want 75% crit chances, go for Infinity Edge instead.





Wit's End: This is what you should build against heavy magic burst, it will allow yourself to heal and to tank more magic damage.




Zhonya's Hourglass: This is what you should build against heavy AD damage or any fed assassin such as Zed or Talon. It will allow yourself to tempo waiting for your R, or survive All-In.





Banshee's Veil: Against champions that will land a cc and try to kill you like Sejuani, Malphite or Elise

Laning

Kayle laning phase mostly consists of farming and not dying, to allow yourself to scale. You should just try to last hit with Starfire Blade or Radiant Blast, and farm under tower until you get your first item. Try to avoid trades as much as possible, to disengage you can get your W movement speed or use your Q slow. In early game mostly, never push and try not to get freeze, else the enemy jungler will gank, and, if you don't have R, you will probably be dead if it's something aggressive such as Jarvan IV or Rek'Sai.
You can also poke with Starfire Spellblade if you don't need it to farm.

Post 6, you can poke with your autos as they will be ranged, but, still don't push. If your opponent decide to take a trade, they are probably stronger than you and you will lose your trade.

Also, if your jungler asks for help for an invade or such, except if your mid is there and it's 3v2 or if it's a good early jungler against a bad early jungle like Shyvana , never go for a 2v2 early, because you are most likely to lose it.

Teamfighting

With Kayle, you are most likely to want to teamfight when you have around 2 or 3 items, and when it's for an objective, or to end the game, else you want to splitpush most of the time, or make picks.

In teamfights, you need to stay in the backline and auto, like an ADC, stay out of their carries range, and AA. If you are about to die, R, but most of the time you should keep your R for your teammates: if your ADC get grabbed by a Blitzcrank for example, you should R him so he survives. Or, if your frontliner is in the middle of their team, you should R them so they survive and you do damage to their team.

Kayle should have free dps in teamfights if you have a tank that can peel, and if your team plays correctly.

Splitpushing

Kayle is probably one of the strongest splitpusher post 16. She will 1v1 everyone, push very fast, escape if needed (because you should have flash), and has a good waveclear. You should splitpush when your team is pushing mid, or on any lane, and tp if needed. You can pressure lanes so their team is forced to come as more than one to stop you, and your team can take objectives on the side of the map.
Just try to tell your team to avoid fights as long as you don't have TP.

Thanks for reading !
I hope you enjoyed this guide and if you have tip or review about it, I'd like if you could tell me !
If you like it, feel free to upvote it and obviously feel free to try out Senna in game !

Also, feel free to check out my Neeko guide,my Taliyah guide, Senna guide and Quinn guide !

I hope you will have a good day !