Kayn
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Good (7/10)
High Investment Required
Rare Relics OK
Kayn is a polarizing champion who is beloved for his unique 'scythe' mechanics and transformation gameplay but criticized for a slow early game. While he requires significant investment to feel fluid, his Rhaast form offers immense sustain and scaling that appeals to players who enjoy 'raid boss' style units.
The Reaping Scythe
Essential for Kayn's game plan. Two copies allow him to strike twice immediately upon being played, satisfying his level-up condition instantly. Upon transforming into Rhaast and being replayed, he strikes two more times, clearing the board.- Used in tandem with the first copy to ensure an instant level-up on Turn 1 or 2 (depending on mana) and massive board control.
Provides Overwhelm and +1/+1 to the entire deck, as most of Kayn's followers are Cultists or Darkin. This keyword is crucial for Rhaast to push lethal damage through chump blockers.
Strategy
This is the standard, most consistent build. The goal is to drop Kayn, trigger two strikes to level him up immediately, recall him, and then replay Rhaast to stabilize with massive healing and board wipe potential. The Beast Within ensures your scaling units can finish the game.
Titanic Formidable
If Kayn is Titanic, this provides +1 Starting Mana, accelerating his drop to Turn 1 (with 3 starting mana). Requires Luminous Orb to activate the Titanic condition.
Grants +3 Health, pushing Kayn's base health high enough to trigger Starforged Gauntlets and increasing his durability.
Converts Kayn's massive health pool into Power via the Formidable keyword. Since Rhaast fully heals on kills, he maintains high damage output effortlessly.
Strategy
A high-investment setup that turns Kayn into a massive tank. By ramping mana, you can play Kayn earlier. The Formidable keyword synergizes perfectly with Rhaast's regeneration, as his 'damage' (reduced health) is healed back after every kill.
Fortune's Edge
Draws a card and grants it a massive stat buff upon playing Kayn. Since Kayn is your win condition, thinning the deck and buffing your next play is valuable.- Triggers a strike on summon to help progress leveling.
- Provides a second strike to ensure consistency in leveling up and controlling the board.
Strategy
Focuses on card advantage and deck consistency while maintaining the core striking mechanic needed for Kayn's level-up.
Other Relic Options
Aatrox's signature relic is exceptional on Kayn. It triggers on Play and Transform, granting stats and strikes multiple times in a single sequence.
Offers mana acceleration by dealing damage to allies, allowing Kayn to be played earlier. Effective but risky if your board is thin.
Rallies upon leveling up. Since Kayn recalls on level-up, this can be tricky, but if timed correctly with the replay of Rhaast, it enables a devastating open attack.
A viable alternative for board control, especially for Rhaast, though often outshined by Stalker's Blade for the leveling utility.
Constellation
Kayn suffers significantly at low star levels, often being described as unplayable before 2 stars. His powers focus on sustain and equipment consistency. While his 3-star power is solid, he relies heavily on relics and levels to overcome his slow start.
Reap Essence
When an allied unit kills another unit, give that ally +1|+1 and heal it 2.
Suitable Host
+1 Starting Mana. Game Start: Create a random Darkin Equipment in hand. It costs 2 less.Review
Essential for consistency. Getting a discounted Darkin weapon at Game Start helps stabilize the early game, which is Kayn's biggest weakness.
Reap Essence II
When an allied unit kills another unit, give that ally +2|+2 and heal it to full.Review
A strong power that provides full healing to allies on kills. This transforms his board into an unkillable engine once stabilized, though it does not help accelerate his slow early turns.
Gameplay Tips
Always Choose Rhaast
The Rhaast (Red Kayn) form is universally considered superior to the Shadow Assassin (Blue Kayn) in Path of Champions. Rhaast provides essential sustain through Nexus healing and unit regeneration, whereas Shadow Assassin lacks the durability required for higher-difficulty adventures.
The Double Strike Level-Up
Kayn's level-up condition requires him to strike twice. By equipping two Stalker's Blades, Kayn will strike two enemies immediately upon being played. This instantly fulfills his level-up condition, causing him to recall and generate his transformation card in hand (usually 0 cost) for the following turn (or same turn if mana permits).
Managing the Formidable Bug
If you are using Strength of Stone (Formidable) combined with Stalker's Blade, be aware of ordering interactions. In some patches, the strike from Stalker's Blade may calculate using his base Attack rather than his Health (Formidable), resulting in low damage strikes. Rhaast usually functions correctly after the recall and replay cycle.
Equipment Synergy
Kayn's deck is heavy on Cultists and equipment. Relics or powers that buff subtypes (like The Beast Within) or discount equipment provide immense value. Always look for the 'Share the Spoils' or equipment-related powers during a run.