Kayn
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Good (6.5/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Paid Relics
Players disagree about Kayn's overall power level. Some consider his slow early game and reliance on specific relics a major liability in difficult encounters, while others praise his exceptional sustain and board control once his engine is established.
The Darkin Ascendant
Provides an on-play effect that triggers multiple times during Kayn's transformation sequence.
Grants +1 starting mana, accelerating Kayn's deployment to mitigate his slow early game.
Allows Kayn to strike an enemy upon being played, synergizing with his transformation.
Strategy
This optimal setup leverages The Darkin Blade, which triggers its effect multiple times—once when Kayn is played, and again when he transforms into Rhaast. Combined with Starforged Gauntlets for early deployment and Stalker's Blade for immediate board control, this build effectively neutralizes Kayn's early-game vulnerabilities. Note that The Darkin Blade requires the Darkin subtype to function, making the Rhaast transformation strictly mandatory.
Subtype Synergy
- Provides an immediate strike upon playing the champion.
- Provides a second immediate strike upon playing the champion.
Grants Overwhelm and +1|+1 to allies with a subtype.
Strategy
Two copies of Stalker's Blade allow Kayn to strike twice immediately upon play, often triggering his level-up and recall sequence in a single action. The Beast Within capitalizes on Kayn's base deck, which is heavily populated with Cultist and Darkin subtypes, granting his units a consistent stat boost and the Overwhelm keyword to push damage through blockers.
Tactical Strikes
- Provides an immediate strike upon playing the champion.
- Provides a second immediate strike upon playing the champion.
Creates a fleeting copy of Kayn in hand each round.
Strategy
This accessible build relies on The Grand General's Counterplan to generate fleeting copies of Kayn each round. This ensures a constant stream of champion spells for combat tricks, or allows for repeated deployments of Kayn to abuse the summon strikes from the dual Stalker's Blades, maintaining relentless board pressure.
Other Relic Options
Grants Formidable, helping Kayn's low-health units survive combat to trigger their heal-on-kill effects.
Triggers reliably since Kayn is always played from hand, serving as a strong alternative to Stalker's Blade.
Draws a card and reduces its cost, helping establish a wide board presence immediately upon playing Kayn.
Synergizes with Rhaast's inherent healing to trigger additional rallies, accelerating the game plan.
Kayn's relic choices heavily depend on whether the player intends to transform him into Rhaast. Relics that require the Darkin subtype or benefit from healing are exclusively effective for the Rhaast form.
Constellation
Kayn is heavily reliant on reaching 3 stars to function effectively in difficult encounters. His Shadow Assassin form is universally considered inferior to Rhaast due to a lack of sustain and impactful keywords. Players anticipate future constellation upgrades to address his slow early game and provide better balance between his two transformation options.
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
The discounted Darkin weapon provides essential early-game trading potential. This power is particularly notable because it remains active even in weekly adventures that force players to swap decks.
Reap Essence II
When an allied unit kills another unit, give that ally +2|+2 and heal it to full.Review
This power represents a critical spike in Kayn's effectiveness, providing the necessary scaling and sustain to stabilize the board and recover from early Nexus damage.
Gameplay Tips
- Prioritize Rhaast Transformation
Always choose Rhaast (Red Kayn) over Shadow Assassin (Blue Kayn). Rhaast provides essential sustain, superior stats, and the Overwhelm keyword, whereas the Shadow Assassin form lacks the necessary tools to survive difficult encounters.
- Retain Level-Up Buffs
Leveling Kayn immediately upon playing him is highly advantageous. He retains the substantial stat buff from his level-up sequence even through his mandatory recall mechanic.
- Avoid Summoning Cheats
If Kayn is summoned onto the board via effects like Norra's portals rather than being played from hand, he cannot transform. He must be recalled to hand and played directly to trigger the transformation sequence.
- Navigate Transformation Bugs
Avoid drafting powers like Deathless or Stabilize. These mechanics interfere with Kayn's level-up sequence and can cause bugs that leave an untransformed, vulnerable unit permanently on the board.
- Bypass Formidable Bugs
In encounters featuring the "Animated Armor" mutator, most strike relics incorrectly calculate damage using the unit's Attack instead of Health. Stalker's Blade correctly bypasses this bug, allowing Kayn to strike with his Health value.