Kayn
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Good (6.5/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Paid Relics
Kayn's overall power level is heavily dependent on his relic setup. His slow early game is a major liability in difficult encounters, but he offers 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. This provides immediate board control and significant stat scaling.
Combined with Starforged Gauntlets for early deployment and Stalker's Blade for additional immediate strikes, this build effectively neutralizes Kayn's early-game vulnerabilities.
Note that The Darkin Blade requires the Darkin subtype to function optimally, making the Rhaast transformation strictly mandatory, as the Shadow Assassin form lacks the Darkin subtype.
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. This provides immediate removal and accelerates his transformation.
The Beast Within capitalizes on Kayn's base deck, which is heavily populated with Cultist and Darkin subtypes. This grants his units a consistent stat boost and the Overwhelm keyword to push damage through blockers.
Found Fortune Engine
Draws a card and reduces its cost to zero upon playing Kayn.- Provides an immediate strike upon playing the champion.
- Provides a second immediate strike upon playing the champion.
Strategy
Found Fortune draws a card and reduces its cost to zero upon playing Kayn, allowing for immediate board expansion. This helps establish a wide board presence on the exact turn Kayn is deployed.
Paired with two copies of Stalker's Blade, this build ensures Kayn clears enemy threats while simultaneously developing allied attackers, creating massive tempo swings.
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.
Furthermore, it allows for repeated deployments of Kayn to abuse the summon strikes from the dual Stalker's Blades, maintaining relentless board pressure throughout longer encounters.
Other Relic Options
Triggers reliably since Kayn is always played from hand, serving as a strong alternative to Stalker's Blade.
Synergizes with Rhaast's inherent healing to trigger additional rallies, accelerating the game plan.
Grants Formidable, helping Kayn's low-health units survive combat, though it can negatively interact with Overwhelm.
Can be combined with Swain's Raven Army to cheat Kayn out early, mitigating his high base cost.
Kayn's relic choices heavily depend on transforming him into Rhaast. Relics requiring the Darkin subtype or benefiting 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. Future constellation upgrades are highly anticipated 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.
Reap Essence II
When an allied unit kills another unit, give that ally +2|+2 and heal it to full.
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. Furthermore, the Shadow Assassin form lacks the Darkin subtype, which breaks synergies with key relics like The Darkin Blade.
- 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.
- Ephemeral Level-Up Interaction
If an ephemeral copy of Kayn levels him up (e.g., via a strike effect), only the ephemeral copy is destroyed. The original Kayn on the board will not recall, leaving him in an untransformed state.