As one of the most iconic Void champions, Kha’Zix and his timeless kit provides plenty of fun to players in all ELOs. Assassin junglers have been rising in popularity, largely thanks to the recently introduced items, with the arrival of Season 12.
Although he may not benefit as much from the new Axiom Arc, there are still plenty of changes that make Kha’Zix a very powerful pick, allowing him to lurk in the shadows and one-shot enemies.
The current meta also seems to favor full Jungle clears over partial routes, but despite having a weaker clear than some of the other Assassin junglers, namely Kayn or Nocturne, Kha’Zix players can still expect to see huge success with the champion, if executed properly.
Since the Scuttler’s value as a jungle camp has dropped significantly, especially in the early stages of the game, players will not bother clearing it as often, giving Kha’Zix extra fog of war to lurk in. The addition of the Chemtech Rift further extends the distance Kha’Zix players can go unseen, making it easier than ever to punish targets who venture a bit too far without their teammates, but more on that later.
In this guide, we’ll be taking a look at the best Jungle paths for Kha’Zix in Season 12, as well as at some tips and tricks and off-meta builds which dominate certain ELOs.
Stay tuned!
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Summoner Spells
The standard options are Flash and Smite, but just as with other highly mobile assassins, experienced players can get away with running Ignite instead of Flash. Note that this requires quite some courage to pull off, as you will be relying solely on your E resets and invisibility in order to get out of risky situations. For starters, we recommend running Flash.
Kha’Zix Runes
The standard runes haven’t changed that much in the past years, but a new off-meta option has slowly been rising on all servers. We’re obviously talking about First Strike, added into the game with the arrival of Patch 11.23.
Standard Build
Traditionally, players would run either Dark Harvest or Electrocute, as both keystones allow Kha’Zix to unleash his one-shot potential rather quickly. Sudden Impact works great with his E and ultimate abilities, and Relentless Hunter offers extra speed when it comes to hunting down enemy champions.
For the secondary runes, Magical Footwear and Cosmic Insight are pretty standard options, providing gold efficiency and extra CDR, but some players will prefer running Triumph and Coup de Grace as more offensive options.
First Strike Build
One of the biggest issues when it comes to AD assassins is the amount of gold needed to reach the point where you can simply delete enemy champions in one combo. First Strike offers not only extra gold, but also extra damage, on the condition that you land the first hit; otherwise the keystone goes on cooldown.
Experienced players can abuse this rune by engaging in early combats in the enemy Jungle, as very few champions can fight Kha’Zix while Isolated. This enables players to get an early gold advantage which they can then leverage into total domination, but once again, this route requires a decent amount of experience on the champion.
Also read: Best Master Yi Jungle Path
Kha’Zix Items
Start: Hailblade + Refillable Potion
Mythic: Duskblade
While most AD Assassins thrive on Duskblade, we shouldn’t the infamous Prowler’s Claw, which can be even more effective if the enemy team consists of mostly squishy targets. This Mythic is slightly more challenging to use effectively, but we do recommend giving it a try every now and then.
Core: Defensive Boots, Black Cleaver, Edge of Night
Finishing options: Serylda’s Grudge, Ravenous Hydra, Guardian Angel
Skill Order
Q > E > W > R
This is also the order you want to evolve your abilities is, reaching your power spike at Level 11, when your E can get you both in and out of combat thanks to its resets. When running Prowler’s Claw, players could evolve their Ultimate ability instead of W last, in order to get more room for invisible plays.
The Best Jungle Paths for Kha’Zix
Now for the main topic of this guide, Jungle pathing with Kha’Zix. We are going to cover the possible starts from each side, but players should keep a few factors in mind when deciding upon where their Jungle pathing should start. These are:
- Which laners are going to provide more help in clearing the first camp?
- Counter-jungle opportunities, based on where the enemy Jungler is likely to start.
- Which lane would you like to gank first, depending on both the allied and enemy champions.
It is essential to find early ganks and solo kills with Kha’Zix, in order to fully benefit from his enormous 1v1 potential when the enemies are Isolated.
Without further to do, let’s start breaking down the optimal Jungle paths for The Voidreaver.
1. Red Side – Red Clear
As depicted in the image above, Kha’Zix will comfortably clear the Red Buff, with the enormous burst damage of his Q against Isolated targets. After leveling up, the first point should go in W, which will provide you with considerable healing against the Raptors. Next up are the Wolves, where Kha’Zix players will want to kill the two little ones first, in order to get the Isolation mechanic on the large one.
Note that you should not be using Smite until you reach your fourth camp, the Blue Buff, heading into your fifth, the Gromp. These two are probably the easiest to clear, as the Isolation damage on your Q can be activated continuously.
Lastly, we reach the Scuttler, where the second Smite should be cast. Importantly, if the enemy jungler happens to be on the same side of the River, you should not hesitate to fight them. Kha’Zix dominates 1v1 trades, largely thanks to his Q and Isolation mechanic. If you notice the enemy laners coming your way before your allies, E can easily get you out of sticky situations.
Assuming you’ve successfully cleared the Scuttler, the map is now open for ganks on the Bottom- or Mid lane.
However, if you catch an opportunity to gank either lane before clearing the Scuttler, simply go for it. Given the nerfs to the camp, it is more valuable to put either you or your laners ahead early, making up for the gold and XP through the numerous ganks and assassinations Kha’Zix was made for.
This champion may not be as effective in clearing Jungle camps as his competitors, which is why it is imperative to play him as an avid assassin, constantly seeking isolated 1v1s to out-damage your opponents. Very few junglers can match Kha’Zix in a 1v1, given the enormous damage burst on his Q against Isolated targets.
2. Red Side – Blue Clear
Things are somewhat different when starting from the Blue Buff, namely because you should have two allies helping you with your first camp. After rapidly clearing Blue, head to the Gromp and burst it down with Isolated Qs and Smite, to then finish the blue side of your Jungle by clearing the Wolves.
From there, it is optimal to go for the Raptors. Some players might be concerned about losing a bit more HP than with other Junglers, but with the Refillable Potion and the heal from W, you should be good without having to use Smite, saving it for the Red Buff.
Clearing the Red Buff will go quickly, as Smite and Isolated Qs will shred through its health bar rather effectively.
At this point, players have two primary options. Depending on how the lanes are pushing, Kha’Zix can skip over Krugs and rush the Scuttler and a gank, or can just as well go for an early gank right away. Krugs can take quite a while to slay, given the lack of consistent AOE damage and how there is very little room for Isolated Qs on that camp.
As an additional trick for killing the Krugs, try saving your Q for when the Krugs break apart to multiply. The breaking animation gives players a slight window to land an Isolated Q on the still-standing mob.
3. Blue Side – Red Clear
Starting on the Blue Side and going for the Red Buff first perfectly mirrors the first Path we’ve covered. The only difference is that players can expect to reach the Blue Buff with more HP, given the health regeneration from the first buff and the extra help from your Bottom laners.
Players should still save Smite for the Blue Buff and Scuttler, especially since Kha’Zix lacks any form of hard CC to break the Scuttler’s shield with, so Smite is the only option.
From that position, you should be setting your sights on ganking rapidly, as it is ideal to get at least one kill before your first back. With both Junglers having only their starting items, Kha’Zix will always win the 1v1, whereas after the first back, the enemy Jungler can start building towards early defensive items in order to negate part of your damage.
This is why the keystone First Strike offers so much potential for Kha’Zix, as it does not only extend your damage output, but can also give players a considerable amount of bonus gold in order to keep their dominant position in the jungle.
Also read: Best Kayn Jungle Path
4. Blue Side – Blue Clear
With the Blue Buff clear on the Blue Side, things are also similar with the mirror pathing. Since toplaners will likely provide less help in slaying the first camp, players can very rapidly kill the Gromp using smite and Isolated Qs, continuing with an organic full clear into the bottom side River.
Again, the Krugs are optional, depending on what opportunities lay ahead of you in each game, as kills and ganks should still be your top priority with Kha’Zix, both in the early stages and later into the game.
Due to the lack of AOE damage and the Isolation mechanic, The Voidreaver excels at clearing single camps, such as the Gromp and Buffs, but has a more difficult time with the multi-mob ones. This further emphasizes just how important early kills and invades are, in order to keep Kha’Zix impactful over the course of the entire game.
That being said, we’d like to shift our finalizing thoughts into a set of tips and tricks both new and veteran Kha’Zix players should abuse in order to dominate the Jungle!
Best Tips and Tricks for Kha’Zix
- With Kha’Zix, in and out one-shots are everything, but that also requires some setup. Do not hesitate to occasionally buy control wards or to even play around with either the yellow or blue Trinkets. Having vision in the enemy jungle and in areas where enemy squishies are likely to go unassisted is the recipe for effective assassinations.
- Your standard assassin combo is going to be E + Q + one basic attack, saving W to finish the kill if the enemy is running away, but things change up a bit once you hit Level 6.
- If the circumstances allow it, it is better to simply walk up to the enemy target whilst invisible in R, and to simply execute a Q + basic attack combo. This will save you the E ability to either escape or to chase down a second kill, as you won’t have the evolved version of your wings until Level 11.
- With sufficient practice and mobility, Kha’Zix can cover large distances completely unnoticed. Do not hesitate to use R to walk between brushes without getting detected, as Duskblade will provide plenty of camouflage to escape once you go in and secure a takedown.
- Do not underestimate your damage output against isolated targets. Kha’Zix can successfully assassinate enemy squishies even while behind in gold and XP, thus making a comeback is not as difficult as with other AD Assassins.
Also read: How Many Skins Are in League of Legends?
Finalizing Thoughts
Kha’Zix still remains a powerful Jungler, more than 9 years after his release, for a good reason.
The high mobility, stealth, and one-shot potential this champion has been crafted with creates a truly satisfying experience for Assassin players.
Do not hesitate to jump into your first Kha’Zix game and start dominating the fog of war, slaying anyone foolish enough to cross paths with you!
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