Is Kindred Good? Why Is He Low On Tier List?

Kindred is a champion that you play in the jungle. Since it is a combination of lamb and wolf, it can attack champions from a distance as well as when they get close to it. Kindred is mostly like an ADC with a lot of attack speed, DPS, and range. 

However, due to that, it can be a bit difficult to play him. Since you are quite squishy and need to consider a lot of aspects, most players do not play Kindred thinking that it is extremely difficult. 

That is why this guide will show you whether or not Kindred is good and why is he so low on the tier list most of the time.

Yes, Kindred is good. He is a strong jungler that can carry a lot of games thanks to his high DPS and ultimate. He also gains a lot of stats by getting his marks either by killing a marked target or getting a marked jungle camp. 

If you want to know what Kindred does and what makes him strong, continue reading to find out. Without further ado, let’s jump right in and get started!

Kindred Abilities

Before we talk about what you can do as Kindred to improve and carry games, let’s talk about his abilities so that you are aware. As aforementioned, Kindred is a strong jungler that is a marksman. He has high DPS, good range, and a great clear speed.

His Q allows him to jump in a selected direction and deal damage to enemies in that area. Kindred fires arrows at the target that is closest. In the case of a champion, it will always prioritize them instead of minions or neutral monsters.

Kindred’s W allows him to summon Wolf in an area. Wolf will prowl the area and will attack any enemy that enters it. While you are inside this area, you have reduced cooldown on your Q. This means that you can use it continuously without any issues.

His E places a mark on an enemy target. After hitting that target with your third auto attack, Wolf will leap in and damage them. This will not only deal damage to them but also slow them as well. Keep in mind that Wolf can critically strike during this.

So, if you have a good amount of critical strike chance, the enemy will take a lot of damage.

Finally, Kindred’s R places a field around him that makes everyone invulnerable. While his ultimate is active, no one can die inside of it. This also applies to minions, monsters, dragons, and Baron. 

Even the enemies cannot die while they are inside this area. Use this to lower the enemy’s HP while they cannot lower yours. This allows you to easily kill them once the ultimate ends. Plus, when your R ends, it heals you and your allies. 

However, it does not heal the enemy. Use this to your advantage and change the tide of the fight. Alternatively, you can use it to save your ally that is about to get hit by a spell or something. 

Also, before we move on to the tips, I want to mention Kindred’s passive as well since it is quite important. It places a mark on random jungle camps on the enemy’s side. If Kindred kills that monster, he will gain additional stats. 

These stats can be range, damage, critical strike chance, or attack speed. On top of that, you can also place a mark on enemy champions of your choice. However, you can only place a mark on one champion at a time.

Also, keep in mind that the mark needs a bit of time to activate. So, you cannot put it on a champion and kill them instantly to get the stack. Place it on the champions that you are going to gank later or just to get in their head.

Tips For Kindred

Now that you know what Kindred does, let’s take a look at some of the tips that you can use to properly play as him. We will talk about the correct runes, items, and a few things that you should do when playing Kindred. With that said, let’s get started.

Runes

Starting off with the runes, the best tree to choose as Kindred is the Precision one. In it, you should choose the following runes:

• Press the Attack
• Triumph
• Legend: Alacrity
• Cut Down

Getting Press the Attack (PTA) is extremely useful as it allows your third and subsequent auto attacks to deal tons of damage. Plus, since your E also procs after hitting the enemy three times, it is a perfect combo with PTA. 

This will force the enemy to respect your damage and retreat. If they do not do that, you can easily kill them using all of your abilities. Even though you are a squishy champion, you can act like an assassin and make sure that the enemy runs away from you. 

As for your secondary rune tree, going for the Domination tree is ideal. In it, you need to pick the following runes:

• Sudden Impact
• Treasure Hunter

Picking Sudden Impact is useful since it synergizes with your Q’s jump. After jumping, you will gain additional lethality and magic penetration. The best part is that you can spam this rune when you continuously use your Q while your W is active. Since your Q’s cooldown is reduced during that time, you can make the best use of this rune. 

Finally, Treasure Hunter is a great choice since it gives you additional gold every time you get a takedown. Keep in mind that the additional gold is only on the first takedown. Since you want to target different enemies thanks to your passive, getting Treasure Hunter feels natural. 

Build

Moving on to the items, you should always build Kraken Slayer as the mythic item. Before we talk about why you should make these items, here is a list of items that work best on Kindred:

• Kraken Slayer
• Berserker Grieves
• The Collector
• Infinity Edge
• Rapid Firecannon
• Lord Dominik’s Regards

All of these items are the ones that you would build on an ADC. Since Kindred is a marksman, these items are superb for him. For your final item, you can either go for the Guardian Angel (GA) or Lord Dominik’s Regards (LDR). I like the latter since your ultimate is similar to GA.

LDR makes it easier to damage tanks and enemies that have a higher HP than you. Plus, combine it with the stats you get from marks, and you will have a fun time shredding their HP.

Get As Many Marks As You Can

The final tip that I can give on how to effectively play Kindred is to get as many marks as you can. Since these marks increase your stats like damage, range, and attack speed, you need to gather as many as you can. 

As soon as the mark appears on the enemy camp, immediately go there and collect it. Keep in mind that the enemy will be prepared and will most likely counter you. Since they can also see your mark on the minimap, you need to be extremely careful. 

Getting a decent amount of stacks during the early game will allow you to gain a lead and play safe during the mid-game. Plus, if you are stronger than the enemy jungler, you shouldn’t worry about counter jungling them. 

Also read: 5 Best Supports for Kindred in League of Legends

Finally, place marks on targets that you know you are about to gank in a while. This will allow you to help your team and gain stacks as well. However, keep in mind that the enemy knows who you put your mark on. So, they will be prepared and know that you are most likely about to gank.