League of Legends S12: Kayle Top Build Guide

From runes to items, gameplay tips amd more, we've put together a guide to help you master playing Kayle in the toplane in League of Legends.

Be mindful that there are several ways to build and play a champion, and you'll need to be adaptable as the game and the enemy team progress.

That said, this guide is a good starting point to helping you get to grips with the champion and making an impact in your games.

Runes

Core Items

Nashor's Tooth

3000 Gold

Riftmaker

3200 Gold

Build

As a champion who relies on empowered auto-attacks for damage, Kayle absolutely must prioritise Nashor's Tooth for the attack speed and AP. 

Riftmaker is a strong Mythic item on Kayle, while Wit's End, Rabadon's Deathcap, and Zhonya's Hourglass are all useful.

Starting Item & Boots

Corrupting Potion

500 Gold

Berserker's Greaves

1100 Gold

Skill Order

While your choices may differ according to how the game progresses, the typical Kayle skill priority is:

R > Q > E > W

Summoner Spells

These are the summoner spells most typically taken by Kayle in this role. Naturally, this may change depending on match-ups.

Gameplay

Kayle takes an age to become useful, so the early game will be all about playing safe and just trying to farm up in lane. However, in the lategame she becomes an absolute monster, shredding enemies for fun at immense speed.

• Level 1 - Take E - Starfire Spellblade, so you can poke from range. 
• Level 2 - Take W - Celestial Blessing, for the added heal in lane. This will help you stay out longer.
• First Back - Build towards Nashor's Tooth with a Recurve Bow, or get your Berserker's Greaves. Both offer Attack Speed. 

Tips & Tricks

• Remember that the damage of Starfire Spellblade deals more damage the lower an enemy's health is. Use it to punish weak opponents.
• Use Celestial Blessing during a gank to gain a momentary increase in move speed. This is also useful as an escape tool. 
• Divine Judgement only stops you from attacking, not an ally you use it on - it's almost always better to use it on an ally during a teamfight to keep the overall DPS level up.
• Radiant Blast is a key debuff to enemies, as it reduces Armor and Magic Resist as well as applying a slow.
• Starfire Spellblade explodes on hit from level 11, making it a useful AoE attack. Target nearby minions to splash damage onto an enemy champion.