Best Kassadin Build & Guide (2026) — League of Legends

Kassadin is League of Legends' Void Walker — a human who survived exposure to the Void and now wields its energy as a weapon against the very forces that destroyed his homeland. Kassadin is primarily played as a mid lane assassin-mage whose identity revolves around one of the most feared late-game ultimates in the game: Riftwalk, a short-cooldown blink that deals AOE magic damage and can be cast repeatedly with stacking damage and mana cost. Kassadin's early game is notoriously weak — he is a melee champion in a lane dominated by ranged mages and assassins — but his passive Void Stone reduces all incoming magic damage, making him a natural counter to AP-heavy compositions. Once Kassadin reaches level 16 with max-rank Riftwalk and a completed item build, he becomes one of the most mobile and dangerous champions in the game, blinking across teamfights every two seconds to delete squishy targets with burst combos. Whether you're a mid lane main looking for the ultimate hyperscaling assassin who rewards patience and macro play or a player who wants to hard-carry late-game teamfights with relentless mobility and burst damage, this guide covers everything you need to dominate with Kassadin in 2026.

Kassadin Overview

Kassadin operates as a hyperscaling melee assassin-mage whose unique identity comes from Riftwalk — a short-cooldown blink ultimate that allows him to teleport across the battlefield every few seconds, dealing AOE magic damage on arrival. Riftwalk's cooldown decreases with each rank, reaching its minimum at level 16 where Kassadin can blink every two seconds, making him nearly impossible to catch or escape from. Kassadin's power curve is one of the most extreme in League of Legends: he is among the weakest laners in the early game but scales into one of the most terrifying late-game champions, capable of deleting carries in a single Riftwalk combo and escaping before the enemy team can react.

Null Sphere (Q) is Kassadin's primary poke and trading tool in lane. Kassadin fires a void bolt at a target enemy, dealing magic damage and interrupting any channels. Additionally, Null Sphere grants Kassadin a magic damage shield for a short duration upon cast. The channel interrupt is useful for stopping enemy ability casts like Katarina's Death Lotus or Fiddlesticks' Drain, and the magic shield provides crucial damage mitigation during lane trades against AP opponents. Q is Kassadin's safest ability because it is ranged, targeted, and provides both damage and defense.

Nether Blade (W) is Kassadin's auto-attack empowerment. Passively, Kassadin's basic attacks deal bonus magic damage. When activated, Kassadin's next basic attack deals significantly increased magic damage and restores mana, with the mana restoration tripled against champions. Nether Blade is essential for Kassadin's burst combo because the empowered auto-attack deals substantial damage, and the mana restoration against champions helps sustain Riftwalk's stacking mana cost during extended fights. In lane, Nether Blade helps Kassadin last-hit under tower and sustain his mana pool.

Force Pulse (E) is Kassadin's AOE slow and burst damage tool. Force Pulse requires charges from nearby ability casts — both allied and enemy — before it can be used. Once charged, Kassadin releases a pulse of void energy in a cone, dealing magic damage and slowing all enemies hit. The slow is significant and helps Kassadin stick to targets after Riftwalking onto them, preventing enemies from simply walking away after the initial burst. In teamfights, Force Pulse charges rapidly because of the high volume of ability casts from both teams, making it available almost constantly.

Riftwalk (R) is Kassadin's defining ultimate ability. Kassadin blinks to a target location, dealing AOE magic damage to all enemies near the arrival point. Each subsequent Riftwalk within a short window doubles the mana cost and increases the damage, stacking up to a cap. At max rank, Riftwalk's base cooldown is extremely short, allowing Kassadin to blink every two seconds. The stacking mechanic means Kassadin must manage his mana carefully — chaining multiple Riftwalks deals escalating damage but drains mana exponentially, while spacing out Riftwalks preserves mana at the cost of lower burst. Riftwalk is simultaneously Kassadin's primary damage tool, mobility tool, engage tool, and escape tool.

Strengths

• Riftwalk at level 16 has a two-second cooldown, making Kassadin one of the most mobile champions in the game — he can blink repeatedly to chase fleeing enemies, escape from danger, reposition in teamfights, and navigate terrain that other champions cannot cross, creating a mobility advantage that no other assassin can match — A level 16 Kassadin with sufficient mana can chain four or five Riftwalks to cross the entire map, dive the enemy backline, kill a carry, and Riftwalk back out before the enemy team can respond
• Kassadin is one of the strongest late-game champions in the game because his burst combo — Riftwalk onto a target, Force Pulse slow, Nether Blade empowered auto-attack, Null Sphere — deals enough damage to kill squishy champions in under one second, and he can repeat this combo every few seconds thanks to Riftwalk's short cooldown — Late-game Kassadin with a full AP build can delete ADCs, mages, and enchanters from full health with a single Riftwalk combo, and his ability to chain Riftwalks means he can kill multiple targets in a single teamfight
• Void Stone passive reduces all incoming magic damage by 15%, making Kassadin inherently tanky against AP-heavy compositions and giving him a natural advantage in matchups against magic damage dealers — this passive stacks multiplicatively with magic resistance items, making Kassadin exceptionally difficult to kill with magic damage — Against double or triple AP compositions, Kassadin's effective magic resistance from Void Stone is significantly higher than his stat sheet suggests, allowing him to survive burst combos that would kill other assassins
• Null Sphere provides a magic damage shield and interrupts channels, giving Kassadin both defensive and offensive utility in a single ability — the shield absorbs meaningful damage during lane trades against AP opponents, and the channel interrupt can cancel high-impact abilities like Katarina Death Lotus, Malzahar Nether Grasp suppression channel, and Fiddlesticks Crowstorm channel — The combination of damage, shielding, and channel interrupt in one ability makes Kassadin's Q one of the most efficient trading tools against AP mid laners

Weaknesses

• Kassadin's early game is among the weakest of any mid laner — he is melee with short range, has no waveclear before level 6, cannot trade effectively against ranged champions without taking significant return damage, and is extremely vulnerable to jungle ganks because he has no escape tool until Riftwalk at level 6 — Aggressive mid laners like Lucian, Tristana, and Pantheon can zone Kassadin off CS from level 1, deny him experience, and snowball a lead so large that Kassadin cannot reach his scaling breakpoints
• Kassadin is almost entirely reliant on Riftwalk for mobility and damage, and Riftwalk's stacking mana cost means he can run out of mana rapidly if he chains too many blinks — a Kassadin who burns through his mana pool with aggressive Riftwalks is left with no escape, no burst, and no way to contribute to fights — Managing Riftwalk's stacking mana cost is the most important skill expression on Kassadin, and miscalculating mana by even one Riftwalk can leave him stranded in the middle of the enemy team with no way out
• Kassadin deals almost entirely magic damage, making him easy to itemize against with magic resistance — a single Banshee's Veil or Mercury's Treads purchase significantly reduces Kassadin's kill potential on a target, and tanks who stack MR become functionally invulnerable to Kassadin's damage — Unlike AD assassins who deal mixed damage through auto-attacks, Kassadin's entire combo is magic damage, meaning MR is twice as effective against him because it reduces damage from every ability simultaneously
• Kassadin has no reliable waveclear until he unlocks Riftwalk at level 6, and even after level 6 his waveclear consumes mana that he would rather save for fighting — this means Kassadin is constantly shoved under tower in the early game, losing minions to tower shots and falling behind in CS against any opponent who can push waves — Champions with strong waveclear like Ahri, Viktor, and Syndra can permanently push Kassadin under tower, roam to side lanes or jungle, and generate map advantages while Kassadin struggles to last-hit under tower with his melee auto-attacks

Recommended Runes

Primary — Fleet Footwork (Precision)

• Fleet Footwork — Grants a burst of healing and movement speed when the energized attack is consumed on an enemy. Fleet Footwork is Kassadin's optimal keystone because it directly addresses his weakest point — surviving the laning phase. The healing from Fleet Footwork procs sustains Kassadin through poke damage from ranged opponents, and the movement speed burst lets him dart in for last-hits with his melee auto-attack and retreat before enemies can punish. Fleet Footwork charges on both auto-attacks and ability casts, and Kassadin can proc it on minions for safe sustain or on champions for trading.
• Presence of Mind — Restores mana on champion takedowns and increases maximum mana. Presence of Mind is essential for Kassadin because Riftwalk's stacking mana cost can drain his entire mana pool in four or five consecutive casts. Each champion takedown — kills and assists — restores a significant chunk of mana, allowing Kassadin to chain additional Riftwalks during cleanup after securing a kill. Without Presence of Mind, Kassadin frequently runs out of mana mid-fight and cannot continue blinking.
• Legend: Tenacity — Grants stacking tenacity for each champion takedown, reducing the duration of crowd control effects. Legend: Tenacity is critical for Kassadin because crowd control is his primary counter — any stun, root, or knockup during a Riftwalk engage leaves Kassadin stranded in the middle of the enemy team where he dies instantly. The tenacity reduces CC duration, giving Kassadin more time to cast his burst combo and Riftwalk back to safety after diving. Kassadin cannot afford to be locked down because he is squishy and relies entirely on Riftwalk to escape.
• Last Stand — Increases damage dealt when below a health threshold, scaling up to a maximum bonus at very low health. Last Stand synergizes with Kassadin's playstyle because he frequently drops to low health during assassination dives — Riftwalking into the enemy backline means taking return damage before he can kill his target and escape. The bonus damage at low health helps Kassadin secure kills on targets who survive with a sliver of health, which is the difference between a successful assassination and dying for nothing.

Secondary — Resolve

• Second Wind — Regenerates health over time after taking damage from an enemy champion. Second Wind is essential for surviving Kassadin's brutal laning phase because every ranged poke ability from the enemy mid laner triggers sustained health regeneration. Against opponents like Syndra, Viktor, and Ahri who poke Kassadin constantly with ranged abilities, Second Wind provides consistent healing that keeps Kassadin's health pool high enough to avoid being dove under tower.
• Bone Plating — Reduces damage from the next three instances of damage after taking damage from an enemy champion, on a moderate cooldown. Bone Plating protects Kassadin against all-in burst trades in lane. When an aggressive mid laner like Zed or Talon commits to a full combo, Bone Plating absorbs a significant portion of the damage from the first three hits, often being the difference between Kassadin surviving the trade with enough health to stay in lane or being forced to recall and lose CS and experience.

Recommended Item Build

Based on data from over 8,200 ranked Kassadin matches tracked on dodge.gg, here's the highest winrate build path.

Early Game (0–10 min)

• Doran's Shield — Grants health and passive health regeneration, with bonus healing after taking damage from enemy champions. Doran's Shield is Kassadin's standard start because it directly addresses his biggest weakness — surviving lane against ranged poke. Every time an enemy champion damages Kassadin with an ability or auto-attack, Doran's Shield's passive triggers additional health regeneration over several seconds. Combined with Second Wind and Fleet Footwork, Doran's Shield gives Kassadin enough sustain to survive the early levels without being poked out of lane.
• Health Potion — Restores health over time. A Health Potion supplements Doran's Shield's sustain and provides emergency healing after unfavorable trades. Kassadin takes frequent poke damage from ranged opponents, and the Health Potion keeps him in lane through the first few levels until he can back for Tear of the Goddess.
• Tear of the Goddess — Grants mana and stacks additional maximum mana each time an ability is cast. Tear of the Goddess is Kassadin's essential first-back purchase because Riftwalk's stacking mana cost demands the largest possible mana pool. Kassadin begins stacking Tear as early as possible — ideally on his first recall — to have it fully stacked by the time he needs to chain multiple Riftwalks in mid-game fights. The bonus mana from a fully stacked Tear is the difference between chaining three Riftwalks and chaining five.

Core Build (10–20 min)

• Rod of Ages — Grants ability power, health, and mana, with all three stats increasing every minute for ten minutes after purchase. Rod of Ages is Kassadin's optimal first major item because it provides the three stats he needs most — AP for damage, health for survivability during Riftwalk dives, and mana for sustaining Riftwalk's stacking cost. Rod of Ages rewards Kassadin's scaling playstyle because the item grows stronger over time, matching Kassadin's own scaling curve. A fully stacked Rod of Ages provides an enormous amount of combined stats that no other single item can match for Kassadin's needs.
• Sorcerer's Shoes — Grants magic penetration. Sorcerer's Shoes amplify Kassadin's burst damage by providing flat magic penetration that increases the damage of Null Sphere, Force Pulse, Nether Blade, and Riftwalk against targets with low magic resistance. Flat magic penetration is most effective against squishy targets — ADCs, mages, and enchanters — who are Kassadin's primary assassination targets. The movement speed also helps Kassadin navigate lane and roam to side lanes.
• Archangel's Staff — Upgrades from Tear of the Goddess, granting ability power based on bonus mana, plus ability haste. Archangel's Staff transforms Kassadin's fully stacked Tear into a massive AP spike because the bonus mana from Tear converts directly into ability power. The completed Seraph's Embrace provides a shield active that absorbs damage based on current mana, giving Kassadin a survivability tool during Riftwalk dives. The combination of AP from mana conversion, ability haste for lower cooldowns, and the Seraph's shield makes Archangel's Staff Kassadin's most important scaling item.

Late Game (25+ min)

• Rabadon's Deathcap — Grants a massive amount of ability power and amplifies total AP by a percentage. Rabadon's Deathcap is the item that transforms Kassadin from a mobile skirmisher into a one-shot assassin. The percentage AP amplification multiplies every other source of ability power Kassadin has built — Rod of Ages AP, Archangel's mana-converted AP, and all other AP sources — creating an exponential damage increase. With Deathcap, Kassadin's Riftwalk combo deals enough damage to kill squishy champions from full health in a single rotation.
• Lich Bane — Grants ability power, ability haste, and movement speed, with a passive that empowers the next auto-attack after casting an ability to deal bonus magic damage based on AP. Lich Bane synergizes perfectly with Kassadin's burst combo because Riftwalk is an ability cast that procs Lich Bane's Spellblade passive, and Nether Blade empowered auto-attack applies the Spellblade damage on top of its own bonus magic damage. The combined damage of Riftwalk AOE, Lich Bane Spellblade auto, Nether Blade empowered auto, Force Pulse, and Null Sphere in rapid succession creates Kassadin's full one-shot combo. The movement speed also improves Kassadin's roaming and teamfight positioning.
• Zhonya's Hourglass — Grants ability power, armor, and ability haste, with an active that puts Kassadin in stasis for 2.5 seconds. Zhonya's Hourglass provides Kassadin with a critical survivability tool for his assassination dives. After Riftwalking into the enemy backline to kill a carry, Kassadin can activate Zhonya's to become invulnerable while his team follows up and while Riftwalk's cooldown resets. The 2.5 seconds of stasis is often enough for Riftwalk to come off cooldown, allowing Kassadin to Riftwalk back to safety immediately after Zhonya's ends. The armor provides defense against AD threats and the ability haste reduces Riftwalk's cooldown further.

Ability Priority

1. Force Pulse (E) — Max first. Each rank increases Force Pulse's base damage and slow percentage, providing Kassadin's strongest waveclear and trading damage per skill point. E is Kassadin's most damaging basic ability in lane because it hits in a wide cone, damages the entire minion wave for waveclear, and slows enemies for follow-up damage. Maxing E first gives Kassadin the waveclear he desperately needs to avoid being permanently shoved under tower and the damage to trade effectively in lane.
2. Null Sphere (Q) — Max second. Each rank increases Null Sphere's base damage and the magic damage shield value. Q max second provides improved poke damage and a larger magic shield for surviving trades against AP opponents. The shield scaling per rank is meaningful — a max-rank Null Sphere shield absorbs a significant portion of an enemy mage's ability damage, making trades increasingly favorable as Kassadin levels Q. The channel interrupt is equally useful at all ranks.
3. Nether Blade (W) — Max last. Nether Blade's primary value is the empowered auto-attack damage and mana restoration, both of which function adequately at a single rank. The damage increase per rank is lower than Q and E, and the mana restoration scales well enough at rank 1 for laning purposes. One point in W is taken early for last-hitting and mana sustain, but maxing it last is standard because Q and E provide more impact per skill point.
4. Riftwalk (R) — Level when available at 6, 11, and 16. Each rank massively decreases Riftwalk's base cooldown and increases its base damage. Level 6 is Kassadin's first major power spike — Riftwalk immediately gives him mobility, burst damage, and escape that he completely lacked before. Level 11 reduces the cooldown further and increases damage, making Kassadin a genuine threat in skirmishes. Level 16 is Kassadin's legendary power spike — Riftwalk reaches its minimum two-second cooldown, transforming Kassadin into a blinking machine that can chain-kill targets across a teamfight.

Playstyle Tips

Early Game / Laning Phase

Kassadin's early game is about surviving the laning phase with as much CS and experience as possible while conceding lane priority to avoid deaths, using Null Sphere's magic shield and Fleet Footwork healing to sustain through poke, and reaching level 6 where Riftwalk unlocks Kassadin's mobility and kill potential. Kassadin is one of the weakest early laners in the game, and the goal before level 6 is survival, not aggression.

Accept that you will be pushed under tower for most of the early laning phase. Kassadin is melee against ranged opponents, and attempting to contest the wave in the middle of the lane invites poke damage and potential ganks. Let the wave push into your tower and focus on last-hitting with auto-attacks and Nether Blade empowered autos. Use Q to last-hit cannon minions that you might miss under tower and to proc Fleet Footwork for sustain when the energized attack is ready.

Trade only when it is safe and efficient. The optimal trade pattern pre-6 is to walk up, Q the enemy laner for damage and the magic shield, auto-attack once for Fleet Footwork proc, and immediately retreat. The Q shield absorbs return damage from the enemy, Fleet Footwork heals a portion of the poke you took, and Second Wind regenerates health over the next few seconds. Do not extend trades — Kassadin loses every prolonged fight pre-6 because he has no sustained damage or escape.

Track the enemy jungler constantly. Kassadin without Riftwalk has no escape from ganks — no dash, no movement speed steroid, no untargetability. Flash is his only defensive tool, and burning Flash before level 6 leaves him extremely vulnerable. Ward one side of the lane and play toward that side. If the enemy jungler's position is unknown, play far back and sacrifice CS rather than risk dying. A single death in the early game can delay Kassadin's scaling by minutes, which is catastrophic for a champion who needs items and levels to function.

At level 6, Kassadin's game changes dramatically. Riftwalk provides instant burst damage, gap-closing, and escape. Look for kill opportunities when the enemy laner overextends — Riftwalk onto them, E slow, Q damage, W empowered auto. If the combo does not kill, Riftwalk is also your escape. Post-6, Kassadin can also roam to side lanes with Riftwalk mobility to pick up kills and assists that accelerate his scaling.

Mid Game

Mid-game Kassadin with Rod of Ages stacking and Archangel's Staff building is a scaling assassin who farms side lanes and jungle camps to reach his item breakpoints while looking for pick opportunities on isolated squishy targets using Riftwalk engages, and who continues to grow stronger every minute as Rod of Ages stacks and Tear charges accumulate. The mid game is Kassadin's transition from a weak laner into a legitimate threat.

Farm aggressively in side lanes. Kassadin's waveclear with Force Pulse and Riftwalk is fast enough to push waves quickly and rotate to jungle camps between waves. The side lane farm is critical for reaching Kassadin's item breakpoints — every minute spent farming brings Rod of Ages closer to full stacks and Tear closer to completion. Riftwalk provides safety in side lanes because Kassadin can blink over walls to escape ganks that would kill other mid laners.

Look for picks on isolated enemies. When an enemy squishy champion — ADC, mage, or enchanter — is alone in a side lane or jungle, Kassadin can Riftwalk in, burst them with his full combo, and Riftwalk out before help arrives. The ideal assassination pattern is: Riftwalk onto target, immediate E slow, W empowered auto-attack, Q for damage, then Riftwalk away if the target dies or Riftwalk again for the stacked damage if they survive. Each successful pick generates gold that accelerates Kassadin's build.

Use Riftwalk conservatively in skirmishes. Do not chain multiple Riftwalks unless you are certain the kill is secured and you have enough mana to Riftwalk back to safety afterward. A common mistake is using three Riftwalks aggressively, killing the target, and then having no mana to escape. Always count your Riftwalk stacks mentally — first Riftwalk costs base mana, second doubles it, third doubles it again — and ensure you can afford at least one more Riftwalk for escape.

Late Game

Late-game Kassadin with Rabadon's Deathcap and Lich Bane is a teamfight-winning assassin whose two-second Riftwalk cooldown at level 16 creates unmatched mobility for diving enemy backlines, killing priority targets with single-rotation burst combos, and escaping before the enemy team can collapse — Kassadin at full build is one of the hardest champions in the game to deal with because he can engage from angles no other champion can reach and retreat through terrain that cannot be followed. Kassadin's late game is among the strongest of any champion in League of Legends.

In teamfights, wait for crowd control abilities to be used before engaging. Kassadin's biggest threat is being stunned or knocked up during a Riftwalk dive — the stun duration gives the enemy team time to focus Kassadin down before he can escape. Watch for key CC abilities like Leona Solar Flare, Nautilus Dredge Line, or Syndra Scatter the Weak to be used on your frontline, then Riftwalk into the enemy backline while those abilities are on cooldown.

The assassination combo at full build is: Riftwalk onto the priority target (ADC or enemy mid laner), W empowered auto-attack with Lich Bane proc, E Force Pulse slow, Q Null Sphere. This combo kills most squishy champions from full health. After the kill, immediately Riftwalk back toward your team. If a second priority target is within range, chain another Riftwalk for stacked damage and repeat the combo. Kassadin can realistically kill two or three squishy targets in a single teamfight if he manages his mana correctly.

Use Riftwalk to flank from unexpected angles. Kassadin can blink over walls, through jungle terrain, and across baron and dragon pits to reach enemy backlines from directions they do not expect. Instead of walking through the front of a teamfight, Riftwalk through a wall behind the enemy team and dive the carries from behind. The surprise factor means enemies often do not react in time to peel for their carries.

Manage Riftwalk stacking carefully in extended fights. The first Riftwalk costs base mana, but each subsequent Riftwalk within the window doubles the cost. At four stacks, a single Riftwalk costs more mana than some champions' entire mana pool. Space Riftwalks out when possible — wait for the stack to reset between blinks to conserve mana. Only chain rapid Riftwalks when committing to a kill or escaping immediate danger. Presence of Mind's mana restoration on takedowns is essential for sustaining through multiple Riftwalks in a single fight.

Matchups

Favorable

• Veigar — Veigar is a scaling mage who relies on Event Horizon cage to lock down enemies and burst them with Primordial Burst execute. Kassadin has a favorable matchup because Riftwalk blinks through Event Horizon without being stunned by the cage walls, completely negating Veigar's primary setup tool. Void Stone's magic damage reduction and Null Sphere's magic shield absorb a significant portion of Veigar's burst combo, and Kassadin's mobility makes it nearly impossible for Veigar to land Dark Matter's delayed AOE. Post-6, Kassadin can Riftwalk onto Veigar aggressively and burst him faster than Veigar can respond.
• Vel'Koz — Vel'Koz is an artillery mage who relies on hitting long-range skillshots to deal sustained magic damage and proc Organic Deconstruction true damage. Kassadin has a favorable matchup because Void Stone reduces Vel'Koz's magic damage, Null Sphere's shield absorbs additional poke, and Riftwalk lets Kassadin dodge Vel'Koz's skillshots while instantly closing the gap. Vel'Koz has no mobility and no escape — once Kassadin Riftwalks onto him, Vel'Koz dies to the burst combo without counterplay. Vel'Koz also cannot shove Kassadin out of lane fast enough to prevent him from scaling.
• Lux — Lux is a burst mage who relies on landing Light Binding root to set up her full combo. Kassadin has a favorable matchup because Riftwalk makes him extremely difficult for Lux to hit with Light Binding, and even if Lux lands her combo, Void Stone's magic damage reduction and Null Sphere's shield absorb enough damage to survive. Post-6, Kassadin can Riftwalk past Light Binding and onto Lux to burst her before she can cast a second rotation. Lux's lack of mobility means she cannot escape Kassadin once he engages.

Even

• Ahri — Ahri is a mobile mage-assassin with Charm CC and Spirit Rush triple-dash ultimate. The matchup is even because Ahri's mobility from Spirit Rush lets her escape Kassadin's Riftwalk engages, and Charm can interrupt Kassadin mid-dive. However, Kassadin's Void Stone and Null Sphere shield reduce Ahri's burst damage significantly, and Kassadin outscales Ahri in the late game where his burst damage and Riftwalk mobility surpass Ahri's Spirit Rush. The matchup depends on whether Ahri can snowball kills before Kassadin reaches his level 16 power spike.
• Syndra — Syndra is a burst mage with long-range Dark Sphere poke and Unleashed Power single-target nuke. The matchup is even because Syndra's early poke and push pressure makes Kassadin's laning phase difficult, and Scatter the Weak stun can interrupt Kassadin's Riftwalk engages. However, Void Stone reduces Syndra's burst damage, and post-16 Kassadin can Riftwalk through Syndra's Scatter the Weak and burst her before she can cast Unleashed Power. Syndra wins lane but Kassadin outscales if he survives to his item breakpoints.
• Viktor — Viktor is a scaling mage with strong waveclear from Death Ray and burst from Chaos Storm. The matchup is even because Viktor can permanently push Kassadin under tower with Death Ray waveclear and punish him with Gravity Field if Kassadin tries to engage. However, Kassadin's Riftwalk lets him dodge Gravity Field's delayed stun, and Void Stone mitigates Viktor's magic damage. Both champions scale well into the late game, making this a farming matchup where the first roam kill often decides which champion snowballs.

Unfavorable

• Zed — Zed is an AD assassin with high burst damage from Death Mark and shadow combos. Kassadin struggles because Void Stone's magic damage reduction is useless against Zed's entirely physical damage kit, and Null Sphere's magic shield does not absorb physical damage. Zed's level 6 Death Mark all-in overwhelms Kassadin's defenses because Kassadin has no armor from runes or items early. Zed can also push waves faster than Kassadin with shadow combos, roam to side lanes, and snowball leads that Kassadin cannot match.
• Talon — Talon is an AD assassin with high early burst from Noxian Diplomacy and Rake, and roaming mobility from Assassin's Path wall-hop. Kassadin struggles because Talon deals physical damage that bypasses Void Stone, and Talon's level 2 and level 3 all-ins can kill or force Kassadin out of lane before he can farm safely. Talon also roams faster than Kassadin pre-6 because Assassin's Path lets Talon hop walls to reach side lanes, generating kills and assists that Kassadin cannot match until he has Riftwalk.
• Tristana — Tristana mid is an AD lane bully who pushes waves with Explosive Charge and all-ins with Rocket Jump. Kassadin struggles because Tristana's auto-attack damage is physical, bypassing Void Stone, and her aggressive early trading pattern with Explosive Charge bomb forces Kassadin to take heavy damage or give up CS entirely. Tristana's Rocket Jump can follow Kassadin's Riftwalk for continued aggression, and her early kill pressure can generate a lead large enough to end the game before Kassadin reaches his power spikes.

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