How to jg kindred

What is Kindred?

Kindred is a unique marksman champion in League of Legends, embodying the duality of life and death. They are played primarily as a jungler, relying on their ability to hunt down opponents and secure objectives to gain power. Unlike most traditional marksmen, Kindred's strength comes from their passive ability, which marks specific targets for Kindred to hunt. Successfully defeating a marked target grants Kindred permanent stacks of adaptive force, making them a potent scaling threat as the game progresses.

Abilities Breakdown

Understanding Kindred's abilities is crucial for success:

• Passive - Mark of the Kindred: This is Kindred's defining ability. After a short delay, Kindred's auto-attacks against enemy champions and jungle monsters become empowered. Certain champions are automatically marked at intervals, and Kindred can choose to mark one additional enemy champion or epic monster per "hunt." Killing a marked champion grants permanent bonus attack damage (adaptive force), and killing marked epic monsters grants bonus attack speed. Marks also increase the range of Kindred's Q ability.
• Q - Dance of Arrows: Kindred dashes a short distance and fires three volleys of arrows, dealing physical damage to all enemies in a target direction. This ability can be cast three times in quick succession, making it excellent for clearing camps, kiting, and dealing burst damage in fights. The range of Q increases with Kindred's marks.
• W - Wolf's Frenzy: Kindred's wolf companion, Lamb, creates a magical zone on the ground for a few seconds. While inside this zone, Kindred's auto-attacks and Q ability apply a percentage of the target's maximum health as on-hit damage, and Kindred gains increased attack speed. This ability is vital for jungle clear speed and sustained damage in skirmishes.
• E - Mounting Dread: Kindred's wolf attacks a target three times, slowing them and marking them. The next three auto-attacks Kindred lands on the target deal bonus physical damage based on a percentage of the target's maximum health. If the target is below a certain health threshold, this ability will execute them. This ability is great for securing kills on low-health targets and initiating fights.
• R - Lamb's Respite: Kindred's ultimate creates a large, circular zone on the ground that prevents any unit (ally or enemy) from dropping below a certain percentage of their maximum health for a few seconds. After the duration, all units within the zone are healed for a small amount. This ability can be used defensively to save allies or offensively to allow Kindred and their team to reposition and re-engage.

Jungle Pathing and Strategy

Kindred's jungle pathing is often focused on securing early marks and maintaining farm. A common starting point is to clear one side of the jungle, take the Scuttle Crab, and then look for gank opportunities. Prioritizing marks on enemy junglers or vulnerable laners can give Kindred an early advantage. As the game progresses, Kindred must constantly assess which marks are most valuable. Marks on high-priority enemy carries often take precedence, as they offer significant scaling benefits. Objective control is also paramount; Kindred's ability to secure epic monsters like Dragon and Baron Nashor, especially with the bonus damage from their marks and Wolf's Frenzy, makes them a critical asset to their team.

Teamfighting and Engagement

Kindred's role in teamfights evolves with their marks. In the early game, they are a potent skirmisher, capable of picking off isolated targets. As they scale, Kindred becomes a primary damage dealer. The strategic use of Lamb's Respite is often the difference between winning and losing a teamfight. It can be used to save a crucial ally, deny enemy execute abilities, or create an opportunity for Kindred to deal significant damage without fear of being instantly killed. However, Kindred is also relatively squishy and can be vulnerable to crowd control and burst damage, so positioning is key. They thrive when they can attack from a safe distance while their team provides protection or engages first.

Tips for Playing Kindred

• Track enemy jungler: Knowing where the enemy jungler is can help you predict their pathing and potentially counter-jungle or secure marks before they do.
• Prioritize marks: Not all marks are created equal. Focus on marks that will give you the most advantage, whether it's on a high-priority enemy champion or an epic monster you need to secure.
• Master Q usage: Kindred's Q ability is on a short cooldown and can be used to reposition, dodge abilities, and deal sustained damage. Practice using it efficiently.
• Strategic ultimate usage: Lamb's Respite is a powerful tool. Learn when to use it defensively to save allies or offensively to set up plays.
• Build for damage and survivability: Common builds include attack speed, critical strike chance, and lifesteal items, with some defensive components like a Guinsoo's Rageblade or a Sterak's Gage depending on the match-up.

By understanding these aspects, players can effectively learn to play Kindred and harness their unique power in the Rift.