Is Kindred a Hard Champion to Play? A Comprehensive Guide

Kindred, the Eternal Hunters, are a unique and captivating champion in League of Legends, known for their marksman role and distinctive gameplay. The simple answer to whether Kindred is hard to play is: Yes, Kindred is a mechanically and strategically demanding champion. While they might seem straightforward at first glance, mastering Kindred requires a deep understanding of their kit, the jungle role, and strategic decision-making, especially when it comes to securing their passive stacks. Their unique playstyle involves a blend of kiting, objective control, and snowballing potential, which, while rewarding, also makes them quite challenging.

Understanding Kindred’s Complexity

Kindred’s difficulty stems from several key factors:

The Passive: Mark of the Kindred

Kindred’s passive is both their greatest strength and their biggest hurdle. Mark of the Kindred allows them to hunt enemy champions and jungle camps, granting permanent stat boosts upon successful takedowns. This mechanic forces players to be proactive and strategic in their hunts. Failing to secure marks can severely hamper Kindred’s scaling, rendering them ineffective in the mid-to-late game. This makes early game success incredibly important for Kindred. If opponents, especially enemy junglers, are savvy, they can counter Kindred by “starving” them of their marked targets.

Mechanically Demanding

Kindred’s kit relies on kiting and precise positioning. Their primary damage source, Dance of Arrows (Q), requires a good understanding of spacing to maximize efficiency. Additionally, the use of Wolf’s Frenzy (W) and their ultimate, Lamb’s Respite (R) requires tactical decision-making and timing. Improper usage of R can be detrimental to your team if you time it poorly.

Strategic Complexity

Playing Kindred demands a high level of strategic awareness. Players need to constantly evaluate which targets to hunt, manage their jungle pathing efficiently, and make crucial calls about objective control. You must consider when to engage and when to play passively. Effective ganking and counter-ganking are crucial to Kindred’s early success.

Vulnerability to Specific Compositions

Kindred struggles against high-sustain damage compositions. Their ultimate can negate burst damage, but it doesn’t fare well against prolonged damage, making them vulnerable to champions who can consistently inflict damage over time. This means drafting wisely is also key to success.

Kindred’s Difficulty Compared to Other Champions

Compared to simpler junglers, Kindred is certainly harder to pick up and excel with. Champions like Master Yi and Warwick are generally more forgiving and easier to pilot. Kindred has a higher skill cap and requires considerably more macro and micro knowledge to play effectively. While they are a scaling champion, they are not forgiving early on without their passive.

Overcoming Kindred’s Challenges

While Kindred is difficult to master, it’s not impossible. Here are a few tips to help new Kindred players:

• Practice your kiting. Mastering kiting with Dance of Arrows is key to damage and survivability.
• Prioritize your hunts. Choose targets wisely and focus on securing them early on.
• Manage your jungle. Effective jungle pathing ensures you are present for fights and opportunities.
• Learn your matchups. Understand which champions counter you and how to play against them.
• Don’t play too aggressive. Know when to play passive and pick and choose fights.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Kindred

1. Is Kindred an Easy Read?

The question might be referring to the novel “Kindred” by Octavia Butler. No, “Kindred” is not an easy read. It’s a complex and often painful novel exploring themes of slavery and race through the eyes of a modern Black woman who time travels to the antebellum South. It is not “simple” or “preachy” and presents a brutal honest narrative of the time period.

2. Is Kindred the Most Powerful Champion in League of Legends (Lore-wise)?

According to Runeterra lore, Kindred is an embodiment of death. Some believe they are one of the most powerful characters in lore, as they cannot truly die. Lorewise, they are said to be more powerful than Aurelion Sol, who created them. However, they are not necessarily the most powerful in-game.

3. Is Kindred a Good Pick in Ranked?

Kindred currently has a B-tier ranking in Emerald+ elo with a around 50% win rate, but a low pick rate. They can be a good pick in ranked if you have mastered the mechanics, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and have the ability to get early marks. However, their performance fluctuates depending on the meta.

4. Why is Kindred Considered Weak?

Kindred’s weakness is sustained damage. While their ultimate can mitigate burst damage, they struggle against champions that can consistently damage them over time. They also need their marks to scale effectively, which can be denied by smart opponents.

5. Who Counters Kindred?

Rammus, Shaco, Master Yi, Nocturne, and Ivern are considered strong counters to Kindred in the jungle. These champions excel at shutting down Kindred’s early game, denying marks, or outscaling her in the mid to late game.

6. What Lane is Best for Kindred?

Kindred is primarily a jungler, however they can be effective in the mid lane. Kindred benefits from the mid lane matchup versus mages due to being a marksman in the early game.

7. Is Fiddlesticks Stronger Than Kindred?

Fiddlesticks has a slightly higher win rate against Kindred than the average opponent, however this only means Fiddlesticks is slightly more powerful.

8. Is Kindred a Hard Scaling Champion?

Yes, Kindred is considered a hard scaling champion, meaning their strength increases significantly as the game progresses, provided they obtain enough marks. Their early game is often focused on farming and gathering marks and becomes increasingly powerful late game.

9. Why Isn’t Kindred Played as an ADC (Bottom Lane)?

Kindred’s kit doesn’t lend itself well to the typical ADC role in the bottom lane. Her ultimate isn’t reliable for all-ins, she has difficulty pushing lane, and her item spikes aren’t as efficient as other ADCs. Her W cooldown is long and greatly hinders her mobility.

10. What Buff Should Kindred Start?

The recommended start for Kindred is Red Buff, which requires a leash from your allies. You will start with Wolf’s Frenzy (W) at level 1 and unlock Dance of Arrows (Q) at level 2 after your first camp is cleared.

11. Is Kindred Older Than Fiddlesticks?

The article refers to an internal question of Fiddlesticks calling Kindred by their original identity. It’s assumed that Fiddlesticks is older than Kindred.

12. Can Aurelion Sol Beat Kindred?

Aurelion Sol wins against Kindred more often than not. Despite what the lore suggests, in-game Aurelion Sol tends to be stronger in most matchups versus Kindred.

13. What Beats Fiddlesticks?

Udyr, Karthus, Ekko, Rammus, and Briar are strong counters to Fiddlesticks in the jungle.

14. What are Good Synergies for Kindred in Arena Mode?

The strongest synergies for Kindred in Arena mode are Maokai, Taric, and Sett. Arena mode has been disabled by Riot until December 2023.

15. Can Kindred Play Support?

Kindred can be played as a support, although it’s not their primary role. A passive and defensive Kindred using Guardian and utility items can provide support for their team.

Conclusion

Kindred is undoubtedly a challenging champion to play, requiring a strong grasp of mechanics, strategy, and jungle fundamentals. However, for players willing to invest the time and effort to master them, Kindred can be an extremely rewarding and powerful pick. They are not the best champion for beginners, but are an incredible champion for those looking for a difficult challenge. By understanding their unique strengths, weaknesses, and intricacies, players can unlock their full potential and dominate the Rift as the Eternal Hunters.