Kayn
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Epic Relics
Paid Relics
Kayn is a champion characterized by a distinct power ceiling and a specialized gameplay loop. While he offers high engagement for enthusiasts of equipment-based strategies and board-centric combat, his performance in high-difficulty encounters is highly dependent on specific relic combinations. He often requires careful resource management and damage control in the early turns, making him a more demanding pick compared to top-tier alternatives.
Standard Board Control
Critical for enabling Kayn to strike upon summon. Using two copies allows for immediate board impact and facilitates a single-turn level up.- Stacking a second copy ensures Kayn can clear multiple threats or reliably transform immediately upon play.
Provides essential Overwhelm to the entire board and grants a stat boost to Kayn and his Cultist followers.
Strategy
The primary objective is to survive the first three turns through damage control using low-cost units and equipment. Once Kayn is played, the double strike effect from Stalker's Blade should trigger his recall/transformation. Rhaast is almost always the preferred choice due to his superior sustain and scaling.
Titanic Darkin Ramp
Grants a crucial additional starting mana gem when Kayn reaches Titanic stats (8+ health), which is achievable through other relics or in-run items.
A specialized relic that synergizes with Kayn's transform mechanic, providing extra strikes and enabling the health threshold for Starforged Gauntlets.- Provides essential Overwhelm to the entire board and grants a stat boost to Kayn and his Cultist followers.
Strategy
This build focuses on accelerating the early game mana curve. By leveraging health-boosting relics to trigger Titanic status, Kayn can be played earlier to stabilize the board. This approach mitigates Kayn's inherent weakness to fast-paced aggressive decks.
Other Relic Options
Effective for Rhaast-focused builds where high health scaling allows for high Formidable damage, though it can be a liability against aggressive removal.
Provides deck thinning and creates a wider board presence after Kayn clears the initial enemy units.
A vital defensive tool in adventures with heavy disruption or removal, ensuring Kayn can complete his strikes.
While Stalker's Blade remains the most consistent tool for Kayn's core mechanic, Formidable-based builds using Strength of Stone or stats-heavy builds with Luminous Orb can be viable in specific monthly mutators.
Constellation
Kayn currently lacks a full constellation expansion, which limits his competitiveness in endgame Nightmare adventures compared to champions with 6-star upgrades. His current power is concentrated in his 3-star capability to heal and grow units through combat.
Reap Essence
When an allied unit kills another unit, give that ally +1|+1 and heal it 2.
Suitable Host
+1 Starting Mana. Game Start: Create a random Darkin Equipment in hand. It costs 2 less.
Reap Essence II
When an allied unit kills another unit, give that ally +2|+2 and heal it to full.Review
This is the core of Kayn's sustain. The full heal on kill is essential for maintaining board presence and allows for aggressive trading that would otherwise be unsustainable.
Gameplay Tips
- Prioritize Rhaast Over Shadow Assassin
In almost all scenarios, Rhaast is the optimal choice. The combination of healing on strike and inherent Overwhelm provides the sustain necessary to survive high-statted encounters. Shadow Assassin is considered a niche option that lacks the reliability required for consistent clears.
- Early Game Damage Control
Kayn decks often struggle with early tempo. It is acceptable to take Nexus damage in the first two turns while equipping low-cost units with the starting Darkin weapon. Kayn’s healing upon play and transformation acts as a reliable mechanism to recover this health once he stabilizes the board.
- Maximize Strike Synergy
Kayn’s efficiency is tied to his ability to strike outside of combat. Utilizing spells like Furious Wielder allows Kayn to scale his stats and progress his level up without exposing him to unnecessary combat risks or allowing the opponent to pass priority.
- Manage Hand Size Carefully
When Kayn transforms, he is recalled to hand and replaced by a new card. If your hand is full (9+ cards) at the moment of transformation, the leveled-up form or the Scythe can be obliterated. Ensure you have sufficient hand space before committing Kayn to a level-up strike.
- Pass Priority Strategically
Kayn's recall on level-up provides a tactical advantage by returning priority to the opponent. This can be used to bait out enemy mana before re-playing the transformed Kayn to dominate the board state.