Guide Sections (15)
- Champion Stats
- The Rocket Start
- The Jinx Skin Tier List
- When They Ban Jinx
- Runes That Work on Jinx
- Leveling Jinx's Abilities
- Mastering Jinx's Kit
- Matchups That Matter for Jinx
- Get Excited Greed
- When Kiting Won't Save You
- The Kiting Dance
- The Hyper Carry Build
- Jinx's Strongest Moments
- The Passive Reset Chain
- Recent Patch History
Champion Stats
Patch 26.4 Update: Jinx received changes this patch. Check the full patch 26.4 notes for details.
Low elo players don't know how to deal with Jinx's rockets (Fishbones) in lane. They will let her poke them for free, not realizing the splash damage and range. They also fail to track her passive, often letting her get one 'assist' on a low-HP target which then leads to her running through their entire team. Her global R (Super Mega Death Rocket!) is also a constant threat that they fail to account for.
The Rocket Start
Start Q (Switcheroo!) for the attack speed in Pow-Pow form or the range in Fishbones. At level 1, you can win almost any trade by staying in Fishbones to poke and then switching to Pow-Pow if they commit. Level 2 with W (Zap!) gives you the slow needed to secure a kill or land your Flame Chompers (E).
Start Q (Switcheroo!). Use Fishbones range to poke level 1 without taking minion aggro. If they commit, switch to Pow-Pow for the attack speed. Level 2 W (Zap!) secures the kill. You win almost every Level 1 trade if you space correctly.
The Jinx Skin Tier List
'Star Guardian Jinx' is the legendary smurf choice—the animations are incredible and the 'magical girl' theme is highly satisfying. 'Zombie Slayer Jinx' offers a great gritty aesthetic. 'Heartseeker Jinx' is a fun choice with unique effects. Avoid 'Mafia Jinx' unless you want the absolute classic feel to hide your skill.
'Star Guardian' is the legendary choice with amazing voice lines. 'Zombie Slayer' has a great gritty aesthetic. 'Heartseeker' is fun. Avoid 'Mafia' unless you want the OG feel—it's clean but simple. Star Guardian is the main character energy.
When They Ban Jinx
Twitch offers a similar 'AoE hypercarry' feel with R. Tristana provides the reset-based cleanup. Caitlyn offers long-range dominance. Twitch is the closest 'melt the entire team' pivot.
Runes That Work on Jinx
Lethal Tempo is the best choice for maximizing your late-game DPS and range. Press the Attack is an alternative for higher lane burst. Secondary Inspiration with Magical Footwear and Cosmic Insight to reach your core crit items faster.
Leveling Jinx's Abilities
Max Q first—it's your entire identity, giving you the attack speed and range you need. Max W second for the increased damage and slow. Max E last as the traps are primarily for utility and CC chains.
Mastering Jinx's Kit
Switcheroo! Swap between Pow-Pow (Minigun, stacks AS) and Fishbones (Rocket Launcher, increased range, deals AoE damage, costs mana). Master the timing of these swaps.
Zap! You fire a beam that damages and slows the first enemy hit. It also reveals them. Use this to check brushes or to set up your E.
Flame Chompers! You throw 3 traps that root enemies who walk over them. Use these to chain CC or to block a path for an escaping enemy.
Super Mega Death Rocket! A global rocket that deals damage based on the target's missing HP. It travels faster as it goes. Use this to snipe low-HP targets across the map.
Matchups That Matter for Jinx
Skill Matchup. You out-range her in Fishbones and win the teamfight. If she gets on top of you in a 1v1, she wins. Keep your distance and use your E to prevent her from dashing.
Hard Matchup. She can out-poke you early and trap you under tower. You have to wait for your 2-item spike or a good engagement from your support.
Hard Matchup. He has the early burst to jump on you and kill you. You must play safe and farm until you have your Hurricane spike.
Get Excited Greed
Stop staying in Fishbones (Rockets) all the time! You lose attack speed and mana. Switch to Pow-Pow for single-target shredding and only use Fishbones for poke or AoE. Also, don't miss your R—it's a global execute, not a primary damage tool for the start of the fight.
Your E (Flame Chompers!) should be used as a follow-up to other CC. If your support lands a hook, put the chompers behind them immediately. It's a guaranteed stun-chain that results in a kill every single time.
When Kiting Won't Save You
Dodge if facing heavy dive comps with Jarvan IV, Vi, or Nocturne if your team has no peel. You have zero mobility without a reset. Also dodge into Yasuo or Braum who can block your entire R and rocket damage.
The Kiting Dance
In teamfights, you are a reset-monster. Stay behind your frontline, use Fishbones to poke from safety, and wait for someone to get low. Once you get an assist or kill, 'Get Excited!' activates, and you should use the massive MS to chase down the rest of the team. Switch to Pow-Pow once you are in range of a single target to melt them.
The Hyper Carry Build
Full Movement Speed 'Race-Car' Jinx. Kraken Slayer -> Statikk Shiv -> Phantom Dancer -> Stormrazor. With this build and your passive, you will literally be teleporting across the screen. It's the ultimate 'catch-me-if-you-can' build for stomping games.
Full Movement Speed 'Race-Car' Jinx. Kraken Slayer -> Statikk Shiv -> Phantom Dancer. With this build and your passive, you will literally be teleporting across the screen after one kill. It's the ultimate 'catch-me-if-you-can' build for stomping uncoordinated games.
Jinx's Strongest Moments
Level 6 gives you a global threat. Your biggest power spike is reaching 3 items (Kraken + Infinity Edge + Hurricane), which makes your rocket AoE truly devastating. Once you have a reset in a teamfight, you are the strongest champion on the map.
Level 6 gives you a global threat. Your biggest power spike is reaching 3 items (Kraken + Infinity Edge + Hurricane), which makes your rocket AoE truly devastating. Once you have a reset in a teamfight, you are the strongest champion on the map. Don't stop shooting.
The Passive Reset Chain
Spam the 'dance' emote every time you get a reset. Type 'Was that supposed to hurt?' in all-chat. The sight of Jinx laughing and running at 700 MS through your team is one of the most tilting experiences in League.
Spam the 'dance' emote every time you get a reset. Type 'Was that supposed to hurt?' in all-chat after a hyper-speed escape. The sight of Jinx laughing and running at 700 MS through your team is one of the most tilting experiences in League of Legends.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V26.4 | Feb 19, 2026 | NERF | base stats nerfed |
| V15.06 | — | NERF | R nerfed |
| V14.18 | Sep 11, 2024 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
| V14.11 | May 30, 2024 | NERF | Base stats nerfed |
| V14.9 | May 1, 2024 | BUFF | R buffed |
| V13.21 | Oct 25, 2023 | BUFF | P nerfed |
