Champion Stats
| Role | Marksman |
| Difficulty | |
| Blue Essence | 2400 BE |
Why High-Elo Players Smurf with Kalista
Low elo players can't hit skillshots on a moving Kalista. They fail to realize that she can jump in any direction with every single auto-attack, making her almost impossible to catch for many champions. They also chronically underestimate the damage of her Rend (E) stacks, often staying in a fight with 10+ spears in them and getting nuked for 1000+ damage.
The Level 1 Cheese
First Blood Strategy
Kalista has a very strong level 1. Start E (Rend). If you can land 3-4 spears on the enemy ADC and then Rend, you win the trade instantly. If you use Rend to kill a minion and hit the enemy at the same time, the cooldown resets, allowing for infinite harassment. Level 2 with Q (Pierce) adds a massive burst and another jump.
The 'Pay-to-Win' Skin Advantage
'Blood Moon Kalista' is the classic smurf choice—the red spears and the aesthetic are perfect for a vengeance-driven champion. 'Championship Kalista' offers clean animations and a prestigious feel. 'SKT T1 Kalista' is another great flex for fans of Bang. Avoid 'Marauder Kalista' as it feels a bit dated compared to her more recent options.
When They Ban Kalista
Backup Pick: If Kalista is banned,
Draven offers a similar 'high-skill mechanical lane bully' profile.
Vayne for the kiting and outplay potential.
Kaisa for the jump-based assassin marksman feel.
Rune Setup
Best Runes: Lethal Tempo is the best choice for achieving the high attack speed needed for more jumps and spears. Press the Attack is an alternative for a more burst-focused lane. Secondary Inspiration with Magical Footwear and Cosmic Insight to reach your core on-hit items faster.
Skill Priority
Order:
E → Q → WMax E first—it's your primary damage and execution tool. Max Q second for the increased burst and jump potential. Max W last as the passive damage and vision are primarily for utility.
Mastering Kalista's Kit
Pierce. You fire a fast-moving spear. If it kills a target, it passes through and carries all Rend stacks to the next enemy. Use this for a massive burst of damage on an unsuspecting carry.
Sentinel. Passive: you and your Oathsworn deal bonus damage when attacking the same target. Active: send out a soul to scout an area. Use this to track the enemy jungler.
Rend. Passive: attacks leave spears in the target. Active: pull the spears out, dealing damage and slowing. If Rend kills a target, it resets its cooldown and restores mana. This is your main damage.
Fate's Call. Pull your Oathsworn to you. They become untargetable and then can dash to a location, knocking up all enemies hit. Use this for saving or engaging.
Matchup Tips
Vs Vayne
Skill Matchup. You win the early lane, she out-scales you in the 1v1. If you can land your E before she goes invisible, you can win the duel. Use your R to engage on her before she can react.
Hard Counter. Her slows significantly reduce your jump speed/distance, making you a sitting duck. Avoid this matchup if possible or take Cleanse.
Easy Matchup. He is slow and has only 4 shots. You can easily dodge his W and R with your passive jumps while stacking spears in him.
The Ego Check
WARNING: Stop jumping into the enemy team! Your jumps are short. If you jump forward into a CC ability, you are dead. Also, coordinate with your Oathsworn for your R—using it at the wrong time can actually ruin your support's engagement or save an enemy.
When to Queue Dodge
Dodge if facing heavy 'point-and-click' CC like Lissandra, Nautilus, or Vi. You cannot jump out of a targeted stun. Also dodge into Ashe who can slow your jumps with every auto-attack.
Teamfight Role
In teamfights, you are a kiting god. Stay at the edge, use your passive to constantsly hop away from threats or towards targets. Stack as many spears as possible into the primary threat and use E to execute them. Use your R (Fate's Call) to either save your support from a dive or to throw them into the enemy backline for a massive knock-up. You are the conductor of the battlefield.
The 'Disrespect' Build
Full On-hit 'Vengeance' Kalista. Blade of the Ruined King -> Guinsoo's Rageblade -> Runaan's Hurricane -> Wit's End. With this build, your Rend stacks grow incredibly fast. It's the ultimate 'stat-check' build for carrying games where you can out-kite the enemy.
Power Windows
Level 6 gives you a massive engagement/save tool. Your biggest power spike is reaching 2 items (BotRK + Hurricane), which allows you to apply Rend stacks to multiple people at once. At level 1, your Rend control makes you a lane bully.
Tilt Factor
Type 'My spears will find you' in all-chat after a Rend execute. Spam the 'hop' in circles around a confused enemy tank. The frustration of never being able to hit a single ability on Kalista while being poked to death is a massive tilt factor.
Recent Patch History
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
| V14.13 | Jun 26, 2024 | NERF | R buffed, Base stats nerfed |
| V14.4 | Feb 22, 2024 | NERF | E nerfed |
| V13.11 | Jun 1, 2023 | BUFF | Base stats adjusted |
| V13.10 | May 17, 2023 | BUFF | E adjusted |
| V13.7 | Apr 5, 2023 | BUFF | P nerfed, Base stats buffed |
Safety Tips
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