League Classic · Season 3 · Katarina

AP Katarina build & runes

Katarina buildsAP Katarina this buildDFG Katarina rank C

Classic vs modernClassic Katarina's Voracity cooldown-reset passive triggers on slightly different conditions than the current version, and Death Lotus channels the same way but without the more forgiving modern cast-cancel windows.

Item build path

Starting items level 1 · 475 gold to spend

Boots of Speed + 3

Health Potions455 g

Doran's Shield440 g

Boots to dodge poke; Doran's Shield vs harass matchups.

First back first recall

Sorcerer's Shoes +

Amplifying Tome

Core build order buy in this order · ~16,295 g full build

Sorcerer's Shoes1,100 g

→

Hextech Gunblade3,400 g

→

Rabadon's Deathcap3,600 g

→

Zhonya's Hourglass3,300 g

→

Void Staff2,295 g

→

Guardian Angel2,600 g

Situational adapt to the game

Rabadon's Deathcapamplify her reset combo burst

Zhonya's Hourglassprotect her ult channel from CC

Void Staffvs magic resist stacking targets

Mercury's Treadsvs CC that interrupts her ultimate

Skill order & spells

Skill orderQ > W > E > R

SpellsFlash + Ignite

Rune page (Season 3)

9× Greater Mark of Magic Penetration+7.8 Magic Pen

9× Greater Seal of Armor+12.7 Armor

9× Greater Glyph of Ability Power+10.7 AP

3× Greater Quintessence of Ability Power+14.9 AP

Best duos & synergies

AmumuSad Mummy ult is a free full Lotus

Jarvan IVCataclysm arena resets waiting inside

Malphiteknock-up clump = pentakill setup

Masteries 21 / 0 / 9

Offense 21

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Utility 9

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Standard Season 3 page — reset assassin. Hover any mastery for its name.

Counters & matchups

Who this pick beats and who beats it — pick your lane with the matchup in mind.

✓ Strong against

AniviaDashes onto her and interrupts her combo

KarthusResets snowball on the immobile mage

Twisted FateGap-closes and bursts him during setup

Luxshunpo onto immobile Lux and burst

Veigarreset snowball on the immobile mage

✕ Struggles against

Kassadinsilence cuts Death Lotus instantly

Pantheonstun + block win every early trade

Leona(support) instant lockdown the moment you shunpo in

Anniestun cancels Death Lotus instantly

Malzaharsuppress interrupts your ult mid-channel

Quick tip: Wait for CC to land before you enter — one reset turns a skirmish into a massacre.

Key combo

Bouncing Blades (Q) mark → Shunpo (E) in → Sinister Steel (W) → Death Lotus (R) channel to reset on kills

Power spike & playstyle

Explosive spike at 6 and first item (DFG/Deathcap); an all-in reset assassin who snowballs off Shunpo→Death Lotus resets in skirmishes.

Other builds

Katarina’s other builds

% is versus AP Katarina · how the letters are measuredEvery build →

DFG Katarina →Same role, different buildMid Lane · AP burst · 15,955 g

Damage rankCout-damages 3 of 20 mid lane builds

Combo+autos1,298+15%

Burst1,253+17%

Auto DPS92-16%

Eff. HP4,316+3%

Sorcerer's Shoes

Deathfire Grasp

Rabadon's Deathcap

Rylai's Crystal Scepter

Void Staff

Zhonya's Hourglass

Skill Q > W > E > RMasteries 21/0/9Summoners Flash + IgniteStart Boots of Speed + 4 Health PotionsRunes Magic Penetration marks · Flat Armor seals · Flat Ability Power glyphs · Flat Ability Power quints

Deathfire Grasp's percent-health nuke plus a Shunpo reset chains straight into a free full-duration Death Lotus, which is more damage than any other single sequence in Season 3.

The moment one enemy dies. Every Katarina number depends on the reset, and the reset is what makes an unkillable-looking fight collapse in two seconds.

Against Zhonya's, Banshee's Veil, or any hard crowd control saved for her. Death Lotus is a channel, and a channel that gets interrupted was the entire build.

2,283 damage is excluded from the rank because the target can walk away from it before it lands. Death Lotus is the full 2.5-second channel. Katarina cannot auto-attack while it runs and the target can walk out, so it is shown but not counted in the rank. Not modelled in this number: Summoner's Insight, Meditation, Mastermind.

Show the damage math

Ability	How it is calculated	Raw	After resists
Q Bouncing Blades rank 5	160 base + 0.45 × 729 AP + 0.15 × 729 AP	597	530 −11% after MR
W Sinister Steel rank 5	180 base + 0.6 × 0 bonus AD + 0.25 × 729 AP	362	322 −11% after MR
E Shunpo rank 5	160 base + 0.4 × 729 AP	452	401 −11% after MR
R Death Lotus rank 3	750 base + 3.75 × 0 bonus AD + 2.5 × 729 AP	2,572	2,283 −11% after MR
AA Auto-attack	95.0 per hit × 0.96 attacks/sec	95 / 158	92 dps

Level 18AD 107AP 729Target 1,900 hp · 75 ar · 50 mrAfter pen 75 ar · 15 mr

Combo 3,536 (−2,283 walkable) + 0.5 s autos 46 = 1,298, 186% of target HP.

Guide

How to play Katarina in League Classic

Katarina is the snowball that Classic's slow pace makes terrifying: one kill becomes five in a way modern League forgot. Lane patiently — you're weak to early aggression — and shove-roam when the enemy mid backs. In fights, discipline is everything: wait for their stuns and silences to land somewhere else, then Shunpo in and Death Lotus. Every kill resets your kit, so the second reset matters more than the first entry. Gunblade into Zhonya's lets you ult in places no sane person should stand.

FAQ

Katarina in League Classic

What is the best Katarina build in League Classic?

The standard build is AP Katarina: Sorcerer's Shoes, Hextech Gunblade, Rabadon's Deathcap, Zhonya's Hourglass, Void Staff, Guardian Angel. Skill order Q > W > E > R, summoner spells Flash + Ignite. Katarina also has 1 measured off-meta build: DFG Katarina.

What runes and masteries does Katarina use in League Classic?

Marks: Magic Penetration. Seals: Flat Armor. Glyphs: Flat AP. Quintessences: Flat AP. Masteries: 21/0/9 — reset assassin.

Is Katarina good in League Classic?

Katarina is rated A-tier mid lane in the launch consensus (score 65/100 across 4 published rankings). Strong into Anivia, Karthus, Twisted Fate, Lux, Veigar; struggles against Kassadin, Pantheon, Leona, Annie, Malzahar.

What does Katarina start with and build first in League Classic?

Open with Boots of Speed + 3 Health Potions or Doran's Shield. Boots to dodge poke; Doran's Shield vs harass matchups. First back: Sorcerer's Shoes + Amplifying Tome. Then build in order: Sorcerer's Shoes → Hextech Gunblade → Rabadon's Deathcap → Zhonya's Hourglass → Void Staff → Guardian Angel.

Editorial build based on documented Season 3 (2013) meta. Counters and duos are historical projections rather than live win-rate matchup data. (Tier ranking above does mix in live data where sources publish it — see the tier list for details.)

Mid Lane tier list ← Consensus tier list