Xin Zhao Counters: Who Beats Xin Zhao

Updated for patch 26.21. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch.

Xin Zhao counters are junglers who stop his charge, punish his auto attacks or simply stay out of his 175 range: dash-blockers, tanks who reflect damage, and kiters who make him chase. Xin Zhao is an early fighter-tank who wins with a knock-up combo and a dash, so denying that dash takes most of his threat away.

No win-rate data here. We matched abilities against abilities.

Why is Xin Zhao hard to counter?

• Determination (passive): every third attack deals bonus damage and heals him.
• Three Talon Strike (Q): his next 3 attacks deal increased damage, and the third knocks the target into the air. Cooldown 7/6.5/6/5.5/5.
• Wind Becomes Lightning (W): a slash and spear thrust that slow enemies and mark them as Challenged. Cooldown 12/11/10/9/8.
• Audacious Charge (E): a charge to an enemy that grants Attack Speed and slows everyone in the area, with extra range against Challenged targets. Cooldown 11.
• Crescent Guard (R): damage based on current Health around him, a knock-back on non-challenged targets, and immunity to damage from champions outside the circle. Cooldown 120/110/100.

Xin Zhao’s gank is simple and hard to stop. Wind Becomes Lightning marks you from range, Audacious Charge gets extra reach on that mark, and Three Talon Strike knocks you up on the third hit while Determination heals him. Then Crescent Guard shoves everyone else away and blocks damage from outside. Brutal early. His weakness? Everything goes through one dash, and once he’s committed, he has no way out.

Which champions are the best Xin Zhao counters?

Poppy

Poppy hard-counters the charge. Steadfast Presence (W), when activated, blocks dashes around her, and the stopped enemy is slowed and grounded on the spot. Audacious Charge is a dash, so Xin Zhao charging Poppy (or anyone near her) ends up stuck. Heroic Charge (E) pushes him back, with a stun if he hits a wall. Keeper’s Verdict (R) launches him far away from the fight. Hammer Shock (Q) slows and explodes after a short delay.

Jax

Xin Zhao’s damage comes from basic attacks, and Counter Strike (E) dodges every one of them for a moment before stunning enemies nearby. Time it on Three Talon Strike and the knock-up hit simply misses. Leap Strike (Q) lets Jax jump to any unit, including wards, to chase or leave. Empower (W) adds damage to his next swing. Grandmaster-at-Arms (R) raises his Armor and Magic Resist, so the long duel tilts to Jax as items come in.

Rammus

Here’s the tank who makes auto attackers regret it. Once Rammus curls up, his Armor and Magic Resist spike, and every attack against him sends damage back. Frenzying Taunt (E) forces Xin Zhao to swing at that curled-up shell. Three hits for Determination? Each one hurts him. Powerball (Q) rolls in for a slow, and Soaring Slam (R) slows a whole area, knocking up those near the centre if Rammus is still rolling. Spiked Shell (passive) gives him Attack Damage off those resistances.

Nidalee

Nidalee fights from 525 range in human form, where Javelin Toss (Q) gains damage the farther it flies. A hit starts a Hunt through Prowl (passive), revealing the target and giving her extra Move Speed toward it, while Bushwhack (W) traps reveal and damage. She can invade early and take camps, and Xin Zhao has to catch her first. In cougar form, Pounce (W) jumps her out of a bad spot, and Primal Surge (E) heals in human form between fights. For what it’s worth, she’s hard to play well.

Lillia

Lillia speeds up with every spell that hits, thanks to the passive on Blooming Blows (Q), and that Move Speed is how she escapes a Xin Zhao who just charged in. Swirlseed (E) rolls until it hits something and slows. Watch Out! Eep! (W) hits hardest in the centre. Dream-Laden Bough (passive) adds max-health damage over time to every skill. Lilting Lullaby (R) makes all enemies with Dream Dust drowsy, then asleep, a long pause in a fight Xin Zhao wanted to end quickly.

How do you play against Xin Zhao in the jungle?

• Dodge Wind Becomes Lightning. Being Challenged gives Audacious Charge extra range on you.
• Back off before the third Three Talon Strike hit, since it knocks you up.
• Fight inside his Crescent Guard circle, or not at all. He’s immune to champion damage from outside it.
• Ward early; his strongest phase is the first few clears and ganks.
• Peel with slows or knock-backs once he charges, because he can’t leave after committing.

Which items counter Xin Zhao?

He deals physical damage with lots of attacks. Plated Steelcaps cut the damage of each attack by 10%. Thornmail and Bramble Vest return magic damage and apply 40% Wounds when he attacks you, trimming the Determination heal. Frozen Heart slows the Attack Speed of champions near you (Audacious Charge gives him lots of it). Randuin’s Omen has an active slow for when he’s already on you. Zhonya’s Hourglass puts a mage in Stasis through the knock-up combo. Put simply, Armor and Grievous Wounds. The items database lists every stat, and Frozen Heart has its own page.

When is Xin Zhao at his weakest?

Late. He’s a jungler designed to win early skirmishes, and his damage comes from short combos, so a game that drags into big teamfights favours scaling picks. Survive the early ganks and the matchup gets much easier.

Right after Audacious Charge is the other window. At an 11 second cooldown (it doesn’t drop with rank), he can’t charge again for a while. Kite him then, and honestly, he’s just a melee fighter walking at you.

Not sure what a jungler does? Our guide to LoL roles explains it. His Demacian outfits are on the Xin Zhao skins page, and the single-lane version of him gets the Xin Zhao ARAM guide. Long story short, Xin Zhao counters stop his charge, dodge the knock-up and outlast his early game.

FAQ

Who counters Xin Zhao the most?

Poppy, whose Steadfast Presence stops his charge, Jax and Rammus, who punish his auto attacks, and Nidalee and Lillia, who kite him.

Can Poppy stop Audacious Charge?

Yes. Steadfast Presence stops enemy dashes around Poppy, and the stopped enemy is slowed and grounded.

How does Crescent Guard work?

It deals damage based on current Health to nearby enemies, knocks back non-challenged targets, and makes Xin Zhao impervious to damage from champions outside its circle. Cooldown 120/110/100 seconds.

How does Xin Zhao heal?

Determination: every third attack deals bonus damage and heals him.

How were these Xin Zhao counters picked?

From his patch 26.21 kit, compared with each jungler’s abilities. No win-rate data was used.