K'Sante, Tank / Fighter
K'Sante, the Pride of Nazumah, is a Tank and Fighter champion in League of Legends. Everything below comes from Riot's Data Dragon for patch 16.21.1: ability text, base stats and Riot's tips. Counters and matchups by class are worked out from that text, and each one shows its reason.
Playing as K'Sante
Riot's own tips
Use Sonic Wave before Dragon's Rage so you can chase the target with Resonating Strike.
Take advantage of Flurry by weaving in basic attacks between spell casts - this maximizes damage output and minimizes Energy loss.
Self-casting Safeguard and using Iron Will are powerful tools for killing neutral monsters (in the jungle).
Playing against K'Sante
Riot's own tips
Stay spread out to minimize the impact of Lee Sin's ultimate, Dragon's Rage.
Lee Sin has powerful tools to combat physical damage in Iron Will and Cripple but he is still vulnerable to magic damage.
Lee Sin relies heavily on following up with his abilities. Use disables to prevent him from chaining together his abilities and attacks.
What the kit does
Analysis read from Riot's ability text. Each line shows the words it rests on.
QHard crowd controlNtofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies"
- QSoft crowd control (slow, silence, blind)
Ntofo Strikes: "damaging and slowing enemies in"
- QKnock-up, knock-back or pull
Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies"
WDash, leap or blinkPath Maker: "then dashes"
RHealing or life stealAll Out: "healing"
- QArea damage
Ntofo Strikes: "and slowing enemies in a short"
- RZones with walls, traps or fields
All Out: "through any wall in their"
K'Sante in recent patches
Every official patch that changed K'Sante, newest first. Numbers from Riot's official notes (before and after).
- Patch 26.20nerf
- W Path Maker: Mana Cost: 40 / 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 → 45 / 50 / 55 / 60 / 65
- W Path Maker: W Base/All-Out Damage Reduction: 30 / 75% → 25 / 70%
K'Sante's abilities
Riot's own text and preview clip for each ability, from Riot's Data Dragon, patch 16.21.1. Pick an ability and its clip plays here, muted.
PPassive
Dauntless Instinct
K'Sante's Abilities mark targets to take more damage on his next Attack. When All Out, K'Sante deals more damage with all Attacks and Abilities.
Ntofo Strikes
K'Sante strikes, damaging and slowing enemies in a short line. On hit, grants a stack of Ntofo Strikes. At 2 stacks, K'Sante fires a shockwave that pulls enemies in. When All Out, cooldown is reduced.
Effects in the text
WW
Path Maker
K'Sante charges up, taking reduced damage, then dashes, knocking back and stunning enemies. When All Out, deals increased damage and no longer knocks back or stuns.
Effects in the text
EE
Footwork
K'Sante dashes and gains a shield. If targeting an ally, K'Sante dashes to the ally with increased range and both gain a shield. When All Out, cooldown is reduced and speed is increased.
Effects in the text
RR
All Out
K'Sante knocks an enemy back, launching them through any wall in their path. Then, K'Sante goes All Out and dashes after them, gaining increased damage, healing, and transformed abilities at the cost of reduced defenses.
Effects in the text
Items and runes that fit K'Sante
Riot publishes no builds and this page invents none. Below: completed items ranked by how many of the stats K'Sante's kit uses they give (durability (armor, magic resist, health) first), the runes whose official text matches the kit, and picks for each enemy type. A fit, not a strength ranking. No win rates.
Closest stat fit
Editorial estimateCompleted items ranked by how many of the stats K'Sante's kit uses they give. A fit, not a verdict: Riot publishes no builds and no win rates.
Bandlepipes2,300- +200 Healthit is a durable champion
- +20 Armorit is a durable champion
- +20 Magic Resistit is a durable champion
Jak'Sho, The Protean3,200- +350 Healthit is a durable champion
- +45 Armorit is a durable champion
- +45 Magic Resistit is a durable champion
Locket of the Iron Solari2,200- +200 Healthit is a durable champion
- +30 Armorit is a durable champion
- +30 Magic Resistit is a durable champion
Zeke's Convergence2,200- +300 Healthit is a durable champion
- +25 Armorit is a durable champion
- +25 Magic Resistit is a durable champion
Abyssal Mask2,650- +350 Healthit is a durable champion
- +45 Magic Resistit is a durable champion
Dead Man's Plate2,900- +350 Healthit is a durable champion
- +55 Armorit is a durable champion
More items with the same stat 52
Force of Nature2,800 gold
Hollow Radiance2,800 gold
Iceborn Gauntlet2,900 gold
Kaenic Rookern2,900 gold
Knight's Vow2,300 gold
Randuin's Omen2,700 gold
Spirit Visage2,700 gold
Sunfire Aegis2,800 gold
Thornmail2,450 gold
Unending Despair2,800 gold
Frozen Heart2,500 gold
Banshee's Veil3,000 gold
Death's Dance3,300 gold
Guardian Angel3,200 gold
Maw of Malmortius3,100 gold
Mercurial Scimitar3,200 gold
Rod of Ages2,600 gold
Winter's Approach2,400 gold
Wit's End2,800 gold
Zhonya's Hourglass3,250 gold
Black Cleaver3,000 gold
Bloodletter's Curse2,900 gold
Chempunk Chainsword3,000 gold
Cosmic Drive3,000 gold
Dusk and Dawn3,100 gold
Echoes of Helia2,200 gold
Edge of Night3,000 gold
Experimental Hexplate3,000 gold
Heartsteel3,000 gold
Hextech Rocketbelt2,650 gold
Hullbreaker3,000 gold
Liandry's Torment3,000 gold
Mikael's Blessing2,300 gold
Moonstone Renewer2,200 gold
Morellonomicon2,850 gold
Overlord's Bloodmail3,300 gold
Protoplasm Harness2,600 gold
Riftmaker3,100 gold
Rylai's Crystal Scepter2,600 gold
Spear of Shojin3,100 gold
Sterak's Gage3,200 gold
Stridebreaker3,300 gold
Sundered Sky3,100 gold
Titanic Hydra3,300 gold
Trinity Force3,333 gold
Warmog's Armor3,100 gold
Actualizer2,800 gold
Archangel's Staff2,900 gold
Blackfire Torch2,800 gold
Luden's Echo2,750 gold
Malignance2,700 gold
Manamune2,900 goldBoots
Rune fits
Editorial estimateRunes whose official text matches the most things K'Sante's kit does. Each line shows the words it rests on.
Stormraider's SurgeSorcery, Keystone · Matches: 3- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies"
- It heals or restores health in the kit: All Out: "healing"
- It is a durable (tank) champion: Tank role
AftershockResolve, Keystone · Matches: 1- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies"
ConquerorPrecision, Keystone · Matches: 1- It heals or restores health in the kit: All Out: "healing"
Biscuit DeliveryInspiration · Matches: 2- It heals or restores health in the kit: All Out: "healing"
- It is a durable (tank) champion: Tank role
Font of LifeResolve · Matches: 2- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies"
- It heals or restores health in the kit: All Out: "healing"
Legend: BloodlinePrecision · Matches: 2- It heals or restores health in the kit: All Out: "healing"
- It is a durable (tank) champion: Tank role
Against each enemy type
Editorial estimateSituational picks, counted from what the champions of each class do in Riot's Data Dragon. Swap a slot when the enemy team has several of that class.
Tanks
Anti-heal 24 of 45 heal or sustain
Cleanse or tenacity 19 of 45 have two or more hard CC abilities
Fighters
Anti-heal 39 of 59 heal or sustain
Armor 37 of 59 deal physical damage only
Assassins
Anti-heal 24 of 46 heal or sustain
Armor 23 of 46 deal physical damage only
Mages
Magic resist 53 of 75 deal magic damage only
Anti-heal 30 of 75 heal or sustain
Marksmen
Armor 14 of 33 deal physical damage only
Supports
Magic resist 36 of 43 deal magic damage only
Anti-heal 19 of 43 heal or sustain
Counted from the official ability text, League of Legends patch 16.21.1. These are counts of champions, not win rates.
Rune trees
Lit runes: their official text matches something K'Sante's kit does (Analysis). Select a rune to read why.
Precision9 lit
Domination5 lit
Sorcery4 lit
Resolve8 lit
Inspiration5 lit
Matchups by class
K'Sante against each class of champion, counted from the official ability text. Choose a class or a lane to narrow it down.
Against all 172 champions: 78 ahead, 44 even, 50 behind. Each class is read against that, so check the best and toughest tags too.
Against Tanks
WeakToughest class
0 ahead · 13 even · 32 behind of 45
- Their silence shuts down your dash-based kit.
- Their hard crowd control punishes your dashes.
What to do: A risky pick into tanks. Wait for the enemy draft before you lock it, or pick it with a team that covers the gap.
Against Fighters
Weak8 ahead · 24 even · 27 behind of 59
- Their true or percent-health damage ignores your resistances.
- Their hard crowd control punishes your dashes.
What to do: A risky pick into fighters. Wait for the enemy draft before you lock it, or pick it with a team that covers the gap.
Against Assassins
Strong25 ahead · 17 even · 4 behind of 46
- Your hard crowd control stops their dashes.
- They deal physical damage only, so armor works against them.
What to do: A good pick when the enemy has several assassins. Play for the fights where your edge shows.
Against Mages
Strong50 ahead · 13 even · 12 behind of 75
- They deal magic damage only, so magic resist works against them.
- You can lock down squishy targets that have few escapes.
What to do: A good pick when the enemy has several mages. Play for the fights where your edge shows.
Against Marksmen
StrongBest class
23 ahead · 6 even · 4 behind of 33
- You have early pressure while they need time to scale.
- They deal physical damage only, so armor works against them.
What to do: A good pick when the enemy has several marksmen. Play for the fights where your edge shows.
Against Supports
Strong26 ahead · 6 even · 11 behind of 43
- They deal magic damage only, so magic resist works against them.
- You can lock down squishy targets that have few escapes.
What to do: A good pick when the enemy has several supports. Play for the fights where your edge shows.
Source: Nexus Lab rules over the official ability text, League of Legends patch 16.21.1. Each champion of the class is compared with K'Sante one by one; the counts come from those rules, not from match results, so they are not win rates. Strong, even and weak compare the number of champions ahead and behind. Lanes are the lanes each class usually plays (Riot ships no lane data per champion), not play rates.
Building against K'Sante
Analysis: answers to what K'Sante's own kit does.
K'Sante heals or has life steal in the kit, so anti-heal is worth a slot. All Out: "healing"
K'Sante deals physical damage only, so armor pays off. Fighter role
K'Sante has several hard crowd-control abilities, so a cleanse or tenacity item is worth a slot. Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies"
Picks that can punish K'Sante
Analysis: rules over Riot's ability text.
Amumu
Counters youAmumu has hard CC (Bandage Toss: "stunning and damaging") that can stop K'Sante's dashes (Path Maker: "then dashes").
2 more reasons
Amumu deals true damage (Cursed Touch: "take bonus true damage from incoming"), which ignores the resistances that K'Sante relies on (Tank role).
Amumu clears waves more easily (Despair: "nearby enemies lose a") and can push the lane against K'Sante.
Sion
Counters youSion has hard CC (Decimating Smash: "up and stunned") that can stop K'Sante's dashes (Path Maker: "then dashes").
2 more reasons
Sion deals damage based on the target's health (Glory in Death: "on his target's maximum Health"), which scales against a tough champion like K'Sante (Tank role).
Sion clears waves more easily (Decimating Smash: "powerful swing in an area in front") and can push the lane against K'Sante.
Xin Zhao
Counters youXin Zhao has hard CC (Three Talon Strike: "third attack knocking an opponent") that can stop K'Sante's dashes (Path Maker: "then dashes").
2 more reasons
Xin Zhao deals damage based on the target's health (Crescent Guard: "based on their current Health and knocks"), which scales against a tough champion like K'Sante (Tank role).
Xin Zhao clears waves more easily (Audacious Charge: "damage to all enemies in the") and can push the lane against K'Sante.
Aatrox
Counters youAatrox has hard CC (Infernal Chains: "will be dragged to the") that can stop K'Sante's dashes (Path Maker: "then dashes").
2 more reasons
Aatrox deals damage based on the target's health (Deathbringer Stance: "on the target's max health"), which scales against a tough champion like K'Sante (Tank role).
Aatrox clears waves more easily (World Ender: "nearby enemy minions and gaining attack damage") and can push the lane against K'Sante.
Jarvan IV
Counters youJarvan IV has hard CC (Dragon Strike: "knocking up enemies") that can stop K'Sante's dashes (Path Maker: "then dashes").
2 more reasons
Jarvan IV deals damage based on the target's health (Martial Cadence: "based on their current Health"), which scales against a tough champion like K'Sante (Tank role).
Jarvan IV clears waves more easily (Dragon Strike: "Armor of enemies in its path") and can push the lane against K'Sante.
Lillia
Counters youLillia has hard CC (Lilting Lullaby: "before falling asleep") that can stop K'Sante's dashes (Path Maker: "then dashes").
2 more reasons
Lillia deals true damage (Blooming Blows: "dealing extra true damage on the"), which ignores the resistances that K'Sante relies on (Tank role).
Lillia clears waves more easily (Blooming Blows: "damage to nearby enemies") and can push the lane against K'Sante.
Who K'Sante is good against
The same rules, read the other way.
Kassadin
You pressureK'Sante has hard CC (Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies") that can stop Kassadin's dashes (Riftwalk: "Kassadin teleports to a").
Quinn
You pressureK'Sante has hard CC (Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies") that can stop Quinn's dashes (Vault: "Quinn dashes to an").
Kindred
You pressureK'Sante has hard CC (Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies") that can stop Kindred's dashes (Dance of Arrows: "Kindred tumbles and shoots").
Sivir
You pressureK'Sante has hard CC (Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies") to catch Sivir, a squishy champion with few escapes (Marksman role).
Katarina
You pressureK'Sante has hard CC (Ntofo Strikes: "shockwave that pulls enemies") that can stop Katarina's dashes (Shunpo: "Katarina blinks to the").
Counter picks are Analysis: rules over Riot's ability text, each with the words it rests on. They are not win rates, and no League of Legends matchup list has been reviewed by hand yet.
Official story
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Champion video guide
Video by 3 Minute League of Legends · Watch on YouTube The player loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only after you press play.
Measured numbers
Numbers published or counted by a named source. Each row names the source and the patch.
| Stat | Level 1 | Per level | Level 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 625 | +120 | 2665 |
| Mana | 320 | +60 | 1340 |
| Armor | 36 | +5.2 | 124.4 |
| Magic resist | 30 | +2.1 | 65.7 |
| Attack damage | 64 | - | 64 |
| Attack speed | 0.688 | +2.5% | 0.98 |
| Attack range | 150 | - | 150 |
| Move speed | 330 | - | 330 |
| Health regen per 5 seconds | 9.5 | +1 | 26.5 |
| Mana regen per 5 seconds | 7 | +1 | 24 |
Riot data Riot's Data Dragon, patch 16.21.1. Level 18 is calculated from Riot's growth formula on the same numbers.
Editorial estimates
Our reading of the data. These are not measured rates and they change when the rules or the data change.
- Counter picks
- 6 Editorial estimateNexus Lab rules over Riot's ability text, patch 16.21.1
- Good against
- 5 Editorial estimateNexus Lab rules over Riot's ability text, patch 16.21.1
- Typical lanes
- Top, Jungle Editorial estimateLanes of the class; Riot ships no lane data per champion
- Best class (relative)
- Marksmen Editorial estimateWins minus losses over the class, compared with the other classes; counts of champions, patch 16.21.1
- Toughest class (relative)
- Tanks Editorial estimateWins minus losses over the class, compared with the other classes; counts of champions, patch 16.21.1
What no source gives us
- Win rate, pick rate and ban rate. Riot publishes none we may print (the Riot API cards are switched off) and no third-party statistics site is read, so none is shown.
- Popular builds. Riot publishes no builds: the items and runes in Build & Runes are a fit to the kit, not a popularity ranking.
Sources
- Riot Games Data DragonOpen
Names, ratings, base stats, ability text, cooldowns, costs, range, items, runes and art.
Patch 16.21.1, file generated 2026-10-26 - Riot ability preview clips
Played from Riot's own server when you press play; never copied here.
Each clip checked with a request before it is offered - League of Legends WikiOpen
Release dates and skin prices in RP (CC BY-SA).
Committed data, see the skins page - Nexus Lab rules
Counters, matchups by class, item and rune fit: rules over Riot's ability text, each with the words it rests on.
Patch 16.21.1 - Riot UniverseOpen
The official story of K'Sante (a link, nothing copied).
