Kindred Jungle Wild Rift Guide – The Relentless Hunter
Short Answer
Kindred is a ranged carry jungler who scales with her marks. She dominates skirmishes and objectives thanks to her R, but requires precise management of tempo and marks to avoid being punished by champions with high burst or crowd control.
Dance of Arrows and 
Wolf's Frenzy, as well as her decisive 
Lamb's Respite zone for objectives. Neglecting these aspects means depriving herself of her identity. For example, not marking enemy camps or lanes with priority is a fundamental error. Kindred's gameplan is clear: mark enemy camps/buffs in the early game, force objectives with Lamb's Respite in the mid-game, and protect her DPS in the late game by kiting around her ultimate. Many simply farm, forgetting that each mark is an opportunity for permanent power.
Kindred's Identity: Hunter and Carry
Kindred stands out with her unique ability to scale infinitely via her marks, transforming each kill or marked camp into increased range and damage. She combines the mobility of an assassin (mobility 4) with the sustained DPS of a carry (damage 4, DPS 4), making her formidable in skirmishes and on objectives (objective 4).Kindred is a ranged Fighter Skirmisher, which gives her rare flexibility in the jungle. Her kit is designed for prolonged combat and kiting. The
Mark of the Kindred is the core of her identity: by collecting these marks on enemy champions or jungle monsters, she increases the range of her basic attacks and Dance of Arrows, as well as the damage of Wolf's Frenzy and 
Mounting Dread. Dance of Arrows offers her a quick dash and burst, while Wolf's Frenzy creates a zone where Wolf attacks and reduces Dance of Arrows' cooldown. Mounting Dread applies a slow and an execute on the third attack. Finally, Lamb's Respite is a defensive and offensive tool that prevents any unit from dying within its zone, then heals upon expiration. Understanding that each mark is a permanent upgrade to her kit is essential to maximizing her impact and scaling in game.
Kindred's Essential Combos
Kindred's combos are focused on kiting, burst, and optimizing her DPS throughDance of Arrows resets within Wolf's Frenzy, as well as the execute of Mounting Dread. Mastering these sequences is crucial to winning your duels and skirmishes.Kindred is a champion who excels in fights where she can maintain optimal distance while dealing consistent damage.The fluid execution of her combos maximizes her DPS and fully exploits her kit's mechanics, especially Dance of Arrows resets.Here are the key sequences to master:- **Trade combo**: Q (Dance of Arrows) → AA → W (Wolf's Frenzy, activate) → E (Mounting Dread, 3 times) → AA → Q — This combo allows for quick repositioning, application of E's slow, and a Q reset to pursue or flee.
- **Burst combo**: Q → AA → E → AA → E → AA → E (3 stacks, massive slow) → AA → Q — This sequence maximizes E's damage and its execute on low-health targets.
- **Ult combo**: R (Lamb's Respite) → AA → E → Q — Use R to survive a burst or secure an objective, then burst the enemy inside before the zone expires and heals them.
Some additional mechanical tips:
- **Mark of the Kindred**: Prioritize marks on important champions or camps to maximize your permanent scaling.
- **Dance of Arrows**: Always keep an eye on your positioning; the dash can cross some walls and is your primary dodging tool.
- **Wolf's Frenzy**: Place this zone before engaging in combat to immediately benefit from Q's CD reduction and Wolf's DPS.
- **Mounting Dread**: Cast E early to prepare the execute and coordinate the three hits with your team.
- **Lamb's Respite**: It's better to activate R a little too early to save a life than too late. Exit the zone just before its expiration to chase the enemy.
Kindred Build and Skill Order
Kindred's build is primarily focused on critical DPS and penetration, maximizing her ranged carry potential. The skill order prioritizesDance of Arrows for mobility and DPS, followed by Wolf's Frenzy for resets and Mounting Dread for burst and slow.The choice of items and skill order are crucial for Kindred.Adapting your build to team compositions and enemy threats is more important than blindly following a predefined path, although the Standard — Critical DPS is often the most effective.The skill order is: Q > W > E, with R at levels 5, 9, and 13.
- Dance of Arrows is maxed first to maximize your mobility and DPS, essential for jungle clear and skirmishes.
- Wolf's Frenzy second for synergy with Q (CD reduction) and Wolf's sustained DPS.
- Mounting Dread last, as its damage and slow are sufficient at early ranks, and its scaling also depends on marks.
For the build, the Standard — Critical DPS path is: Infinity Edge, Kraken Slayer, Phantom Dancer, Lord Dominik's Regards, The Collector. This build maximizes your late-game damage potential. Gluttonous Greaves are the default boots for sustain.The runes are 
Empowerment as keystone, with 
Brutal, 
Giant Slayer, 
Legend: Alacrity, 
Sudden Impact as minor runes.
Situational items:
- Against healing: Mortal Reminder (instead of or ).
- Against 2+ tanks: Blade of the Ruined King (often as first or second item for shred).
- Against AD burst: Guardian Angel (as 4th or 5th item).
- Against excessive mobility: Serylda's Grudge (for slow and penetration).
These adjustments allow you to remain relevant against specific threats, sacrificing a bit of pure DPS for survival or utility.
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Kindred's Power Spikes and How to Exploit Them
Kindred's power spikes are mainly linked to acquiring key items and ultimate ranks, transforming her ability to duel and secure objectives. The first notable spike occurs at level 6 with , marking the beginning of her carry potential.Kindred, as a scaling carry, sees her power increase significantly at several key moments in the game.Identifying and exploiting these power spikes is fundamental to dictating the pace of the game and gaining an advantage over the enemy.Here are the moments when Kindred becomes particularly dangerous:
- **Level 6 / First item (e.g., )**: This is your first major power spike. Access to Lamb's Respite gives you incredible safety for duels and dives, while your first critical item drastically increases your DPS. This is the time to aggressively seek marks and skirmishes.
- **Level 9 / Second item () + Ultimate rank 2**: With , your damage is amplified by basic attacks, and rank 2 of your ultimate reduces its cooldown, allowing you to use it more often for objectives or fights. You are now a serious threat in the mid-game.
- **Level 11 / Third item ()**: gives you attack speed, movement speed, and a shield, strengthening your ability to kite and to survive in prolonged fights. At this stage, you are a full-fledged carry, capable of melting targets.
Kindred's power curve is a constant ascent, moving from an early-game (levels 1-7) where she is strong but mark-dependent, to a mid-game (levels 8-10) where she begins to dominate, reaching her peak in the late-game (levels 11-15) where she becomes an unstoppable threat if she has collected her marks well.
Kindred Macro, Ganks, and Synergies
Kindred's macro gameplay relies on proactive mark management and constant map pressure, transforming each objective or gank into a scaling opportunity. She excels at forcing fights around objectives withLamb's Respite and kiting threats.As a jungler, your role with Kindred is to dictate the tempo and capitalize on enemy mistakes.Your gameplan must be dynamic, alternating between farming for your marks and aggressive actions to convert these marks into a global advantage.In the early-game, focus on river control and attainable marks. Marking enemy camps or buffs and invading if you have information and lane prio is crucial. Don't chase an unplayable mark; trade it for vision or a safer objective.In the mid-game, force objectives like Dragons and Rift Heralds when your Lamb's Respite is available. It's a unique objective insurance that can turn a fight around. Look for skirmishes around your Wolf's Frenzy and your Empowerment rune.In the late-game, your role is to protect your DPS and kite around your Lamb's Respite. Play short front-to-back, using your ultimate defensively to save key allies or yourself, then exiting to finish off enemies.Kindred synergizes particularly well with champions who can protect her or engage for her, such as Lulu (polymorph, shields) or Galio (engage, cover). Orianna can also be excellent for wombo combos with her ball on you. Avoid frontal 5v5 fights without a good angle or numerical advantage.
Kindred Matchups and Counters
Kindred is vulnerable to champions who can lockdown her, burst her before she can ult, or nullify her DPS via anti-basic attack mechanics. Aggressive invaders in the early-game can also deprive her of crucial marks.Understanding her matchups is essential for Kindred, as she is relatively fragile and can be punished if she doesn't respect her opponents.Against champions who nullify your DPS or prevent you from kiting, it is vital to adapt your approach and items to avoid offering lost duels from the start.Here are the types of matchups and items to consider:
Hard Counters:
- Rammus: He turns your identity into a handicap. You need to auto-attack to win, but his taunt, armor, and damage reflection severely punish you. Avoid direct confrontations, play on information and angles.
- Lee Sin: He puts constant pressure in the early-game, able to invade and punish your movements towards marks. Play safer, place vision, and prioritize guaranteed actions.
- Kha'Zix: He loves isolated targets. Your rotations for marks can turn into deadly traps. Vision, safe paths, and refusing duels without information are key.
Unfavorable Matchups:
- Xin Zhao: He seeks frontal fights and can lockdown you. Avoid "flat" duels and punish his absence on the map.
- Vi: She can target you and force you to use Lamb's Respite defensively, reducing your impact. Play patiently, engage after her.
- Warwick: His sustain and chase ability can turn your trades into losses. Avoid prolonged duels and use terrain to shake him off.
- Wukong: His clone and AoE engage make fights chaotic and can cause you to misuse your ultimate. Force picks before 5v5s.
- Nunu & Willump: He can secure objectives faster and make pits dangerous. Better prepare objectives with vision and picks before engaging.
Items Against Kindred:
- Randuin's Omen or Frozen Heart: Reduce your attack speed and critical damage.
- Thornmail: Applies Grievous Wounds and punishes your auto-attacks.
- : Nullifies your burst and execute under Lamb's Respite.
Practical Scenario: The First Dragon with Kindred
At the first dragon, around 5:30, Kindred should have at least 4 marks and her ultimate available. Your goal is to take the dragon with your team, usingLamb's Respite to deny enemy steals or bursts.Imagine the following situation: you are 5:20 into the game, the first dragon has just spawned. You have 4 marks, your is almost complete, and your ultimate is available. Your team has prio on midlane and the ADC is pushing their botlane.Your role is to path towards the dragon with your team, place vision in the river and surrounding bushes, and start the dragon as soon as possible.If the enemy team contests, place your Wolf's Frenzy to maximize your DPS and kite. If an enemy attempts to burst an ally or steal the dragon, activate Lamb's Respite at the critical moment to make everyone invulnerable, then exit the zone just before it ends to finish off enemies or secure the objective. This sequence not only secures the dragon but also potentially additional kills for your marks.
Lamb's Respite decisively. She is a champion who rewards quick decision-making and calculated aggression.- **Prioritize marks**: Focus on attainable marks and don't hesitate to invade with the necessary information. Each mark is an investment for your scaling.
- **Adapt your build**: Don't follow a rigid path. If the enemy team has a lot of sustain, build . If they have tanks, .
- **Master Lamb's Respite**: Use your ultimate to save allies, deny bursts, or secure objectives. Timing is everything.
- **Play the tempo**: Kindred is a tempo champion. Look for skirmishes in the mid-game and force objectives when you have the advantage.
- **Kite relentlessly**: Use Dance of Arrows and Wolf's Frenzy to maintain distance and deal constant damage.
If you lose your trade, it's not bad luck.
Frequently asked questions
How does Kindred deal with tanks in the late game?
Kindred deals with tanks in the late game through her sustained DPS and the item which provides armor penetration. If there are many tanks, adding maximizes damage based on max HP.
What is Kindred's main role in teamfights?
In teamfights, Kindred's main role is to deal high DPS to priority targets while constantly repositioning with Dance of Arrows. Lamb's Respite is used to deny enemy burst or secure a key ally.
How can Kindred survive enemy assassins?
To survive assassins, Kindred must rely on her Dance of Arrows to dodge, her Lamb's Respite to nullify burst, and defensive items like . Good vision and careful positioning are also essential.
How often should I mark champions or camps?
You should mark champions or camps as soon as the passive is available and the target is reachable without excessive risk. Prioritize champions with lane prio or enemy camps to snowball quickly.
Is Kindred viable if she falls behind in the early game?
Kindred can be viable even when behind, but her scaling will be slower. Focus on safe farming, collecting marks from your jungle camps, and wait for your item power spikes before seeking fights.
When is it better to use Blade of the Ruined King instead of Kraken Slayer as a first item?
It is better to use as a first item if the enemy team has 2+ tanks or high HP champions. This gives you better sustain and a better ability to shred robust targets early on.