50.9%
Win Rate
Jungle · Diver
Xin Zhao Counters
Xin Zhao's entire engage runs through the dash in Three Talon Strike — champions that block dashes outright or bring hard lockdown counter him directly.
5.6%
Pick Rate
2.0%
Ban Rate
Low
Difficulty
Xin Zhao Overview
Xin Zhao is played across 1 roles, most commonly jungle. Use the role links above to jump to role-specific counters — the data on this page reflects jungle, his primary role.
How to Counter Xin Zhao
Hold a dash-block or hard CC for his combo engage, and punish him hard whenever it's on cooldown.
Best Picks Against Xin Zhao
Ranked by win-rate difference in jungle, Patch 14.14.
| Champion | Win Rate Diff | Games | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poppy | +3.8% | 420 | Blocks his dash-in Three Talon Strike engage outright. |
| Warwick | +2% | 380 | Fear disrupts his combo timing mid-engage. |
| Sejuani | +1.6% | 400 | Lockdown beats him to the punch in most direct engages. |
| Graves | +1.4% | 360 | Burst wins most direct early skirmishes. |
Computed by our stats engine from synthetic seed data, not live Riot match results — same aggregation pipeline that will process real match data once available.
See the full Jungle counters breakdown, including worst matchups and lane-phase gold data →
Xin Zhao Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Reliable, fast engage from Three Talon Strike's dash
- Battle Cry provides strong sustain and attack speed in fights
- Crescent Guard offers both engage and defensive utility
Weaknesses
- Engage is entirely dependent on landing his three-hit combo
- Vulnerable to dash-blocking effects that shut him down outright
- Limited threat whenever his combo is on cooldown
Abilities Overview
P
Challenge
Marks a target, reducing their armor and slowing them if they move away — rewards committing to a single target.
Q
Three Talon Strike
A three-hit combo where the third strike dashes to and knocks up a target — his signature engage tool.
W
Wind Becomes Lightning
Grants a shield and an AoE slow on his next attack.
E
Battle Cry
Heals and grants attack speed, knocking up on the third consecutive hit.
R
Crescent Guard
Knocks back nearby enemies, then grants bonus armor and magic resist — his teamfight engage and defensive cooldown.
Build, Runes & Setup
Best Items
Trinity Force
Amplifies his combo-into-dash trading pattern
Black Cleaver
Armor shred sustains damage into tanks
Death's Dance
Survives burst while he closes in for an engage
Counter Items (for the enemy)
Randuin's Omen
Slows blunt his all-in trading pattern
Zhonya's Hourglass
Survives a landed Three Talon Strike combo
Runes & Skill Order
Primary: Precision (Conqueror) → Triumph → Legend: Alacrity → Last Stand. Secondary: Sudden Impact, Ravenous Hunter. Max order: Q → E → W, taking R whenever available.
Playbook
Hold a dash-block or hard CC specifically for his Three Talon Strike engage.
Punish him hard once his combo is on cooldown — without it, his engage options are limited.
Spread out in fights; Crescent Guard's knockback can disrupt a grouped team's positioning.
Common Mistakes
Standing still while he builds toward the third hit of Three Talon Strike.
Chasing him through Battle Cry's attack-speed window instead of disengaging.
Fighting him in a tight group where Crescent Guard's knockback can scatter your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Xin Zhao?
Poppy is the standout — her passive blocks the dash in Three Talon Strike outright, denying his entire engage pattern.
Is Xin Zhao a strong early-game jungler?
Yes — his combo and healing make him a strong early skirmisher, though he falls off in relative impact compared to hyper-carry junglers late.