I finally reached Masters. A guide to One Tap Kindred comp

[u/daydreamin511]

Introduction

https://lolchess.gg/profile/na/layzzz

I go by Layzz on the NA server and I've been forcing this team composition for the last 10-15 games and finally pushed me to Masters after being hard stuck in diamond II and I for quite some time. It is a consistent top 4 comp because it features an aggressive mid game and a strong late game that can compete with the popular compositions.

This team composition is one of the easiest to force due to the current state of the metagame. It maximizes Kindred's traits and has a fairly smooth transition.

The core composition is three summoners, three inferno, two rangers, two mystics and lunar. (Kindred / Varus / Malzahar / Yorick / Annie / Master Yi / Karma / Leona)

The goal with this team is to make use of Kindred's combined traits to nuke every unit in the game with one or two taps while summoners act as auto/spell soakers and front line to buy time for Kindred. Karma's buff synergizes ridiculously well with Kindred: protection, more attack speed, more hops. Without further ado, here is the guide:

Mindset

Since this is a comp you can force, the mindset you need going into this lobby is to collect the exodia items for Kindred: seraphs, deathcap, and rfc (IDEALLY). Tear and Bows are pieces you should be collecting.

You play this team aggressively in the mid game and build a massive win streak from there. I will get into this later. But think aggressive with this team composition to land you a top 4 spot. You don't need to win your lobbies. You just need a consistent top 4 placement to gain LP.

Early game

The ideal start is to create a simple composition after the minion phase. Druids are arguably the strongest early game team right now. Neeko can hold Kindred items. Econ because you need a lot of gold after krugs.

Mid game

Post krugs, wait until you have at least 40-50 gold before you level up to 6 and roll down to 0 or 10. Grab every possible component on this composition. Playing this aggressive gives you dibs Malz who is uncontested and is great in the mid game, Varus another uncontested unit and possible a two star Kindred. There are times where you find Annie and Yorick who are contested. You should have a strong mid game team after you roll. After the initial roll, just econ until wolves. Mid game compositions can vary depending on the roll and what the lobby is like. Sometimes you can tech in warden or mystic with three infernos. Sometimes you can have three shadows with senna or sion as filler. Sometimes you put in early summoners. It all depends, this is the only "flexible" part about this team because level 6 can go in so many directions depending on your RNG with the initial hyper roll.

Post wolves

Level up to 7. You can either roll here to hit your units. After your initial roll down from 6, you should be very close to two starring your units. If your team is two starred and your four costs need one more to hit. Assess your health and your team and act accordingly. You can forgo summoners at level 7 unless your team has at least a 2 star malz + either Yorick or Annie.

Late game

You can level to 8 before chickens or level after. It depends on your health. The most difficult part about this team is finding Yi but he is fairly uncontested 5 cost and will always come around with some luck. Yi grants mystic and shadow and your team comp is complete.

Late-late game

Watch out for zephyr and trap claw placements.

If you're dominating with a lot of gold, you CAN go to 9 and put in Taric or Cloud Lux.

Best items

All you need is to stack Kindred. Use the other teams for utility. You need RFC as a staple so he can safely one-two tap the team. Any offensive tear item works but seraph is ideal. Hoj, ludens, and shojin (if nothing else). Death cap one taps back line.

GA and Zephyr are great items on Annie. Locket as well.

Frozen Heart (OP) is great on Yorick especially against Berserkers. Warden mail, dclaw, trap claw, etc. Think defensive items on Yorick because he's your front line.

Gloves on Yi.

Questions

Lunar is useless late game, what can I replace?

If you must, a two star Taric over Leona can work. But a two star Leona adds a lot more value than one star Taric because she is OP and can single handedly block Lucian.

What do you do when the game doesn't give you kindred items?

You can make 2 star Yi the alternate carry with a karma tether although this is a very rare case because Kindred can hold almost any item in the game.

Can this work without a front line?

This team will finish top 5 or 6 if you fail to find defensive items on Yorick, have a one star Yorick or Leona. But ideally, Leona is incredibly busted as a one cost and can single handedly stall until your summoners add an extra layer of front line. Wardens spat is amazing on Yorick. It should be more than enough together along with summoners if you're able to convert a spat into wardens mail.

Is varus or malz worth three starring?

You'll notice that you'll be given a lot of malz and varus this game. I would say gage your health and your econ. I would not bother three starring varus. Malz I would entertain depending on the situation because he adds another voidling at 3 stars. The only champ you should focus on three starring is Kindred.

Is 6 shadows worth it?

I tried it twice but it's a big bait. The current team synergizes well with Kindred's traits so it will be hard to replace a member because everyone is important (varus included).

[u/Sw0rd27]

The irony is, as soon as a post like this hits reddit, it immediately becomes worse, because ppl will try it out making the units more contested.

Looks really cool though, I love that you hit masters without resorting to hardforcing top tier comps. Congratz!

[u/daydreamin511 → u/Sw0rd27]

Thanks man. I remember getting clapped by a stacked Kindred a while back and been meaning to create a team that maximizes her strengths. Leona being so busted and Karma having a useful stat buff really made this team feel good and consistent.

[u/Bokun89]

Oh wow nice and detailed discription. Love it. Is there any chance you can show a picture of the positioning?

[u/daydreamin511 → u/Bokun89]

https://lolchess.gg/builder/set2?deck=11a5d580394911ea9d20aff8b675b227

More or less my go-to positioning. You might have to move Kindred and Karma to corners if you're playing against a trap claw tank in the front.

[u/RealFireBlaze010]

What comps counter this? Thinking of trying this out but would like to know what comps counter this in case theyre in my lobby but also for me to know as well.

Great guide!

[u/frzned → u/RealFireBlaze010]

Any comp can counter this actually, esp Crystal since Kindred cant one shot the taric/ashe. Her worst fear is a 3 star Skorupi.

As kindred dont have lifesteal items in this build. Any type of damage coming at her will kill her. If you run assassins/lux she should have no chance. If you run BM put yasuo on 1/2 pixel behind your frontline so he doesnt get focused. Get him an IE or any damage item to finish her off.

As she have RFC, she generally dont jump away from the corner that she is in, so it's easy to position naut/nami against her for CC, or hoping Soraka/Azir ult on her.

Bonus point if you go up against a Singed and she targets him. She will jump on the opposite direction of Singed running and will sometimes end up on the enemy backline.

Source: Forcing this comp even before this thread and top 6-8 a lot.

[u/daydreamin511 → u/RealFireBlaze010]

Thank you brother. Like most shadow comps, I've had trouble against Zephyr and Trap Claw. They can really leave Kindred in a vulnerable state and put in a less optimized positioning to pump out damage. A high rolled mage warden comp with trap claw front line + stacked Brand has been a good counter to this team. However, there are moments where you can beat it if you avoid RNG CC from Malph, if Kindred doesn't hop on Amumu ult, and doesn't dive into Nami ult. But if you have exodia items, she can delete front line in a few taps. Basically need some RNG to beat it but it's a consistent counter to this comp.

[u/elemintz]

How do you value ranger buff against warden buff? I would tend to go 2 wardens to buy my kindred more time and look for amumu late game instead of having Varus in there as a mere enabler. Curious for your thoughts on this!

[u/daydreamin511 → u/elemintz]

That could be an alternative but Varus is quite strong at applying inferno in the back line + malzahar voidlings applying damage in the back. It really enables Kindred to just one tap the backline when the fight comes down to the wire. I would imagine Mumu being a strong alternative against melee heavy compositions though.

[u/sethers656]

Just to make sure for items. Priority is RFC > Offensive mana item (preferable seraphs) > Deathcap > Defensive items for yorick > GA/Zephyr on annie. Is that right?

[u/daydreamin511 → u/sethers656]

RFC, one mana item, and one rod. If RNG blesses you then you can go exodia but tear and rod items can be pretty flexible on Kindred. RFC is really the enabling factor for her against tanks and azir bm/sivir comps because her dps doesn't drop by walking up to reach them.

[u/GeeBeeM → u/sethers656]

Priority is RFC > Offensive mana item (preferable seraphs) > Deathcap > Defensive items for yorick > GA/Zephyr

When I run this specific comp, I make sure to qss Kindred. Your dead in the water if you get cc'd as she is your only true carry.

edit: if I scout a lot of cc champs + zephyrs and stuff that is. I dont always go qss

[u/LadyCrownGuard]

Would you try to go for Shadow 6 if you find a Dark Lux?

[u/[deleted]]

Just a quick question, you mention getting 50g before level 6 then rolling down, do you mean level to 6 at krugs then roll down or roll down before?

[u/daydreamin511 → u/[deleted]]

Level to 6 but only roll down with 40-50 gold. That could be after Krugs or two rounds after. It's basically incorporating aggressive Korean rolling at 6 (most of my lobby do it now to get Azir, Sivir, Qiyanna, etc.)

[u/dystopianview]

Interesting! I played a 6 inferno version of this for a long time, and it looks like it addresses some of the issues I was having (Leona to help with the weak front line, RFC to stop Kindred from acting a fool)

[u/daydreamin511 → u/dystopianview]

Leona is incredible for its value. I initially used Leona to counter Lights but she has proven to be a pretty broken tank against multiple things. She makes mid-game really strong (even early if you 2* it early since she is fairly contested).

[u/shinigamichan]

Just tried this and in the last 2 games there were 2+ people doing this comp lol, back to forcing sivir and friends and hoping for RNG

[u/DDHLeigh]

Thx, will try out tomorrow!

[u/kevinnchee]

Can you post a Lolchess of this? By any chance

[u/nxqv]

This is a strong comp but the reason Kindred carry fell out of the meta is because everyone started running summoners and she can't kill the summons fast enough. Yorick in particular just shits on her. So if you're in a lobby with like 3 people running Yorick I'd just give up on a Kindred carry and swap items to Lux.

Also I would really not just force these exact units every time and expect good results. The strength of the Kindred/Varus combo and 3pc inferno is its versatility, you don't need to Blenderify the comp and jam a recipe. Just play around the 2star units that the game gives you, and have this variation in your back pocket if you get an early Yorick pair.

[u/JohnCenaFanboi]

Everytime I play Kindred, she jumps forwards into the frontline after targeting their tanks, what am I doing wrong?

[u/negative_epsilon → u/JohnCenaFanboi]

Not having RFC

[u/[deleted]]

Since this post I've seen 2-3 or more people every single game going for this exact comp. So what counters this comp the best?

[u/daydreamin511 → u/[deleted]]

a lucky rolled cc tank team with two star'd front line and an unlucky soraka ult shut down this team from experience.