Tank Katarina Build

Tank Katarina Build.

Tank Katarina build with runes and items. Tank Katarina guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Katarina build in League of Legends Patch 26.2!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Katarina ability Bouncing Blade should be leveled first.
Q
Katarina ability Shunpo should be leveled second.
E
Katarina ability Preparation should be leveled third.
W
Final items
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Unending Despair should be final item in your build.
Hollow Radiance should be final item in your build.
Abyssal Mask should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Grasp of the Undying from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank Katarina Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Ghost summoner spell

Ghost

Ghost for extra and mobiloty and chasing and disruptive running around in fights. Good alternative if you want to stay close to enemies.

Exhaust summoner spell

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for peeling against enemy divers and assassins and protecting your carries.

Ignite summoner spell

Ignite

Offensive option if you are feeling spicy. Grievous Wounds + some damage. Good in early fights and you can score some kills, but reduces your going-in potential. Especially later.

Looking for another tank build? Check these:

Iceborn GauntletKatarinaHeartsteelKatarinaImperial MandateKatarina

How it works

General

  1. You play as a Tank.
  2. Your job is to soak damage, disrupt fights, protect your team, and be a pain in the neck for the enemy.

Playstyle

  1. Be the front wall. Soak damage, disrupt enemies, protect your carries. 🛡️
  2. Jak'Sho rewards you for staying in fights - don't run away! 💪
  3. Adapt items to counter the enemy team composition. 🎯

How to play

Tank Katarina

  1. Katarina can have great engages too! Buy Randuin's Omen, Shunpo (E) into an enemy team and use active for heavy AoE slow!

General

Getting started

  1. Start with Guardian's Horn. Rush #1 Armor item if enemy is heavy on AD, or MR item if heavy on AP. Get Jak'Sho as #2.
  2. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for very long time (or even have it as 6th item).

During fights

  1. Your goal is to be in the middle of fights as long as possible - Jak'Sho stacks up with combat seconds.

Adapting

  1. You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.

Runes

  1. Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!

Tips and Tricks

Champion

  1. You can elevate your Katarina play just by not looking at the Daggers, but facing away, then using Shunpo (E) to them.

Riot

  1. Picking up Daggers will significantly reduce Shunpo's cooldown.
  2. Try waiting until the other team is distracted with fighting your team, and use Shunpo to teleport into the fray and unleash a devastating Death Lotus.
  3. Using Shunpo on an allied Champion, Dagger, or minion can be a great escape tactic.

Skill Order

  • Katarina [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Bouncing Blade
  • Katarina [object Object] ability.
    W
    Preparation
  • Katarina [object Object] ability.
    E
    Shunpo
  • Katarina [object Object] ability.
    R
    Death Lotus

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Plated Steelcaps item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Good tank items
Warmog's Armor item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Good MR items
Abyssal Mask item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Force of Nature item.
Spirit Visage item.
Good Armor items
Unending Despair item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Thornmail item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Situational items
Knight's Vow item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Trailblazer item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Situational DMG items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Liandry's Torment item.
Wit's End item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Unending Despair item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Thornmail item.