Kled · Top

Kled Laning Guide

Laning phaseData-drivenHardPatch 16.19.1

10.5KUpdated 3 hours ago

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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

Top is an island: few ganks, long trades and a lot of wave management. Freeze the wave near your tower when you're weaker and push it when you want to roam or recall. Early, fight for tower plates and help your jungler with Herald or grubs when your wave is pushed.

Strengths

High physical damage: Riot rates it 8/10 in attack.
Crowd control: Bear Trap on a Rope applies a knock-up to set up kills.
Mobility: Jousting lets you reposition, engage or escape.

Weaknesses

Melee range: ranged opponents can poke it in lane.
Fragile: Riot rates it 2/10 in defense.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Lane buildBalancedRecommendedHow to open: starting items, then the components of Black Cleaver on your first backs, and boots when the lane allows.
Standard buildBalancedAdvancedThe default path: Black Cleaver, Trinity Force and Spear of Shojin give the health, attack damage and on-hit effects this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.

Builds

Lane build

BalancedRecommended

Open build

When to use it

How to open: starting items, then the components of Black Cleaver on your first backs, and boots when the lane allows.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right

TopMain100% of matches

Starting items

Doran's BladeHealth, attack damage and life steal.Health PotionHealth regeneration.

Early game

PhageHealth, attack damage and move speed.KindlegemHealth and ability haste.PickaxeAttack damage.

Core items

1Black Cleaver

Boots

Plated Steelcaps

Runes

Primary· Precision

Secondary· Resolve

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Teleport

Abilities

Skaarl, the Cowardly LizardPassiveKled rides his trusty steed, Skaarl, who takes damage for him. When Skaarl's health depletes, Kled dismounts. While dismounted, Kled's abilities change and he deals less damage to champions. Kled can restore Skaarl's courage by fighting enemies. At maximum courage, Kled remounts with a portion of Skaarl's health.
QBear Trap on a Rope11/10/9/8/7sKled throws a bear trap that damages and hooks an enemy champion. If shackled for a short duration, the target takes additional physical damage and is yanked toward Kled. When dismounted, this ability is replaced by Pocket Pistol, a ranged gun blast that knocks back Kled and restores courage.
Cooldown
11·10·9·8·7
Range
800
Basic ability — applies a knock-up. Use it on the target your team can kill.
WViolent Tendencies13/12/11/10/9sKled gains massive attack speed for four attacks. The fourth attack deals more damage.
Cooldown
13·12·11·10·9
EJousting13/12/11/10/9sKled dashes, dealing physical damage and gaining a short burst of speed. Kled can cast this ability again to dash back through his initial target, dealing the same damage.
Cooldown
13·12·11·10·9
Range
550
RChaaaaaaaarge!!!Ultimate140/125/110sKled and Skaarl charge to a location, leaving a speed-granting trail behind them and gaining a shield. Skaarl locks onto and rams the first enemy champion encountered.
Cooldown
140·125·110
Range
3500·4000·4500
Ultimate — shields. Time it for the enemy's burst, not for chip damage.

Strategy

1Starting and early items

The first items decide how comfortable the lane is. The lane build below lists them with what each one gives you.

Key early items: Phage and Kindlegem.

2Trading

Short trades win lanes: hit, use one ability and step back before the enemy's full combo comes back. The kit brings crowd control (knock-up) with Bear Trap on a Rope and mobility with Jousting.

3Wave management

Freeze the wave near your tower when you're weaker, slow push before a back and crash the wave when you want to roam or take a plate.

4Early objectives

Early, fight for tower plates and help your jungler with Herald or grubs when your wave is pushed. Your spikes are level 6, when Chaaaaaaaarge!!! comes online, and each completed item: Black Cleaver first, then Trinity Force.

Tips

Short trades win lanes: hit, use one ability and step back before the enemy's full combo comes back.
Phage is your first purchase that changes the lane: get it early.
Use Bear Trap on a Rope in lane only when your partner or jungler can follow.
Keep Jousting ready when the enemy's gankers are missing.
Kled generates some courage by killing minions, but gets much more from fighting Champions.

Matchups

Strong against

Fiora
Bear Trap on a Rope (knock-up) lets Kled pin Fiora down before Lunge gets them out.
Camille
Bear Trap on a Rope (knock-up) lets Kled pin Camille down before The Hextech Ultimatum gets them out.
Aatrox
Bear Trap on a Rope (knock-up) lets Kled pin Aatrox down before Umbral Dash gets them out.

Weak against

Sett
Facebreaker (stun) lets Sett pin Kled down before Jousting gets them out.
Gragas
Body Slam (stun) lets Gragas pin Kled down before Jousting gets them out.
Jax
Counter Strike (stun) lets Jax pin Kled down before Jousting gets them out.