Overview
How to play Kled effectively requires mastering his unique dismount-remount mechanics while embracing an aggressive playstyle that capitalizes on his strong trading patterns and map-wide ultimate. Success with this champion comes from understanding his early-to-mid game power spikes, building appropriate items that balance damage and survivability, and developing the game sense to know when to engage fearlessly versus when to create side lane pressure.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Kled, the Cantankerous Cavalier, is one of League of Legends’ most uniquely designed champions. With his trusty mount Skaarl and an aggressive playstyle that rewards fearless engagement, learning how to play Kled offers top lane players a refreshing alternative to the more conventional bruisers and tanks. What makes Kled particularly special is his ability to turn seemingly lost fights into victories through his remounting mechanics and surprising damage output.
In the current meta, Kled remains a solid pick for players looking to apply constant pressure and snowball advantages across the map. His kit encourages proactive play, making him perfect for solo queue dominance when mastered properly. While he might not be as popular as champions like Kayn, in the hands of a dedicated player, Kled can absolutely terrorize the top lane and carry games.
In this guide, we’ll break down the five most essential tips to help you master this chaotic yordle and his cowardly reptile companion, transforming you into a top lane menace that opponents will fear facing.
Tip 1: Master Kled’s Passive and Remount Mechanics
Kled’s passive, “Skaarl the Cowardly Lizard,” is the cornerstone of his kit and what truly sets him apart from other champions. Understanding this mechanic is crucial to your success when learning how to play Kled effectively.
When Kled’s health bar (Skaarl’s health) is depleted, Skaarl flees, leaving Kled dismounted with a small personal health pool. While dismounted, Kled gains movement speed when running toward enemies, but loses access to his W and R abilities. The key to survival and continued fighting power lies in building up Courage to recall Skaarl.
To regain Courage efficiently:
- Land basic attacks on enemy champions (5 Courage per hit)
- Hit enemy champions with your pocket pistol (Q) (5 Courage per pellet)
- Attack epic monsters and large minions (4 Courage per hit)
The most common mistake new Kled players make is running away when dismounted. Instead, look for opportunities to fight back, especially if you can land multiple pellets from your dismounted Q. Remember that you need 100 Courage to remount, which grants you a percentage of Skaarl’s health upon return.
Advanced tip: Time your W cooldown so it’s available right as you’re about to dismount. This way, when you remount, you can immediately use the attack speed bonus to continue pressuring your opponent, unlike Kayle players who need to be more cautious with engagements.
Tip 2: Understanding Your Power Spikes and Item Build
Knowing when Kled is strongest throughout the game is essential for maximizing your impact. Unlike scaling champions such as Kassadin, Kled shines in the early to mid-game.
Key power spikes:
- Level 2: Gaining access to both Q and E allows for strong early trades
- Level 3: Full basic combo available
- Level 6: Ultimate enables map-wide pressure and engagement potential
- Level 9: Maxed Q increases your trading power significantly
For your core build, focus on items that provide AD, health, and ability haste:
- Goredrinker/Divine Sunderer as your mythic (depending on enemy team composition)
- Black Cleaver for armor penetration and additional health
- Death’s Dance for survivability against physical damage
- Sterak’s Gage for teamfight durability
Against heavy AP compositions, consider Mercury’s Treads and Maw of Malmortius. Versus tank-heavy teams, prioritize Black Cleaver earlier and consider adding Serylda’s Grudge for additional penetration.
A typical strong build path looks like: Tiamat → Mythic → Black Cleaver → Death’s Dance → Sterak’s Gage → situational item. This provides a good balance of damage and survivability, which is crucial for how to play Kled successfully in various matchups.
Tip 3: Trading Patterns and Combos in Lane
Kled excels at short, violent trades that leave his opponents with little room to respond, making his trading pattern quite different from champions like Katarina who rely on quick burst combos.
The standard trading combo:
- Lead with E to dash through or toward your opponent
- Auto-attack to activate W’s four empowered strikes
- Use Q to apply the tether while continuing to auto-attack
- When they try to escape, use your second E charge to follow (if safe)
- As they retreat, the Q tether will pull them back for additional damage
For poke, use your Q when the enemy approaches to last hit. The key is managing your cooldowns effectively—never engage without your Q available, as it’s your primary damage source and CC.
Resource management tip: While Kled doesn’t use mana, his abilities have fairly long cooldowns early game. Bait enemy abilities before committing to a full trade, and be mindful of your W cooldown, which cannot be controlled once activated. This cooldown management is a crucial aspect of how to play Kled at a high level.
Tip 4: Map Presence and Using Your Ultimate Effectively
Kled’s ultimate, “Chaaaaarge!!!”, is one of the most powerful engage tools in the game, providing incredible distance coverage and team-wide movement speed. While Karthus can impact the map with his global ultimate, Kled does it by physically joining fights.
To maximize your ultimate’s effectiveness:
- Use it to quickly return to lane after backing to minimize CS loss
- Coordinate with your jungler for ganks in mid or bottom lane
- Look for opportunities to join skirmishes around dragon or herald
- Use it to flank enemies during standoffs
The best Kled players constantly scan the map for potential ultimate opportunities. Consider using Teleport as your secondary summoner spell to further enhance your map presence. This allows you to split push effectively while still being able to join your team when needed.
Communication is key—let your team know when your ultimate is available so they can set up plays around it. A well-timed Kled ultimate can completely change the momentum of a game, making map awareness a fundamental aspect of how to play Kled successfully.
Tip 5: Teamfight Positioning and Late Game Strategy
In teamfights, Kled serves as a primary engage tool and disruptor, but your approach should vary based on team compositions. Unlike K’Sante who excels as a frontline tank, Kled is more of a bruiser with strong engage potential.
When to engage:
- Your team has follow-up CC or high burst damage
- You can reach priority targets with your ultimate
- Your team needs someone to start the fight
When to peel:
- Your ADC is fed and the primary damage source
- The enemy has multiple dive champions targeting your backline
- Your team already has sufficient engage tools
Late game, focus on creating side lane pressure and using your ultimate to join fights quickly. Look for flanking opportunities rather than front-to-back engagements, as Kled struggles against full tank compositions in extended fights.
If you find yourself falling behind, prioritize being a disruptor—use your E and Q to peel for your carries and save your ultimate for counter-engages rather than initiations. This adaptability is key to effectively learning how to play Kled in different game scenarios.
Conclusion
Mastering how to play Kled requires understanding his unique mechanics and embracing his all-in playstyle. The difference between an average Kled and a dominant one lies in courage management, map awareness, and knowing when to take fights. By implementing these five essential tips into your gameplay, you’ll be well on your way to terrorizing the top lane and carrying games.
Remember that Kled rewards practice and patience. Don’t be discouraged by initial failures—learning when to remount effectively and how to use your ultimate for maximum impact takes time. Keep experimenting with different builds and approaches until you find what works best for your playstyle.
Unlike utility champions like Karma or mobile ADCs like Kalista, Kled thrives when played aggressively and fearlessly. Commit to fights, manage your remounting mechanics, and use your map-wide ultimate to create advantages for your team.
Now mount up, and charge into your next game with confidence!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remount as Kled quickly?
To remount quickly as Kled, focus on hitting enemy champions with both basic attacks (5 Courage per hit) and your dismounted Q (5 Courage per pellet). Always fight toward enemies when dismounted rather than running away. Using your dismounted Q effectively is crucial as landing all pellets gives you 25 Courage. Also, attack minions and monsters as a last resort (only 4 Courage per hit). The key is being aggressive even when dismounted—contrary to instinct, this is often your best chance to survive.
What are Kled’s worst matchups in top lane?
Kled struggles most against champions that can kite him effectively or outscale him hard. Fiora is particularly difficult due to her ability to parry Kled’s Q and counter his all-in style. Jax can dodge Kled’s W attacks and outscales him. Malphite can build armor to negate Kled’s damage while poking him down. Garen’s silence can prevent Kled from using abilities to remount. Camille also presents challenges with her mobility and true damage output. In these matchups, focus on roaming with your ultimate rather than trying to win lane directly.
Should I max Q or W first on Kled?
Always max Q first on Kled. Bear Trap on a Rope (Q) provides your primary source of damage, CC, and utility in lane. Maxing Q increases both its damage and reduces its cooldown, allowing for more frequent trades. W should be maxed second as its cooldown decreases with level, but since you can’t control when it activates, the Q’s reliability makes it the superior first choice. E is always maxed last, only gaining damage per level while its utility (dash distance and cooldown) remains the same regardless of rank.
How do I use Kled’s ultimate effectively in team fights?
For maximum impact with Kled’s ultimate in team fights, use it for flanking rather than front-to-back engagement. Look for angles where you can reach enemy backline carries, ideally from fog of war to minimize reaction time. Communicate with your team before ulting so they can follow up on your engage. Don’t hesitate to use it as a counter-engage tool when enemies commit to diving your team. Remember that allies in your path gain movement speed, so position your charge to benefit teammates when possible. In certain situations, it’s also valuable as an escape tool if a fight turns unfavorable.
What summoner spells are best for Kled top lane?
The optimal summoner spell combination for Kled is Flash + Teleport or Flash + Ignite. Flash is mandatory for making plays, escaping ganks, and positioning for ultimates. Teleport synergizes well with Kled’s playstyle by allowing him to apply side lane pressure while still being available for objectives through TP or his ultimate. Ignite is the aggressive alternative that provides kill pressure in lane and helps counter sustain-heavy champions like Vladimir or Sylas. The choice between TP and Ignite should depend on your playstyle and the specific matchup—TP for scaling matchups and Ignite for lanes you can dominate early.
