Katarina is a highly mobile assassin whose effectiveness scales dramatically with player experience. Her unique reset mechanic allows her abilities to refresh upon enemy champion takedowns, making her potentially unstoppable when played correctly.

Core Abilities and Mechanics

Passive - Insatiability:

• 15-second cooldown reduction on abilities when damaging champions who die within 3 seconds
• Picking up daggers deals AoE magic damage (scales with AD, AP, and on-hit effects)

Optimal Skill Order:

1. Q (3 points) - Dancing Blade
2. E (max) - Lightning Step
3. W (max) - Preparation
4. Q (finish) R at levels 6, 11, 16

Key Combos

Standard All-in Without Ultimate: E → Q → W → AA → Collect W dagger → E to Q dagger → AA → AA → E → AA

All-in With Ultimate: E → Q → W → R → Collect W dagger → E to Q dagger → AA → AA → E → AA

AD On-Hit Build Focus

Priority Stats:

• Attack Damage
• Attack Speed
• On-hit effects
• Defensive items when ahead

Build Adaptation:

• Against tanks: Prioritize AD on-hit items (e.g., Blade of the Ruined King)
• Against squishies: Consider AP build variation

Playstyle Tips

• Focus on mechanical skill over macro play
• Capitalize on enemy mistakes
• Prioritize roaming over farming when opportunities arise
• Vary E positions to avoid predictable patterns
• Master auto-attack resets with E for maximum damage output
• Time team fight entries carefully to maximize reset potential

Mastering Katarina requires significant practice, but her high skill ceiling offers tremendous carry potential when played effectively. While she may not teach traditional midlane fundamentals, she excels at punishing mistakes and snowballing advantages.

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