League of Legends has a lot of AD carries that have different playstyles and strengths. Caitlyn is one of the few champions with a strong early game, if not the strongest. She is not that hard to master like other AD carries and if you are currently looking to get better at Caitlyn, then follow this Caitlyn build, runes, spells, and items guide!
Best Caitlyn Build
Ever since Riot Games released the Sheriff of Piltover, she was a strong pick on both pro play and rank. This is because of her long auto attack range and extremely strong early game. Caitlyn is extremely rewarding but also easy to play. Here is a complete guide that teaches all about her. Follow everything in this guide to get the most out of her kit.
Best Caitlyn Runes
Caitlyn does not have a complex rune page, and the one shown below is viable on all matchups. As mentioned previously, Caitlyn is not hard to master, and following the rune build below will make her even easier to play!
Best Rune Path | Precision | Sorcery |
Best Keystone | Lethal Tempo | |
Best Slot 1 (Rune) | Presence of Mind | Absolute Focus |
Best Slot 2 (Rune) | Legend: Bloodline | Gathering Storm |
Best Slot 3 (Rune) | Coup De Grace |
Like most ADCs, Caitlyn gets the highest DPS by choosing lethal tempo. In almost all situations, this will be the best rune choice for her to get a quick headshot (dealing bonus physical damage)
The next rune choices are great for Caitlyn's weakness in all stages of the game, namely, sustain and late game potential.
Best Caitlyn Rune Shards
All ADCs rely on their positioning and teammates to get in a safe range during team fights, and this is the reason why it is not recommended to get defensive rune shards. Also, due to Caitlyn's range, she is really hard to catch and poke. That is why you should always run offensive rune shards as much as possible.
Best Rune Shards | Effect |
Offense | +10% Attack Speed |
Offense | +9 Adaptive Force |
Defense | +6 Armor |
You can get either armor or magic resist as your last rune shard, depending on your lane matchup.
Best Caitlyn Summoner Spells
All AD carries run flash and heal, and Caitlyn is not different. It is recommended to run both of these summoner spells 100% of the time because these provide you the ability to reposition and get to safety.
Best Spells | Icon |
Flash | |
Heal |
Also, flash can be used in a combo with other Caitlyn's abilities, such as 90 caliber net and the ability to headshot trapped or netted targets. Flash can also be used as a panic ability when the 90 caliber net's recoil knocks Caitlyn in the wrong direction.
Best Caitlyn Ability Order
Auto attacks are not the only thing that Caitlyn relies on since her abilities also deal a ton of damage during the early game. You should focus on leveling Piltover Peacemaker every game to get the highest damage possible during the laning phase. Enemy champions will have a hard time dealing with your massive range.
The next ability you should prioritize is the yordle snap trap to shorten its cooldown and have more traps in your storage. It provides you the chance to slow enemies down, trap targets, and headshot (dealing bonus damage).
Best Caitlyn Items
Thankfully, Caitlyn's itemization is as simple as her play style. You do not have to worry about changing items every game because almost every item that you build will be the same. However, there are some instances where you have to counter enemy champions. Do not fret since everything will be discussed below!
Best Starter Caitlyn Items
Like all other AD carries, Caitlyn should start with a Doran's blade and health potion in every game. This is because of the bonus damage, health, and omnivamp that doran's blade provides, making the laning phase easier to manage.
First Item | Second Item |
Doran’s Blade | Health Potion |
Best Mid-Game Caitlyn Items
Next in this guide is Caitlyn's best mid-game items. This is arguably the point where Caitlyn is the strongest, so it is best to maximize your attack damage during the mid-game to leave your enemies no chance.
First Item | Second Item | Third Item | Fourth Item | Fifth Item |
Galeforce | Berseker’s Greaves | Pickaxe | Health Potion | Control Ward |
The best mythic item for Caitlyn is galeforce because it provides mobility with its mythic passive and active (cloudburst). During this time, you should have completed berseker's greaves to get attack speed and movement speed. Also, build a pickaxe to get ready for your next legendary item, either Infinity Edge or The Collector.
Best Late Game Caitlyn Items
Caitlyn deals physical damage and scales well with critical strike chance, so it is optimal to build the items that give the best of both worlds. No matter your item path, rapid firecannon should always be included because this extends Caitlyn's headshot attack range, making it easier for her to reposition and kill an enemy champion whenever she pleases.
First Item | Second Item | Third Item | Fourth Item | Fifth Item | Sixth Item |
Galeforce | Rapid Firecannon | Infinity Edge | The Collector | Guardian Angel | Lord Dominik’s Regards |
The only situational items you can build are Guardian Angel, Lord Dominik's Regards, or Bloodthirster. Build guardian angel when going against assassins, lord dominiks when against tanks, and bloodthirster if you want healing and sustain. Nevertheless, this Caitlyn build will be dealing massive damage in the late game.
Best Champions To Pair With Caitlyn
These three are the best duos for Caitlyn. Braum and Brand deal heavy crowd control, greatly benefiting Caitlyn during the laning phase. On the other hand, Sona is strong at poking, which is the same strength as Caitlyn.
Champion | Win Rate % | Icon |
57.67% | ||
57& | ||
54.91% |
|
Strongest Champions Against Caitlyn
All of these champions can trade well with Caitlyn, and there are several instances where they can even win favorable skirmishes during the early game. They make it hard for Caitlyn during the laning phase, which is Caitlyn's strongest suit.
Champion | Win Rate % | Icon |
55.44% |
| |
55.38% |
| |
55.38% |
|
Weakest Champions Against Caitlyn
These three champions are weak against Caitlyn because they have a short reach and are miles weaker during the laning phase in general.
Champion | Win Rate % | Icon |
43.91% |
| |
44.68% |
| |
45% |
|