How to beat Xayah

Common role: ADC

The best counter to Xayah in Bot is Heimerdinger: 59.8% win rate over 32 ranked games on patch 26.17.

A feather-flinging marksman who roots you and goes untargetable to dodge your engage.

What makes Xayah dangerous

Xayah drops feathers with her attacks and abilities, then recalls them with her E to deal damage and root anyone caught by three or more. Her ultimate makes her briefly untargetable while firing a volley — dodging burst and engage. She sets up her own root and punishes teams that dive her.

How to play against Xayah

• 1Watch her feathers — when three+ line up on you, her E roots you. Move so you're not aligned with her scattered feathers.
• 2Time your engage around her ult — she goes untargetable during it, dodging your burst. Wait it out or commit before she can cast it.
• 3She's a stationary carry with no dash — hard CC and gap-closers reach her. Punish before she sets up her feather root.
• 4Punish her weak early game before her items and feather setup come online.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓No dash — divable once her ult is down.
• ✓Root needs three aligned feathers — move to avoid it.
• ✓Ult untargetability is a timing window to play around.
• ✓Squishy; hard CC punishes her.

Abilities & how to counter them

What each of Xayah's abilities does — and how to play around it.

• P
  Clean Cuts

  After using an ability, Xayah's next basic attacks will hit all targets along their path and leave a Feather.

• Q
  Double Daggers

  Xayah throws two damaging daggers that also drop Feathers she can recall.

• W
  Deadly Plumage

  Xayah creates a storm of blades that increase her Attack Speed and damage while also granting her Move Speed if she attacks a champion.

• E
  Bladecaller

  Xayah calls back all her dropped Feathers dealing damage and rooting enemies.

  Strong: recalls her feathers to root anyone caught by three or more. Weak: move so you're not aligned with her scattered feathers.

• R
  Featherstorm

  Xayah leaps into the air becoming untargetable and throwing out a fan of daggers, dropping Feathers she can recall.

  Strong: she goes untargetable while firing a volley — dodging burst and engage. Weak: time your dive around it — wait it out or commit before she casts it.

Itemization

Xayah is a crit marksman with a self-setup root. Avoid aligning with her feathers, time your dive around her ult untargetability, and hard CC her (no dash). Punish her early game.

This guide covers Xayah's core kit and playstyle — advice that holds up across patches.