How to win the jungle race as Xin Zhao against Kindred · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Read from Xin Zhao's seat: the race windows this plan plays for against Kindred.
| Stage | Read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Clear | Xin Zhao Favoured | Three Talon Strike's knock-up plus passive healing wins the first buff-pit duel. Dance of Arrows kiting beats melee kits that can't close the gap, so this is an edge and not a blowout — take the level-1 crossing only with the HP and cooldown lead. |
| Level 2 Skirmish | Xin Zhao Favoured | Wind Becomes Lightning (W) challenge poke starts trades you finish for free, but Wolf's Frenzy plus Q resets let them skirmish from untouchable range. You still win the straight exchange on the second camp; keep it short, keep it decisive, and keep the scuttle line yours. |
| Level 3 Route | Xin Zhao Favoured | The full knock-up combo with W slow is among the top three level-3 duels. Kindred can make it awkward — Dance of Arrows kiting means you never actually touch her while she shreds you — but not as the first scuttle timer lands. Trade, then walk away with the first scuttle and the gank window behind it. |
| Levels 4-5 Macro | Xin Zhao Favoured — Take Duels | Through levels 4-5 you remain the stronger duelist — keep taking short, decisive trades vs Kindred, but only with the HP and cooldown lead. |
| Level 6 Breakpoint | Crescent Guard Favoured | Crescent Guard makes the 1v1 literal — outside help is deleted from your duel. You win the breakpoint against Kindred, not the whole game — cash the advantage on the first objective after both sides hit six. |
| First Item Spike | Sundered Sky / Eclipse Spike | Completing your core item triggers a massive damage, health, and sustain multiplier that completely overpowers traditional brawlers or isolated targets. Kindred's first item plus a few stacks is where the ranged trade stops being poke and starts being a duel they win. |
| 2+ Items Scaling | Danger — Kindred Outscales | Every minute past 25 tilts toward Kindred — a stacked Kindred kites for free and Lamb’s Respite un-loses the fight you thought you won. Force your win condition early or watch it slip away slowly. |
Start your clear at the Red Buff camp utilizing your Q resets and passive to maximize early clear speed and health. Kindred clears fast at range with Dance of Arrows and Wolf's Frenzy, and takes almost no damage doing it.
Ranked by the race windows in Xin Zhao's plans — the jungle race carries no win-rate sample.
The full Xin Zhao vs Kindred report continues with scuttle & dragon rules, invade windows and safety boundaries, the top-side objective fight, macro rotations and the win condition — plus the live enemy-jungle tracker that shows their start, clear and gank timers in game.
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Xin Zhao's race plan controls 6 of the 7 windows — Xin Zhao holds the tempo advantage in this jungle matchup.
Not exactly — Xin Zhao's race plan controls 6 of the 7 windows, so Kindred is playing catch-up and has to lean on the map.
Playing the other side? Kindred vs Xin Zhao guide →
All Xin Zhao jungle matchups →
More Xin Zhao jungle matchups: vs Karthus · vs Kayn · vs Kha'Zix · vs Lee Sin · vs Lillia · vs Locke