How to win the jungle race as Xin Zhao against Nocturne · Matchup data reviewed on patch 26.15
Read from Xin Zhao's seat: the race windows this plan plays for against Nocturne.
| Stage | Read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Clear | Xin Zhao Favoured | Three Talon Strike's knock-up plus passive healing wins the first buff-pit duel. The margin is thin: Umbra Blades' AoE sustain clears fast and wins the raptor-pit brawl, and one slow camp on your side hands the window straight back, so keep the trade short. Dash out of the tether's leash range the instant it attaches — never tank the fear. |
| Level 2 Skirmish | Xin Zhao Dominant | Wind Becomes Lightning (W) challenge poke starts trades you finish for free. Duskbringer's trail damage plus speed wins straight-line trades, and with one camp still up on both sides that is not an answer. Take the level-2 skirmish and make Nocturne path away from the camps you want. |
| Level 3 Route | Xin Zhao Favoured | The full knock-up combo with W slow is among the top three level-3 duels, but the fear-tether threat tilts every river skirmish in their favor. You still win the straight exchange at the opening scuttle; keep it short, keep it decisive, and keep the scuttle line yours. |
| Levels 4-5 Macro | Xin Zhao Favoured — Take Duels | The 4-5 window is yours if you pick it: he spends 4-5 on Duskbringer trails into side lanes and takes camps in the gaps between them. Track that pattern, arrive one camp early, and take the fight before the follow-up shows. |
| Level 6 Breakpoint | Crescent Guard Favoured | Crescent Guard makes the 1v1 literal — outside help is deleted from your duel. Paranoia darkens the map and delivers a fear-tether dive straight onto you — respect that one window, but the six-spike comparison favors you: take the post-6 duel whenever HP bars start even. |
| 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. Nocturne's first item is where the Duskbringer trade stops being a chunk and becomes a kill on any squishy. |
| 2+ Items Scaling | Danger — Nocturne Outscales | The clock is your enemy. He removes your vision and arrives on your carry with a spell shield already up, so close the game on the first two objectives you actually win. |
Start your clear at the Red Buff camp utilizing your Q resets and passive to maximize early clear speed and health. Nocturne clears fast off Umbra Blades sustain and Duskbringer, and he is at full health almost every camp.
Ranked by the race windows in Xin Zhao's plans — the jungle race carries no win-rate sample.
The full Xin Zhao vs Nocturne 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 Nocturne is playing catch-up and has to lean on the map.
Playing the other side? Nocturne vs Xin Zhao guide →
All Xin Zhao jungle matchups →
More Xin Zhao jungle matchups: vs Morgana · vs Naafiri · vs Nidalee · vs Nunu & Willump · vs Olaf · vs Qiyana