Katarina

Openingsall within the 475 starting gold

• Boots of Speed325gEnhanced Movement: 25 Move SpeedBasic item — no components.4Health Potion35gClick to Consume: Restores 150 Health over 15 seconds. Limited to 5 at one time.Basic item — no components.Yellow Trinket0gActive: s Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 60 seconds.Basic item — no components.

  Boots and pots — Default into skillshot mids or lanes where dodging poke and finding Shunpo angles matters most.

• Doran's Shield440gHealth100Health Regen10 / 5sShieldwall: Blocks 8 damage from champion Basic Attacks.Basic item — no components.Health Potion35gClick to Consume: Restores 150 Health over 15 seconds. Limited to 5 at one time.Basic item — no components.Yellow Trinket0gActive: s Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 60 seconds.Basic item — no components.

  Doran's Shield start — Use into oppressive auto-attack or AD poke lanes where the block, health, and regen let you survive until first recall.

• Doran's Ring400gAbility Power15Health60Mana Regen3 / 5sPassive: Restores 4 Mana upon killing a unit.Basic item — no components.2Health Potion35gClick to Consume: Restores 150 Health over 15 seconds. Limited to 5 at one time.Basic item — no components.Yellow Trinket0gActive: s Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 60 seconds.Basic item — no components.

  Doran's Ring start — Use when you expect a calmer lane and want early AP plus health for stronger Q and W trades, accepting that the mana stats are wasted.

Corein buy order

• 1Sorcerer's Shoes1,100g (775g to combine)Magic Penetration15Enhanced Movement: 45 Move SpeedRecipe

  Sorcerer's ShoesSorcerer's Shoes1,100g (775g to combine)Magic Penetration15Enhanced Movement: 45 Move SpeedRecipe1,100gSorcerer's Shoes stack with magic penetration marks and make every part of Katarina's magic burst hit harder.

• 2Deathfire Grasp3,100g (680g to combine)Ability Power120Cooldown Reduction10%Active: 60s Deals 15% of target champion's maximum Health in magic damage and increases all subsequent magic damage taken by the target by 20% for 4 seconds.Recipe

  Deathfire GraspDeathfire Grasp3,100g (680g to combine)Ability Power120Cooldown Reduction10%Active: 60s Deals 15% of target champion's maximum Health in magic damage and increases all subsequent magic damage taken by the target by 20% for 4 seconds.Recipe3,100gDeathfire Grasp was the Season 3 AP assassin spike, adding a single-target nuke and amplifying Katarina's follow-up magic damage.

• 3Zhonya's Hourglass3,260g (500g to combine)Ability Power120Armor50Active: 90s Champion becomes Invulnerable and Untargetable for 2.5 seconds, but is unable to move, attack, cast spells, or use items during this time.Recipe

  Zhonya's HourglassZhonya's Hourglass3,260g (500g to combine)Ability Power120Armor50Active: 90s Champion becomes Invulnerable and Untargetable for 2.5 seconds, but is unable to move, attack, cast spells, or use items during this time.Recipe3,260gZhonya's Hourglass gives high AP, armor, and the stasis needed after diving into a fight for resets.

• 4Rabadon's Deathcap3,300g (840g to combine)Ability Power120Magical Opus: Increases Ability Power by 30%.Recipe

  Rabadon's DeathcapRabadon's Deathcap3,300g (840g to combine)Ability Power120Magical Opus: Increases Ability Power by 30%.Recipe3,300gRabadon's Deathcap turns the AP-heavy build into lethal reset damage once Katarina has her active-item core.

Situationalonly when the game asks for it

• Abyssal Scepter2,560g (980g to combine)Ability Power70Magic Resist45Aura - Despair: Reduces the Magic Resist of nearby enemies by 20Recipe

  Abyssal ScepterAbyssal Scepter2,560g (980g to combine)Ability Power70Magic Resist45Aura - Despair: Reduces the Magic Resist of nearby enemies by 20Recipe2,560gBuy Abyssal Scepter when the enemy team has multiple magic threats and fights happen inside your 550-range Death Lotus area.

• Liandry's Torment2,900g (980g to combine)Ability Power50Health300Eyes of Pain: 15 Magic PenetrationMana Burn: Dealing spell damage applies a damage-over-time effect for 3 seconds that deals bonus magic damage equal to 2% of the target's current Health per second. This bonus damage is doubled against movement-impaired units and capped at 100 damage per second vs. monsters.Recipe

  Liandry's TormentLiandry's Torment2,900g (980g to combine)Ability Power50Health300Eyes of Pain: 15 Magic PenetrationMana Burn: Dealing spell damage applies a damage-over-time effect for 3 seconds that deals bonus magic damage equal to 2% of the target's current Health per second. This bonus damage is doubled against movement-impaired units and capped at 100 damage per second vs. monsters.Recipe2,900gBuy Liandry's Torment when enemies are stacking health and you need magic penetration plus percent-health burn.

• Rylai's Crystal Scepter2,900g (605g to combine)Ability Power80Health500Frost Crystal: Dealing spell damage Slows the target's Move Speed by 35% for 1.5 seconds (15% for multi-target and damage-over-time spells).Recipe

  Rylai's Crystal ScepterRylai's Crystal Scepter2,900g (605g to combine)Ability Power80Health500Frost Crystal: Dealing spell damage Slows the target's Move Speed by 35% for 1.5 seconds (15% for multi-target and damage-over-time spells).Recipe2,900gBuy Rylai's Crystal Scepter when you need more health and sticking power for cleanup fights.

• Quicksilver Sash1,550g (830g to combine)Magic Resist45Active: 90s Removes all debuffs.Recipe

  Quicksilver SashQuicksilver Sash1,550g (830g to combine)Magic Resist45Active: 90s Removes all debuffs.Recipe1,550gBuy Quicksilver Sash against suppressions or hard CC that must be removed before you can Shunpo or channel Death Lotus.

• Banshee's Veil2,750g (875g to combine)Health450Magic Resist55Intangibility: Grants a Spell Shield that blocks the next enemy ability. This Shield refreshes after no damage is taken from enemy champions for 25 seconds.Shadow Mending: Grants 9 Health Regen per 5 for up to 10 seconds after taking damage from an enemy champion or when the Spell Shield breaks.Recipe

  Banshee's VeilBanshee's Veil2,750g (875g to combine)Health450Magic Resist55Intangibility: Grants a Spell Shield that blocks the next enemy ability. This Shield refreshes after no damage is taken from enemy champions for 25 seconds.Shadow Mending: Grants 9 Health Regen per 5 for up to 10 seconds after taking damage from an enemy champion or when the Spell Shield breaks.Recipe2,750gBuy Banshee's Veil when one hostile spell decides whether you can enter the fight at all.

Openingsall within the 475 starting gold

• Doran's Shield440gHealth100Health Regen10 / 5sShieldwall: Blocks 8 damage from champion Basic Attacks.Basic item — no components.Health Potion35gClick to Consume: Restores 150 Health over 15 seconds. Limited to 5 at one time.Basic item — no components.Yellow Trinket0gActive: s Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 60 seconds.Basic item — no components.

  Doran's Shield start — Default into physical melee tops and ranged auto harass; the health regen and basic-attack block are the safest way to reach early defensive components.

• Doran's Ring400gAbility Power15Health60Mana Regen3 / 5sPassive: Restores 4 Mana upon killing a unit.Basic item — no components.2Health Potion35gClick to Consume: Restores 150 Health over 15 seconds. Limited to 5 at one time.Basic item — no components.Yellow Trinket0gActive: s Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 60 seconds.Basic item — no components.

  Doran's Ring start — Use when the lane cannot punish you early and you need AP to last-hit and threaten Q poke; the mana stat is wasted, but the AP and health are efficient.

• Boots of Speed325gEnhanced Movement: 25 Move SpeedBasic item — no components.4Health Potion35gClick to Consume: Restores 150 Health over 15 seconds. Limited to 5 at one time.Basic item — no components.Yellow Trinket0gActive: s Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 60 seconds.Basic item — no components.

  Boots and potions start — Use into skillshot or chase lanes where movement speed matters more than raw level-1 durability.

Corein buy order

• 1Liandry's Torment2,900g (980g to combine)Ability Power50Health300Eyes of Pain: 15 Magic PenetrationMana Burn: Dealing spell damage applies a damage-over-time effect for 3 seconds that deals bonus magic damage equal to 2% of the target's current Health per second. This bonus damage is doubled against movement-impaired units and capped at 100 damage per second vs. monsters.Recipe

  Liandry's TormentLiandry's Torment2,900g (980g to combine)Ability Power50Health300Eyes of Pain: 15 Magic PenetrationMana Burn: Dealing spell damage applies a damage-over-time effect for 3 seconds that deals bonus magic damage equal to 2% of the target's current Health per second. This bonus damage is doubled against movement-impaired units and capped at 100 damage per second vs. monsters.Recipe2,900gLiandry's Torment gives the health, AP, and magic penetration that define the bruiser AP damage curve.

• 2Zhonya's Hourglass3,260g (500g to combine)Ability Power120Armor50Active: 90s Champion becomes Invulnerable and Untargetable for 2.5 seconds, but is unable to move, attack, cast spells, or use items during this time.Recipe

  Zhonya's HourglassZhonya's Hourglass3,260g (500g to combine)Ability Power120Armor50Active: 90s Champion becomes Invulnerable and Untargetable for 2.5 seconds, but is unable to move, attack, cast spells, or use items during this time.Recipe3,260gZhonya's Hourglass adds armor and a stasis active so Katarina can commit into melee range without instantly dying after Death Lotus.

• 3Rylai's Crystal Scepter2,900g (605g to combine)Ability Power80Health500Frost Crystal: Dealing spell damage Slows the target's Move Speed by 35% for 1.5 seconds (15% for multi-target and damage-over-time spells).Recipe

  Rylai's Crystal ScepterRylai's Crystal Scepter2,900g (605g to combine)Ability Power80Health500Frost Crystal: Dealing spell damage Slows the target's Move Speed by 35% for 1.5 seconds (15% for multi-target and damage-over-time spells).Recipe2,900gRylai's Crystal Scepter supplies a large health pool with AP, making her resets harder to deny while keeping enemies in range.

Situationalonly when the game asks for it

• Mercury's Treads1,200g (475g to combine)Magic Resist25Enhanced Movement: 45 Move SpeedTenacity: Reduces the duration of Stuns, Slows, Taunts, Fears, Silences, Blinds, and Immobilizes by 35%.Recipe

  Mercury's TreadsMercury's Treads1,200g (475g to combine)Magic Resist25Enhanced Movement: 45 Move SpeedTenacity: Reduces the duration of Stuns, Slows, Taunts, Fears, Silences, Blinds, and Immobilizes by 35%.Recipe1,200gBuy Mercury's Treads instead of Sorcerer's Shoes when crowd control or magic damage will stop every reset attempt.

• Ninja Tabi1,000g (375g to combine)Armor25Ninja Footwork: Blocks 10% of the damage from Basic Attacks.Enhanced Movement: 45 Move SpeedRecipe

  Ninja TabiNinja Tabi1,000g (375g to combine)Armor25Ninja Footwork: Blocks 10% of the damage from Basic Attacks.Enhanced Movement: 45 Move SpeedRecipe1,000gBuy Ninja Tabi instead of Sorcerer's Shoes against heavy basic-attack top lanes or double physical-threat compositions.

• Spirit Visage2,750g (500g to combine)Health400Magic Resist55Health Regen4 / 5sCooldown Reduction20%Lifeforce: Increases self-healing, Health Regen, Lifesteal, and Spell Vamp effects by 20%.Recipe

  Spirit VisageSpirit Visage2,750g (500g to combine)Health400Magic Resist55Health Regen4 / 5sCooldown Reduction20%Lifeforce: Increases self-healing, Health Regen, Lifesteal, and Spell Vamp effects by 20%.Recipe2,750gBuy Spirit Visage when the enemy magic damage is the main reason you cannot enter fights; it pairs especially well with spell vamp from Gunblade or Will of the Ancients variants.

• Guardian Angel2,750g (1,310g to combine)Armor50Magic Resist40Guardian's Intervention: Upon taking lethal damage, restores 30% of maximum Health and Mana after 4 seconds of stasis (5 minute cooldown).Recipe

  Guardian AngelGuardian Angel2,750g (1,310g to combine)Armor50Magic Resist40Guardian's Intervention: Upon taking lethal damage, restores 30% of maximum Health and Mana after 4 seconds of stasis (5 minute cooldown).Recipe2,750gBuy Guardian Angel when you are the main engage follow-up and need a second life more than another damage item.

• Void Staff2,295g (1,000g to combine)Ability Power70Touch of the Void: Magic damage ignores 35% of the target's Magic Resist.Recipe

  Void StaffVoid Staff2,295g (1,000g to combine)Ability Power70Touch of the Void: Magic damage ignores 35% of the target's Magic Resist.Recipe2,295gBuy Void Staff when enemy frontliners stack enough magic resist that Abyssal Scepter and Liandry's penetration are no longer enough.