Challenger Kindred Player CastFM Reveals Optimal Strategy for Climbing the Ranks

CastFM recommends starting with a Serrated Dirk, aiming for approximately 950 gold on the first back. This gold allows for the purchase of two long swords and a dagger, which are crucial for early game clear efficiency. He states that the item's lethality offers significant value in the early game due to jungle camps' low base armor, enabling Kindred to clear the jungle much faster.

Kindred, unlike many meta junglers, lacks natural gap-closing dashes, making movement speed a critical stat. CastFM explains his preference for Blue Smite, which provides essential movement speed to compensate for this weakness. This enables Kindred to effectively gank lanes and close distances on enemies, improving overall map presence and engagement success.

CastFM often considers Tier 2 boots to be generally useless for Kindred, stating that in many games, they are not even necessary. He clarifies that Mercury Treads are the only exception, purchased exclusively for their tenacity value to ensure Kindred's ultimate ability can be activated without interruption. Other boot options, such as Gluttonous Greaves, might offer mid-game sustain but are deemed less valuable for movement speed, which can be acquired through Blue Smite or other items. The primary focus remains on reaching power spikes and maximizing gold efficiency through core damage items.

CastFM firmly establishes Press the Attack (PTA) as Kindred's primary rune choice, favoring its immediate damage output in short trades. He argues that runes like Conqueror or Lethal Tempo require too much time to stack, which is often not feasible for Kindred's burst-oriented playstyle. PTA's burst potential, especially when combined with Kindred's E ability, allows for quick one-shots or significant damage, making it ideal for Kindred's skirmishing identity in both early and mid-game scenarios.

CastFM advocates for choosing damage scaling runes over flat health or defensive options in the early game. He emphasizes his preference for maximizing Kindred's offensive potential, believing that damage scaling provides better long-term output. This philosophy underscores a proactive playstyle, aiming to secure kills and snowball rather than playing passively for early game survival.

CastFM labels attack speed boots as "the biggest bait in history of league," strongly advising against their purchase for Kindred. He explains that Kindred already gains substantial attack speed through abilities like Q and through collecting marks, rendering dedicated attack speed boots redundant. Instead, he suggests focusing on items that increase raw damage, allowing Kindred to hit harder rather than just attack more frequently.

CastFM stresses that game knowledge and situational awareness are more critical than adhering to a strict item build. He sometimes picks the first suitable item, highlighting that junglers must plan several minutes ahead, which leaves little room for extensive item analysis. He contends that gameplay mistakes cannot be rectified by specific item choices, reinforcing the importance of sound macro decisions.

CastFM warns against the common mistake of building Guardian Angel (GA) when Kindred is already ahead in the game. He argues that 99% of players misuse GA by building it in winning scenarios. Instead, he advises continuing to build damage items to further secure kills and carry potential, rather than transitioning into defensive options that might slow down Kindred's snowball.

CastFM identifies Kindred's inability to safely face-check bushes as a significant weakness due to her low durability. He advises players to always use abilities like W or trinkets to gain vision before entering unwarded areas. This proactive vision control is crucial to avoid being ambushed, especially in the early and mid-game, preventing potentially fatal mistakes from lonely journeys into enemy territory.

At level one, CastFM always marks the enemy jungler, not for an in-game stat benefit, but as a form of "psychological warfare" to assert dominance. This tactic serves to put opponents on edge and establish Kindred as the boss of the jungle. While it has no direct numerical impact, it can influence the enemy jungler's decision-making and is particularly useful if a level one invade occurs.

Starting with Red buff on Kindred leads to a significantly faster clear time compared to starting Blue buff. This optimized path allows Kindred to reach scuttle crabs earlier, securing vital gold and experience advantages. If starting Blue buff, CastFM suggests smiting Red buff at the end of the clear to maximize speed and efficiency, ensuring Kindred can contest objectives or gank with an advantage.

CastFM strongly advises against sacrificing multiple jungle camps for an early dragon, emphasizing that dragons are not worth the trade if they are not "free" or uncontested. Early dragons provide minimal immediate combat stats compared to the gold and experience gained from clearing camps. He asserts that trading camps for a drake, which provides zero instant stats, is never a worthwhile endeavor and can set Kindred behind in crucial jungle tempo.

CastFM highlights the importance of recognizing when to disengage from unfavorable objective fights. He states that forcing a fight when teammates are not in position or are unwilling to commit is a critical mistake. His approach involves assessing the situation, and if an engagement seems disadvantageous, he is prepared to concede the objective and move on, prioritizing survival and avoiding bad trades over stubbornly contesting every objective.

Kindred's ultimate ability is deemed essential for confident and aggressive playmaking. CastFM explains that without his ultimate, Kindred lacks the tools for daring dashes, jumps, and timely team-saving maneuvers. The ultimate's immunity also serves as a strategic baiting tool and prevents opponents from smiting objectives, making its availability crucial for Kindred's impact in skirmishes and objective control.

CastFM stresses the importance of disciplined pathing and avoiding emotional responses to contested camps. He advises against taking fights at a disadvantage when unnecessary, stating that losing one or two camps will not determine the game's outcome. This discipline is particularly crucial for Kindred, who is vulnerable without her ultimate, reinforcing the need to concede resources rather than engaging in risky, unrewarding skirmishes.

CastFM emphasizes efficiency in purchasing control wards. If a control ward is already placed in a high-value position, he advises against buying a new one immediately. Instead, he prioritizes spending gold on core items, only moving the existing ward if its utility diminishes. This strategy ensures gold is not wasted on redundant vision, allowing Kindred to reach crucial item power spikes faster.

CastFM highlights that many players ruin games by forcing unnecessary plays during objective downtime. He advises patience, suggesting players control enemy jungle camps and wait for the next objective to spawn. Kindred players should stay close to teammates to capitalize on spontaneous fights with better odds. Exploiting enemy mistakes and overextensions, rather than initiating risky engagements, is the key to winning mid-to-late game scenarios.

CastFM asserts that perfect play is unattainable, and mistakes are inevitable. The true measure of a player's quality lies in their ability to recover from errors rather than the absence of them. Emotional play can escalate minor mistakes into game-losing blunders. Professional gameplay, according to CastFM, is defined by composed, consistent decision-making under pressure, allowing players to recoup and continue performing effectively despite setbacks.

CastFM identifies Zyra and Brand as particularly challenging matchups for Kindred. He notes that these champions excel at controlling the entire map's tempo, making it difficult for Kindred to exert influence. While they can dictate the pace of the game, CastFM believes their kits lack the "one-v-nine potential" of other champions, suggesting that their strength lies in coordinated pressure rather than raw individual carry power.

To learn Kindred, CastFM advises aspiring players to develop strong ADC mechanics, as the champion requires a similar skill set in the jungle. He suggests practicing with mechanically intensive marksmen like Vayne in the bot lane to build the necessary dexterity. A crucial tip for Kindred play is to prioritize holding the dash ability for strategic disengagement or repositioning rather than using it for aggressive entry, which often leads to unfavorable outcomes.