I’ve played Kayle for years. Some patches made her feel overpowered, while others made her feel almost unplayable.
One item that always sparks debate is Riftmaker. For a long time, it was seen as the go-to Mythic because of its sustain and scaling damage.
But with the current changes in League of Legends, the question keeps coming up: is Riftmaker still worth it on Kayle? In this guide, I’ll break down what the data says about Riftmaker compared to other builds.
I’ll also explain why some guides still recommend it and share my thoughts on its strengths and weaknesses in today’s meta.
If you’re wondering if you should keep Riftmaker in your build path or swap it out, you’ll find clear answers here.
Understanding Riftmaker’s Strengths on Kayle
Riftmaker is a Mythic item that provides ability power, health, and omnivamp, enhancing Kayle’s survivability and sustain. Its key strength lies in the ramping damage it offers during extended fights.
After a few seconds in combat, Riftmaker converts a portion of Kayle’s damage into true damage, allowing her to bypass enemy resistances.
It works well in extended battles where Kayle can keep dealing damage.
Unlike burst-focused Mythics, Riftmaker rewards patience and sustained fighting rather than providing an immediate power spike.
However, its slower ramp-up raises the question of whether it can keep pace with faster, high-AP burst builds popular in the current meta. Overall, Riftmaker supports Kayle’s late-game scaling and consistent damage output.
What the Data Says About Riftmaker on Kayle?
To figure out if Riftmaker is still worth building on Kayle, I looked at data from different popular sites. Each one tracks win rates, item choices, and trends across thousands of games.
The results give us a clear picture of how Riftmaker compares to other items in the current meta.
1. ARAMonly’s Riftmaker Build
On ARAMonly’s guide for Patch 25.15, Riftmaker still shows up in Kayle’s recommended build. It appears alongside Nashor’s Tooth, Guinsoo’s Rageblade, Rabadon’s Deathcap, Zhonya’s Hourglass, and Berserker’s Greaves.
This setup leans into extended fights where Riftmaker’s sustain shines.
While it’s not as common in ranked play, ARAM’s constant brawls make Riftmaker a viable pick that hasn’t faded from relevance in that mode.
2. Mobalytics Top Lane Data
Mobalytics paints a different story. In Patch 15.17, Riftmaker is nowhere in the core top lane build.
Instead, Nashor’s Tooth leads the way, followed by boots, Rabadon’s Deathcap, Shadowflame, and Lich Bane. These items give Kayle faster power spikes and more reliable damage output.
The absence of Riftmaker here shows that the meta has shifted toward AP-heavy paths where scaling and burst damage outweigh the sustain Riftmaker offers.
3. U.GG Build Path
On U.GG, Kayle’s highest win-rate builds also push Riftmaker aside. The stats favor Nashor’s Tooth as the core item and lean into pure AP scaling options like Shadowflame and Lich Bane.
These builds focus on ramping Kayle’s damage as quickly as possible, which fits her late-game identity.
Riftmaker doesn’t appear often in winning setups, suggesting that players value faster scaling over the longer, sustain-based fights Riftmaker supports.
4. OP.GG Insights
OP.GG’s numbers line up closely with both Mobalytics and U.GG.
The most popular items include Nashor’s Tooth, Rabadon’s Deathcap, and Shadowflame. Riftmaker doesn’t show up in the top builds, either for win rate or pick rate.
This consistency across multiple sites highlights how much the item has dropped off in standard play, even if it still has situational value in off-meta or experimental builds.
Overall, the data suggests that Riftmaker has lost its place as a core item on Kayle.
Analysis: Riftmaker Strengths vs Current Meta
Kayle players often debate what Riftmaker really brings to the table compared to faster AP options.
To make it simple, this is a breakdown of its main strengths and weaknesses so you can see where it shines and where it falls short.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
|
Omnivamp gives extra sustain in lane and team fights Scaling true damage adds punch as fights drag on Works with both AP and on-hit hybrid setups |
Slower to build than Nashor’s Tooth Delays the point where Kayle starts to feel strong Less impactful in burst-heavy metas where fights end quickly |
The meta has shifted toward faster scaling. Players want to reach Kayle’s late-game power as soon as possible.
Nashor’s Tooth, followed by strong AP items like Rabadon’s and Shadowflame, makes that happen quicker than a Riftmaker build.
Item Build Test Setup
If you want to see how Riftmaker performs on Kayle, there are a couple of clear ways to test it. I tried both paths in different games to compare how they felt and what impact they had.
- Full Mythic into Nashor’s Tooth. Compare the timing of when you feel powerful versus a standard Nashor’s rush.
- Hybrid setup with Riftmaker, Guinsoo’s Rageblade, and Wit’s End. Track how well you perform in longer fights compared to the AP-focused route.
I tested both in the top lane and ARAM. The results showed me that Riftmaker feels decent in extended fights, but left me weaker in the early and mid game compared to just rushing Nashor’s Tooth.
Conclusion
So, is Riftmaker still good on Kayle? From what I’ve seen in both data and testing, Riftmaker has shifted into more of a niche pick rather than a core item.
In standard top lane play, it slows down Kayle’s important power spikes and doesn’t really fit the current meta.
Builds that rush Nashor’s Tooth and follow with strong AP items feel stronger and more consistent overall. That being said, Riftmaker still has value in certain setups.
Hybrid setups or ARAM with Guinsoo’s let Riftmaker shine in drawn-out fights.
For more on builds and item setups, check out my breakdown here:Kayle Skin Guide: Rarity, Cost, and How to Unlock All. Either way, you now have the breakdown to decide if Riftmaker deserves a spot in your item path.
