SEASON 42 PROFILE
Shadow BladeKarina triggers Shadow Combo on the third consecutive hit against the same enemy, and Shadow Assault can reset after a takedown. She therefore enters best once someone is already low: the first finish starts the chain, while an early dive leaves her stranded.
DATA REVIEWED 13.10.2026 · PATCH 2.2.16
HOW TO PLAY
Finish the opening route without abandoning camps for a long chase. Karina needs levels and items for her first attempt to end in a kill.
Use Dance of Blades to approach into basic attacks and Dance of Death to advance Shadow Combo on the chosen target.
In large fights, track every health bar before committing. Shadow Assault should jump to an enemy you can finish and then to the next, not into the best-equipped tank.
Choose the lane or job first. Hover or use the keyboard on any item, talent or emblem to see exactly what it does. Spells and blessings are explained alongside their icons.Choose the lane or job first. Tap any item, talent or emblem to open its explanation. Spells and blessings are explained alongside their icons.
Default ranked jungle setup built around Starlium follow-up damage, Genius Wand shred, and Ice Retribution stickiness for the first reset.
+10 magicpenFlat. +40 Movement Speed
+6 Mana Regen. +8% Hybrid Lifesteal. +75 Magic Power. +10% Cooldown Reduction. Crisis: In 3s after using the skill, the caster's next Basic Attack will apply additional 90 (+60% Total Magic Power) True Damage with a cooldown of 1.5s. Then briefly gains 10% Movement Speed
+75 Magic Power. +5% Movement Speed. 10 Magic Penetration. Magic: Magic: Dealing damage to enemy heroes will reduce their Magic Defense by 3+(0.3*Hero Level) for 2 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.
+165 Magic Power. Mystery: Gains 21%-35% extra Magic Power(Scales with level).
+60 Magic Power. 40% Magic Penetration. Spellbreaker: When attacking an enemy, gains 0.1% extra Magic Penetration for each point of the enemy's Magic Defense, capped at 20%.
+90 Magic Power. Guard: Gain a 800 (+100 Total Magic Power) Shield that will regenerate 20s after being damaged. the shield also grants 30 Movement Speed while it lasts and 150 Movement Speed for 1s after it breaks
Recommended emblem setup for this build.
Gain 5 Adaptive Penetration. Gain Physical Penetration if extra Physical Attack is higher than extra Magic Power; otherwise, gain Magic Penetration.
Damage against Lord and Turtle is increased by 15%. This bonus is halved against regular Creeps and doesn't affect the damage of Retribution.
When damaging heroes below 30% HP, instantly recover 15% of Lost HP and gains 20% Movement Speed. Additional Effect: Reset cooldown upon killing an enemy hero. Duration: 3 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
35sDeals true damage to a creep or minion and enables Jungle equipment. After enough jungle participation, it upgrades and helps secure Turtle and Lord.
+18 Magic Defense. +40 Movement Speed. Fortitude: CC and Slow Duration Reduced by 30%
+10 magicpenFlat. +40 Movement Speed
Tough Boots FOR Arcane BootsUse when the enemy draft has chain crowd control that catches Karina before Shadow Assault can reset.
+400 HP. +45 Adaptive Attack. +5% Cooldown Reduction. Frozen (active): Become frozen, untargetable, and immune to damage for 2 seconds (100 seconds cooldown). Cannot move or cast skills while frozen, but skills already cast won't be interrupted.
+90 Magic Power. Guard: Gain a 800 (+100 Total Magic Power) Shield that will regenerate 20s after being damaged. the shield also grants 30 Movement Speed while it lasts and 150 Movement Speed for 1s after it breaks
Winter Crown FOR Blood WingsUse when one stasis button is needed to survive the counter-burst after the first dive.
+300 HP. +60 Magic Power. +5% Movement Speed. Scorch: Burn target for 3s, dealing Magic Damage equal to 1.5% of the target's Max HP per second. Lifebane: Upon dealing damage to the target, reduces Shield and HP Regen of the target by 50% for 3 seconds.
+90 Magic Power. Guard: Gain a 800 (+100 Total Magic Power) Shield that will regenerate 20s after being damaged. the shield also grants 30 Movement Speed while it lasts and 150 Movement Speed for 1s after it breaks
Glowing Wand FOR Blood WingsUse when shields or HP regen keep the first reset target alive and the enemy has not stacked heavy Magic Defense.
+800 HP. +15 Physical Defense. Immortal: Revives 2.5s after death and gaining 16% Max HP and 220-1200 shield (scales with level) that lasts for 3s. (210 cooldown).
+90 Magic Power. Guard: Gain a 800 (+100 Total Magic Power) Shield that will regenerate 20s after being damaged. the shield also grants 30 Movement Speed while it lasts and 150 Movement Speed for 1s after it breaks
Immortality FOR Blood WingsUse for final Lord fights where a revive is worth more than extra magic power and shield tempo.
Hover or use the keyboard on any ability to read exactly what it does in game.Tap any ability to open its in-game explanation. Tap elsewhere to close it.
Karina's third consecutive attack on the same enemy deals extra True Damage equal to 50 plus 5% of their lost HP, up to 2000 True Damage against Creeps. If the target is an enemy hero, the cooldowns of Karina's non-Ultimate skills are reduced by 1.5 seconds.
Karina enters the Dance of Blades state for 3.5 seconds, gaining 45% Movement Speed, blocking all incoming Basic Attacks, and reflecting 100–200 Magic Damage to the attacker. The reflection has a 0.4-second cooldown. Karina's Basic Attack during this time deals 160–310 Magic Damage plus 60% Total Magic Power, slows the target by 45% for 1 second, and is guaranteed to critically strike. Using the enhanced Basic Attack or Shadow Assault ends Dance of Blades early.
Karina launches a spinning slash, dealing 375–600 Magic Damage to nearby enemies.
Karina dashes to the target enemy hero, dealing 350–750 Magic Damage, applying a Shadow Mark to them, and leaving a Shadowform behind them. The Shadow Mark and Shadowform both last 5 seconds. If the enemy dies within the duration, the cooldown of this skill is reset. Use Again: Karina dashes back to the Shadowform's location, dealing 150–250 Magic Damage to enemies along the way.
PATCH ARCHIVE
IF / PATCH TRACKER
Every documented buff, nerf and adjustment, ordered from the latest patch backwards.
24 patches shown
THE DRAFT
Natan and Kimmy are fragile targets who rely on distance, and Shadow Assault can close that space instantly.
Granger and Brody can hurt her with less frequent attacks, while Faramis disrupts the chain of finishes Karina needs.
Nolan supplies the opening damage that puts the first enemy into execution range, and Kalea can hold anyone trying to escape.
See all 5 counters, favorable matchups and best teammates for Karina
COLLECTION
Permanently available through the in-game shop: 399 Diamonds.
Permanently available through the in-game shop: 599 Diamonds.
It was obtainable through the Christmas event; recorded release in 2016. Availability depends on the event or a new rotation. Check the client.
It was obtainable through the July 2017 StarLight Pass. Availability depends on the event or a new rotation. Check the client.
It was obtainable through the Lucky Box draw; recorded release in 2018. Availability depends on the event or a new rotation. Check the client.
It was obtainable through the KOF event; recorded release in March 2019. Availability depends on the event or a new rotation. Check the client.
It was obtainable through the Zodiac Summon. Availability depends on the event or a new rotation. Check the client.
It was obtainable through the Season 17 first-recharge reward. Availability depends on the event or a new rotation. Check the client.
It was obtainable through the MCGG event; recorded release on 19 November 2025. Availability depends on the event or a new rotation. Check the client.
QUICK ANSWERS
Karina is currently played mainly in Jungle. The guide separates the recommended builds by lane or job, so choose that tab before copying the six items.
Start with «Jungle Reset Burst». The other options, «Jungle Sustain Snowball» and «Jungle Defensive Tempo», are there for a different lane or match-up; they are not cosmetic variations.
Granger, Brody and Clint are the first counters to consider. Granger and Brody can hurt her with less frequent attacks, while Faramis disrupts the chain of finishes Karina needs.
2 non-default skins have confirmed availability at this review. 7 more are limited or upcoming, with the original acquisition method recorded. Check the current event or shop in your client before spending.
