Welcome to the League of Legends Champion Spotlight, featuring Rek’Sai, the Void Burrower.
The queen of the feared Xer’Sai that hunt in Shurima’s desert, Rek’Sai is the region’s
apex predator. Unseen and unrelenting, Rek’Sai senses distant movement and burrows beneath
the surface as she moves in to butcher her prey. In game, Rek’Sai is a mobile and powerful
threat who stalks her prey’s movements before closing in for the kill via her tunnels.
Since Rek’Sai’s abilities change if she’s below the ground, we’ll start with her W, Burrow.
Burrow is a low cooldown ability that sends Rek’Sai just beneath the surface where
she ignores unit collision and gains increased movement speed, but loses access to her basic
attacks and - most importantly - vision range.
Along with different abilities, she gains Tremor Sense, which passively reveals all enemy and
neutral movement in a large area around her. Note that Tremor Sense can differentiate between
enemy champions and other targets, but can only detect movement - Rek’Sai cannot feel
out enemies that stand still. If they stop moving, they will disappear from view.
Even though she has drastically reduced vision, she can still see targets who hit her with
abilities and basic attacks. Finally, even though Rek’Sai is underground, she is not
hidden from her opponents: They can see her just as easily as any other champion.
While burrowed, Rek’Sai can then Unburrow with her W. As she unburrows, her vision returns
to normal, but she loses her subterranean bonuses. Unburrowing beneath enemies damages
them and knocks them into the air - and it knocks them higher if Rek’Sai’s directly beneath them - but
while Burrow and Unburrow both enjoy low cooldowns, the same target cannot be knocked up by Unburrow
twice in quick succession.
Stay burrowed as you move around the map - the extra movement speed will take you through
your jungle faster, and get you in place for ganks. Use Tremor Sense to track enemies over
unwarded parts of the map.
Rek’Sai’s passive is Fury of the Xer’Sai. Rek’Sai gains fury as she deals damage with
basic attacks or abilities and loses it when she stays out of combat for an extended period.
Whenever Rek’Sai burrows, she starts consuming her fury, regenerating her health. Unburrowing
ends the heal, but also preserves Rek’Sai’s remaining fury.
Make the most of Fury of the Xer’Sai by burrowing whenever you’re out of combat
and have fury to burn. The regen can keep you alive in the face of damage over time
abilities, and if you’re clearing camps, will keep your health topped up, meaning you can
carry on earning gold and experience while less awesome junglers have to head back to
base to heal up.
Unburrowed, Rek’Sai’s Q is Queen’s Wrath, which causes her next three basic attacks
to deal bonus damage in an area around her. Queen’s Wrath has an extremely low cooldown
AND resets Rek’Sai’s attack animation, so well-timed casts will significantly increase
her damage output. Just as important, Rek’Sai generates fury from every enemy struck, making
Queen’s Wrath her fastest get mad tool.
Use Queen’s Wrath whenever you’re fighting large camps or in teamfights. To maximize
the healing from your passive, prioritize clearing the raptors and murkwolves.
Whenever Rek’Sai burrows, her Q changes to Prey Seeker, which fires a pulse of void
energy in a target direction. If the pulse hits a target, it detonates, dealing area
of effect damage while revealing all struck enemies.
Use Prey Seeker to scout ahead as you counter-jungle. Unless they’re fighting, jungle monsters
won’t show up on your Tremor Sense radar - Firing Prey Seeker into a camp will tell
you if it’s occupied.
While Unburrowed, Rek’Sai’s E is Furious Bite. This single target attack deals increasing
damage based on Rek’Sai’s fury; at max fury, it deals true damage to her victim.
Save Furious Bite for executions so that you ramp up as much fury as possible before using it.
This way you’ll maximize your damage from the ability. And if you’re contesting
a valuable jungle camp, time Furious Bite with Smite for a higher chance of success.
Rek’Sai’s burrowed E is Tunnel, a fixed distance dig in any direction that creates
tunnel entrances at the dig’s start and end. Once she’s built a tunnel, Rek’Sai
- but only Rek’Sai - can travel back and forth through it, slipping under obstacles
and walls as she pleases.
Tunnels last several minutes but each has a unique cooldown that
stops Rek’Sai from ducking back and forth repeatedly.
Even though Rek’Sai can create tons of tunnels before she hits the cap, they aren’t indestructible.
Enemies can collapse tunnels by standing on them briefly, that is, unless Rek’Sai’s
actually in it - that would just be rude. Once an enemy spots a tunnel, it’ll stay on their
minimap until it’s stepped on or collapses on its own. Finally, Rek’Sai can’t use
her abilities while she’s tunneling, because that would be OP.
She can smite though. That’s totally fine.
Use Tunnels to create an immense underground network throughout the map. The huge mobility
boost they provide will allow you to approach your prey from unpredictable angles.
Rek’Sai’s ultimate is Void Rush, which has a passive and active effect. Passively,
it increases Rek’Sai’s attack speed. Rek’Sai can activate Void Rush by targeting one of
her tunnels anywhere on the map - after a brief channel, she screams globally and dives
underground, speeding toward the tunnel.
There are a few notes worth pointing out here. First, Void Rush’s initial channel will
be interrupted if Rek’Sai takes damage from enemy champions or turrets, or if she’s
hit with any form of hard crowd control. That said, she cannot be stopped once she’s
actually started her dash, which takes the same amount of time regardless of how far
away the targeted tunnel is.
Also, though Rek’Sai can use Void Rush while burrowed and unburrowed, she always emerges
from her target tunnel in burrowed form. Finally, her opponents cannot see where she’s headed
unless they can see the tunnel exit she’s headed to.
Use Void Rush to quickly reposition after you respawn or recall. The global scream apparently
scares the bejeezus out of the enemy team here, who all back out of their dragon attempt
after they hear Rek’Sai ulting.
Whereas some counterjunglers thrive on locating the enemy jungler and outright killing them
in a duel, Rek’Sai prefers to work from the shadows and pick unfair fights. She excels
at being where the enemy jungler is not and grabbing their camps before they’re
even aware of your invade. Here’s a quick guide in how to turn your opposing jungler
into an emotional wreck...sai.
Start by using the knowledge provided by Tremor Sense as you skirt around the edges of the
enemy jungle. If there’s no sign of the enemy jungler, fire a prey seeker into a camp
to check for mobs. If the camp’s occupied, burrow directly in before getting to work
on the monsters’ health bars with Unburrow and Queen’s Wrath. Secure the primary kill
with Furious Bite before using your original tunnel to sneak back out to safety.
As a hunter, Rek’Sai loves to fight the enemy jungler after they’ve already been
weakened by jungle monsters. With your tunnels established, keep an eye out for prey. If
you spot them getting their butt kicked by one of their camps - like the new and improved
raptors maybe - why not ult in and give them a helping hand? By which of course I mean kill them.
Having access to more abilities than most champions makes Rek’Sai’s early ganks
incredibly potent, so make sure to get into lanes as soon as you’ve picked up your basic
buffs. Here, Rek’Sai looks for the Unburrow knock up, then builds as much fury as possible
so her Furious Bite deals extra damage.
Once you’ve hit 6, keep an eye on all the tunnels you’ve dug around the map for quick
and safe Void Rush kills. Spotting Orianna wandering into her territory, Rek’Sai rushes
to the nearest tunnel before Twisted Fate and Shen ult in for a pretty epic case of
overkill.
Rek’Sai’s the queen of chasing down and picking off fleeing enemies, even super mobile
champions like Kassadin. Most would have to give up the chase after watching him Riftwalk
away, but not Rek’Sai. Using an existing tunnel before digging a new one gets her close
enough for a clutch flash unburrow. Get Rekt, Kassadin!
Remember that Rek’Sai is not a supertank, and while the speed boost from tunneling can
quickly get her into the enemy team, it doesn’t mean much if her allies are way too far behind
to support her. Here she’s quickly turned into void sushi when she chases too far.
Here’s Rek’Sai in her element, using her pre-placed tunnels and suite of tools to their
maximum potential as her teammates deal damage from the backline. Following on Thresh’s
hook, Rek’Sai Unburrows under Fizz for the knock up, forcing an early Zhonya’s. But
the fight turns sour, so she backs off through a pre-placed tunnel, re-engaging with a new
tunnel as Shen pulls off a great taunt.
Rek’Sai wants to chase here, so she burrows mid-fight, healing up with her passive as
she catches up to, and knocks up Shyvana. With the fight won, Rek’Sai looks for the
clean up, burrowing once more and tunneling behind Morgana before knocking her up
and securing the ace.
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