Rek'Sai is an early tunnel ganker and invade-heavy jungler who must leverage her fast clears and mobility to pressure Xin Zhao before he can force fights.
Prioritize early river control and aggressive pathing to deny Xin Zhao's strong level 3 dueling and contest first Scuttle crab.
Jungle Plan
Use fast clears and tunnel paths to invade Xin Zhao's jungle early and deny camps before he can stabilize.
Prioritize river control and contest first Scuttle when your lanes can move first, setting up for early dragon or Rift Herald plays.
Track Xin Zhao's pathing to counter-gank his early pressure and use knockup and knockback to isolate him during objective fights.
Danger windows
Xin Zhao is most dangerous at level 3 with (E) and (Q) ready; avoid isolated river fights or invades without lane priority.
Be cautious during forced objective setups where Xin Zhao can use (R) to zone and block ranged follow-up, especially if your team lacks peel.
Rek'Sai is vulnerable when low health after clears; avoid fighting Xin Zhao in these windows to prevent losing smite fights or counter-jungling.
Early game
Start with a three-camp clear to reach level 3 quickly and look for early gank or invade opportunities before Xin Zhao hits his power spike.
Contest first Scuttle crab aggressively only if nearby lanes have priority to help secure it or collapse on Xin Zhao.
Avoid extended 1v1 fights early if Xin Zhao has cooldowns and lanes cannot assist; use tunnels to escape or counter-gank instead.
Power spikes
Rek'Sai's level 3 power spike grants strong gank angles and knockup control; use this to force fights or invade before Xin Zhao reaches his level 3.
Xin Zhao's level 3 spike with gap close and knockup forces Rek'Sai to respect direct river fights and avoid isolated 1v1s without lane support.
Rek'Sai's ultimate execute and knockup combo at level 6 can isolate Xin Zhao and secure objectives; use (R) proactively in skirmishes to zone him out.
Win conditions
Convert early tunnel ganks and invade tempo into consistent camp denial, forcing Xin Zhao behind before he can scale.
Use superior mobility and knockup to secure early dragons and Rift Herald, denying Xin Zhao's objective control.
Snowball leads by repeating ganks on flashless lanes and collapsing with tunnels, preventing Xin Zhao from establishing mid-game skirmishes.
Tip: For Rek'Sai vs Xin Zhao, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Jungle lane check.
