Xin Zhao's early dueling and strong level 3 make contesting river and scuttle crab a priority to deny Poppy early tempo.
Focus on leveraging Xin Zhao's mobility and knockup to punish Poppy's lower mobility and anti-dash reliance before she can set up near walls.
This matchup favors aggressive early skirmishes and objective control to snowball before Poppy's utility and tankiness scale up.
Jungle Plan
Prioritize early river control by pathing toward Scuttle or lanes with reliable gank setups to capitalize on Xin Zhao's strong level 3 dueling.
Invade Poppy's jungle when she commits to three-camp clears without lane support, exploiting her lower mobility and reliance on terrain.
Use counter-ganks aggressively when tracking Poppy's gank attempts, leveraging Xin Zhao's knockup and gap close to turn fights in your favor.
Danger windows
Avoid fighting when (W) dash denial is available to prevent being stopped mid-engage and losing momentum.
Be cautious contesting river or objectives near walls where Poppy can land (E) stuns, especially if nearby lanes lack priority to assist.
Respect (R) knockaway during objective fights, as it can reset bad engagements and leave you vulnerable to counterattacks.
Early game
Start with a path that secures a quick level 3 near the first Scuttle to enable early river fights or counter-invades.
Contest first Scuttle aggressively only if nearby lanes have priority to support or collapse on Poppy.
Avoid extended fights when Poppy is near walls where she can stun and deny your engage; instead, focus on clearing camps efficiently to preserve health for river control.
Power spikes
Level 3 unlocks Xin Zhao's full kit with (E) and (Q) for strong direct river fights; use this to contest Scuttle and early invades aggressively.
Level 6 (R) grants zone control and survivability, making objective fights easier to force and allowing you to isolate Poppy or protect your team from her disengage.
First fighter item completion increases dueling power and sustain, enabling Xin Zhao to extend fights and punish Poppy's tankiness before she can peel effectively.
Win conditions
Convert early dueling strength into consistent Scuttle control and invade opportunities to deny Poppy farm and tempo.
Use (R) to isolate Poppy or protect your team during dragon and Rift Herald fights, forcing favorable skirmishes.
Leverage Xin Zhao's gank threat with (E) and (Q) to snowball lanes that can collapse, increasing map pressure and limiting Poppy's influence before she scales.
Tip: For Xin Zhao vs Poppy, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Jungle lane check.
