Kennen Scaling: Grade B
Reasonably well, with conditions. Kennen keeps real value at full build. Grade B, Okay late, in The Scaling Codex.
Reviewed for League of Legends Season 16 (2026).
Verdict. Strong CC but range-limited. Similar situation to Annie, but with better range and utility.
The multi-stun is the whole promise
Marks build on everything he throws, and Slicing Maelstrom in a grouped fight can lock three or four finished builds in place long enough for his team to end the game inside it.
He delivers it better than the closest comparison too. Ranged autos and a long shuriken stack marks from outside melee, and energy means he never runs out of resources at minute thirty-five.
The ultimate still needs his body in their team
Without a flank, a front line to follow, or a defensive layer to survive the arrival, the maelstrom stuns whoever happened to be near where he died. Enemies who spread the moment he leaves vision reduce a teamfight ultimate to a one-person inconvenience.
Judge the ultimate by how many are inside when it ends, not when it starts.
Common questions about Kennen scaling
Does Kennen scale well into the late game?
Reasonably well, with conditions. Kennen keeps real value at full build. Grade B, Okay late, in The Scaling Codex.
What holds Kennen back?
Without a flank, a front line to follow, or a defensive layer to survive the arrival, the maelstrom stuns whoever happened to be near where he died. Enemies who spread the moment he leaves vision reduce a teamfight ultimate to a one-person inconvenience.
What is the late-game rule for Kennen?
Judge the ultimate by how many are inside when it ends, not when it starts.
How this grade was judged
The grade weighs range, target access, sustained and burst damage, crowd control, mobility, durability, healing and shielding, resets, cooldown structure, objective and formation control, split pressure, and how well the champion survives a long fight. Builds and forms that scale differently are graded separately. This is Vambient's gameplay evaluation of coordinated late-game fights, not a win-rate calculation. Full methodology.
Related champions
- Why Aatrox is also Grade B
- Why Ahri is also Grade B
- Why Akshan is also Grade B
- Why Brand is also Grade B
- See the full Grade B tier
The grade measures one thing: how much a champion can influence a coordinated late-game objective fight once both teams reach full builds. It does not measure early strength, snowballing, or win rate. A weak late-game champion still wins by ending the game first, which is what the rest of the library teaches. How the grades are decided.