Xin Zhao Scaling: Grade B
Reasonably well, with conditions. Xin Zhao keeps real value at full build. Grade B, Okay late, in The Scaling Codex.
Reviewed for League of Legends Season 16 (2026).
Verdict. Bottom of B. Crescent Guard gives him rare protection after diving and can pull a priority target away from the rest of the enemy team. His statistics and melee target-access problems keep him out of A, but that defensive ultimate buys him more coordinated-fight agency than a normal C-tier diver.
The ultimate refunds part of the entry cost
Most divers pay for backline access with their lives. Reach the target and everyone outside the circle stops existing for a few seconds, so the priority carry is suddenly in a private duel it never agreed to. Most melee champions would trade a lot for that.
The rest of him is ordinary at full build
He still has to cross the fight to cast it, and his raw numbers do not frighten anyone with six items.
The ring removes the players outside it, not the ones standing next to the carry, so a duel that includes their support was never private.
Count who is inside before you dive. If you cannot win that room, do not build it.
Common questions about Xin Zhao scaling
Does Xin Zhao scale well into the late game?
Reasonably well, with conditions. Xin Zhao keeps real value at full build. Grade B, Okay late, in The Scaling Codex.
What holds Xin Zhao back?
He still has to cross the fight to cast it, and his raw numbers do not frighten anyone with six items.
What is the late-game rule for Xin Zhao?
Count who is inside before you dive. If you cannot win that room, do not build it.
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.