Game patch 26.20Data Dragon 16.20.1

Reference patch 16.20.1

Caitlyn

the Sheriff of Piltover

Caitlyn is a ranged damage dealer who needs safe spacing and time to keep attacking. This overview keeps the explanation practical and leaves patch-sensitive numbers to Riot's structured data and the current in-game tooltip.

BotMostly physical damageRanged attacks

Open matchup guide Find counters Status effects

Usual roleBot

ClassMarksman

DifficultyMedium · 6/10

Basic attacksRangedRanged basic attacks · 650 range.

Damage profileMostly physical damageMost normal kit pressure is physical. Armour may help, but check whether attacks or abilities are the main source.

Reference patch16.20.1

Strengths and limits

What Caitlyn does well, and what can go wrong

These are kit-level patterns, not a promise that every lane or matchup plays the same way.

Good patterns

Can maintain ranged damage when positioning and target access remain safe.
Ranged basic attacks can contribute without entering melee distance when spacing is preserved.

Limits to respect

Loses reliable output when forced away, controlled or reached before creating distance.
Needs the player to respect cooldowns, resources and the opponent's route into the fight.

Riot ally tips

Use these while learning the champion

Make use of her Yordle Snap Traps by placing them pre-emptively to ensure that you'll have one off of cooldown during combat.

Avoid using Ace in the Hole in large team melees as it might be blocked by the wrong target.

Fire 90 Caliber Net away from the opponent to close the gap or hop over walls.

Riot opponent tips

What an opponent is told to watch for

Keep behind allied minions if Caitlyn is harassing you with Piltover Peacemaker (it deals less damage with each subsequent target).

You can intercept Ace in the Hole's missile from hitting an ally if you stand in its path.

Practical champion reading

How to read Caitlyn in a real fight

Use these patterns to ask better questions before choosing an item, target or commitment. They describe the kit, not a guaranteed result.

Damage delivery

Primarily physical pressure

Armour can reduce the broad physical profile. Separate basic attacks from physical abilities before relying on an item passive that only affects attacks.

Fight rhythm

Repeated access matters

The threat grows while this champion can keep attacking a useful target. Break target access, create distance or use control before the repeated pattern settles in.

Range and access

Spacing protects repeated output

Ranged attacks are useful only while a safe line to the target remains. Flanks, hard control and blocked escape routes can remove that advantage quickly.

Typical team job

Maintain safe, repeatable damage

Target access and survival time usually matter more than one ambitious hit. Reposition between attacks and avoid giving up the safe damage line.

Control check

Identify the exact movement restriction

Tenacity can shorten only eligible control. Displacements, airborne effects and repeated slows need their own positioning, blocking or movement answer.

Protection and sustain

Do not buy a counter that has no target

Reserve anti-heal and anti-shielding for a visible problem in the full team composition; they are not default answers to every champion.

Resource pattern

Mana and cooldowns both matter

A spell being available does not mean the complete sequence is sustainable. Watch the resource bar as well as the setup and escape cooldowns.

Defensive item reference

What can help against Caitlyn?

Start with the threat that is actually affecting the match. These are conditional comparisons, not an automatic counter build.

Pre-game choices

DEFENSIVE BOOTS

Plated Steelcaps are usually the better of these two

Ace in the Hole deals physical damage, so the armour on Plated Steelcaps reduces the hit. Their basic-attack reduction passive does not apply to the ultimate because it is an ability, not a basic attack.

Choose Mercury's Treads when reducible control and magic damage from the full opposing team matter more than Caitlyn's physical pressure.

Repeated attacksDisplacementSlowsPossible critical strikes

PHYSICAL DEFENCE

Physical defence

Armour · health · role-appropriate defence

Armour can reduce physical damage, but Plated Steelcaps' passive is specific to attacks.

Match the item to attacks, critical strikes or ability burst rather than buying armour from the label alone.

REPEATED ATTACKS

Repeated attacks

Plated Steelcaps · Frozen Heart

These can reduce attack-focused pressure when their stats fit your champion.

Do not use this as an answer to physical spells that are not attacks.

CRITICAL STRIKES

Critical strikes

Randuin's Omen

Critical-strike reduction can matter after a real critical build appears.

Champion identity alone does not prove that critical strikes will be purchased.

CONTROL AND ONE KEY SPELL

Control and one key spell

Mercury's Treads · Quicksilver Sash · Banshee's Veil · Edge of Night

Tenacity and a removable-control active can help against the relevant disabling effects. Airborne and displacement effects are not solved simply by stacking Tenacity.

Check the current tooltip and whether the exact effect can be shortened, removed or blocked.

REPEATED SLOWS

Repeated slows

Boots of Swiftness

Slow resistance can be more useful than Tenacity when repeated slowing strength is the main problem.

It gives no armour or magic resistance, so compare the rest of the opposing team.

ACE IN THE HOLE

Ace in the Hole

Armour · spell shield · stasis · champion interception

Armour reduces the physical hit. A valid spell shield, correctly timed stasis or another enemy champion standing in the bullet's path can prevent the marked target taking the normal shot.

Distance does not make Caitlyn's ultimate stronger or weaker. Steelcaps help through armour, not through their basic-attack passive.

Normal Draft and Ranked role map

Where Caitlyn fits on Summoner's Rift

Each lane is assessed separately. Open a role to reach its queue-specific build and matchup preparation.

TopUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Caitlyn is normally played Bot and does not currently have a reviewed Top route. Top usually needs independent laning, durable trading or reliable side-lane pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

JungleUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Caitlyn is normally played Bot and does not currently have a reviewed Jungle route. Jungle usually needs repeatable monster clear, safe pathing and objective control without lane income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

MidUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Caitlyn is normally played Bot and does not currently have a reviewed Mid route. Mid usually needs solo-lane safety plus wave control, roaming or reliable burst pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

BotPrimary role

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Caitlyn has an established Bot carry plan that can scale through shared-lane farm and work with a Support partner.

Review this role Open matchup

SupportUnestablished route

Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Caitlyn is normally played Bot and does not currently have a reviewed Support route. Support usually needs useful engage, peel or utility while operating on low gold income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.

Review this role

Kit reference

Caitlyn abilities

Ability names, descriptions and numeric fields come from Riot Data Dragon. Practical reads are independently written; the current in-game tooltip remains authoritative.

Abilities Data Dragon 16.20.1Cooldown / Cost / Range Data Dragon 16.20.1

Passive

Headshot

What it doesEvery few basic attacks, or against a target she has trapped or netted, Caitlyn will fire a headshot dealing bonus damage that scales with her critical strike chance. On trapped or netted targets, Caitlyn's Headshot attack range is doubled.

Practical readHeadshot is an automatic part of the kit involving damage. Track when its condition is active instead of treating every fight the same way.

Q ability

Piltover Peacemaker

What it doesCaitlyn revs up her rifle for 1 second to unleash a penetrating shot that deals physical damage (deals less damage to subsequent targets).

Practical readPiltover Peacemaker contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown10/9/8/7/6 secCost55/60/65/70/75Listed range1250 units

Damage falloff

Targets after the first receive reduced damage, so the order of units in the line changes the result.

W ability

Yordle Snap Trap

What it doesCaitlyn sets a trap that, when sprung, reveals and immobilizes the enemy champion for 1.5 seconds, granting Caitlyn an empowered Headshot.

Practical readYordle Snap Trap creates setup or area pressure. Place it where the opponent must choose between entering its space, changing route or giving up the immediate contest.

Cost20Listed range800 units

Vision

This ability supplies sight or reveals its target. That information effect can matter even when damage is not the main reason to cast it.

E ability

90 Caliber Net

What it doesCaitlyn fires a heavy net to slow her target. The recoil knocks Caitlyn back.

Practical read90 Caliber Net is a ranged cast involving a slowing effect. Respect its line or target area, and avoid spending it when the opponent can simply step away before the important exchange.

Cooldown16/14/12/10/8 secCost75Listed range750 units

Movement

The cast changes position or access. Account for where the champion finishes, not only where the ability begins.

Ultimate

Ace in the Hole

What it doesCaitlyn takes time to line up the perfect shot, dealing massive damage to a single target at a huge range. Enemy champions can intercept the bullet for their ally.

Practical readAce in the Hole contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.

Cooldown90 secCost100Listed range3500 units

Same damage near or far

Ace in the Hole does not become weaker when Caitlyn fires from nearby. Distance changes whether she can start the cast, but it does not change the shot's damage.

Another champion can block it

The bullet hits the first enemy champion in its path. An opponent can protect the marked target by standing between that target and Caitlyn.

Needs time to fire

Caitlyn must finish lining up the shot before it fires. Interrupting her channel or making the target untargetable can stop the normal hit.

Armour reduces the shot

Ace in the Hole deals physical ability damage. Plated Steelcaps help through their armour, but their basic-attack reduction passive does not reduce this ultimate. Mercury's Treads do not directly reduce the physical hit.

Levels 1–18

Caitlyn · Health / Mana · Abilities

Base values exclude items, runes, temporary buffs and mode-specific modifiers. Cooldowns are the listed base cooldown before ability haste.

Level 1580 Health315 Mana

Level 3738 Health374 Mana

Level 61,003 Health473 Mana

Level 111,519 Health666 Mana

Level 162,129 Health894 Mana

Level 182,399 Health995 Mana

Cooldown Data Dragon 16.20.1

Basic abilityPiltover Peacemaker

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 110 secRank 29 secRank 38 secRank 47 secRank 56 sec

Basic abilityYordle Snap Trap

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

CooldownRead current tooltip

Basic ability90 Caliber Net

Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Rank 116 secRank 214 secRank 312 secRank 410 secRank 58 sec

UltimateAce in the Hole

First rank becomes available at level 6; later ranks normally become available at levels 11 and 16.

All ranks90 sec

Open every levelHealth and mana from level 1 to 18

Level	Health	Mana	Ability milestone
1	580	315 Mana	Choose the first basic ability
2	657	344 Mana	Add another basic ability or rank
3	738	374 Mana	Add another basic ability or rank
4	822	406 Mana	Spend one ability point
5	911	439 Mana	Spend one ability point
6	1,003	473 Mana	First ultimate rank normally available
7	1,098	509 Mana	Spend one ability point
8	1,198	546 Mana	Spend one ability point
9	1,301	585 Mana	Spend one ability point
10	1,408	625 Mana	Spend one ability point
11	1,519	666 Mana	Second ultimate rank normally available
12	1,633	709 Mana	Spend one ability point
13	1,752	753 Mana	Spend one ability point
14	1,874	799 Mana	Spend one ability point
15	1,999	846 Mana	Spend one ability point
16	2,129	894 Mana	Final ultimate rank normally available
17	2,262	944 Mana	Spend one ability point
18	2,399	995 Mana	Spend one ability point

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