Top 9 Best Supports to Synergize with Kalista in League of Legends

Kalista is undoubtedly one of the most mechanically challenging marksmen in League of Legends. Known for her unique passive that transforms her into an exceptional kiter, she demands a high level of skill to unlock her full potential. Given her complexity and the balance challenges in professional play, Kalista occupies a unique niche within the ADC lineup. She is well-balanced but thrives best with specific supports that can maximize her capabilities.

To aid players in leveraging Kalista's strengths, we've curated a list of the top nine supports best suited to partner with her. These supports enhance her gameplay, ensuring that her kiting abilities are used to their fullest. We'll delve into why these pairings are effective and how they can significantly impact your lane dominance.

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#1: Thresh

Thresh is widely regarded as the top support choice for Kalista, perfectly complementing her playstyle in the current League of Legends meta. Thresh's kit, filled with crowd control, engaging, disengaging, and repositioning abilities, is exactly what Kalista needs to excel in her role. His abilities like the hook and Flay (E) effectively prevent enemies from escaping, allowing Kalista ample opportunity to kite around her opponents and stack her Rend (E) for maximum damage.

Additionally, Kalista's ultimate offers unique synergy with Thresh by allowing her to reposition him strategically during skirmishes. This can be used to either initiate a fight or pull Thresh out of harm’s way, making their combination highly versatile and dynamic.

For this duo to truly thrive, impeccable coordination is required. Thresh’s playmaking capabilities demand quick, reactive gameplay, and understanding each other's limits and capabilities is crucial. Mastering this partnership can lead to dominating performances in the bot lane, leveraging both Thresh's control and Kalista's mobility for aggressive, coordinated attacks.

#2: Nautilus

When Thresh isn't available due to being picked or banned, Nautilus stands out as an excellent alternative for pairing with Kalista. Similar to Thresh, Nautilus brings robust engagement capabilities to the lane, but he leans more towards a straightforward, aggressive style of play. This makes him particularly user-friendly, especially for those who are newer to the game or prefer less mechanically demanding champions.

Nautilus’s own strong initiation tools are significantly amplified when combined with Kalista’s ultimate, Fate’s Call (R). This synergy allows Nautilus to be propelled directly into the fray, closing gaps instantly and enabling him to unleash his crowd control arsenal effectively. Together, they can lock down targets with precision, disrupting the enemy lines and securing kills.

Moreover, this duo can adapt their strategy if they find themselves at a disadvantage. Kalista’s ultimate can also be used defensively, pulling Nautilus back to protect her and provide the necessary space for her to kite enemies effectively. This versatility makes Nautilus not just a backup choice but a formidable support in his own right when paired with Kalista.

#3: Blitzcrank

Blitzcrank serves as another potent support for Kalista, echoing some of Nautilus's crowd control capabilities but with a distinctive twist. Unlike Nautilus, who dives into the fray, Blitzcrank excels in pulling enemies toward him, creating disarray in the opposing ranks by isolating targets and placing them in vulnerable positions.

This dynamic makes Blitzcrank's hook a crucial element in the laning phase. When paired with Kalista, the focus is on securing early advantages through 2v2 skirmishes. Blitzcrank’s ability to accurately land hooks can decisively set the tone of the lane, allowing Kalista to exploit the disoriented enemy and effectively stack her Rend for significant damage.

The success of this duo hinges on precise execution of crowd control sequences and making the most out of every hook opportunity. With Blitzcrank’s disruptive playstyle and Kalista’s mobility and finishing power, they form a duo that can aggressively dominate the early game and help Kalista snowball towards a commanding lead.

#4: Amumu

Amumu, the sad mummy, might not be the typical choice for a support role, but his synergy with Kalista makes him an unexpectedly formidable duo partner. The key lies in the powerful combination of their ultimates. Amumu's ultimate, Curse of the Sad Mummy, can immobilize multiple opponents, perfectly setting the stage for Kalista to unleash her own ultimate, Fate’s Call, for devastating effect.

Amumu's kit also includes Tantrum, which deals continuous damage and can cause enemies to hesitate in engaging. His ability to stun enemies with his Bandage Toss adds another layer of utility, making him particularly effective in disrupting enemy formations.

While Amumu may be somewhat limited in the early game, focusing on occasional stuns and maintaining lane presence, his impact grows significantly as team fights begin to occur. In these larger skirmishes, the Amumu-Kalista combo can truly shine, turning the tide of battle with their well-timed ultimate abilities. This makes Amumu a standout support choice for Kalista, especially when looking to capitalize on team fight scenarios.

#5: Maokai

Maokai, with his robust crowd control capabilities, makes an excellent support for Kalista, complementing her aggressive, mobile playstyle. While Maokai may not have a knockup, his suite of CC abilities, including his roots and the slow from his Sapling Toss, provides substantial lane control and harassment potential.

The synergy between Kalista and Maokai revolves around strategic sapling placement for added damage and area control, combined with Maokai's ability to initiate trades using his Twisted Advance to root enemies. This setup allows Kalista to safely apply her stacks and capitalize with her Rend for maximum impact.

Although Maokai excels in engaging and can absorb a lot of damage due to his tanky nature, one limitation is his inability to extract Kalista from overly aggressive positions. This means while Kalista can adopt a more aggressive stance, caution is advised as Maokai may not always be able to rescue her if she overextends.

However, when used effectively, Maokai's initiation combined with the surprise factor of Kalista’s ultimate can catch enemies off-guard, making this duo a formidable force in lane. In the hands of skilled players, the Maokai-Kalista pairing not only thrives in lane but also scales well into late-game team fights, potentially climbing to the highest ranks through strategic play and teamwork.ç

#6: Alistar

Alistar, the stalwart minotaur, stands out as an excellent support choice for Kalista for those looking for a straightforward, engage-focused partner. Alistar excels at initiating combat with minimal setup, using his Pulverize (Q) and Headbutt (W) combo to disrupt enemy formations effectively.

It's important to note that Alistar’s protective capabilities are somewhat limited. While he can disrupt enemy attackers and push them away using his Headbutt, this is often his only means of peeling for Kalista. For rune choices, the Resolve Tree provides durability, while the Inspiration Tree offers utility, both enhancing his effectiveness in the support role.

Alistar’s approach to the lane phase is relatively straightforward but requires precision. The key is to wait for the right moment to engage, ideally after acquiring initial tank items to maximize survivability. Once Alistar engages, Kalista should utilize her passive to weave in and out of combat, making her a challenging target for enemies to pin down.

Moreover, Kalista’s ultimate, Fate's Call, synergizes well with Alistar’s abilities, allowing her to reposition him strategically for maximum impact. Despite Alistar’s lower prominence and win rate this season, the potential of this duo should not be underestimated, as their combined force can be decisive in lane and beyond.

#7: Galio

Galio proves to be a competent support for Kalista, offering a blend of poke, engage, and protection. His Q ability is excellent for harassing opponents in lane thanks to its range and solid damage, setting the stage for effective trades.

When playing Galio as Kalista's support, timing is crucial. Galio's abilities beyond his Q require precision to execute his full combo effectively. His W not only provides a passive magic shield that boosts his resilience but also opens up versatile itemization options, allowing for builds that can enhance both his damage output and his defensive capabilities.

Moreover, Galio's ultimate, Hero's Entrance, adds a dynamic layer to their synergy. This ability can be a game-changer in team fights, allowing Galio to dive into the fray from afar, either to capitalize on a grouped enemy team for massive impact or to swoop in to rescue Kalista if she's in danger. This makes Galio not just a guardian for Kalista but also an enabler of aggressive plays, helping to maximize her potential in skirmishes and larger battles.

#8: Pyke

Pairing Pyke with Kalista in the bot lane offers a dynamic, albeit high-stakes, gameplay experience. This duo demands a high level of mechanical skill from both players, as missteps can lead to significant disadvantages early on. If this pairing falls behind initially, recovering can be challenging, often rendering them less effective unless other areas of the map can compensate.

However, the potential rewards of mastering this combination are immense. A successful early game with Pyke and Kalista can lead to dominating the early to mid stages of the match. Pyke's elusive nature in engagements makes it difficult for opponents to predict and counter his moves. This unpredictability, combined with Kalista’s rapid follow-up attacks, allows them to execute swift, coordinated strikes.

The key to success with Pyke and Kalista is synchronization, particularly in targeting. Focusing and bursting down a single opponent quickly can tilt skirmishes in their favor, leveraging their aggressive playstyle to control the pace of the game and intimidate the opposition. When played correctly, Pyke and Kalista are a formidable duo, capable of steering the game's momentum and securing victories through sheer pressure and presence in the lane.

#9: Renata Glass

Renata Glasc emerges as a standout support for Kalista, particularly for players seeking to counter the current meta effectively. Several factors make Renata an excellent partner for Kalista, enhancing their synergy and overall impact in the game.

Firstly, Renata Glasc remains one of the few enchanter supports who has not been nerfed this season, maintaining her as a strong and viable choice in the support role. Her kit, especially the W ability, Bailout, plays a pivotal role in 2v2 skirmishes. This ability can be a game-changer for Kalista, providing her with a critical lifeline that allows her to survive longer, unleash more spears, secure kills, and ultimately swing trades in their favor.

Furthermore, during team fights, Kalista's ability to reposition Renata with her ultimate is invaluable. This mobility enables Renata to find optimal positioning to unleash her ultimate, potentially impacting multiple enemies and turning the tide of battles. Renata's strong engage potential, coupled with her ultimate's capability to disrupt enemy teams, makes her an exceptional choice for pairing with Kalista.

Together, Renata Glasc and Kalista form a duo that not only excels in lane but also provides significant contributions to team fights, making them a formidable pairing in any match-up. This synergy rounds out our list of top supports to pair with Kalista, offering a blend of survival, engagement, and strategic dominance.

Conclusion

Pairing the right support with Kalista can dramatically enhance her performance in both lane and team fights. From Thresh’s versatile crowd control to Renata Glasc’s critical survival boosts, each support brings unique strengths that can unlock Kalista’s potential. Whether you prefer the aggressive playstyle of Pyke or the protective enchanter qualities of Renata, understanding and utilizing these synergies is key to mastering Kalista’s gameplay. This guide has explored the top nine supports who not only complement Kalista’s kiting abilities but also amplify her impact across the map, helping players navigate their way to victory through strategic collaboration and skillful execution.