Kukulkan is one of the gods who has been slightly forgotten in the current meta so far, however, he still remains to be a beginner-friendly and powerful god that can instantly kill any squishy gods who dare to stand in his mighty storm.

Abilities

Power of the Wind Jewel [Passive]

This is one of the best passives in the game. It grants Kukulkan an insane amount of free magical power (usually more than 100 magical power in the late game). This incentivises buying items that also provide high amounts of mana.

Zephyr [1]

Zephyr is a pretty straightforward ability. It has a very low cooldown and offers a very potent slow (especially at ranks 4 and 5) which lasts fairly long. It is also very useful for making the placement of Whirlwind [3] an easier task. This ability cannot be fired through walls.

Slipstream [2]

Kukulkan’s only movement ability unfortunately isn’t very powerful. While the movement speed buff is nice and a second of slow immunity is always useful, don’t count on it to get you out of tough situations.

Whirlwind [3]

Kukulkan’s main ability applies a damaging debuff to anyone who steps into its area. This debuff will keep refreshing its duration for as long as the enemy is standing in it. At max rank this ability can do up to 650 (+ 195% of your magical power) damage if you manage to keep the enemy from getting out of this spell’s area. It can also clear minions standing still at rank 2. Thanks to this, Kukulkan can clear the wave fast and reliably.

Spirit of the Nine Winds [Ultimate]

The ultimate ability is one of the most damaging abilities in the game. It has a very long range but it is one of the most difficult abilities to hit. Believe it or not, this is your best counter to melee gods that would like to kill you. Just place the ultimate in the direction of your movement and after a short delay, the enemy should be lying flat on the ground. This trick works especially well in the jungle.

Ability Leveling:

The preferred order of upgrading Kukulkan’s abilities is: 4>3>1>2. I think it is very important for Kukulkan to maximize his damage and while the movement speed bonus gained by upgrading his Slipstream is nice, I think that upgrading the slow and damage of Zephyr is ultimately much more effective.

Items:

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Vampiric Shroud will help you regain mana in the laning phase - Kukulkan’s abilities are very mana-hungry - and the extra health won’t be anything to scoff at either. Next, picking up an active item might be a good idea. It will definitely help against frequent ganks that you will have to face as Kukulkan. Also make sure to pick up Shoes and 2 potions of your choice.

Shoes of the Magi complements Kukulkan - these shoes will give Kukulkan 12.5 magical power bonus from the mana and a nice amount of flat penetration. Book of Thoth is a core item for Kukulkan as it increases his damage by a huge amount. Not only does it increase his mana pool by 750 at full stacks, but it also acts as his second passive - 3% of maximum mana is converted into magical power. Gem of Isolation is a very useful item for Kukulkan - it can increase the slow on his Zephyr [1] and also add a slow to his Whirlwind [3]. This will make sure that enemies will have a hard time escaping its area of damage. Spear of the Magus will make use of your damage over time ability to apply a magical protection debuff to your enemies. Rod of Tahuti doesn’t really need a long explanation - it is a core item for almost every mage that will just increase your damage. Finally, Polynomicon is a very good item for Kukulkan thanks to his incredible amounts of magical power. If you’re comfortable with hitting basic attacks, this item is definitely worth picking up. It will help you burst someone down instantly and Gem of Isolation’s slow will help you hit your targets. It is also insanely good for destroying towers - just use Zephyr [1] and its extremely short cooldown will guarantee a free Polynomicon effect.

Alternative Items:

Soul Reaver is a good alternative to Polynomicon - it offers the same amount of mana, more magical power and it will help burst down even the tankiest targets with ease. Warlock’s Sash is another stacking item that will make you more tanky. If you want to feel a bit safer, this item might be worth buying. Breastplate of Valor offers a good amount of protections against physical gods while Chronos’ Pendant will give Kukulkan more damage. however, both items are great for their cooldown reduction.

Active Items:

Greater Purification is a great active item for Kukulkan - it will get rid of any crowd control and lower all of your cooldowns by 3 seconds. This means that it can also be used offensively. Combat Blink will help you escape many tight situations and while its cooldown is relatively high, it is still one of the best defensive actives for mages without any escapes. Aegis Pendant seems to be a really good choice if you feel that the enemy is focused on killing you first no matter what you do. Use the Aegis and hope that your teammates can peel the enemies off of you.

Gameplay:

Early Game:

Kukulkan’s early game is not very strong. Most of the time you should just try to farm gold. Your Whirlwind [3] lets you walk away from the lane after you’ve placed it on a wave of minions. This means that you will have more time for clearing back harpy camps or middle harpy camps. At the start it won’t be very safe to gank other lanes - only rotate if the enemy mid laner rotates as well.

Mid Game:

As always, continue to kill camps after each wave - it will ensure that you are going to be ahead of the enemy in gold and experience. You should also be trying to get stacks for your items and look for some kills. Ganking lanes should now be much safer as long as you invest gold into your active items. Your Spirit of the Nine Winds [U] and Whirlwind [3] will both be very important factors for securing objectives - especially in this meta where Hand of the Gods isn’t nearly as powerful.

Late Game:

This is the time when Kukulkan shows his true power. You will be able to instantly kill targets with your [1] - [3] - basic attack combo. All of your damaging abilities benefit from confined spaces - try to fight in the jungle. Your Whirlwind [3] is a powerful zoning tool, use it as a “damaging wall” to zone out enemies. Be careful where you position yourself in teamfights. Always stay in the back, use your spells, do some damage and then retreat. Don’t be afraid to use your ultimate if you find yourself in a tight spot - it alone should kill squishy targets instantly by now. And remember: if you bought Polynomicon, always try to hit a basic attack on enemies / towers / phoenixes between / after using your abilities. With 700+ magical power you will truly be a force to be reckoned with.

Closing Thoughts:

Overall I think that Kukulkan is a very strong beginner-friendly god that is easy to learn and hard to master. While many people think that he is the god of passive wave clear, I think that in the right hands he’s also great when played offensively.

Thank you for reading my guide. If you have any questions or suggestions, please, leave a comment below this guide or send me a message on Twitter - @TheRikisak

[VEW]: Celebration!