Use Graves's fast clear and strong dueling to contest river control and invade Xin Zhao early before he hits level 3.
Prioritize tempo leads through counter-jungling and camp control to deny Xin Zhao's early skirmish power and limit his objective access.
Jungle Plan
Full clear camps quickly and use early health advantage to invade Xin Zhao when nearby lanes have priority or setup for collapse.
Contest first Scuttle crab aggressively only if lane priority supports it; otherwise, secure opposite side jungle camps to deny Xin Zhao's farm.
Track Xin Zhao's pathing to anticipate counter-ganks and use ranged poke and kiting to avoid his all-in engages, especially near dragon or Rift Herald setups.
Danger windows
Avoid isolated river fights when Xin Zhao has (E) and (Q) available and nearby lanes cannot assist, as he can force favorable duels.
Be cautious contesting objectives if (R) is up, as he can zone out ranged follow-up and turn fights.
Low-health clears or forced smite fights against Xin Zhao risk losing tempo and jungle control; disengage if outnumbered or without lane support.
Early game
Start with a full clear to maximize health and tempo, then path toward the first Scuttle crab to contest or secure it before Xin Zhao arrives.
Avoid extended fights near river if lanes cannot collapse first, as Xin Zhao's level 3 duel with (E) and (Q) is very strong.
Use Graves's ranged (E) dash and burst (R) to disengage or punish overextensions during early invades or counter-invades.
Power spikes
Graves spikes at level 3 with full kit and fast clear speed; use this to pressure Xin Zhao's jungle and force fights on your terms.
Xin Zhao's level 3 power spike with (E) gap close and (Q) knockup requires Graves to respect direct river fights unless supported by lanes.
At level 6, use Graves's (R) burst to isolate Xin Zhao or secure objectives before his zone control (R) can block follow-up damage.
Win conditions
Convert healthy clear tempo and ranged dueling into consistent counter-jungling to deny Xin Zhao's scaling and objective control.
Use vision and lane priority to control river entrances, enabling safe Scuttle contests and objective setups.
Punish Xin Zhao's all-in engages by kiting with (E) and bursting with (R) to win skirmishes and snowball leads into dragon and Rift Herald control.
Tip: For Graves vs Xin Zhao, read overview, trading pattern, and danger windows first for a fast Jungle lane check.
