I love kindred's looks, their speed, their concept, but I HATE the playstyle. This is coming from a player who isn't pro, just trying champions to play a game, floundering in ones like this. I'd love to see kindred get reworked and buffed.
Okay here we go let me try to make this as clear as possible.
Their 1v1 potential level 1--4 is awful, they die very easily. Their play style is you need a laner to repeatedly set up ganks for you, and if you want jungle kills. The 1v1 potential revolves around how many times you can possibly kite within one 1v1, if it's less than 3 you're dying, easily.
Their PASSIVE is the worst part imo. The hunters vigor part could be great, but it's very low early on so it doesn't help with engaging. Now for the scaling part? Champions like Senna or Thresh have auto scaling passives that trigger with minion/ jungle kills, then there's Nasus with executions using his Q. Kindred you are trapped in the jungle and have to stop before you go for a kill and click a champion, if they get away, tough nuts now you have to wait for another chance. If you miss your chance, you miss your chance, you cannot grind it out and farm your passive.
Their Q works well, helps you kite, does good damage, vaults over walls, buffs attack speed and does scaling dmg. Doesn't prioritize champions 100% of the time, that needs changed obviously.
Their W is disappointing, the damage is non existent early game, it doesn't aggro jungle enemies, all it really is worth is for the slow.
Their E is press the attack rune + a damage buff to the W I guess. Does good damage but scales with crit chance. Pre-season 11 crit chance items go from 20% cloak, 25% items to 15% cloak, 20% items. So this ability is dead if not changed.
Their R ult is great but IMO underpowered compared to Tryndamere's undying, or untargetable abilities. You're banking on that the enemies are in shock from your ult that they don't die, and vs a kindred that's similar level, they usually won't.
If you ask me, what kindred needs is survivability and a new passive. Laning potential is what I want from Kindred, champions being tied to one position and one position only makes them niche and they get left behind imo. A champion like Amumu might be difficult to lane bit he's definitely possible bot or top lane. Meanwhile kindred requires you to roam enemy jungle, which laning it's very difficult to win a lane while roaming if you haven't snowballed.
An idea to make Kindred be more survivable? Well for one, more base armor and base hp. Two they need more healing, if their W HEALED while doing the same damage (inadequate) it did, maybe it wouldn't need to be buffed. If every hit triggered it's passive to build much faster, or if it gave a flat scalable rate per hit, maybe it would have some use. All in all, if a heal wasn't added, why does it's ai have to be so dopy and unresponsive to gear? Ivern and Annie's ult work so well, go after champions, Elise, Zyra and Heimerdinger's proxy minions work well at wave clearing. Why does wolf have to be basically a cosmetic? (Healing would be cool, BUT WHY NOT ACTUAL DAMAGE?)
Their E could give a heal after the burst is triggered even. Who knows, if ever implemented, it could be helpful to make Kindred tanky, or if it's a healing aura, open up support laning opportunities. (I'm just spitballing)
Imo what is needed from Kindred, a passive laning scaling passives, leaves jungling open, allows for laning. Smarter AI for wolf. Possibly more survivability, if not, more dps, or opening up of the kit (via mark system).