Loading...
Playing Against Zed
JunglePatch 16.3.1
What They Do
A high-mobility AD assassin jungler who relies on shadows to expand his reach and burst. He clears efficiently with AOE but is extremely dependent on landing skillshots and managing energy. He excels at flanking and deleting squishy carries with .
Abilities (What to Watch For)
| Ability | What You'll See | What It Means For You |
|---|---|---|
| Zed's hands glow purple when attacking low HP targets | deals bonus magic damage to targets below 50% HP. This makes him very good at finishing kills and securing objectives once they are low. | |
| A spinning shuriken projectile | His primary damage tool. Both Zed and his shadows from or throw these. Getting hit by multiple shurikens is what causes his massive burst. | |
| A stationary shadow clone on the battlefield | Zed's main mobility and utility tool. He can swap places with it. The passive on restores energy if he and the shadow hit the same target with an ability. | |
| A circular red/black slash around Zed or his shadows | deals AOE damage. Crucially, if a shadow's slash hits you, you are slowed, making it much easier for him to land his . | |
| Zed disappears and three shadows converge on a target | He becomes untargetable and marks you. After 3 seconds, the mark detonates for a portion of the damage dealt during the duration. He always reappears behind the target. |
Respect
- !The + + combo→This is his bread-and-butter poke. The slow from ensures the hits, and if he lands both, the passive restores his energy for an all-in.
- !Post-6 Tower Diving→ makes him untargetable, allowing him to dodge tower shots or CC. He can burst you and swap back to his or shadow to escape instantly.
- !Low HP Dueling→Because of , you are never safe at 40% HP. One auto-attack will deal massive magic damage, often catching players off guard.
- !Vision Control→Zed often builds Umbral Glaive in the jungle. He will clear your wards and sit in bushes to one-shot you with a full combo before you can react.
Punish
- +is on cooldown (20-14 seconds)→This is his only non-ultimate mobility. If he uses it to clear a camp or poke, invade or collapse on him immediately. He is a sitting duck without it.
- +Energy Exhaustion→If Zed misses his double-hit combo, he doesn't get the energy refund from . Watch his yellow bar; if it's low, he cannot cast or to fight back.
- +The moment he lands from →Zed always appears directly behind his target when exiting . Time your hard CC (Stuns/Roots) to hit that exact spot the moment he reappears.
- +Early Jungle Clear→His first clear is relatively slow and he gets healthy only after his first component. Strong duelists like Xin Zhao or Vi should look to fight him at his second buff.
Laning Tips
- •Stand behind minions to reduce damage; it deals less damage to targets hit after the first one.
- •Buy early armor like Plated Steelcaps or a Seeker's Armguard. Zed's entire kit is physical damage except for .
- •If you are marked by , don't panic. Walk toward his original shadow to force him to choose between following you or hitting his shurikens.
- •The slow from only applies if the shadow hits you, not Zed himself. Stay away from the clone.
- •Ward deeper than usual. Zed can use to hop over the thickest walls in the jungle to bypass standard river wards.
- •Track his swap shadows. He can return to his shadow for up to 5 seconds and his shadow for 6 seconds.
Teamfight Warning
- ⚠Do not group tightly if he has a shadow out; his slow and can hit your entire team.
- ⚠Save Exhaust or high-burst CC specifically for the window after he reappears from .
- ⚠Supports should rush Locket of the Iron Solari to shield the target marked by right before the pop.
- ⚠If you are the carry, stay near a teammate with CC. Zed hates being forced to swap out early before he can land his s.
- ⚠Zhonyas Hourglass is the ultimate counter. Wait for him to land from , then use it to negate all follow-up damage and the mark pop.
AI-generated counterplay guide • Patch 16.3.1 • Generated