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Playing Against Zeri

Bot

Patch 16.2.1

What They Do

Zeri is a hyper-mobile hypercarry whose primary attacks are actually skillshots via . She excels at kiting and long-distance escapes using , scaling into a late-game monster that becomes impossible to catch once her starts stacking movement speed.

Abilities (What to Watch For)

Ability	What You'll See	What It Means For You
	A yellow energy bar under her mana	When the bar is full, her next basic attack (not ) deals significantly more magic damage and slows. If it's not full, the damage is negligible.
	A burst of 7 bullets fired in a line	This is her 'auto-attack'. Because it's a skillshot, it can be blocked by minions, monsters, or tanks. If she misses this, she deals zero damage.
	An electric pulse or a wide laser beam	If it hits a wall, it expands into a massive, long-range laser that crits. It slows the first target hit, making it easier for her to land .
	A short dash or a long grind over a wall	Her primary mobility tool. It allows her to vault over any piece of terrain regardless of length. After dashing, her next 3 shots pierce through enemies.
	An electrical nova blast followed by a glowing aura	Her ultimate makes her faster and stronger. Every time she hits a champion while overcharged, she gains stacking move speed that lasts as long as she keeps hitting enemies.

Respect

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Wall-Surfing →She can traverse huge distances over walls instantly. Never assume she's 'out of position' if she's standing near a thick wall like the dragon pit or jungle corridors.
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Overcharged Stacking→Once she pops her ult and hits a few champions, her movement speed becomes so high that she can dodge every skillshot you throw. Do not take extended fights while she is overcharged.
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Wall-Cast →When fired through a wall, the hitbox becomes massive and very difficult to dodge without boots. It deals heavy damage and slows you, setting her up for an easy kill.
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Piercing after →Standing behind your minions won't save you after she dashes. Her shots will go through the wave and hit you directly for full damage.

Punish

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is on cooldown (22-17s early)→This is her only escape. If she uses it to engage or if you bait it out, she is a sitting duck for the next 20 seconds. All-in her immediately.
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Standing inside a minion wave→Her is blocked by the first unit hit. If you stand behind your minions, she literally cannot damage you with her main ability while you poke her for free.
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Passive bar is low→If her energy bar isn't yellow, her basic attack damage is non-existent. Trade with her when she has recently used her charged attack on a minion.
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Early Laning (Pre-6)→Zeri's base damage is quite low early. Most traditional ADCs can out-stat her in a direct 1v1 before she gets her first item and .

Laning Tips

•Position yourself so there is always a minion between you and Zeri to block her .
•Stay away from walls in lane to avoid being hit by the widened laser.
•If she uses to dash forward aggressively, immediately CC her and focus her down; she has no other way out.
•Her has a distinct sound and visual wind-up; use that 0.5s window to sidestep perpendicular to the beam.
•Ward the deep jungle walls near your tower. Zeri can use to gank you from behind your own turret from the jungle.
•Don't bother with short trades if her bar is full; she will always win the burst. Wait for her to waste it on a minion.

Teamfight Warning

⚠If she hits , disengage and wait for the buff to expire. If you keep fighting her, she keeps stacking speed.
⚠In jungle fights, she will almost always try to use over a wall to flank your backline.
⚠Exhaust is mandatory against her. Use it the moment she activates to prevent her from stacking move speed early in the fight.
⚠Don't clump up; her chains lightning between teammates, multiplying her damage output if you're standing together.
⚠Point-and-click CC (like Malzahar or Nautilus R) is the only reliable way to stop a late-game Zeri once she's at high stacks.

AI-generated counterplay guide • Patch 16.2.1 • Cached