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Playing Against Zilean
SupportPatch 16.2.1
What They Do
Scaling utility mage who excels at zone control and saving allies. He uses for AOE damage and stuns, to reset his cooldowns, and to manipulate movement speeds. His signature move is , which resurrects a fallen teammate.
Abilities (What to Watch For)
| Ability | What You'll See | What It Means For You |
|---|---|---|
| Golden beam connecting Zilean to an ally | He is granting stored experience via . Expect him and his lane partner to hit level spikes like 6 or 11 earlier than you. | |
| A ticking bomb that sticks to units | Primary damage and zoning. If he lands two on the same target using , it triggers an AOE stun. | |
| Blue clock gears appearing over his head | Reduces the cooldown of and . If he uses this, he is likely looking for a double-bomb stun. | |
| A golden or blue clock trail behind a champion | A massive movement speed buff for allies or a heavy slow for enemies. It is often used to guarantee his lands. | |
| Golden runes circling a champion | The target will resurrect if they take lethal damage while this is active. Do not waste your high-damage abilities on them during this window. |
Respect
- !The 99% Slow→At later ranks, is a point-and-click slow that effectively roots you, making it impossible to dodge his -W-Q stun.
- !Early Level 6 Spike→Due to , Zilean's lane usually hits level 6 first. If you're still level 5, back off or you will get dove with protection.
- !Double Bomb Stun→If he hits the first , he will to instantly throw another. This AOE stun can decide a teamfight if your team is clumped.
- !Chronoshift Resurrection→ completely negates burst damage and assassins. If you blow everything to kill a carry and they revive, you have lost the fight.
Punish
- +Missed →Zilean has no other way to deal damage or peel for himself. If his bomb is on cooldown, he is a sitting duck for an all-in.
- +Early Game Mana Pool→Using -W-Q early is extremely mana-intensive. If he's below 30% mana, he cannot perform his full combo; punish his lack of threat.
- +Pre-6 Laning→He is one of the squishiest champions in the game and has no way to save himself from death until he unlocks . Kill him early.
- +is on cooldown→Without , he cannot reset his bombs or speed boosts. This is your window to engage before he can cycle his utility again.
Laning Tips
- •Do not stand near your own low-health minions; he will them to poke you as they die.
- •If a bomb from sticks to you, move away from your ADC and minions to prevent the AOE from hitting them too.
- •Pick high-pressure engage supports like Leona or Nautilus; Zilean has terrible base stats and dies quickly to focus fire.
- •Bait his by focusing a target, then immediately swap to a different target once the golden runes appear.
- •Keep track of his level; can allow him to 'level up' his ADC mid-fight, catching you off guard with new stats.
- •His is point-and-click; if you are playing an immobile champion, stay out of its range or bring Cleanse.
Teamfight Warning
- ⚠Avoid grouping in tight jungle corridors where a single -W-Q combo can stun your entire team.
- ⚠Focus Zilean first in fights; he cannot cast on anyone if he is dead or locked down by CC.
- ⚠Wait out the duration (5 seconds) before finishing off a target, or you will simply let them revive with health.
- ⚠Be wary of his slow on your frontline; it can make it impossible for your tanks to reach the enemy carries.
- ⚠Assassins should wait for him to use on a teammate before committing their full combo to a target.
AI-generated counterplay guide • Patch 16.2.1 • Cached