How to Play Piltover Zilean
A stage-by-stage plan for Piltover Zilean: opener, when to level and roll for Zilean, and where to position the board.
- Tier
- F
- Top 4 rate
- 31.8%
- Avg place
- 5.32
- 1st place
- 4.5%
- Playstyle
- Fast 9
- Games
- 44
How to level and roll with Piltover Zilean
Fast 9Piltover Zilean is a Fast 9 comp: level on the standard curve and roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1 to find Zilean. At level 9, each shop slot has a 15% chance to be a 5-cost.
| Stage | Level | Action | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | 4 | Level | Level to 4 and play your strongest pairs; slam an early item if it saves HP. |
| 2-5 | 5 | Level | Level to 5 and keep building interest toward 50 gold. |
| 3-2 | 6 | Level | Level to 6 and save to 50 gold. |
| 3-5 | 7 | Level | Level to 7 while staying on interest. |
| 4-1 | 8 | Level | Level to 8 but roll only enough to stay healthy — the real roll is on 9. |
| 4-5 | 8 | Save gold | Rebuild gold toward 50 and keep your HP above 40. |
| 5-1 | 9 | Roll down | Level to 9 and roll down for your 5-costs and Zilean 2-star. |
| 6-1 | 10 | Push level | With a stable board and spare gold, push to 10 for the last legendaries. |
Piltover Zilean early game and opener
We don't have enough early-board data for Piltover Zilean yet. Play your strongest pairs early and hold units that share traits with Zilean.
Rolling odds for Piltover Zilean
Zilean is easiest to find around level 9. Use the calculator to see your odds of a 2-star for the gold you have.
Rolldown calculator: Zilean
Pre-set to this comp's roll level. Change copies owned, copies other players hold and your gold.
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Piltover Zilean positioning
A starting board for Piltover Zilean. Drag units to adjust it, switch to the anti-assassin layout when the lobby has divers, and copy the Team Planner code into the TFT client.
- Corner Zilean on the back line and put Braum in front of it.
- Split Zilean and Seraphine across the back line so a single area spell can't hit both.
- Braum, Sejuani, and Loris hold the front line — put the tankiest one opposite the enemy carry.
- Against assassins, step your carries up one row and leave Vi and Sejuani in the back corners as bait.
Positioning board
Drag a unit onto another hex to move it — dropping on a unit swaps them.
When to play Piltover Zilean
Strengths
- Two damage threats (Zilean and Lissandra) make itemizing flexible
- Rarely played, so its units are usually free
- Highest late-game ceiling once the 5-costs are 2-starred
Weaknesses
- Average place is worse than 79% of comps of the same board size
- Needs Zilean and Lissandra at high cost, which can be hard to hit
- Weak until level 9 — you need HP to survive the econ phase
Strategic Tips
Economy
Stay on interest and save your big roll for level 9 at stage 5-1.
Itemization
Build Adaptive Helm, Nashor's Tooth, and Hextech Gunblade on Zilean.
When to pivot
Scout at 2-1 and 3-2: if two or more players hold your core units, or you haven't found any by 3-2, move into one of the comps on the Similar Comps tab instead of forcing Piltover Zilean.
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How to play Piltover Zilean – FAQ (TFT Set 16)
How do you play Piltover Zilean?
Piltover Zilean is a Fast 9 comp: level on the standard curve and roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1 to find Zilean. Corner Zilean on the back line and put Braum in front of it. Build Adaptive Helm, Nashor's Tooth, and Hextech Gunblade on Zilean.
When should I roll down for Piltover Zilean?
Roll down at level 9 on stage 5-1. That is when Piltover Zilean finds Zilean and its core most reliably; save gold before it.
What level do you roll for Zilean?
Roll for Zilean at level 9. At level 9, each shop slot has a 15% chance to be a 5-cost.
Is Piltover Zilean a reroll comp?
No. Piltover Zilean is a Fast 9 comp: level up and roll down at level 9 to find your 4- and 5-cost units at 2 stars.
How do you position Piltover Zilean?
Corner Zilean on the back line and put Braum in front of it. Split Zilean and Seraphine across the back line so a single area spell can't hit both. Braum, Sejuani, and Loris hold the front line — put the tankiest one opposite the enemy carry. Against assassins, step your carries up one row and leave Vi and Sejuani in the back corners as bait.
What is the best opener for Piltover Zilean?
Piltover Zilean has no fixed opener: play your strongest early pairs, keep HP high and hold units that share traits with Zilean.