Zed Counters
The best Zed counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Malphite, Yone, Nunu, Akshan, Fizz. The best Zed counter is Malphite, with Zed having only a 37.76% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Zed counter choices are Viego, Diana, Viktor, Yasuo, TwistedFate. Below are the top Zed counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Contempt for the Weak
Zed's basic attacks against low health targets deals bonus Magic Damage. This effect can only occur once every few seconds against the same enemy champion.
Razor Shuriken
Zed and his shadows throw their shurikens.
Each shuriken deals damage to every enemy hit.Cost:- 75/
- 70/
- 65/
- 60/
- 55
Cooldown:- 6
Range:- 900
Living Shadow
Passive: Zed gains energy whenever he and his shadows strike an enemy with the same ability. Energy can only be gained once per cast ability.
Active: Zed's shadow dashes forward, remaining in place for a few seconds. Reactivating Living Shadow will cause Zed to switch positions with this shadow.Cost:- 40/
- 35/
- 30/
- 25/
- 20
Cooldown:- 20/
- 19/
- 18/
- 17/
- 16
Range:- 650
Shadow Slash
Zed and his Shadows slash, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Enemies hit by a Shadow's slash are slowed.
Cost:- 40
Cooldown:- 5/
- 5/
- 4/
- 4/
- 3
Range:- 290
Death Mark
Zed becomes untargetable and dashes to an enemy champion, marking them. After 3 seconds the mark triggers, repeating a portion of all the damage Zed dealt to the target while they were marked.
Cost:- 0
Cooldown:- 120/
- 110/
- 100
Range:- 625
- Assassin
These champions are Zed's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Malphite is Zed's biggest counter with only a 37.76% win rate for Zed. When facing these Zed counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Zed matchups.
Malphite
Yone
Nunu & Willump
Akshan
Fizz
Viego
Diana
Viktor
Yasuo
Twisted Fate
When facing Zed in League of Legends, understanding Zed's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Zed deals primarily physical damage, which means prioritizing armor in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Zed's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Zed include Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide substantial armor stats that directly mitigate Zed's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Zed counters are Malphite, Yone, Nunu, and Akshan. These champions either out-trade Zed in lane, have abilities that negate Zed's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Malphite in particular exploits Zed's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Zed involves understanding Zed's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Zed when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Zed in team fights before Zed can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Zed to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Zed's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Zed's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Zed is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Zed may look for early roams and picks. Ward aggressively and ping missing immediately. Trade when Zed's gap closers are on cooldown and avoid pushing without vision.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Zed excels at picking off isolated targets mid game. Group with your team and avoid face-checking bushes. Maintain vision in flanking positions and protect your carries.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Late game, Zed's one-shot potential peaks. Keep your carries protected with peel champions. Consider stopwatch or Guardian Angel to survive burst attempts.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Zed in lane or team fights.
- Pick Malphite or similar champions with kits that exploit Zed's weaknesses
- Build Plated Steelcaps or Seeker's Armguard early to reduce Zed's damage in lane
- Track Zed's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Zed's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Zed during vulnerable windows
- Group with teammates to deny Zed solo picks
- Place control wards in flanking positions to spot Zed's engages
Zed performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Syndra is Zed's best matchup with a 57.38% win rate. When playing Zed into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Zed can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Syndra
Kayn
Orianna
Vex
Ryze
Veigar
Ahri
Galio
LeBlanc
Naafiri
Zed Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Zed?
The best Zed counters are Malphite, Yone, and Nunu. These champions have favorable matchups against Zed and can exploit Zed's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Zed's hardest counter?
Malphite is Zed's hardest counter with Zed having only a 37.76% win rate in this matchup. Yone (38.84% WR) and Nunu (39.34% WR) are also strong Zed counters.
Who does Zed counter?
Zed performs well against Syndra, Kayn, and Orianna. These are Zed's best matchups where Zed has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Zed in lane?
To beat Zed in lane, pick a counter champion like Malphite or Yone. Focus on trading when Zed's key abilities are on cooldown, and build armor items to reduce Zed's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Zed gains an advantage.
What items counter Zed?
The best items to counter Zed are Plated Steelcaps, Frozen Heart, Randuin's Omen, and Thornmail. These items provide armor which directly reduces Zed's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Zed in lane.
When is Zed weakest?
Zed is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Zed's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Zed before Zed can set up fights on Zed's own terms.
How do I play Zed into counter matchups?
When playing Zed into counters like Malphite, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Zed's counters?
If Malphite, Yone, or Nunu are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Zed's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Zed's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.