How to Play Zed Top: Tips & Power Spikes (26.19)

Max order: Q > E > W
First item: Voltaic Cyclosword11.0 min
Gold vs lane at 15: +456
Win rate 1k gold ahead: 67.3%
Win rate 1k gold behind: 27.9%

Overview Build Runes Abilities Stats Counters Synergies Matchups Arena ARAM Tips Guide

Zed Power Spikes (Patch 26.19)

Top

When Zed Top gets stronger, in the order it happens in a typical ranked game: ability unlocks from the most common skill order, item spikes at the median minute players finish them, and the game length Zed wins most.

Lv 3
All three basic abilities at level 3
Zed's full combo is online — the first point where trading all-in is realistic.
Lv 6
Ultimate rank 1 at level 6
The biggest early spike: look for a kill or a roam as soon as Zed hits it.
Lv 12
Ultimate rank 2 at level 12
Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Zed can start or win.
Lv 17
Ultimate rank 3 at level 17
Lower ultimate cooldown means more fights Zed can start or win.
11.0 min
First item at 11.0 min
Voltaic Cyclosword is done — Zed's first real damage or durability spike.
18.0 min
Two items at 18.0 min
Voltaic Cyclosword + Bastionbreaker: the window to group and take objectives.
25 min
Strongest in games of about 25 minutes
Zed wins 56.6% of games that end around this point.

Item timings are medians: half of players finish later. Fall behind in farm and every item spike moves back with it.

Zed Top Laning Plan

Zed is a lane bully: trade early and often, push the advantage, and turn the gold lead into the first item spike. On average Zed Top is 456 gold ahead of the lane opponent at 15 minutes and ahead in 60% of games. A 1,000-gold lead at 15 turns into a 67% win rate; a 1,000-gold deficit leaves 28%. Zed averages 1.47 solo kills by 15 minutes.

Zed win rate by gold at 15

1,000+ gold ahead67.3%
Ahead59.3%
Behind32.1%
1,000+ gold behind27.9%

Zed Mid and Late Game

What Zed does better or worse than other champions after laning, from this patch's ranked games — percentiles where 100 is the highest of every champion.

Play to these strengths

Zed is a main damage source (95/100): stay alive and in range for the whole fight rather than diving first.
Zed wins 3.2 points more in short games than long ones: group, take objectives and end before the enemy scales.

Mistakes to avoid

Vision is a weak spot (18/100): buy Control Wards and sweep before you face-check.

Playing Zed

Saving energy and spell cooldowns until you use your ultimate will maximize Death Mark's damage.
Quickly double tapping Living Shadow will teleport Zed to his shadow immediately for rapid escapes.
Placing a Living Shadow before using Death Mark can give Zed a safe escape from combat.

Playing Against Zed

Zed receives bonus effect from Attack Damage items he purchases, so Armor is super effective against him.
After Zed uses his Living Shadow, he is at his most vulnerable as his damage, slow, and mobility are both dependent upon it.
Zed's Shadow Slash can only slow you if his shadow hits you with it.

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How to Play Zed FAQ - Patch 26.19

When does Zed power spike?

Zed's spikes in a typical ranked game: All three basic abilities at level 3; Ultimate rank 1 at level 6; Ultimate rank 2 at level 12; Ultimate rank 3 at level 17; First item at 11.0 min.

Can Zed come back from behind?

Zed wins 32% of games when behind in gold at 15 minutes (over 165 games), against 59% when ahead — so a lost lane costs Zed games, but it is not decisive.

What is Zed's first item?

Most Zed players finish Voltaic Cyclosword first, at a median of 11.0 minutes.

How do you play Zed Top?

From this patch's ranked data, Zed wins by playing to these strengths: survive and deal damage in teamfights; end the game early.

Zed How to Play: Tips & Power Spikes