ARAM Build Guide
Zoe ARAM Build — One-Shot Paddle Stars from Fog of War
Zoe in ARAM is a long-range one-shot machine. Her Q (Paddle Star) can delete squishies from fog of war. Here's how to build her for maximum burst damage on the Howling Abyss.
Zoe in ARAM is one of the most frustrating champions to play against. Her Q (Paddle Star) has effectively infinite range if you redirect it properly, and on the narrow bridge, there's nowhere to dodge. One good Q from fog of war can chunk a squishy to 20% HP. And if you land your E (Sleepy Trouble Bubble) first, that Q will one-shot them.
Her win rate in ARAM sits around 51%, which sounds average, but that's because she's high skill cap. A good Zoe player can easily maintain 54%+ win rates. The key is landing long-range Qs from fog of war and picking up summoner spell shards from her W (Spell Thief).
Best Zoe ARAM Runes
Primary: Domination
Dark Harvest — Zoe stacks this fast because she's constantly poking with Q. By 15 minutes you'll have 20+ stacks and your Q will one-shot squishies.
Cheap Shot — Your E sleep procs Cheap Shot for bonus true damage. Free damage on every E hit.
Eyeball Collection — Free AP from takedowns. You'll max this out fast.
Ultimate Hunter — Lower R cooldown means more mobility for Q angles. Zoe's ult is her identity.
Secondary: Sorcery
Manaflow Band — Zoe is mana-hungry. Manaflow Band gives you permanent mana and mana regen.
Gathering Storm — Free AP over time. ARAM games go long, so Gathering Storm gives you scaling.
Why not Electrocute? Electrocute is fine for burst, but Dark Harvest scales way harder in ARAM. You're not laning, you're teamfighting from minute one. Dark Harvest gives you kill pressure that Electrocute can't match once you have 20+ stacks.
Best Zoe ARAM Items
Core Build (in order)
Luden's Tempest — Zoe's core mythic. The magic penetration and burst damage synergize perfectly with her Q one-shot combo.
Sorcerer's Shoes — Magic penetration boots. More damage on every Q.
Shadowflame — Flat magic penetration. Your Q will one-shot squishies from fog of war.
Rabadon's Deathcap — Massive AP boost. Your Q will deal 1,500+ damage.
Situational 5th & 6th Items
Void Staff — If they have 2+ tanks building magic resist. 40% magic penetration makes your damage relevant again.
Zhonya's Hourglass — If you're getting dove by assassins. E them, Zhonya's, watch your team collapse.
Lich Bane — If you want more burst. Your passive auto attack procs Lich Bane for bonus damage.
Morellonomicon — If they have heavy healing. Your Q applies Grievous Wounds.
Don't build Everfrost on Zoe in ARAM. Everfrost is a support item. You're not supporting — you're the AP carry. Luden's gives you way more damage. Leave Everfrost for actual control mages.
Ability Order
Max Q first (Paddle Star), then E (Sleepy Trouble Bubble), then W (Spell Thief). Take R at 6, 11, 16.
Q is your primary damage and one-shot tool. Lower cooldown means more poke. In ARAM, you're spamming Q on cooldown from max range.
E second for the sleep duration and damage. In ARAM, your E sleep sets up your Q one-shot combo.
W is one point wonder until last. The summoner spell shards are nice, but the scaling isn't worth maxing over Q or E.
ARAM-Specific Tips
Your Q damage scales with distance traveled. Zoe's Q deals more damage the further it travels. In ARAM, use R to reposition, then Q backwards, then redirect it forward for maximum distance. This is how you one-shot squishies from fog of war.
Your W picks up summoner spell shards. Zoe's W picks up summoner spell shards when enemies use summoner spells. In ARAM, this means you can pick up Flash, Heal, Exhaust, and Ignite shards constantly. Use them for extra damage and mobility.
Q combo: Zoe's Q combo is Q backwards, R forward, redirect Q forward for maximum distance. In ARAM, this combo one-shots squishies from fog of war. Practice this combo in practice tool.
E through walls: Zoe's E travels through walls and extends its range. In ARAM, use E through the walls near the bushes to hit enemies from unexpected angles.
Passive auto attack: Zoe's passive makes her next 3 auto attacks deal bonus magic damage after casting an ability. In ARAM, weave auto attacks between abilities for extra damage.
When Zoe is Strong vs Weak in ARAM
Zoe dominates against squishy, immobile comps. If the enemy team is 3+ mages or ADCs with no gap closers, your Q will chunk them constantly. She's also great against grouped comps — your E sleep can hit multiple enemies on the narrow bridge.
She struggles against hard-dive assassins (Zed, Talon, Fizz) who can dive past your team and one-shot you. She's also weak against heavy sustain comps (Soraka + Sona + enchanters) who can heal up your poke.
She's weakest in the first 10 minutes before Luden's and Shadowflame. Once you have both items, you're a monster. Once you have Rabadon's, you're one-shotting squishies from fog of war.
FAQ
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Looking for more ARAM builds? Check out our Lux ARAM build, Xerath ARAM build, or Ziggs ARAM build.
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Check out our full Zoe champion guide for ranked builds and strategies.
