Guide Sections (15)
Champion Stats
Low Elo players tunnel vision. They see a low HP carry, they flash, they ignite, they use everything... and you press R. They have now traded a 300-second Flash cooldown for a 40-second Ult cooldown. You win the economy war instantly. Smurfs also abuse the 'Double Bomb' stun radius, which catches entire teams who don't know how to space against it.
The Lane Pressure Play
The 'Clockwork Push'. Start Q (Time Bomb). Walk up and double-bomb the melee minions (Q-Q, wait, no, you need W). Level 1 is weak. Just Q the enemy carry when they walk up for CS. The REAL cheese is Level 2. Q-W-Q is an instant AoE Stun. If you land this on a Level 1 bot lane, you blow summoners or get a kill.
Double Bomb (Q-W-Q). It stuns. It hurts. Level 2 cheese. Speed up ally (E). Slow enemy (E). Control time.
Zilean's Best Skins
'Sugar Rush Zilean' is the cleanest modern skin with smooth animations. 'Blood Moon' has great visual clarity on the bombs (important for timing). 'Groovy Zilean' is the ultimate BM skin—you look ridiculous while carrying.
'Sugar Rush' for the candy-bombs. 'Blood Moon' for the mystery. 'Groovy' for the 70s vibe. Zilean is the OG carry-protector—pick the clock that looks most prestigious. Tick tock.
'Sugar Rush' is sweet. 'Blood Moon' is cultist. 'Groovy' is for the tilt. Sugar Rush animations are very smooth.
When They Ban Zilean
If Zilean is banned, Lulu offers similar 'keep them alive' energy. Renata Glasc offers a 'revive' mechanic on her W. Karma for the speed boosts.
If Zilean is gone, Lulu is the best 'carry-saver' pivot. If you want more speed, Karma. But nothing replaces the 'revive'. Your time has run out today. Tick tock.
Lulu for the protection. Renata for the revive. Karma for the speed. Renata is the 'better revive' in some cases.
Best Runes for Zilean
Summon Aery is standard for poke and shield application. Guardian is safer against engage. Mandatory: Manaflow Band (you are mana hungry) and Transcendence (Ability Haste is your god stat). Secondary: Domination (Ultimate Hunter) to get your Revive to a 30s cooldown late game.
Zilean's Skill Order
Max Q (Time Bomb) for the damage and waveclear. Max E (Time Warp) second for the 99% Speed/Slow (this is vital). Max W last. Put points in R whenever possible.
Mastering Zilean's Kit
Time Bomb. Throws a bomb. It sticks to the first unit it touches. 3s timer. If you place a second bomb on the same target, the first one detonates instantly and STUNS enemies in the area.
Rewind. Reduces Q and E cooldowns by 10s. This is how you Double Bomb (Q-W-Q) or perma-speed (E-W-E).
Time Warp. Target Ally: Speed. Target Enemy: Slow. At max rank, this is 99% for 2.5 seconds. It is arguably the strongest basic ability point-for-point in the game.
Chronoshift. Places a rune on an ally. If they die, they revive with HP. The cooldown gets very low with Haste.
Zilean's Best & Worst Matchups
Hard. His hook hit box is huge, and he can chain CC you so you can't R. Play behind minions.
Boring. You both just scale. Roam with your speed to impact Mid.
Dream Scenario. If Hecarim is on YOUR team, you win. If he is on the ENEMY team, E him and watch him cry as he loses all his AD (passive) and speed.
Vision Neglect
Stop using R too late! Zilean R has a cast time. If you press it the split second they die, it won't go off. You must anticipate the burst. Better to use it early and force them to stop attacking than to die with it on cooldown. Also, stop missing Q-W-Q. If you miss the stun, you are a minion for 8 seconds.
Facechecking as Zilean? You die. Bomb bushes first. Check with Q.
Don't R too late. Lag happens. Ping happens. R early. Better safe than dead. If you die with R up, uninstall.
When Your ADC Is Doomed
Dodge Blitzcrank and Pyke. If you get hooked, you are dead before you can cast R. You are incredibly squishy.
Ult yourself? No. Save it for the carry. If the carry is 0/10, ult the jungler/top. Ult the win condition.
Dodge Blitzcrank. Hook = Silence = No R = Death. Pyke also ignores your revive with execute sometimes (timing).
Peel or Engage?
Speed up your Engager (Top/Jungle) with E. Watch them run at Mach 10. When the fight starts, fish for Double Bombs (Q-W-Q) on the enemy backline. Save R for whoever the enemy focuses (usually your ADC or the diver). Use E to peel for yourself—a 99% slow makes any bruiser strictly unable to move.
Zilean is the master of time. Speed up your Hecarim, slow down their Irelia. Your R 'Chronoshift' is the ultimate 'no'. If you save someone, the fight is over. You're a golden god of clockwork.
The Utility Build
AP Zilean Mid. Luden's Companion -> Shadowflame -> Rabadon's. Your Double Bomb has a 180% AP Ratio. You can literally one-shot an ADC with Q-W-Q later in the game while reviving yourself.
Shurelya's and Archangel's. You need the speed and the mana. You're a cooldown-monster. By level 13, you can perma-speed your whole team. Time is on your side. Use it wisely. Chronos! Win.
Shurelya's -> Archangel's -> Mandate. Speed up. Stun. Revive. You are a support carry. 99% slow is a root.
Zilean's Power Spikes
Level 6 (Revive Unlocked). Level 13 (Max Rank E - 99% Slow). 3-Item Haste Spike (Perma-Stun potential).
Level 6 for the revive. Level 11 with the haste-core. Level 16 for the 40s R cooldown. By late game, if you are alive, no one dies. Except the enemy. Time to go.
Level 6 (Revive). Level 16 (Short R cooldown). Max CDR. You can perma-stun people. It's toxic. Do it.
The Game-Winning Play
Type 'Can't Killean the Zilean' every time you revive someone. Spam your E on yourself to run circles around melee champions while emoting. It is physically impossible for them to catch you.
Double-bomb (Q-W-Q) is your only damage, but it's an AOE stun. Land it on the backline and you win the game. Your 99% slow is importantly a root. They can't play if they can't move. Clock's ticking.
Reviving the carry who got caught. Speeding up the Darius. Stun-locking the assassin. Type 'Time flies like an arrow' in chat.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V13.22 | Nov 8, 2023 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
| V12.22 | Nov 16, 2022 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
| V12.10 | May 25, 2022 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
| V11.14 | Jul 8, 2021 | BUFF | Q adjusted, W adjusted, Base stats adjusted |
| V11.1 | Jan 6, 2021 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
