Champion Guide

Zaahen Guide

By LoLSuggest

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Zaahen is a scaling bruiser who wins all-ins once his passive revive is stacked, gets much stronger with every item, and can fight one-versus-several late. We recommend keeping runes and build almost identical every game so you can focus on improving your play.

Recommended Setup

Our recommended Zaahen build

Our recommended runes, summoner spells and items. Compare build win rates on the stats page.

Items

Starting Items

Core Items

Situational Items

Always play Conqueror with Triumph, Legend: Haste and Last Stand, plus Second Wind and Overgrowth. Take Flash with Ignite in most games, Teleport in unplayable lanes, Exhaust against one-shot threats or Ghost to run enemies down. Start Doran's Blade and a potion, Doran's Shield against poke, or Doran's Helm situationally. The main build is Stridebreaker, Death's Dance, Maw of Malmortius, Endless Hunger and Overlord's Bloodmail, with Plated Steelcaps or Mercury's Treads; only the boots and the Death's Dance/Maw order should change. Hexdrinker and Executioner's Calling are situational.

Runes

Primary Tree

Secondary Tree

Summoner Spells

Strengths

Strong all-ins from level 4, and from level 6 a full combo usually earns his revive.
Stridebreaker is a huge spike, and every item after it makes him much stronger.
Outscales most top laners and becomes a teamfight threat with 3–4 items.

Weaknesses

Squishy early and often has to give up priority at level 1.
Ranged tops like Teemo, Kennen, Jayce, Vayne or Quinn can keep him under tower.
Long-trade champions like Volibear or Mordekaiser are tough lanes.

Laning Phase

Don't lose too much health at level 1 — in most matchups give priority, fish for CS, let the second or third wave crash, then slow-push and look to all-in at level 4. Fight when the wave is pushing away from you and near your tower, so you have room to run the enemy down; don't fight when it's pushing toward you. Against ranged tops, take Doran's Shield and Second Wind, farm with W, use Q on minions for healing and accept losing some CS — you outscale them.

Mid & Late Game

You're usually stronger than your laner, so push to the tier 2 tower, then roam mid or into the enemy jungle, return to push again and recall — keep your opponent stuck under tower. Only push with vision. Late game, stay near objectives with your team, stack your passive on one out-of-position target, then dive the rest to guarantee a revive.

Key Tips

Before forcing a 1v1 while ahead, check where the enemy jungler is.
Use the edge of Stridebreaker's or Tiamat's area to last-hit a single minion while freezing.
You can cancel Mordekaiser's ultimate by ulting at the same time.

Matchups