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League Classic · Season 3 · Zilean

AP Zilean build & runes

Mid Lane C · 26

Zilean buildsAP Zilean this buildDFG Zilean rank CSupport Zilean rank C

Item build path

Starting items level 1 · 475 gold to spend

Doran's Ring +

Health Potion435 g

Faerie Charm + 2

Sight Wards +

Health Potion365 g

Doran's Ring for bomb poke; Faerie Charm if support.

First back first recall

Sorcerer's Shoes +

Amplifying Tome

Core build order buy in this order · ~16,100 g full build

Sorcerer's Shoes1,100 g

→

Athene's Unholy Grail2,700 g

→

Rabadon's Deathcap3,600 g

→

Rylai's Crystal Scepter3,105 g

→

Zhonya's Hourglass3,300 g

→

Void Staff2,295 g

Situational adapt to the game

Rabadon's Deathcapamplify double-bomb burst

Rylai's Crystal Scepterslow to land bombs reliably

Zhonya's Hourglasssurvive dives alongside his ult

Mikael's Cruciblecleanse allies when playing support

Skill order & spells

Skill orderQ > E > W > R

SpellsFlash + Ignite / Teleport

Rune page (Season 3)

9× Greater Mark of Magic Penetration+7.8 Magic Pen

9× Greater Seal of Armor+12.7 Armor

9× Greater Glyph of Ability Power+10.7 AP

3× Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed+4.5% Move Speed

Best duos & synergies

Tryndamererevive + Undying Rage is two lives per fight

Jaxhaste on a split-pusher breaks maps

Olafhaste + revive Ragnarok dives

Masteries 9 / 0 / 21

Offense 9

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Utility 21

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Standard Season 3 page — utility CDR. Hover any mastery for its name.

Counters & matchups

Who this pick beats and who beats it — pick your lane with the matchup in mind.

✓ Strong against

SionBomb poke and slows kite his melee approach

KarthusOut-pokes and revives to counter his ult

RyzeBomb-slow poke prevents his spell rotation

Aniviabomb poke and slow kite her melee approach

Veigarout-poke and revive counters his single burst

✕ Struggles against

Kassadincloses the gap your bombs need

Katarinakills you before revive matters

Sivirspell shield eats double-bomb stun

Ahrimobility dodges bombs, charm bursts you

Anniepoint-click burst kills you before revive

Quick tip: Double-bomb stuns win lane; late game you exist to press R on your carry and haste them back in.

Key combo

Time Bomb (Q) → Rewind (W) → second Time Bomb (Q) for the double-bomb stun → Time Warp (E) slow → Chronoshift (R) revive

Power spike & playstyle

Spikes at 6 with the Chronoshift revive; a poke/utility support-mage strong from level 3 with the double-bomb stun who keeps a carry alive all game.

Other builds

Zilean’s other builds

% is versus AP Zilean · how the letters are measuredEvery build →

DFG Zilean →Same role, different buildMid Lane · AP burst · 15,495 g

Damage rankCout-damages 1 of 20 mid lane builds

Combo+autos1,023+14%

Burst801+6%

Auto DPS74+52%

Eff. HP3,823-6%

Sorcerer's Shoes

Rod of Ages

Rabadon's Deathcap

Rylai's Crystal Scepter

Void Staff

Deathfire Grasp

Skill Q > E > W > RMasteries 21/0/9Summoners Flash + IgniteStart Boots of Speed + 4 Health PotionsRunes Magic Penetration marks · Flat Armor seals · Flat Ability Power glyphs · Flat Ability Power quints

Two Time Bombs stacked on one target detonate together, and Rewind means the second bomb costs no extra cooldown — the whole combo is one ability used twice.

For wave clear and picks. A double bomb one-shots a caster minion wave and comfortably kills a squishy who stood next to it.

Against anyone who reads the bomb. It is a visible timer on their character, and every second of it is a second to walk away.

Not modelled in this number: Summoner's Insight, Meditation, Mastermind.

Show the damage math

Ability	How it is calculated	Raw	After resists
Q Time Bomb rank 5	320 base + 0.9 × 647 AP	902	801 −11% after MR
AA Auto-attack	86.8 per hit × 0.85 attacks/sec	87 / 145	74 dps

Level 18AD 100AP 647Target 1,900 hp · 75 ar · 50 mrAfter pen 75 ar · 15 mr

Combo 801 + 3.0 s autos 222 = 1,023, 42% of target HP.

Only the Q rotation is counted.

Support Zilean →Played out of positionSupport · Enchanter · 14,060 g

Damage rankCout-damages 3 of 9 support builds

Combo+autos515-43%

Burst369-51%

Auto DPS48same

Eff. HP5,876+44%

Boots of Mobility

Shurelya's Reverie

Aegis of the Legion

Rod of Ages

Rylai's Crystal Scepter

Zhonya's Hourglass

Skill E > Q > W > RMasteries 0/9/21Summoners Flash + ExhaustStart Faerie Charm + 2 Health Potions + 2 Sight WardsRunes Magic Penetration marks · Flat Mana Regen seals · Flat Ability Power glyphs · Movement Speed quints

Time Warp is a double-ended speed tool that both saves an ally and catches an enemy, and Chronoshift makes the enemy team's best engage a wasted one.

Protecting a hyper-carry. A Vayne with Chronoshift and a permanent speed buff is functionally impossible to focus down.

Into hard engage supports. Zilean has no stun, no shield and no disengage — a Leona who lands her combo is not slowed out of it.

Not modelled in this number: Summoner's Insight, Wanderer, Meditation, Greed, Biscuiteer, Explorer, Wealth, Pickpocket.

Show the damage math

Ability	How it is calculated	Raw	After resists
Q Time Bomb rank 5	320 base + 0.9 × 260 AP	554	369 −33% after MR
AA Auto-attack	56.9 per hit × 0.85 attacks/sec	57 / 114	48 dps

Level 18AD 100AP 260Target 1,900 hp · 75 ar · 50 mrAfter pen 75 ar · 50 mr

Combo 369 + 3.0 s autos 145 = 515, 19% of target HP.

Only the Q rotation is counted.

Guide

How to play Zilean in League Classic

Zilean is utility disguised as a poke mage. Double-bomb the wave and the enemy mid simultaneously — his early Q harass is nastier than people expect — and max CDR fast. From 6 on, your ult rewrites fight math: their burst combo lands, your carry dies, and then doesn't. Save R for the primary focus target, not the first damage taken. Speed your assassin in, slow their peel, and let smarter positioning win. In Classic's slow fights, a well-timed revive is worth more than any damage ultimate.

FAQ

Zilean in League Classic

What is the best Zilean build in League Classic?

The standard build is AP Zilean: Sorcerer's Shoes, Athene's Unholy Grail, Rabadon's Deathcap, Rylai's Crystal Scepter, Zhonya's Hourglass, Void Staff. Skill order Q > E > W > R, summoner spells Flash + Ignite / Teleport. Zilean also has 2 measured off-meta builds: DFG Zilean, Support Zilean.

What runes and masteries does Zilean use in League Classic?

Marks: Magic Penetration. Seals: Flat Armor. Glyphs: Flat AP. Quintessences: Movement Speed. Masteries: 9/0/21 — utility CDR.

Is Zilean good in League Classic?

Zilean is rated C-tier mid lane in the launch consensus (score 26/100 across 3 published rankings). Strong into Sion, Karthus, Ryze, Anivia, Veigar; struggles against Kassadin, Katarina, Sivir, Ahri, Annie.

What does Zilean start with and build first in League Classic?

Open with Doran's Ring + Health Potion or Faerie Charm + 2 Sight Wards + Health Potion. Doran's Ring for bomb poke; Faerie Charm if support. First back: Sorcerer's Shoes + Amplifying Tome. Then build in order: Sorcerer's Shoes → Athene's Unholy Grail → Rabadon's Deathcap → Rylai's Crystal Scepter → Zhonya's Hourglass → Void Staff.

Editorial build based on documented Season 3 (2013) meta. Counters and duos are historical projections rather than live win-rate matchup data. (Tier ranking above does mix in live data where sources publish it — see the tier list for details.)

Mid Lane tier list ← Consensus tier list