How to Play Zed: League of Legends BEGINNER Guide 2024

In the ever-evolving world of League of Legends, few champions command as much respect and fear as the Master of Shadows himself, Zed. With the latest patch shaking up the meta, mid laners everywhere are scrambling to adapt, and for those looking to strike from the darkness, this comprehensive Zed guide is your ultimate ally.

Summoner Spells: Flashing to Victory

No Zed player worth their shuriken would dare enter the Rift without the trusty Flash and Ignite combo. Flash provides the crucial escape and engagement potential that every assassin craves, while Ignite secures those clutch kills, punishing the slightest of enemy missteps.

Runes: Powering the Shadows

To truly embrace the power of deception, Zed’s rune pages must be meticulously crafted. The primary path, Inspiration, offers the perfect blend of utility and adaptability, with First Strike as the keystone, granting a burst of damage and gold upon striking first blood. Magical Footwear keeps you nimble, Future’s Market accelerates your item spikes, and Cosmic Insight reduces those pesky cooldowns.

Complementing this foundation is the Sorcery tree, where Transcendence amplifies your ability power, and Scorch scorches your foes with repeated pokes. Finally, two Adaptive Force shards and an Armor shard solidify your early defensive and offensive capabilities.

Starting Strong: First Blood Calls

As the nexuses illuminate, you’ll want to equip a Long Sword and a Refillable Potion, setting the stage for a dominant laning phase. The Long Sword’s extra damage pairs perfectly with Zed’s poke-heavy playstyle, while the Refillable Potion ensures you can sustain through those early trades.

The Full Shadow Arsenal

But it’s in the full build where Zed truly shines. The Ravenous Hydra kickstarts your split-push potential with its impressive waveclear, while the Ionian Boots of Lucidity reduce your cooldowns, letting you dance in and out of combat with unparalleled grace.

Eclipse, the mythic centerpiece, amplifies your burst potential, making every shuriken hit like a truck. Lord Dominik’s Regards shreds through enemy tanks, ensuring no foe is safe from your blades, while The Collector capitalizes on your assassination prowess with its executional power.

Finally, the Navori Quickblades reset your abilities after a takedown, enabling those coveted multi-kills that strike fear into the hearts of your enemies.

Ability Mastery: Sharpening the Blade

Of course, no build would matter without a deep understanding of Zed’s abilities. Prioritize the Razor Shuriken (Q) for its poke and farming prowess, followed swiftly by the Shadow Slash (E) for its mobility and damage. The Living Shadow (W) is your faithful companion, granting vision and escape routes, while the Death Mark (R) is the ultimate expression of your power, marking foes for a devastating finisher.

Playstyle: Stealth, Burst, Repeat

In the early game, focus on farming and poking with your trusty Q, whittling down your lane opponent until the lethal level 6 power spike. Once your ultimate is online, the real hunt begins – use your incredible mobility to roam, assassinate, and swing the game in your team’s favor.

As the game progresses, your role remains the same: identify priority targets, navigate teamfights with your shadows, and burst down enemy carries before they can react. Split-pushing is also a viable option, using your waveclear to apply map pressure and force favorable fights.

But beware, for every shadow has its counter. Champions like Fizz, with their ability to evade your ultimate, can prove troublesome. However, for a true Master of Shadows, every obstacle is an opportunity to sharpen your skills and emerge victorious.

Objectives: Death from the Darkness

While Zed’s true strength lies in skirmishing and assassinating, he’s no slouch when it comes to objective control. His high damage output can chunk down Dragons and Barons, but his real value shines in zoning and eliminating enemy threats, allowing your team to secure those crucial objectives uncontested.

Embrace the Shadows

So, whether you’re a seasoned Zed veteran or a newcomer to the art of deception, this guide is your ultimate companion on the path to mid lane mastery. Heed its wisdom, sharpen your blade, and embrace the shadows – for in this latest patch, the unseen blade is the deadliest.