Aatrox vs Zed

Aatrox
vs
Not enough games
Zed
High burstCountered by stasisHeavy AD damageDive threat

Build vs Zed

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Aatrox: Eclipse, Sundered Sky, Death's Dance, Plated Steelcaps, Spear of Shojin, Voltaic Cyclosword, Sterak's Gage, Maw of Malmortius.

Starting items

Doran's Blade
Health Potion

Core build

Eclipse
1
Sundered Sky
2
Death's Dance
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Spear of Shojin
5

Summoner spells

FlashDot72%
FlashTeleport22%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Spear of Shojin
Voltaic Cyclosword
Sterak's Gage
Maw of Malmortius
Black Cleaver
Endless Hunger
Serylda's Grudge
Hubris
Spirit Visage
Bastionbreaker
Serrated Dirk
Stridebreaker
Mortal Reminder
Serpent's Fang
Guardian Angel
50.0% WR14 games
PrecisionPrecision
ConquerorConqueror
TriumphTriumph
Legend: HasteLegend: Haste
Last StandLast Stand
ResolveResolve
RevitalizeRevitalize
Bone PlatingBone Plating
Adaptive ForceAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Zed's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Contempt for the Weak (P)

Zed's basic attacks against low health targets deals bonus Magic Damage. This effect can only occur once every few seconds against the same enemy champion.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
36s20s5s–
66s20s5s2m
96s19s5s2m
116s18s5s1m50
166s16s4s1m40
186s16s3s1m40

Playing as Aatrox

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Hit with the edge of your blade

    Land the edge of The Darkin Blade (Q): enemies hit by the edge take a short knock-up and more damage, so Umbral Dash (E) heals you for more.

  2. Reposition your blade with your dash

    Cast Umbral Dash (E) during The Darkin Blade (Q) to put the edge on your target: the dash doesn't interrupt your other spells.

  3. Trap your target with your chains

    Cast Infernal Chains (W) when the target can't leave the zone, against a wall or in a chokepoint: if they stay inside, they get pulled back to the impact point.

  4. Transform before the teamfight

    Cast World Ender (R) before you engage, not in the middle of the teamfight: you instantly gain AD, increased healing and move speed.

Playing against Zed

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Trade when his shadow is down

    Take a trade when he has used Living Shadow (W): while it's on cooldown, he has no double shuriken and no way out.

  2. Don't stay in lane at low health

    Back rather than staying in lane at low health against him: Contempt for the Weak (passive) adds magic damage to his autos against low-health targets.

  3. Get ready for his mark to pop

    If you have invulnerability or a shield, use it right before Death Mark (R) pops, 3 seconds after his dash: it repeats part of the damage he dealt you.

  4. Watch the shadow from his mark

    After his dash onto you, spot the shadow left at his starting point: if he recasts Death Mark (R), that's where he reappears.

Patch 16.21.1