Matchup

Heavy CCCountered by spell shieldHeavy AP damage

Build vs Zilean

Build adapted to this matchup

Starting items

Doran's Shield
Health Potion

Core build

Spear of Shojin
1Bruiser
Sundered Sky
2Bruiser
Maw of Malmortius
3vs AP

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Voltaic Cyclosword
5vs Tank

Summoner spells

41464%
41233%

Anti AD

Plated Steelcaps
4vs AD
Death's Dance
5vs AD
Guardian Angel
vs AD

Anti Tank

Voltaic Cyclosword
5vs Tank
Hubris
vs Tank
Serylda's Grudge
vs Tank
Black Cleaver
vs Tank

DPS

Eclipse
DPS
Endless Hunger
DPS
Stridebreaker
Bruiser

Other options

Sterak's Gage
Survival
100.0% WR1 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

Early (0-15)
Mid (15-30)
Late (30+)
AatroxAatrox
ZileanZilean
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral

Zilean's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Time In A Bottle (P)

Zilean stores time as Experience and can grant it to his allies. When he has enough Experience to finish an ally's level up, he can right-click them to impart it. Zilean receives as much Experience as he gives.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
310s14s15s
69s14s15s2m
98s12s15s2m
118s10s15s1m30
168s6s15s1m
188s6s15s1m

Playing against Zilean

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

1

Track his R (revive): it has a long cooldown (120-60s). Engage when it's on CD.

2

If an enemy has Zilean's R (golden aura), don't burst that target — focus someone else and come back after.

3

Double bombs are his only CC: if he misses, he has nothing impactful left.

4

Focus Zilean first in fights to prevent him from R'ing his carry.

Source: op.gg + LTL Engine · Patch 16.9.1 · May 9, 2026