Outdraft.gg
Sign up

Bard vs Zilean

Bard
vs
47.8%

over 636 games

Zilean
Analyze a draft with Bard

Skill matchup

Heavy AP damageHeavy CCHeavy pokeCountered by spell shield

Build vs Zilean

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Bard: Dead Man's Plate, Locket of the Iron Solari, Bandlepipes, Boots of Swiftness, Bloodsong, Solstice Sleigh, Mikael's Blessing, Liandry's Torment.

Starting items

Health Potion
x2

Core build

Dead Man's Plate
1
Locket of the Iron Solari
2
Bandlepipes
3

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Bloodsong
5

Summoner spells

FlashDot58%
FlashHeal34%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Bloodsong
Solstice Sleigh
Mikael's Blessing
Liandry's Torment
Celestial Opposition
Redemption
Shurelya's Battlesong
Knight's Vow
Oblivion Orb
Dark Seal
Zaz'Zak's Realmspike
Imperial Mandate
Hextech Rocketbelt
Zeke's Convergence
Force of Nature
Kaenic Rookern
Abyssal Mask
Zhonya's Hourglass
Frozen Heart
Bramble Vest
Cosmic Drive
Mejai's Soulstealer
Dream Maker
Randuin's Omen
Wit's End
Seeker's Armguard
Bloodletter's Curse
41.7% WR24 games
DominationDomination
ElectrocuteElectrocute
Cheap ShotCheap Shot
Deep WardDeep Ward
Treasure HunterTreasure Hunter
InspirationInspiration
Magical FootwearMagical Footwear
Jack Of All TradesJack Of All Trades
Attack SpeedMove SpeedHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

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 as Bard

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. Aim for a wall behind your target

    Line up Cosmic Binding (Q) with a wall or a second enemy behind your target: the missile then stuns every enemy hit.

  2. Freeze the fight with your R

    Cast Tempered Fate (R) to freeze a teamfight, or a tower during a dive: everything hit, allies included, goes into stasis.

  3. Roam through your portals

    Open Magical Journey (E) to roam or to get your team out: the portal crosses nearby terrain, but enemies can use it too.

  4. Collect your Chimes

    Collect the Traveler's Call (passive) Chimes whenever your lane allows: they give XP and mana, and enough Chimes add area damage and a slow to your Meeps.

Playing against Zilean

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Move away from the bomb

    Spread out from your allies when Time Bomb (Q) is stuck on you or one of them: a second bomb makes it explode instantly and stuns every enemy around.

  2. Focus Zilean as a team

    In teamfights, focus Zilean with your team: he's fragile under pressure, and without him, there's no Chronoshift (R) to save his carry.

  3. Switch targets under his rune

    If an enemy has the Chronoshift (R) rune, hit someone else or wait for the effect to end: if they die with the rune, they come back to life.

  4. Force fights without his ult

    Force an objective or a fight when Chronoshift (R) is on cooldown: without it, he revives no one, and it takes 120 to 60 seconds to come back.

Other Bard matchups

Patch 16.21.1