Blitzcrank vs Zilean
Skill matchup
Build vs Zilean
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Blitzcrank: Locket of the Iron Solari, Zeke's Convergence, Bandlepipes, Boots of Swiftness, Celestial Opposition, Solstice Sleigh, Frozen Heart, Knight's Vow.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Zilean's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
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
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10s | 14s | 15s | – |
| 6 | 9s | 14s | 15s | 2m |
| 9 | 8s | 12s | 15s | 2m |
| 11 | 8s | 10s | 15s | 1m30 |
| 16 | 8s | 6s | 15s | 1m |
| 18 | 8s | 6s | 15s | 1m |
Playing as Blitzcrank
Tips to maximize your impact
- Grab from a clear angle
Fire Rocket Grab (Q) from a brush or a side angle: it grabs the first enemy hit, so you need a line without minions.
- Power Fist right after the grab
After a successful grab, cast Power Fist (E) right away: your next auto knocks the target into the air and deals double damage.
- Sometimes engage without a grab
Sometimes engage without a grab: rush in with Overdrive (W), knock your target into the air with Power Fist (E), and save Rocket Grab (Q) for when they Flash away.
- Bait with your shield
Use Mana Barrier (passive) to bait: at low health you get a shield based on your mana, enough to make a kill look easy.
- Save your grab for their carry
In teamfights, save Rocket Grab (Q) for their carry and wait for them out of vision: grabbing them before the fight starts often decides it.
Playing against Zilean
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Blitzcrank matchups
Patch 16.21.1