Diana vs Zed
Favorable matchup
Build vs Zed
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Diana: Dusk and Dawn, Riftmaker, Zhonya's Hourglass, Sorcerer's Shoes, Shadowflame, Nashor's Tooth, Rabadon's Deathcap, Dark Seal.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Zed's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
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
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6s | 20s | 5s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 20s | 5s | 2m |
| 9 | 6s | 19s | 5s | 2m |
| 11 | 6s | 18s | 5s | 1m50 |
| 16 | 6s | 16s | 4s | 1m40 |
| 18 | 6s | 16s | 3s | 1m40 |
Playing as Diana
Tips to maximize your impact
- Mark, then two dashes
Hit with Crescent Strike (Q) before Lunar Rush (E): on a target marked with Moonlight, the dash has no cooldown and you can recast it right away.
- Weave autos between your spells
Weave autos between your spells: after each ability, Moonsilver Blade (passive) boosts your attack speed for 5 seconds, and your third hit cleaves nearby enemies.
- Shield before you engage
Cast Pale Cascade (W) before you engage: you gain a shield, then a second one when the last sphere explodes.
- Pull their whole team in
Cast Moonfall (R) in the middle of their team: it pulls in and slows nearby enemies, and hits harder for each champion pulled after the first.
Playing against Zed
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Other Diana matchups
Patch 16.21.1