Graves vs Zyra
Hard matchup
Build vs Zyra
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Graves: Hubris, The Collector, Lord Dominik's Regards, Mercury's Treads, Immortal Shieldbow, Youmuu's Ghostblade, Infinity Edge, B. F. Sword.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Zyra's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Seeds spawn around Zyra periodically, becoming faster with level. Zyra can cast Deadly Spines or Grasping Roots near seeds to grow plants, who fight for Zyra.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 0s | 11s | – |
| 6 | 6s | 0s | 11s | 1m50 |
| 9 | 5s | 0s | 11s | 1m50 |
| 11 | 5s | 0s | 11s | 1m40 |
| 16 | 5s | 0s | 11s | 1m30 |
| 18 | 5s | 0s | 11s | 1m30 |
Playing as Graves
Tips to maximize your impact
- Clear your line of fire
Position with no minion between you and your target: each New Destiny (passive) auto fires 4 bullets that can't pass through units.
- Blind their carries
Cast Smoke Screen (W) on their carries: inside the smoke, they're slowed and can't see anything outside it for 4 seconds.
- Back away as you fire your R
Fire Collateral Damage (R) with your back to the danger: the shot knocks you backward, enough to reposition while dealing damage.
- Chain dashes during your clear
Cast Quickdraw (E) often during your clear: it reloads a shell, gives armor and magic resist, and each bullet that hits lowers its cooldown.
Playing against Zyra
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Dodge her roots
Get out of the line of Grasping Roots (E): the roots pass through minions and root every enemy hit, then her plants hit the trapped target.
- Step on her seeds
Step on her seeds to destroy them before she grows them: Rampant Growth (W) seeds reveal you for a moment, but leave her no plant.
- Kill her plants
Take down the plants born from Garden of Thorns (passive), or back off until they die: they take fixed damage, like a ward, and don't live long.
- Get out of her thorns
Get out of the Stranglethorns (R) zone as soon as it appears: the vines knock you into the air 2 seconds later, and her plants are empowered inside.
- Engage when her plants are far
If you can engage, go for Zyra when her plants are far from her: the Thorn Spitter from Deadly Spines (Q) only fires at 575 range.
Other Graves matchups
Patch 16.21.1