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

Youmuu's Ghostblade
1vs Tank
Mercurial Scimitar
2vs AP
Sterak's Gage
3Survival

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Stridebreaker
5Bruiser

Summoner spells

41477%
41212%

Anti AD

Plated Steelcaps
4vs AD
Dead Man's Plate
5vs AD

Anti AP

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC
Force of Nature
5vs AP

Anti Tank

Black Cleaver
5vs Tank

DPS

Stridebreaker
Bruiser
Hullbreaker
Bruiser
Spear of Shojin
Bruiser

Other options

Overlord's Bloodmail
HP
Warmog's Armor
Survival
100.0% WR1 games
PrecisionPrecision
ConquerorConqueror
TriumphTriumph
Legend: AlacrityLegend: Alacrity
Last StandLast Stand
ResolveResolve
UnflinchingUnflinching
Second WindSecond Wind
Attack SpeedAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Early (0-15)
Mid (15-30)
Late (30+)
SettSett
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