Matchup

Heavy CCCountered by spell shieldHeavy AP damage

You are stronger early — look to snowball before your opponent scales.

Build vs Zilean

Build adapted to this matchup

Starting items

Doran's Blade
Health Potion

Core build

Kraken Slayer
1DPS
Dusk and Dawn
2Mage tank
Titanic Hydra
3Bruiser

Standard

Boots of Swiftness
4vs Slow
Blade of The Ruined King
5DPS

Summoner spells

42175%
41413%

Anti AD

Plated Steelcaps
4vs AD
Thornmail
5vs Hybride
Death's Dance
vs AD
Guardian Angel
vs AD

Anti AP

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC
Spirit Visage
5vs AP

DPS

Blade of The Ruined King
DPS
Stridebreaker
Bruiser

Other options

Sterak's Gage
Survival
Jak'Sho, The Protean
vs Hybride
100.0% WR1 games
PrecisionPrecision
Lethal TempoLethal Tempo
Presence of MindPresence of Mind
Legend: AlacrityLegend: Alacrity
Last StandLast Stand
ResolveResolve
Second WindSecond Wind
RevitalizeRevitalize
Attack SpeedAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

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