Zed vs Brand
Build vs Brand
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Zed: Voltaic Cyclosword, Bastionbreaker, Axiom Arc, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Hubris, Edge of Night, Serylda's Grudge, Lord Dominik's Regards.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Brand's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Brand's spells light his targets ablaze, dealing damage over 4 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. If Brand kills an enemy while it is ablaze he regains mana. When Blaze reaches max stacks on a Champion or large monster, it becomes unstable. It detonates in 2 seconds, applying spell effects and dealing massive damage in an area around the victim.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 8s | 10s | 13s | – |
| 6 | 7s | 10s | 13s | 1m40 |
| 9 | 6s | 9.5s | 13s | 1m40 |
| 11 | 6s | 9s | 13s | 1m30 |
| 16 | 6s | 8s | 11s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 6s | 8s | 9s | 1m20 |
Playing as Zed
Tips to maximize your impact
- Combo with two shadows
To kill, cast Death Mark (R), then Living Shadow (W), Shadow Slash (E) and Razor Shuriken (Q): with two shadows, you throw three shurikens.
- Dodge with Death Mark
Cast Death Mark (R) just as the enemy casts their decisive spell: during the dash, you're untargetable.
- Save the swap back to your shadow
After Death Mark (R), save the recast to get out: you swap places with the shadow left at your starting point, far from the fight.
- Save your energy
Save enough energy for a full combo rather than casting your spells for nothing: Living Shadow (W) refunds energy when you and your shadow hit the same target.
- Flank to reach the carry
In teamfights, go around the sides and save Death Mark (R) for an isolated target: going in from the front exposes you to the whole team's CC.
Playing against Brand
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Dodge his Q while you burn
When you're ablaze, prioritize dodging Sear (Q): it stuns any target that's ablaze.
- Leave his pillar of flame
Leave the Pillar of Flame (W) area as soon as it appears: it lands after a short delay and hits harder if you're ablaze.
- Punish his lack of mobility
If you can engage, go in on him: his kit has no dash and no shield.
- Spread out from your allies
Spread out from your allies in teamfights: Pyroclasm (R) bounces between nearby enemies, and Blaze (passive) explodes around a target at 3 stacks.
Patch 16.21.1