Zed vs Gwen

Zed
vs
57.5%

over 47 games

Gwen

Favorable matchup

Heavy AP damageSustained DPSSplit pushHigh burst

Build vs Gwen

Build adapted to this matchup

Recommended items for Zed: Voltaic Cyclosword, Bastionbreaker, Lord Dominik's Regards, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Axiom Arc, Edge of Night, Serylda's Grudge, Hubris.

Starting items

Scorchclaw Pup
Health Potion

Core build

Voltaic Cyclosword
1
Bastionbreaker
2
Lord Dominik's Regards
3

Standard

Ionian Boots of Lucidity
4CDR
Axiom Arc
5

Summoner spells

FlashSmite100%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Axiom Arc
Edge of Night
Serylda's Grudge
Hubris
Serpent's Fang
Endless Hunger
Eclipse
Executioner's Calling
Maw of Malmortius
Serrated Dirk
Umbral Glaive
Guardian Angel
Youmuu's Ghostblade
66.7% WR6 games
InspirationInspiration
First StrikeFirst Strike
Cash BackCash Back
Triple TonicTriple Tonic
Cosmic InsightCosmic Insight
DominationDomination
Treasure HunterTreasure Hunter
Sudden ImpactSudden Impact
Adaptive ForceAdaptive ForceHealth Scaling

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Gwen's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

A Thousand Cuts (P)

Gwen's attacks deal bonus magic damage based on the targets health. She heals for a portion of the damage dealt to champions by this effect.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
36.5s22s13s–
65s22s13s2m
93.5s21s13s2m
113.5s20s13s1m40
163.5s18s12s1m20
183.5s18s11s1m20

Playing as Zed

Tips to maximize your impact

  1. 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.

  2. Dodge with Death Mark

    Cast Death Mark (R) just as the enemy casts their decisive spell: during the dash, you're untargetable.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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 Gwen

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Enter her mist or wait

    To hit her during Hallowed Mist (W), walk into the mist or wait for it to fade: from outside, you can't target her.

  2. Trade before her 4 autos

    Take short trades before she lands 4 autos: each one adds a snip to Snip Snip! (Q).

  3. Get out of her needles' path

    Step out of the Needlework (R) line: she can recast it twice within 6 seconds, with three then five needles.

  4. Send two to answer her split

    Answer her split push with two players rather than alone: A Thousand Cuts (passive) heals her on every auto against a champion.

Patch 16.21.1