Zed vs Kindred
Hard matchup
Build vs Kindred
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Zed: Voltaic Cyclosword, Bastionbreaker, Axiom Arc, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Edge of Night, Serylda's Grudge, Hubris, Eclipse.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Kindred's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Kindred can mark targets to Hunt. Successfully completing a Hunt permanently empowers Kindred's basic abilities. Every 4 hunts completed also increases Kindred's basic attack range.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9s | 18s | 14s | – |
| 6 | 9s | 18s | 14s | 2m40 |
| 9 | 9s | 17s | 14s | 2m40 |
| 11 | 9s | 16s | 14s | 2m20 |
| 16 | 9s | 14s | 11s | 2m |
| 18 | 9s | 14s | 8s | 2m |
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 Kindred
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Move away after their E
When Mounting Dread (E) hits you, move away: Kindred's third auto on you sends Wolf, who strikes based on your missing health.
- Leave Wolf's zone
Leave the Wolf's Frenzy (W) zone: inside, Wolf bites Lamb's target based on their current health, and Dance of Arrows (Q) comes back much faster.
- Use their R zone to your advantage
At low health, step into the zone of Lamb's Respite (R): no one dies there, enemies included, and everyone inside is healed at the end.
- Contest their hunts
Contest the monsters Kindred hunts: each successful hunt from Mark of the Kindred (passive) empowers their spells for the rest of the game, and every 4, their range.
Patch 16.21.1