Zed vs Kog'Maw

Zed
vs
Not enough games
Kog'Maw
Sustained DPSHigh burstHeavy pokeHeavy AP damage

Build vs Kog'Maw

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, Edge of Night, Serylda's Grudge, Lord Dominik's Regards, Guardian Angel.

Starting items

Gustwalker Hatchling

Core build

Voltaic Cyclosword
1
Bastionbreaker
2
Axiom Arc
3

Standard

Ionian Boots of Lucidity
4CDR
Edge of Night
5

Summoner spells

FlashSmite100%

Anti CC

Mercury's Treads
4vs CC

Other options

Edge of Night
Serylda's Grudge
Lord Dominik's Regards
Guardian Angel
Endless Hunger
Youmuu's Ghostblade
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

Kog'Maw's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Icathian Surprise (P)

4 seconds after dying, Kogmaw explodes, dealing true damage to surrounding enemies.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

LevelQWER
37s17s12s–
67s17s12s2s
97s17s12s2s
117s17s12s1.5s
167s17s12s1s
187s17s12s1s

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 Kog'Maw

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

  1. Engage when his W ends

    Engage when Bio-Arcane Barrage (W) ends: his attack range drops back to 500, and the spell has a 17-second cooldown.

  2. Punish his lack of mobility

    If you can engage, go for him: with no dash or leap, Kog'Maw can only back off on foot, and Void Ooze (E) is his only slow.

  3. Leave his R range at low health

    Below 40% health, get out of range of Living Artillery (R): each shot then deals its max damage to you, and it reaches very far.

  4. Move away when he dies

    When he dies, move away from him: Icathian Surprise (passive) makes him explode 4 seconds later, dealing true damage to nearby enemies.

Patch 16.21.1