Zoe vs Locke
Skill matchup
You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.
Build vs Locke
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Zoe: Luden's Echo, Lich Bane, Shadowflame, Sorcerer's Shoes, Dark Seal, Zhonya's Hourglass, Rabadon's Deathcap, Stormsurge.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Locke's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Locke's attacks deal additional magic damage On-Hit, increased based on enemy missing Health.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 10s | 18s | 10s | – |
| 6 | 8s | 18s | 10s | 2m |
| 9 | 6s | 17s | 10s | 2m |
| 11 | 6s | 16s | 10s | 1m40 |
| 16 | 6s | 14s | 10s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 6s | 14s | 10s | 1m20 |
Playing as Zoe
Tips to maximize your impact
- Lengthen your star's path
Cast Paddle Star! (Q) behind you, then recast it toward your target: its damage grows with the distance the star travels.
- Poke from your Portal Jump
Cast Portal Jump (R) to poke from closer: you can cast your spells from there, and you blink back to your starting position 1 second later.
- Pick up spell shards
Pick up the shards enemies drop after using a summoner spell or an item active: Spell Thief (W) lets you cast that spell or item once.
- Sleep, then wake them with a big hit
Put your target to sleep with Sleepy Trouble Bubble (E), then wake them with your biggest hit, a long-range Paddle Star! (Q): the hit that wakes them deals double damage.
Playing against Locke
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Back instead of staying low
Back instead of staying in lane at low health: Silver Stake (passive) adds damage to his autos that grows with your missing health.
- Trade after his E
Trade after Ashen Pursuit (E): it's his only instant movement, and its 10-second cooldown only resets if he gets a takedown.
- During his W, only hit to kill
During Soul Ignition (W), only hit him if you can kill him: at the end, he heals back part of the last damage taken, yours included.
- Stay above his threshold
Marked by Purgatory (R), stay above its threshold: if you have a heal or a shield, use it, because he seals marked enemies who drop below it.
- Contest his artifact
If the Purgatory (R) artifact lands, hold the area where it fell: by picking it up, Locke raises his execute threshold for each sealed champion, for the rest of the game.
Other Zoe matchups
Patch 16.21.1