Zoe vs Vel'Koz

Zoe

47.9%

over 144 games

Vel'Koz

Analyze a draft with Zoe

Skill matchup

Heavy pokeHeavy AP damageHigh burstSustained DPS

You are stronger early. Look to snowball before your opponent scales.

Build vs Vel'Koz

Build adapted to this matchup

Starting items

—

x2—

Core build

1—

2—

3—

Standard

4Magic pen

5—

Summoner spells

93%

Anti CC

4vs CC

Other options

—

50.0% WR14 games

Domination

Electrocute

Sudden Impact

Grisly Mementos

Relentless Hunter

Sorcery

Transcendence

Nimbus Cloak

Power Spikes

Strength by game phase

Vel'Koz's abilities

Passive, spells and ultimate

Organic Deconstruction (P)

Vel'Koz's abilities apply Organic Deconstruction to enemies on hit. If 3 stacks are accumulated, the enemy will take a burst of true damage.

Cooldowns

Cooldowns by spell rank

Level	Q	W	E	R
3	7s	1.5s	12s	–
6	7s	1.5s	12s	1m40
9	7s	1.5s	12s	1m40
11	7s	1.5s	12s	1m30
16	7s	1.5s	11s	1m20
18	7s	1.5s	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 Vel'Koz

How to counter and exploit weaknesses

Watch both branches of his plasma
Get out of the line of Plasma Fission (Q) and watch its sides too: the bolt splits into two branches at 90 degrees when it hits a target or he recasts it.
Back off before the third stack
Back off after taking two of his spells: at the third Organic Deconstruction (passive) stack, you take a burst of true damage.
Engage after Tectonic Disruption
If you can engage, go in after Tectonic Disruption (E): it's his only spell to push back someone charging him, and he has no dash to escape.
Interrupt his ray
If you have a stun, a silence or a knock-up, save it for Life Form Disintegration Ray (R): any of them interrupts the ray.

Other Zoe matchups

Patch 16.21.1