Hello readers, in League of Legends I am ConnieSpringles on the EU West server. This is my first League of Legends guide and I decided to write it about a champion who is most likely my absolute favourite champion: Zyra: The Rise of the Thorns. In this guide I cover both a Mid lane Mage and a Bot lane Support Zyra. I will describe and explain her various builds and her play style throughout the guide. I hope you find this guide informative and useful, and maybe one day you will come to enjoy Zyra as much as I do.

Pros:

Long Range Poke
Lots of CC
Strong Presence throughout the whole game
Has the potential to deal huge damage
When skilled will Rarely run out of Mana
Innate Vision
Plants can block certain Skillshots
Passive means people may regret killing you

Cons:

Extremely Squishy (has almost the lowest health, armour and magic resist)
Susceptible to Hard engages and all ins
Immobile
Becomes very vulnerable while Grasping Roots is on cooldown
Reliant on skillshots (all abilities have delays)
When supporting she doesn't have any sustain abilities, and she is sometimes prone to kill stealing

These are pretty traditional runes for an AP mage in the mid lane. Greater Mark of Magic Penetration and Greater Quintessence of Ability Power grant her damage while Greater Seal of Armor and Greater Glyph of Magic Resist offer her some defence while laning. However I have alternative choices listed below.

greater mark of hybrid penetration: I wouldn't usually do this but some people would like to utilise Zyra's long attack range to harass the enemy, and since autoattacks deal physical damage it means that Zyra can actually benefit from the armour penetration that these offer. However this is usually only effective in early game, as everyone has scaling armour and Zyra's attack damage scaling is just average.

Greater Seal of Health: These can be a good choice since they offer general protection from damage. Just be careful though of champions who deal %health damage, such as Zed and Kog'Maw.

Greater Glyph of Ability Power: These can be taken if you simply wish to maximise damage output and shun defence. It can work since Zyra is long range but it means you have to be abusing your range as much as possible, and not be too close. Also note that since Zyra has fairly low ability power scalings, these aren't as effective as it may be on other champions.

Greater Glyph of Scaling Cooldown Reduction x6: If you are wanting to max your cooldown reduction without changing your build path then these are a good option, and since you don't need all that cooldown reduction straight away it is best to take scaling, and then you can take 3 Greater Glyph of Magic Resist or Greater Glyph of Ability Power.

Greater Quintessence of Magic Penetration: Since Zyra's ability scalings aren't the best and her plants have base damage that scales with level these runes can be good on her. Zyra does actually scale very hard with magic penetration, especially with Liandry's Torment, but I generally recommend Greater Quintessence of Ability Power as having a balance of both early on is good.

These are my usual 2 choices for summoner spells. Flash is probably the most important as it gives Zyra some much needed mobility and can be used both offensively and defensively, whether it is running away, chasing, repositioning or ambushing someone by flashing through a wall.
Ignite is also very good as it allows you to help secure the kill and reduce healing effects your victim may use to survive. However there are other spells that this can be swapped for:


Exhaust can be a great replacement for Ignite as it slows the target which keeps them in range of plants longer and reduces their magic resistance so it is like extra magic penetration. However it will not stop enemies from flashing so it's kill securing power is reduced ( Ignite technically doesn't either but it will keep on damaging them unless they Cleanse). Exhaust can also generally be more useful in the late game since Ignites damage can become negligible.


Barrier can be very useful against very bursty champions such as Zed and Diana. Also since it is a shield Ignite will not reduce it's effectiveness.


Heal is similar to Barrier except it heals rather than shields, as well as healing another nearby champion and giving each of you bonus movement speed. Despite it sounding better it may actually be less effective as Ignite will reduce it's healing so it is difficult to use in a pinch. Also in mid you have no ally to heal. However it can still be a good choice as healing an ally can help in the late game.


This spell is also a good choice as it can remove otherwise fatal CC and spells such as Infinite Duress and Ignite.

Passive- Garden of Thorns:

Zyra a spawns seed around herself every 13/11.5/10/8.5 seconds, sometimes spawning 2 at once. Seeds prefer to spawn in brush. Seeds last 45 seconds or until stepped on by an enemy or until a plant grows from it. Zyra can have a maximum of 8 seeds at a time (including Rampant Growth. Using Deadly Spines or Grasping Roots on a seed will grow it into a Thorn Spitter or Vine Lasher respectively, each dealing 24-109 (based on level) (+15% Ability power) Magic Damage on each attack, and a unique trait based on the ability used. Plants have modified health (4 +0.4 per Rampant Growth rank) and take modified damage. Plants last 5-7.5 seconds (based on level). Multiple plants attacking a single target after the first deal 50% damage.

This is Zyra's passive. It was changed to this during the mage update of patch 6.9 because riot wanted Zyra to have a larger reliance on her plants, as well as her plants being her core identity. This passive has 2 strong uses. Obviously the first one is growing plants to attack foes. Growing seeds while in lane then turning them all into plants that attack you enemy will deal lots of damage, especially when you lock them down with Grasping Roots. The second use is it's zoning power. Enemies may be hesitant to step near seeds, therefore it leaves spaces where they do not walk.

Q Ability- Deadly Spines: Mana cost: 60 Cooldown: 7/6.5/6/5.5/5 seconds

After a brief delay, Zyra causes thorns to shoot from the ground at target area, dealing 60/95/130/165/200 (+60% Ability Power) Magic Damage to enemies in the area. If it hits a seed a Thorn Spitter grows, which has 750 attack range as it's unique trait.

This is Zyra's main plant growing ability. It can be used for poking and for growing Thorn Spitters, which are good for harassing and farming. Since it has a delay some movement prediction must be used when casting this. Often it can be used to bait certain abilities that can be used to dodge, such as Phase Dive and Playful / Trickster. This can make it easier to then land Grasping Roots.
Despite being a damage ability i usually max it last as it doesn't have really high damage and Rampant Growth is good 2nd for the lower cooldown on seeds. However you can max this 2nd if you just want outright ability damage over plant contributions.

W Ability- Rampant Growth

-Passive: Zyra's plants gain 10/20/30/40/50% increased maximum health. Additionally, Zyra stores a seed every 20/18/16/14/12 seconds, up to 2 maximum.
-Active: Zyra plants a seed, granting vision of a small area around it for up to 60 seconds. Enemies can step on seeds to destroy them, but this grants True Sight of them for 2 seconds. Zyra can have a maximum of 8 seeds at a time (including Garden of Thorns)

This is the Ability which makes Zyra who she is as there are so many different things she can use the seeds for. Seeds can be used for warding if your Stealth Ward is on cooldown and you are concerned about ganks, also it can be used to check bushes in front of you when moving through the jungle. Most importantly though this is used for growing plants which are a big source of [zyra]'s damage. Seeds can sometimes be used to bait enemies by planting one near the enemy and if they walk close to crush it just hit both them and the seed with an ability for some nice harass.
When planting seeds in the context of trying to use ability combos on enemies always plant it AFTER you have used the ability, as this means your seed will definitely be in the path of the ability, and it reduces the chance of enemies stepping on the seed before the ability reaches it. I usually take one point at level 2, and max this 2nd as it gets massive cooldown reduction at each rank, as well as increasing plant survivability, which is important in bigger fights.

E Ability- Grasping Roots: Mana cost: 70/75/80/85/90 Cooldown: 12 seconds

Zyra sends forth crawling vines, dealing 60/95/130/165/200 (+50% Ability Power) Magic Damage and rooting enemies hit for 0.75/1.00/1.25/1.50/1.75 seconds. If it hits a seed a Vine Lasher grows, which slows enemies by 30% for 2 seconds with it's attacks as it's unique trait.

This is Zyra's main CC ability and it is the most important ability for starting off your ability combos. In lane if you can land this ability then execute a successful combo then that can easily deal half the enemy's health in damage, maybe more. Try to be careful when using this ability because it is also your disengage and is on a 12 second cooldown, so you want to make sure it is available at all the right times. I classically max this first as the increased root duration is very useful for keeping your enemies rooted for as long as possible while they take damage from plants.

Ultimate- StrangleThorns: Mana cost: 100/120/140 Cooldown: 130/120/110 seconds

Zyra summons a thicket at target location for 2 seconds, dealing 180/265/350 (+70% Ability Power) Magic Damage to enemies caught in the area. After 2 seconds the Thicket snaps upward, knocking up all enemies in the area for 1 second. If any plants were in the thicket during the 2 seconds before the knockup, their total damage is increased by 50% and their duration/health is refreshed.

This is Zyra's Ultimate and this is probably the biggest reason why she is so good in teamfights. The heavy damage then the knockup will severely cripple the enemy team when she manages to hit multiple enemies. It is also useful in duels as the damage buff for plants will cause them to deal enormous damage. Her ult is on a moderate cooldown so be careful about not wasting it. As usual, take a point in it whenever possible.

Summary of Skill Sequence:

Starting Items

These are the typical starting items that Zyra buys (as well as a Stealth Ward which you will ALWAYS buy as your first trinket). The Doran's Ring is a perfect starting item as it gives just the right amount of mana regeneration as well as some ability power and even health. And of course 2 Health Potions for sustain (when you have the Secret Stash mastery these become Total Biscuit of Rejuvenation).

Back Options:

These are various items you may want to purchase whenever you decide to recall. What you purchase can depend on how much gold you have or what you need in the current situation, whether you are playing aggressively or passively.


This is probably the most common pickup when playing aggressively. It gives you both some ability power, health and most importantly some magic penetration. It also builds into your core item- Liandry's Torment so it is a powerful early item.


This is another offensive item that can be picked up, except that it builds into Rylai's Crystal Scepter instead. If you need Rylai's as fast as possible then you may want this early.


Boots are always important for the utility that movement speed brings. Upgrading these into Sorcerer's Shoes early on is also good as the magic penetration suits Zyra well.


This is another good offensive start but more in the sense that you have access to your abilities more often, particularly Rampant Growth and Grasping Roots. It is very cheap and gives a nice 30 ability power so it is a very good option.


This is good to buy early when you are against a physical damage champion, or when you are rushing Zhonya's Hourglass to try and protect yourself from burst champions. This gives a nice amount of ability power as well as some armour so it is especially useful against assassins such as Zed and Yasuo.

Core Items:

These are the items which I believe you absolutely must buy in any build. While you don't need to buy them all straight away you must try and have all of them by about mid to late game. If you are behind and have not completed them before or around then try and farm to get back up to speed.


This is an extremely effective item as Zyra has a lot of damage over time effects as well as a lot of CC to proc the double damage on the burn passive. The magic penetration also compliments the % current health damage as well as the base damage of her plants. To top it all off it also gives us nice chunks of health and ability power.


This item is very good for similar reasons to Liandry's Torment as it not only gives even larger chunks of health and ability power but the slow passive on abilities mean the double burn damage of Liandry's Torment can proc on every ability. This is especially useful for Stranglethorns as the slow will increase the chance that enemies are stuck inside the thicket when it triggers the knockup. It also adds a slow to her Thorn Spitters, so both plants can then have a slow.


Everyone needs boots and Sorcerer's Shoes are the best on Zyra as the magic penetration can massively increase her damage when fighting a squishy target. The mobility is also needed so that Zyra can keep up or get way from enemies. I would never usually buy any other boots, but if you are desperate then either Ninja Tabi or Mercury's Treads can be good if you need some desperate protection from some form of damage (or CC in case of Mercury's Treads). I would only ever recommend Ionian Boots of Lucidity if you decided to take a build without Morellonomicon, otherwise they are near useless.

Offensive Options:

This item was close to making the core items list but since Zyra's mana problems are pretty low it didn't quite make the cut. Never the less this is an excellent option as it gives a large chunk of ability power and massive 20% cooldown reduction. The mana regeneration is also helpful in just securing rather than providing her mana. Even it's unique passive is exceptionally useful as it means that the enemy healing is reduced in the last few seconds before Zyra's plants finish them off. Overall this is a very important item but if you really find no place for it in your build then it isn't necessary.


This item has poke mage written all over it as the massive ability power gain can even make Zyra's slightly low scalings seem powerful. This is usually a standard item on mages but since Zyra specialises more in CC and sustained damage this isn't completely necessary. If you are going to buy it buy at least 2 other ability power items first however if you are very ahead you may consider buying it early.


This can be a highly effective item on Zyra if the enemy team is very tanky. The heavy magic penetration in combination with Liandry's Torment can easily melt a high magic resistance and health tank down to nothing. It is also effective against any squishy target, as it pretty much guarantees they will have 0 magic resistance when combined with flat magic penetration.


I kind of think this item is questionable on Zyra but I will talk about it anyway. This can be good on her plants as if she has one active and she keeps on moving around and casting spells then she can cause her plants to proc the splash damage quite a lot, as well as the movement speed helping to counter her poor mobility. However this is better bought on burst mages and disappointingly, despite plant attacks counting as spell casts they will not add to the charge of Luden's Tempest. While Zyra does have some burst damage potential she mainly specialises in sustained damage. But if you like this item and feel that it compliments your playstyle then feel free to buy it.

Defensive Items:

This is the defensive item that is associated with being the main defense item for mages. The item gives 50 armour as well as a large chunk of ability power but it's main attribute is it's active which doesn't let you resist lots of damage it just lets you avoid it completely. With careful timing that active can easily save your life by either blocking a fatal source of damage such as Death Mark but can also give you just that little bit of time you need for spells to come off cooldown, allowing you to score a kill at very low health. In Zyra's case this item is especially useful because her plants will continue attacking while she is in stasis. Also in large teamfights it allows her to walk a bit closer to the enemy team so she can use all her abilities at once then enter stasis once they start attacking her. The possibilities for this item are quite limitless but you have to make sure you don't use it at the wrong time, such as when all 5 of the enemy team are chasing you while you are alone. Overall this is a very important item and there are only a very small amount of matches where you may not buy this.


This item has recently gained popularity on mages who like to buy Rylai's Crystal Scepter and Liandry's Torment together (and other health/ability power items), such as Brand and Swain. You will end up having a ton of health so it can be useful if you think you your situation requires you to be a bit more healthy.


I generally don't buy this item however the magic resistance can be useful when facing magic damage burst champions such as Akali and Diana. It also gives some ability power and cooldown reduction however I am simply not a big fan of it because Zyra's long range means she doesn't benefit very much from it's aura.

Additional Items:

These are the "added extra" items that you will buy eventually in late game but may buy at certain earlier times because the situation demands it.


This is a potion you will definitely buy once your build complete since it is bonus ability power and true damage without even using up an item slot. Make sure to keep refreshing it each time you recall!


This can be good if you want to quickly ward baron or dragon but are too far away. It also has a very low cooldown and can potentially last forever. Get this if you want to ward far away areas for safety and observation.


This is similar to Vision Ward as it can reveal invisible units and wards but it is instantaneous and has a much shorter cooldown. This can be bought if you want to be more aggressive by destroying enemy wards rather than placing your own. This can be useful when you are about to kill Baron or dragon and you want to catch out any stealth champions that may ambush you at the last second.

Now I will cover Zyra's gameplay throughout various stages of the game. Starting with early game (Laning phase), mid game (roaming phase) and late game (objective phase).

Early Game:

This is the part of the game at the very beginning when everyone is just trying to farm and harass with occasional ganks from junglers. This will usually last from about levels 1-9, or until the first tower is destroyed.
In Zyra's case she can do quite well during this part as she is very good at harassing. Note that how you harass will depend on whether you are maxing Deadly Spines or Grasping Roots first. For the former, just try and spam it along with Rampant Growth until their health drops low. For the latter use when you are very confident Grasping Roots will land, if so also cast Rampant Growth into Deadly Spines into another Rampant Growth. Note that Rampant Growth needs to be cast in the respective spells area of effect while it is in flight, so that it actually spawns a plant. Also look for opportunities to abuse the seeds created by Garden of Thorns, such as if they spawn close to your enemy.

Mid Game:

This is the part of the game in which outer turrets start to be destroyed and players start to roam the map for kills. You will usually be about level 9-14 at this point. Zyra must be careful at this point as her low mobility makes it easy for her to be caught out of place. However she herself can be a great roamer as her CC is very strong.
However if you have not destroyed your enemies outer turret yet I would recommend doing first unless they are guarding it hard. Calling for ally help can be a good idea at this point.

Late Game:

This is the part of the game in which players are frantically trying to destroy objectives and kill either dragon or baron nashor. You will usually be about level 15+ by this time. This is where Zyra can really blossom (pun intended) as her Grasping Roots + Stranglethorns can really cripple the whole enemy team all at once. While her burst damage starts to fall off her sustained damage throughout team fights is immense. When in team fights always be trying to find those perfect moments to land Grasping Roots as it can act as great initiation for Zyra's other abilities and her whole team. Remember to keep baron and dragon warded and try to kill them if the enemy team is distracted or if you managed to kill 3+ of their team (especially the Jungler).

Basic Spell Combos:

These are 2 Zyra spell combos that you will definitely want to be using regularly:

Simple Harass:

,
Since this is so simple I'm not sure it can be defined as a 'combo' but it's best explained since it is very important when maxing deadly bloom first (and also good for those who max Grasping Roots first). Also it is easier to hit than Grasping Roots so it is generally more reliable. While this is a spammable skill keep an eye on your mana because even Zyra's mana can eventually be depleted if you use it too much. Remember to keep farming between harass as Doran's Ring will restore mana.

Burst Harass:

, , ,
This combo is my most commonly used as it is very deadly when pulled off right. If you land all your abilities and get in lots of plant attacks as well as your own then it can easily deal over 50% of the targets max health in damage, causing them to flee, play safe, or even die to a second combo if they stay. Use this combo when you are very confident that Grasping Roots will land and if it does you will be rewarded greatly. In the unfortunate event it misses try not to plant any seeds as they have a long cooldown during early game and since plants are most effective while your opponent is rooted it means they won't be fully effective if you miss Grasping Roots.

Kill Combo:

, , , ,
This is what Zyra should use when she wants to kill an enemy or more. This is the same as the burst harass combo except that Stranglethorns is added at the end for more damage and CC. It can also be a good idea to cast Stranglethorns just after casting Grasping Roots of you are confident that Grasping Roots will land because it reduces the risk of enemies escaping the knockup since they will be rooted for more of Stranglethorns' duration. If you have either Ignite or Exhaust then use those as well if you want to secure your kill further.

As well as being a good mid laner Zyra also excels at being a bottom lane support for an ADC. Her wealth of CC, long range poke and innate vision are very useful when helping an ADC get kills and survive. Zyra is especially good at utilising brush since it makes it difficult for enemies to tell when and from what position her abilities are coming from. However just be careful of her sheer squishyness and lack of mobility as this can make hard engage matchups difficult, such as Blitzcrank and Thresh. Also her high damage can sometimes result in some accidental kill stealing ;).

I decided to keep Zyra's recommended runes the same as her mage build, as well as her possible alternative runes (reminder of them here). This is because Zyra support is about making your harass hurt as much as possible, also the armor from the Greater Seal of Armor is useful for negating ADC damage.

However possible support substitutions include taking either Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed or Greater Quintessence of Gold. The movement speed can be useful for positioning to use abilities while the gold generation can be useful to supplement your low support income.

Ferocity Tree:
I take Sorcery as usual but then take Expose Weakness since it is a very powerful mastery for an offensive support like Zyra. I then finish off with Natural Talent and Oppressor , as per the mage build.

Cunning Tree:
I take Wanderer for getting back to lane and Secret Stash for the sustain. I then take Merciless as Zyra doesn't need additional mana regeneration, as well as Bandit for the necessary gold generation. Lastly I take Intelligence for the higher cooldown reduction cap, allowing Zyra's abilities to be ready quickly, and finally Thunderlord's Decree for the increased harass it offers.

These are the two best choices for Zyra support. Exhaust is very powerful since it makes it easy to land skillshots, let your ADC catch up, save your ADC and many other purposes. There are nearly no situations where I wouldn't take it. As for Flash it is the classice spell that all champions take. The mobility it offers is through the roof and is even more necessary than Exhaust.

The only substitute summoner spell you would really consider is Ignite, as the bonus damage can allow for an early kill. It also reduces the effectiveness of an ADC's Heal.

Here is a reminder of what Zyra spells do. Otherwise I will just describe how you use her spells as a support.


Overall there isn't really much difference between using this passive as a mage and using it as a support. Grow plants to harass the ADC when a seed spawns near them, as well as using the seeds to zone the ADC away from farm.


While in lane with an ADC this ability is mainly useful for when you want to grow a Thorn Spitter. Since you will not be maxing it first it's damage will be kind of low but it becomes better later in the game when it has more damage and when you have items with spell effects (such as Rylai's Crystal Scepter. I max this last

This spell gains a lot more value as a support because not only can it be used for growing plants but the innate vision it offers is very handy for avoiding ganks and also checking bushes in your lane for sneaky supports. Maxing Rampant Growth second is a good idea as the cooldown reduction and increase in seeds can be valuable as a support.


This is your staple ability for being aggressive as the root will lock down the enemy ADC and keep them in place for ADC and plant attacks. The Vine Lasher that grows is also useful for similar purposes. This can also be used when a gank is coming and you need to root the jungler or ADC to get away. Absolutely max this first.


This ability is mainly useful for it's knockup, since this will severly cripple the ADC. When your ADC is duelling with the enemy simply plant this underneath the enemy and they will gain a heavy disadvantage. Or if you are fleeing cast this around you and your ADC to knockup any pursuers. As usual take a point whenever possible.

Starting Items:

These will be your starting items. I wouldn't recommend any other starting items on Zyra apart from possibly substituting 2 Health Potions for a Vision Ward, in case you want the early vision. Spellthief's Edge is the necessary item as Zyra benefits greatly from the tribute passive, since she is so good at harassing. I wouldn't recommend Ancient Coin since Zyra will not lose much health when played correctly.

Core Items:

This is the core item on any support. It is impossible to be a good support without it. The wards are invaluable for keeping crucial points warded, such as the river to avoid ganks, or dragon so you can possibly ambush the enemy. In late game warding dragon (and baron) becomes even more necessary and it is often good to keep bushes warded in case the enemy team has planned a big ambush within one. It is highly gold efficient since you can have potentially infinite wards that last longer than your average Stealth Ward. To top it all off it even gives some health.


Since you have Sightstone for wards your other necessary support item is Sweeping Lens. This is handy for denying your enemies vision of key areas (such as dragon and river). Remember to upgrade it into oracle's alteration at level 9.


This is the item that builds from Spellthief's Edge. I find this to be very powerful on Zyra due to it's active effect. After patch 5.22 Frost Queen's Claim now has the Twin Shadows active effect (which has been removed) but on a low 60 second cooldown. The slow that it offers is the main reason this is good as it makes landing your skillshots much easier. It is also useful for engaging and disengaging. Since it grants vision of enemies it can be used to scout the jungle to check for any enemy champions that may be hiding in it. The item itself also gives us moderate ability power to make abilities more potent, as well as cooldown reduction and massive mana regeneration. Overall a very powerful item on Zyra.


I like these boots best on all supports because of the sheer mobility they give in every situation. The 55 movement speed is very useful for repositioning, catching up, and running away and even gives 25% reduced slow effects. To top it all off it only costs 900 gold so is very gold efficient. I prefer these to Mobility Boots because Mobility Boots are too unreliable, since your reduced movement speed while in combat could affect whether you can contribute to a crucial situation. If the situation demands it here are other options you may consider:
Ionian Boots of Lucidity can be a good choice before your Rampant Growth is maxed. You can buy these boots while it is not at max rank then sell them once it is maxed. Since Ionian Boots of Lucidity are very cheap you will not lose much gold doing this.
Sorcerer's Shoes are a good choice if you need more damage output. This may be because your ADC has become behind in someway and therefore they need help from you to supplement their damage.
Either Mercury's Treads or Ninja Tabi can be good choices if you are facing heavy magic or physical damage.
Mobility Boots can be considered if you plan to do lots of roaming to mid. Since Zyra has good crowd control that could be worth it.


This is very powerful item when playing as a support since ADCs have a tendency to build life steal, which this item can then reduce. It also grants massive cooldown reduction as well as some mana.

Offensive Options:

Quite a good item on Zyra support because the current health damage means that Zyra can quickly demolish an enemy's health bar without the damage taking the kill, as current health damage will eventually reach 0 when the targets health has reached a certain level. Therefore good for preparing enemies for her ADC.


This is good for improving chasing potential as well as adding more CC to a teamfight. You buy this for pretty similar reasons that you would buy it as a mid lane mage.


This can be especially good if the enemy team is heavily magic damage based, as the promoted minion becomes immune to magic damage. Therefore this is good for pushing towers. It also grants the Legion aura which is also useful against magic damage heavy teams. Note that Zyra's plants CAN be promoted by Banner of Command.


This has the potential to be a very powerful item. If it's passive is activated while in the midst of a teamfight then the extra ability power for you and the extra critical strike chance for your ADC makes for a sudden advantage for your team. It even gives some armour if you are having any trouble with physical damage.

Defensive options:

This item is useful for the same reasons that it is useful in mid lane. The active effect is very potent when you ant to start a fight without immediately getting focused down.


This is the defensive version of Banner of Command. The shield can be life saving when used at the right time and it can also protect your team from devastating AoE damage, such as Mega Inferno Bomb and Requiem.


This can sometimes be more useful on a support Zyra, since you will be a bit more tanky due to your general item spread and you will not be the prime focus in your team, therefore it is safer to walk close and benefit from the aura. This is especially useful if your team has heavy magic damage.


This is exceptionally useful when the enemy team has a lot of CC. The active is very powerful and can potentially turn a fatal gank or hard engage in your favour. This also gives you a form of health sustain for your ADC however note that it has a long cooldown so you don't want to be using it as soon as it is available.


This upgrades from Sightstone so you will always buy it, but I decided not to put it in essentials as you may stay with just your Sightstone for a long time.

Additional Items:

This is the elixir you will usually buy once your build is complete. The true damage is handy for pushing towers.


This is an alternative elixir you can consider as the bonus movement speed for allies is useful for letting them escape from fights, however you will most likely not be leading the charge into fights. It even gives some tenacity and health, which can help make you a bit more durable.


You will upgrade your Sweeping Lens into this at level 9. The effect of the Oracle Lens has a longer duration and follows you wherever you go while active.

This chapter shows how well Zyra works with each ADC in lane. I will gove a rating ranging from 1 to 10 based on how good they are together, 1 meaning very poor, 10 meaning very good, and 5 meaning average.

8/10

Ashe is the ADC with the most utility. She synergises quite well as her Frost Shot allows you to land skillshots more easily. She can then use your hard CC to then land her Enchanted Crystal Arrow with ease ultimately making Ashe and Zyra work very well together. They also both have innate vision so ganks can be carefully monitored. Overall a good matchup.

6/10

This is generally just an ok synergy but can have the potential to be good. If someone lands on Caitlyn's Yordle Snap Trap then this gives you a chance to try and land skillshots. Sometimes this can be done the other way around in which you catch someone with Grasping Roots and she quickly lays a trap underneath their feet. Since Caitlyn has a very long auto attack range it means slowing or rooting someone with your abilities makes it easy for her to harass them with basic attacks. Overall though an ok matchup.

5/10

Both you guys happen to be caster based champions reliant on skillshots, overall meaning this can go really badly or really well. If you are both good at landing skillshots then you can harass them into hell and your CC will keep Corki relatively safe and allow him to land more skillshots. However if you are both frequently missing then the lane becomes very difficult. Overall an average matchup.

7/10

Draven is a snowball champion. therefore Zyra is a good support for him since she is very aggressive. When you land Grasping Roots and all your other abilities this gives Draven a good chance to just walk in and melt the target enemy (preferably ADC). However note if you can't get that early lead then Draven may just become quite useless. Overall though a good matchup.

5/10

Similar to the Corki matchup as Ezreal is reliant on skillshots, so this lane is either 100% yours or 100% theirs.

7/10

This is an interesting matchup as Graves is all about getting in the enemies face and bursting them down. This can be good as being able to land CC on the enemy then lets Graves just move right up to them. Since Graves also has innate bonus resistances, it means he is superior when he gets up close to the enemy. Overall a good matchup.

8/10

As a snowball champion with a strong early game this makes Zyra a good support for Jinx. When Jinx lands either her Zap! or Flame Chompers! this makes landing your skillshots easy, then you can collapse onto your victim for kill (this CC process can also be done the other way around). Remember that Get Excited! allows Jinx to quickly disengage so do not be afraid about her getting killed very easily after you two have a kill. Overall a good matchup.

8/10

This is a good synergy as the chain CC with Grasping Roots and Deadly Flourish is very strong. Also since Zyra does lots of damage it makes Jhin's 4th shot all the more potent, since it deals missing health damage

9/10

I find this matchup to be very good because of how all your abilities combine together. Most significant is both your ultimates, as Kalista can use Fate's Call to knockup your enemies and then you can plant Stranglethorns under them while they are knocked up, resulting in a double knockup. Kalista also has a slow for skillshots, innate vision and your long auto attack range allows easy activation of Sentinels bonus damage. Overall a very good matchup.

4/10

Since Kog'Maw has the potential to deal huge damage but is immobile it means that all he needs is a support that can keep him safe. While Zyra does have CC to stop enemies getting to him she lacks shields, heals or movement speed buffs which means she may find it challenging to properly keep him safe. I might consider items such as Mikael's Blessing or Locket of the Iron Solari to try and help with that problem. So overall while Zyra can be of some help she probably isn't the best support for Kog'Maw.

7/10

This can be a good matchup since Lucian has innate mobility, and The Culling synergises well with supports who can keep his target still, such as Zyra. His burst damage is very strong so landing Grasping Roots will allow him to harass using abilities and Lightslinger. Overall a good matchup.

9/10

Miss Fortune is all about AoE 'wombo combos' and so is Zyra so they make a very good pair. Stranglethorns into Bullet Time can result in the enemy taking huge damage so they work very well together. Her Make it Rain will also make landing skillshots easier. Overall a very good matchup.

7/10

This can be a good matchup since Vault gives Quinn good early game kiting potential. The knockback and slow it causes then makes landing your abilities easier. Her Blinding Assault also means enemies cannot see where you are firing skillshots from so then it can result in you two dealing heavy damage with little taken. Overall a good matchup.

6/10

Sivir is very mobile so she fills that gap for you. Meanwhile your CC is good for keeping enemies in place while she easily shreds them with Boomerang Blade and Ricochet. However she has no CC at all so you must be more careful when trying to land your abilities. Overall an ok matchup.

[icon=tristana size=50

7/10

This has good potential beacause both of you guys have strong hard engage. Rooting the ADC allows Tristana easy autoattacks on her Explosive Charge.

8/10

Twitch is similar to Miss Fortune as he can also pull off good AoE 'wombo combos'. He also has a slow and his Ambush allows him to pull off high damage surprises after you land your Grasping Roots and other abilities. Overall a good matchup.

6/10

Varus is a unique ADC since he has the traits of a caster but also retains powerful auto attack potential. Also Zyra's Stranglethorns in combination with Chain of Corruption can result in enemies being CC'd for a very long time, and her CC allows him to land his all powerful Piercing Arrows. However he has no mobility whatsoever so keeping him safe will be tough. Overall an ok matchup.

7/10

Vayne is a snowball champion with an exceptionally weak early game. Just let her farm for a while you harass the enemy. After a while Vayne will be able to utilise your CC to then land her Condemn when enemies are near walls, then Stranglethorns can be planted underneath them. As long as Vayne gets at least about 2 to 3 kills then she will start becoming very powerful. Overall a pretty good matchup.

Overall there isn't much to say as it is pretty similar to a mid lane mage Zyra since she is about contributing her powerful CC and high sustained damage to teamfights. The difference with a support build being that rather than trying to get kills you are trying to keep the enemy disabled so that they cannot harm your allies and also to get the allies kills. The biggest difference is early game:
In early game you will be trying to harass the enemy for your ADC, as well as keeping necessary areas warded and protection your ADC. Unless they are warded make sure to use the bushes in the lane, as it means enemies cannot see when and where Zyra uses her abilities. If you feel you can get a kill then signal your ADC and use the kill combo shown in the mid lane mage guide. In terms of keeping your ADC safe aim your abilities always at the enemy ADC and use exhaust if necessary.
Overall mid and late game are going to be very similar to a mid lane mage build, just keep in mind that you will be more responsible for warding and CC in teamfights and not damage/kills.

Thank you very much for reading my guide on mid lane Zyra and/or support Zyra. I hope you learned much and will have fun playing Zyra and also win many matches with her. Since this is my first guide I am sorry if it is not very good. Leave a comment if there are any errors or improvements that can be resolved and have a good time with Zyra!