Why AP Zac? Why isn't Tank Zac better?

Full AP Zac is very good in most team comps due to both his damage and cc potential. Even if you aren't doing too well early, you can still provide to the team through your cc potential. Tank Zac is still very strong as well as hybrid AP/Tank, but AP Zac has the potential to 1v9 given the right situation while Tank zac will be CCed for eternity while his health is slowly eaten away. AP Zac is still capable of challenging a tank and winning the fight due to his cc potential coupled with the insane amounts of damage.

100K+ Damage in a game with Zac.
AP Zac is fully capable of outputing 100K+ total damage late game. Zac's E at max level and full build without potions or any buffs (No drakes, no souls, no gathering storm scaling etc) does around 1000 magic damage. With void staff and shadow flame's magic pen along with horizon focus's 10% extra damage, 100K+ damage is an easy goal to reach in many games. M7 Zac main here and have had 100K+ damage games with Zac.

Drakes
Chemtech Drake
- Useful for some added healing with blobs and tenacity.

Cloud Drake
- Useful to prevent the enemy team from running away from your e and q.

Hextech Drake
- Delicious Ability haste

Infernal Drake
- Love the extra damage

Mountain Drake
- Less damage taken when fighting and prevents the enemy team from gaining more resistances

Ocean Drake
- Least useful compared to the other drakes but the healing is appreciated.

Souls
Chemtech Soul
- VERY IMPORTANT. You will struggle a little if the enemy team picks up the soul.

Cloud Soul
- Important. Your ult already gives movement speed when you cast it but added movement speed is always nice.

Hextech Soul
- Extra damage is nice

Infernal Soul
- Extra damage is nice

Mountain Soul
- IMPORTANT. You will deal less damage to them if the pick up the shields from drake and you lose out on some extra shielding when you engage.

Ocean Drake
- We all know this.

Dark Harvest or Electrocute?
While Electrocute is a good rune itself and easily procable by Zac, Electrocute in my opinion is more of an early game burst rune, as Dark Harvest easily surpasses Electrocute's damage going into late game, provided you've been fighting.

Sudden Impact or Cheat Shot?
Cheap Shot is definetly procable by Zac due to his airborne cc, Zac benefits more from added armor and magic pen for the duration he goes in. Sudden Impact's resistance penatration ultimately provides more than the extra true damage dealt by cheap shot.

Eyeball collection or Zombie Wards?
Zombie Wards provides similar adaptive forces to Zac. This is up to personal preference as Eyeball collection is recommended for people who are more likely to gank and get takedowns early to get the extra adaptive while Zombie wards are more recommended for more passive players who don't want to fight early. As jungle, mid or sup, I would highly recommend eyeball collection because of Zac's ganking and fighting potential to be able to benefit off of the extra adaptive early.

Ultimate Hunter or Treasure Hunter?
Treasure Hunter by all means is not a bad rune but if you're running Dark Harvest, you might as well run Ultimate Hunter. Zac's Ult is very important when fighting, providing crucial cc, movement speed, blobs, and damage. When you have Dark Harvest, you're incentivised to fight more to get stacks on it so therefore being able to have your ultimate up faster allows you to take more fights to stack Dark harvest.

Why Transcendence and Gathering Storm?
Because Zac is more of a burst champion, Nullifying orb doesn't provide that much value. Zac doesn't sport mana so manaflow band will simply be replaced and nimbus cloak isn't really needed as Zac already gains movement speed with his ultimate. If you're playing jungle with Zac, the upgraded smite also steals movement speed if it's really and issue which it shouldn't be because of the range of your E. This goes the same for Celerity. When playing jungle, Scorch is unecessary due to your jungle pet, and because Zac is a burst champion, poking with scorch doesn't really provide too much value. Movement speed isn't really any issue on Zac due to Zac's E, although it does give extra adaptive in the river but Gathering storm will easily scale past that later in the game. Absolute Focus is another pick that can work because of the added adaptive while above 70% health. However, Transcendence is ultimately better because Zac's damage relies on his E and W for the most part and when playing AP Zac, so the extra 10 ability haste coupled with the cooldown reduction on kill with transcendence allows you to use your abilities more and output more damage.

TLDR: Other runes don't provide as much on Zac; Transcendence gives ability haste for your e and w and the cooldown reduction is important. Gathering Storm's extra adaptive is better than Waterwalking and Absolute Focus late game.

Double Adaptive for more damage and Armor can be swapped out with Magic resist depending on your laner. When playing jungle if there is at least 2 AD champs on the other team, run armor to have your clear a little healthier. Taking the extra 150 health does help Zac's damage but it's up to preference.

WIP

Zac Jungle clears are a little slower than other jungler and maybe not as healthy. As Zac jungle, your should prioritize to reach level 4 with your first clear in order to pump another point into e to extend its range and help gank easier.

There are 2 options to start your clear.

With Leash:
Bot Side

Red Bot side:
Ref Buff | Leash
Krugs (Rocks)
Chickens
Wolves
Blue buff
Gromp (Frog)

Blue Bot side:
Blue buff | leash
Gromp (Frog)
Wolves
Chickens
Red Buff
Krugs (Rocks)

Note that you can use your q on the rocks and then auto the red buff for an extra blob and cc.

No Leash - | 3:45 clear with 69%hp
Wolves
Blue Buff
Gromp (Frog)
Chickens
Red Buff
Krugs (Rocks)

Once you get level 4, you should try to gank a lane and secure bot side scuttle. Top side scuttle will most likely be taken already due to the slower clear speed.

Keep farming and keep a lookout for any lanes that are being pushed in. Zac can gank from behind walls so use that to your advantage to launch a surprise gank from your side of the lane instead of coming from river where it's potentially warded.

Once you hit level 6, you should be able to win most ganks due to your ult's cc and damage provided none of the lanes are fed.

When stealing drakes,baron,herald,etc., Zac can jump over the drake pit without landing in the pit and smite the drake without being hit. Keep in mind that any cc thrown at you while you jump may cause you to get stuck in the pit and potentially die but the chance of that is not likely. This tech takes a little bit a practice but is perfomable in real games as the enemy team is in shock on how zac stole their drake for free.

Zac W is the go to when running Mid or Top to help with farming and trading. If your laner is building tank items, build void staff first item to help counteract them building any mr items. Otherwise stick to cosmic drive.

Use your q to poke and trade. Zac works the best when he can pull a quick trade and collect all his blobs. Post 3 trade combo can look like q -> auto -> w -> e. Try to keep trades short to be able to collect all your blobs.

Your E is very useful to get you out of being punished for ganks so try to hold onto your e if you're not trying to trade. Your E can send you across your lane after a few seconds of charging so keep in mind of any cc that can stop your e when charging it up.

When in an extended fight/all-in, once you make a combo collect all your blobs so your w comes up faster. While collecting your blobs you may also kite an ability or two from your opponent. Generally, if you can, you should pick up a blob after you cc them with your e or q for the best results.

When playing mid, roaming top or bot is recommended as zac is excellent for ganking and will get you and your top/bot laner ahead if you do so.

Zac support is a very good support in terms of CC and damage output. When engaging, focus on the adc like always. Use your q to engage if they have a dash/spellshield. Follow up with an e after your q to help ensure your e lands. When using your e to initiate, try wait until the adc and support and near each other to be able to hit both of them with your e. Follow up with a q and w and let your adc help clearn up. Keep in mind because your e has a very far range, your adc may not be able to keep up with it so make sure to communicate with your adc.

Feel free to roam mid when your adc isn't in any immediate threat as zac is excellent on ganking.