Ziggs Build Guide by Music Lion

Introduction

Welcome summoners to anotheraMusic Lion guide. Ziggs has blown up my other favorite champions and has decided to become my new favorite. How could I tell that Ziggs was my new favorite champion? The first time I played Ziggs, I went on a ten game winning streak with him. And this was using the build I use now. I appreciate RIOT finally trying to develop champions with unique play styles such as Ziggs. It really generates new opportunities for players.

You will by the end of this guide:

• Like Ziggs
• Know the best items to get
• Know how to use his abilities
• Be able to explain to your friends how to use Ziggs
• Walk away slowly while Mega Inferno Bomb explodes (killing everything behind you) with that big grin on your face :D

Enjoy!

Ziggs - Bombs Away

Ziggs was born with a talent for tinkering, but his chaotic, hyperactive nature was unusual among yordle scientists. Aspiring to be a revered inventor like Heimerdinger, he rattled through ambitious projects with manic zeal, emboldened by both his explosive failures and his unprecedented discoveries. Word of Ziggs' volatile experimentation reached the famed Yordle Academy in Piltover and its esteemed professors invited him to demonstrate his craft. His characteristic disregard for safety brought the presentation to an early conclusion, however, when the hextech engine Ziggs was demonstrating overheated and exploded, blowing a huge hole in the wall of the Academy. The professors dusted themselves off and sternly motioned for him to leave. Devastated, Ziggs prepared to return to Bandle City in shame. However, before he could leave, a group of Zaunite agents infiltrated the Academy and kidnapped the professors. The Piltover military tracked the captives to a Zaunite prison, but their weapons were incapable of destroying the fortified walls. Determined to outdo them, Ziggs began experimenting on a new kind of armament, and quickly realized that he could harness his accidental gift for demolition to save the captured yordles.

Before long, Ziggs had created a line of powerful bombs he lovingly dubbed ''hexplosives.'' With his new creations ready for their first trial, Ziggs traveled to Zaun and sneaked into the prison compound. He launched a gigantic bomb at the prison and watched with glee as the explosion tore through the reinforced wall. Once the smoke had cleared, Ziggs scuttled into the facility, sending guards running with a hail of bombs. He rushed to the cell, blew the door off its hinges, and led the captive yordles to freedom. Upon returning to the Academy, the humbled professors recognized Ziggs with an honorary title - Dean of Demolitions - and proposed that he demonstrate this new form of yordle ingenuity in the League of Legends. Vindicated at last, Ziggs accepted the proposal, eager to bring his ever-expanding range of hexplosives to the greatest testing grounds in the world: the Fields of Justice.

''Ziggs? Unpredictable, dangerous, yes yes. But quite brilliant!'' - Heimerdinger

Pros / Cons

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Pros + All AOE spells + Passive provides burst + Powerful zone control + Awesome escape ability + Can jump over large walls + Spells have long range + Ultimate is a Nuke... Literally

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Cons - Squishy - Weak at close range - Learning curve - All skills can be dodged - High cost spells - Have to read enemy movements - ...Can't think of any more

Masteries

I use the standard AP carry masteries. 21 in offense focusing on raw AP damage and 9 in utility for bonus mana and jungle mastery.

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This is for your Ignite. While on cooldown this will give you a +5 to ability power and attack damage. Not much, but early game this can decide if they get away or if you can finish them with a clutch Bouncing Bomb.

Mental Force More flat AP (+3 AP) Another early game boost

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Sorcery 4 points for some much needed cooldown (4% reduction)

Blast Flat AP per level mastery. I take four points in this for +18 ability power at level 18. A nice boost in damage.

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Havoc Increases your overall damage by 1.5%. This is the mini mini Rabadon's Deathcap, essential.

Runes

• Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: Some raw magic penetration marks. Marks are offensive based in nature, and so you should make use of as much magic pen as possible.
  
• Greater Seal of Armor: Some extra armor. With Ziggs you often find yourself closer to the action than you might want to deal as much damage as possible. You may need to jump with Satchel Charge, and some extra armor will get you out of danger without becoming Master Yi's next meal.
  
• Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: Also essential. Going mid you will most likely be up against another AP carry such as yourself. This will keep you protected while you blast away their brains.
  
• Greater Quintessence of Magic Penetration: A large boost in magic penetration. Extremely useful at all stages of the game. I have two of these runes with one quintessence of vigor. It's your choice on how many of each you want, but if you are looking for raw damage, take magic pen.
  
• greater quintessence of vigor: These runes are extremely useful for early game mid laning. You should be sticking around as long as possible without endangering yourself, and this rune helps a lot wish passive health regen.

Summoner Spells

This spell is required on Ziggs. You should be mid, (although you don't have to be) and you need an easy escape / gap closer. Professional jump combo: Throw Satchel Charge -> Flash -> Bounce = that's a classy Ziggs. If your opponent is at quarter health and you have mana, it's a free kill. Professional first blood combo: Flash -> Bouncing Bomb -> Short Fuse = BOOM


In my opinion a needed spell. You should be taking Ziggs mid lane. Burst is everything mid lane, can't argue this enough. Ignite is just more damage you can put on your burst, and will be our only source of damage over time (DoT). The best part of DoT is that your opponent has a harder time knowing how much damage it will deal.

Gameplay

Ziggs is designed to be a high damage, zone control champion sprinkled with crazy spice. His set of abilities grant him extremely high damage potential, but Ziggs is quite weak if enemies are allowed to close the gap to him.

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Ziggs can easily out range any champion mid lane except of course Xerath. His spells have some of the longest base ranges of any champion in the League, and can bombard a general location without worry of counterattack.

Ziggs was designed with the idea that in order to get maximum damage out of him you have to take large risks. This mode of play is based around bruising the enemy while remaining in a comfortable position. Tossing long range Bouncing Bombs and placing Hexplosive Minefield to zone your enemy.


Ye ol' stalemate when your 5 teammates are looking at those 5 baddies and everybody is Twitching for a fight. You all know what I'm talking about. Ziggs can stand behind buddies to avoid initiation and still be tossing bombs at them. Don't use Hexplosive Minefield in this situation, just keep blasting em with your Bouncing Bombs. This hurts your enemy before the fight even begins, and it'll keep them concentrated on dodging bombs rather than on a possible team fight.


Once you start playing Ziggs, you will notice these play styles emerge naturally. You just have to know when to stay in Siege Mode (sit back in chair and throw bombs), and when to go into Bombs Away Mode (Press face to screen and yell 'BOMBS AWAY').



First, tighten your goggles... THEN, place your Satchel Charge directly under you. Activate Satchel Charge to shoot yourself through the air and place Hexplosive Minefield behind your opponent so it's just touching him. Once he has hit a few mines, open up with Ignite and Bouncing Bomb. To finish, hit him with Short Fuse and launch Mega Inferno Bomb right where he just Flashed to.


Additional notes about Professional Bombs Away Maneuver

• You cannot place satchel charge far away and then run to it. You have little legs and they will see you waddling... They know what's going on if you are obvious.
  
• While flying through the air from Satchel Charge, you can use you abilities, like Tristana's Rocket Jump. Hard to master, but this is how to show off your swag.
  
• Opponents can do tricky things like instead running towards you when you place Hexplosive Minefield. This is why you want to make sure you place it partially ON them.
  
• It's much easier to hit an opponent after they have gone through your Hexplosive Minefield. That's why it is the first ability you drop on them.
  
• Try to hit them with Ignite + Bouncing Bomb + Short Fuse at the same time for the most damage.
• Only use Mega Inferno Bomb + Flash to finish if needed.
  
• When ganking, place Satchel Charge in the brush. It's invisible when placed in brush, so leap out and BOMBS AWAY!
  
• This maneuver is not recommended for team fights, save Satchel Charge for breaking channels / escaping.

Abilities

• Short Fuse:
  (Innate): Every 12 seconds, Ziggs' next basic attack deals 13 + (7 x level)(+35% of ability power) bonus magic damage. This cooldown is reduced by 4 seconds whenever Ziggs uses an ability.
  

• Only downside: when Short Fuse is ready, Ziggs' bombs will glow. How to avoid this? A little something I like to call... The Bomb Weave (See Early Game)
  
  This is one of the main reasons Ziggs can out damage other AP carries. It's equivalent to a low scaling ability with a .35 ability power scale, in addition to your added attack damage as it is in fact an AP SCALING AUTO ATTACK! So you will have an extra card to play instead of some stupid passive like Loaded Dice *Insert troll face here*
  
  
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  Early Game

  You are going to want to pay attention to this closely. It's your only source of damage that can't miss. Get a little closer (between melee and ranged minions) once you have level two Bouncing Bombs. Professional Bomb Weave: wait till your Short Fuse cooldown is at 4 seconds, then Bouncing Bomb and follow up with Short Fuse. This should take out half their health bar if you are against another AP carry.
  
• Also, last hitting minions shouldn't be too much of a problem with Short Fuse. Ziggs has fantastic attack range and if you aren't being a bully to the guy behind the other minion wave, farm it all up.
  
  
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  Mid Game

  During mid game Short Fuse is simply more damage. It's not as crucial of an ability as you have not built enough ability power. When using a burst or ganking, try to work Short Fuse into your combo after Hexplosive Minefield and Bouncing Bomb.
  
  
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  Late Game

  Late game Short Fuse is back in action. Once you have Lich Bane your next auto attack will include damage from short fuse and the Lich Bane proc. Let's say you have 500 AP at this point and have finished your Lich Bane. Just from your auto attack you will deal 13 + (7 x 18 = 126) = 139 base damage. Then for AP it's .35 x 500 = 175.
  
  Total? 139 + 175 + 109(AD at level 18) = 423 total damage from Short Fuse.
  
  Add in Lich Bane, 423 + 500 = 923 total damage from your auto attack.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• Bouncing Bomb:
  (Active): Ziggs throws a bomb to a target area. If the bomb doesn't hit any enemy in the area, it will bounce two times more or until it hits an enemy. The bomb will explode and deal magic damage in an area upon hitting an enemy or bouncing twice.
  
  Range to First Bounce: 850
  Maximum Range: 1400 (estimate)
  Explosion radius: 150 (estimate)
  
  Cost: 60 / 70 / 80 / 90 / 100 mana
  Cooldown: 6 / 5.5 / 5 / 4.5 / 4 seconds
  Magic Damage: 75 / 120 / 165 / 210 / 255 (+0.65 per ability power)
  
  
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  JAYCE PATCH

  Ziggs
  
  jehfblaehjfb Bouncing Bomb
  efargarharhathajMana cost reduced to 50/60/70/80/90 from 60/70/80/90/100
  
  10 less mana each bomb, sweet :)
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  The Q bomb. The first ability you want to max as this will be your main damage ability.
  
  
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  What's good?

  Bouncing Bomb is a deceptive ability. It changes the meta game of hiding behind minions in mid lane and allows you to bombard your enemy from safety. It scales well and has an extremely short cooldown. The range? The bomb actually bounces out of your sight at max range, it's that awesome.
  
  

  What's not so good?

  Bouncing Bombs get expensive very quickly. At level 1 it may cost 60 mana, but by level 9 you are spending 100 mana every bomb! If your opponent is smart, they will be looking for the bombs, and it will cost you heavily if you miss.
  
  
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  Tips & Tricks

  The bomb will explode when it comes in contact with minions or champions, try to aim the bomb near a minion wave to hit the enemy champ with the AOE. You can also bounce the bomb in front of a minion wave and bounce it onto the enemy.
  
  
  GET CREATIVE! When your jungler is waiting in the bushes to gank your lane. Use Bouncing Bomb and Hexplosive Minefield to zone you enemy towards the brush. This will give your partner an easy initiation.
  
• In team fights, hide behind a wall or friendlies and bombard them! You don't have to be in close to help in team fights, just make sure you stay somewhat close to your guards.
  
• Also, the bomb bounces ever so slightly faster than champions move. It they are not dodging side to side, toss it directly at them.
  
  
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  Pushing your lane

  This is going to happen when you spam bouncing bombs. If you don't wish to push, throw them over the minion wave, though this is usually predictable.
  
  When trying to destroy a tower, spam bouncing bombs at the advancing minions wave. With the short cooldown, you should be using Short Fuse every few seconds. Short Fuse works on towers as well as your Lich Bane. That's where the 'Pusher' part of Ziggs comes in.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• Satchel Charge:
  (Active): Ziggs flings an explosive charge to a nearby target area that will detonate after 4 seconds or when the ability is activated again. The explosion will deal magic damage to enemies knocking them away slightly. Additionally, if Ziggs is caught in the explosion, he will be knocked away a greater distance, without taking any damage.
  
  Cost: 65 mana
  Range: 1000
  Explosion radius: 225 (estimate)
  
  Maximum knockback distance:
  Enemy: 500 (estimate)
  Self: 700 (estimate)
  
  Sight Radius: 400 (estimate)
  
  Cooldown: 30 / 27 / 24 / 21 / 18 seconds
  
  Magic Damage: 70 / 105 / 140 / 175 / 210 (+0.35 per ability power)
  
  
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  Ziggs Utility Bomb

  Satchel Charge is one of the most utilitiest utilities in the League. What can you do with it?
  
• Use it for damage
• Use it to zone your enemy
• Use it to check bushes
• Use it to break channels
• Use it to save allies
• Use it to knock up enemies
• Use it to dodge
• Use it to gank
• Use it to jump walls
• Use it to RUN!
  
  All around an amazing ability. You just have to master jumping around with it. You have to be able to escape a troublesome gank and launch yourself out of danger, that's what stachel charge is for. No doubt it's hard to get the hang of at first, but with practice you will become a badass. This goes for offense as well.
  
  
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  Tips & Tricks

• It is more effective to boost yourself towards an enemy, than to hit an enemy towards you.
• You can jump over any wall in Summoner's Rift if used correctly (dragon and baron walls)
• It will detonate after 4 seconds automatically, place under yourself to break Infinite Duress and other suppression.
• Use it to check bushes ONLY if you know you can escape without it
• SAVE IN TEAM FIGHTS, use it to break large channels or escape ONLY
• Abilities can be used IN THE AIR when using Satchel Charge
• You may use it to farm minions at low health as it is your cheapest spell.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• Hexplosive Minefield:
  (Active): Ziggs scatters 11 proximity mines in a circular area nearby, each will detonate on enemy contact, dealing magic damage and slowing them for 1.5 seconds. Enemies who have already hit a mine will take half 40% (Sad face) damage from additional mines. The mines are visible to all players and last for 10 seconds.
  
  Cooldown: 16 seconds
  Range: 900
  Minefield radius: 250 (estimate)
  Activation radius: 75 (estimate)
  
  Cost: 70 / 80 / 900 / 100 / 110 mana
  
  Magic Damage from First Mine: 40 / 65 / 90 / 115 / 140 (+0.3 per ability power)
  Magic Damage from Additional Mines: 16 / 26 / 36 / 46 / 56 (+0.12 per ability power)
  Total Possible Single Target Magic Damage: 240 / 390 / 540 / 690 / 840 (+1.8 per ability power)
  Slow: 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 / 40%
  
  
  
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  Fiora Update

  As of 2/28/12:
  Ziggs
  Hexplosive Mines
• Mana cost reduced to 70/80/90/100/110 from 80/90/100/110/120
• Slow duration reduced to 1.5 seconds from 2
• Damage from 2nd and subsequent mines reduced to 40% from 50%
  
  
  THIS MAKES ME MAD BRO
  
  A somewhat large nerf to the Hexplosive Minefield. They reduced the slow from it and nerfed the damage from secondary mines by another 10% (Don't like RIOT for this, but oh well)
  
  
  What does this mean?
• Gameplay shall remain unchanged, just simply less damage will be coming from your mines.
  
• I think the mines SHOULD be powerful so that people WON'T step on them. But I guess it isn't that bad of a nerf. For a mage Ziggs has hardly ANY CC, as opposed to Lux, Brand, Morgana, Veigar, or even Ahri. But if they must nerf his CC, so be it.
  
  
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  HOW TO USE

  
  
• Mid Lane: If you can catch your enemy off guard, place the mines on top of them, then follow with Bouncing Bomb and Short Fuse for a nice burst. If your jungler is ganking mid: Try to use Hexplosive Minefield to zone your enemy towards the brush. It's quite easy really, then toss a Bouncing Bomb to make them dodge even closer to the brush. This works well with junglers that have easy CC Nautilus, Udyr, or Fiddlesticks.
  
• Ganking: When jumping out of the brush and ganking the lane, you are going to want to place Hexplosive Minefield directly in the path of your prey. This will usually involve putting it in the bushes to block their escape, which is very effective. This will make them: 1. Run through them 2. Run around them (towards you) 3. Flash or jump over them.
  
• Pushing: Place the center of the minefield so the edges touch the ranged minions and melee minions. Then use Bouncing Bomb to clear the rest of the wave. Near enemy tower: Place Hexplosive Minefield next to the tower to zone your opponent away from it. It will also be easy to hit them with Bouncing Bomb if they have to maneuver around your minefield.
  
• Team Fighting: You want to put those bombs right in the middle of everything! Or try and place them on the support / carries to get them to retreat from the fight. They do a hefty amount of damage, so make them pay the price.
  
• Chasing: This is pretty self explanatory. DON'T put the mines directly on your enemy! Make sure you place them in the middle of the woods paths. This will make them choose another way or pay the price.
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• Mega Inferno Bomb:
  (Active): Ziggs deploys the Mega Inferno Bomb, hurling it an enormous distance to a target area. Enemies in the center of the explosion area will take a great amount of magic damage, while enemies away from the primary blast zone will take 75% of that damage.
  
  Cost: 100 mana
  Range: 5300
  Primary explosion radius: 275 (estimate)
  Secondary explosion radius: 550 (estimate)
  Sight Radius: 700 (estimate)
  
  Cooldown: 120 / 105 / 90 seconds
  Primary Magic Damage: 250 / 375 / 500 (+0.9 per ability power)
  Secondary Area Magic Damage: 187.5 / 281.25 / 375 (+0.675 per ability power)
  
  
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  MEGA INFERNO BOMB

  
  Look at the ability picture, what do you see? You see winning, that's what you see. It's how America has always won, and always will.
  
  Mega Inferno Bomb is a long range-high damage ultimate. There is NO CC to it, which is the downside. It also takes awhile to get from point A to point B, depending on how far away you are.
  
  
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  HOW TO USE

• GENERAL: You are going to want to use this as a finishing ability. Save this ability for last as once you have used every ability and they have used Flash, you can still hit them with the bomb.
• MID LANE: When using Mega Inferno Bomb, make sure you get the rest of your combo off first. Make sure you hit them with Hexplosive Minefield to prevent their escape.
• GANKING: What I like to do when my allies appear to have the enemy to about half health, is waddle to about the middle of the river. This way you can avoid any wards the lane may have placed. Have the lane initiate and toss Mega Inferno Bomb into the fray. Try to hit both targets to get maximum damage for your team. You should now have some kills or assists if your lane didn't fail.
• TEAM FIGHTS: This is when YOU DO NOT SAVE IT TO FINISH! Use the bomb at the perfect moment when you can hit their entire team! Mega Inferno Bomb works well with other AOE abilities: Absolute Zero, Curse of the Sad Mummy, Crowstorm, Idol of Durand. The bomb is pure damage, no CC other than Rylai's Crystal Scepter, so throw it on the whole team if you want to win the fight.
  
  
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  Tips & Tricks

• DO: Use it to gank other top and bottom lanes. Ask your buddies to ping if they want a nuke.
• DO: Wait till your opponent mid has used Flash so they have no escape. MUAHAHAHAHA, tell them to enjoy the cooldown.
• DO: KILL TOWER HUGGERS
• DO NOT: Throw it at max range on a very agile lane, they WILL dodge it!
• DO NOT: Throw it too far in front of your opponent, they can run backwards if they need to. And it makes you look stupid if you miss by a ton.
• DO NOT: Hesitate to help a friend with it! Sure, it may not KILL your opponent, but they may run backwards, saving your ally!
  
  
  

Items

Starting Item Choices

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Pros + Greater base health + Early game ability power boost + Mana regen for sustain

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Cons - Does not build into anything - Slow movement - No health regen

If you are mid lane, you are going to be all alone, going head to head against another AP carry. You are going to want a Doran's Ring start.

• First Blood is very possible with a Doran's Ring start. The added ability power, health, and mana regen all give you a step over your opponent.
• Even if you can't get first blood, the stats are effective into mid game.
• Mid is AP for a reason. Because it is 1v1 it is about whoever has the greater burst. A low base health Ziggs is going to get stomped by a LeBlanc because Health Potions won't save you.

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Pros + Much greater movement speed + Get to Sorcerer's Shoes faster + Health potions for more sustain

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Cons - No mana regen - No ability power to start with - very low base health

I've seen this before, but usually not mid lane. This start is more around sustain and dodging the enemy. You also won't have derp stats besides movement with this start. You can turn into first blood easily. I see this most often in duo bot lanes due to importance of sustain and farming. When playing mid, I do not advise this start.

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Pros + Greater mana regen than Doran's Ring + Get to Tear of the Goddess faster + Health potions for more sustain

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Cons - Slow - No ability power to start with - very low base health

Not very common on Ziggs. I'd only recommend this start if you are going against a mid you know you can't kill. This start has a farming focus with all the mana regen and Health Potions. If you go against an AP Alistar or Galio, you might want this build.

Early Game Items (Core)

Tear of the Goddess Ziggs has extremely expensive spells, which is one of his downsides. How do we counter this? By getting the Tear of the Goddess! You are going to want this item as soon as possible as every spell you cast will boost your max mana. This is also our build up to late game with Archangel's Staff, an extremely powerful late game item.

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Sorcerer's Shoes Standard boots on any AP carry. Ziggs's spells all deal damage and so Sorcerer's Shoes should be our first choice. Ionian Boots of Lucidity might be useful, but the +20 Magic Pen is useful all game. Ziggs needs damage, damage, and more damage. Ziggs lacks heavy CC that other casters have, but he can make up for it with Punching through their defenses!

This is Ziggs's favorite toy that he keeps under his pillow. I take this item over Rod of Ages because the only difference is that ROA gives you mana. I buy Tear of the Goddess early and then follow up with boots and scepter for a well rounded start. The big bonus here is the 15% slow for 1.5 seconds. With all AOE spells you can constantly be slowing the enemy down. This makes your Hexplosive Minefield extremely effective in AOE CC and damage. This item makes up for Ziggs's lack of cc, so enemies can't just run through your bouncing bombs like nothing is there.

• When building this you may choose to go for the Giant's Belt or Blasting Wand depending on what you need. This gives you options for building within the item, very useful.
• FACT: 500 health keeps you alive, no glass cannon nonsense for Ziggs!

Mid Game Items

• So, i heard you like killing people? Well you came to the right place. After the well rounded start, you want to start building up your damage. Rabadon's Deathcap gets more effective the more ability power you have, thus my placement in the item order. It gives you 140 AP and 30% bonus to all AP.

• I strongly disapprove of the double Doran's Ring + Rabadon's Deathcap start. It's a huge gamble and deathcap isn't as effective until a bit of AP build up, very similar to why Lich Bane is a late game item.

• So, get this after Rylai's Crystal Scepter to put you in a solid, sustainable place mid game. You will be dealing damage, slowing the enemy down, and have plenty of mana to spare! There is only one item to come before this if things are different, and that's Mejai's Soulstealer. But you are still going to want Rabadon's Deathcap at some point.

• This item gives a ton of useful stats that Ziggs can use. Lich Bane provides ability power, magic resistance, 350 mana, movement speed, and an awesome passive! Everything on here Ziggs can use effectively, very good item.

• Remember Short Fuse? Imagine that combined with the power of Lich Bane. Ziggs can easily work in an auto attack or two during a fight, and just one might be the extra punch that kills your enemy. Ziggs also needs movement speed desperately. Ability power is ability power, magic resist is always nice, and more mana also will add to the power of Archangel's Staff!

• I put this item here depending on how farmed your Tear of the Goddess is. If you are at 1000 bonus mana, get Archangel's Staff first for a huge boost in ap, then Lich Bane. Otherwise Lich Bane is better at this time.

Late Game Items

• So once you get to this stage in the game, you should have at least 800 bonus mana from Tear of the Goddess, if not 1000. So, this item will give you 45 ability power, 400 mana, 25 mana regen, and then the passive, which now will add a ton of AP. This item is a powerful late game item, and will give you much more AP than the opposing AP carry.

• Because it makes sure Ziggs can spam his abilities all he wants and not have to worry about running out of mana. It also gives you a crazy amount of AP! Let's do a number crunch for all you people who think this item is bad on Ziggs:
  So once you have this you should have around 3000 mana (with Lich Bane). 3% of your max mana is (3000 x .03) = 90. That means you will have 90 AP from your mana pool. Archangel's Staff also gives you 45 AP, so 90 + 45 = 135 ap from this. BUT WAIT, the Rabadon's Deathcap passive! (135 x 1.3)= 175.5 AP! So, you think I'm stupid for choosing this item? Look at the numbers, Archangel's Staff wins.

• The order is fairly simple. I put it late game so that your mana will be built up, therefor you are getting maximum efficiency. Efficiency is what you want in your build, not clunky gaps in the game where you are useless.

• Nothing that complex about this item, 70 ability power and 40% magic penetration. A very useful late game item, you know what's nice? It's really cheap! 2295g!

• Because Ziggs like BLOWING PEOPLE UP! Even Galio! Once you have amounted all this explosive power, finish it up with Void Staff to put your enemies in their places. Carries will cry and tanks will crumble before your awesome power. When you finish your Void Staff, you should be looking like the 'Major Ziggs' skin ^_^

• This item comes last for a reason, because everybody will have gotten somewhat tanky and have lots of health. We want to bring the fear back into your opponents, and this will do it.

Optional Items

Morello's Evil Tome For all those people who just LOVE their cooldown reduction. I find this item a waste because Ziggs has pretty low cooldowns to begin with. It just doesn't really fit in well with how he plays.

spaaaaaace

Will of the Ancients Yeah... I mean spell vamp is cool and all, but you see Ziggs's abilities are all AOE, which proc for MUCH less that single target abilities. And since this in an aura item, have an team mate get it, but not for you. It's really a waste.

This is the only item I think has a place on Ziggs in certain situations. If you find the other team focusing you and rushing through your lines, get this item. This will replace Lich Bane in the order.

Because Ziggs is so weak if enemies can get close to him, use the active so your allies can get the enemy off of you. This item has saved me from many Olaf and Xin Zhao attacks, as well as Finales Funkeln and other fatal ultimates.

The armor helps quite a bit against AD carries that want your head, show 'em who's boss!

The Lane Game

We all know this guy, the man on fire. Extremely powerful late game champ, but in lane Ziggs can shut him down. Brand is one of those champs that needs to get around the minion wave to do damage with Sear (fireball), which is also his stun. Ziggs laughs at that, Hexplosive Minefield his path and then bomb him! Only thing you really have to worry about is Pillar of Flame.
Pillar of Flame can do serious damage combined with Conflagration. Be aware Brand can use Conflagration on a minion and still hurt you. Another good thing about going against Brand is Ziggs can Satchel Charge out of a cluster f*** of Pyroclasm. All in all Brand is easy to lane against.




There really aren't any Fiddlesticks playing mid these days, but I'll give you a few tips anyways. It's basically like playing against an easier version of Annie. You can out range fiddle with your Bouncing Bombs and if he tries to Drain off a minion, he can't move! Hit him with Hexplosive Minefield and Bouncing Bomb. Or just Satchel Charge to stop the channel.
Here's the catch, the Flashbang. Just like Annie fiddle can Flash and then Terrify as a jungler comes in for easy CC. This is the only reason he can be a problem. Otherwise, kill him as much as you want, he is useless.




Also, not generally AP mid. In fact not generally played at all, (people should, great champ) but in case you do see him mid, some tips. Galio is the famous Anti-AP due to his Runic Skin, so Galio builds gratuitous amounts of magic resist and converts it into AP. Now, you probably won't be able to kill Galio due to this fact, so your job is to out-farm him.
Make sure you dodge Resolute Smite, and don't fight him when he is using Bulwark. In general his abilities are easy to dodge, but be careful of the Flashbang + Idol of Durand + gank. His ultimate has an extremely long cooldown, but that is because it is so ****ing good. In teamfights, stay far, far away from Galio if he hasn't used Idol of Durand.




Fat man in the house! The great thing about going against Gragas is his size. He's one of the easiest champions to hit with your abilities, so make sure you lay those Bouncing Bombs on heavy. The problem is he can use Drunken Rage to take a lot of that damage. Mainly Gragas is going to try to out farm you, so make sure you push him out of lane and get some of that farm yourself.
Once you both get up to level he can become a problem. His Explosive Cask can really mess your position up, especially when a gank comes in. To outsmart Gragas and possibly pick up a double kill from the gank, you have to learn the ways of the Satchel Charge. Be able to throw it under you in a heartbeat and get yourself on the safe side of the Explosive Cask blast.




Karthus, easy champ to lane against. You play against him like you play against Veigar, aggressive. All you have to do is call his bluff. You can dodge Lay Waste easily and then Bouncing Bomb him from afar. All you really have to watch out for is ganks. If you see him charge you and put Wall of Pain behind you, there is a gank coming, Satchel Charge to get past the slow.
Karthus is slow, and easy to hit, bombard him and keep your health greater than his. Use the BOMBS AWAY maneuver on him often and you will easily have several kills. He might be able to slow you, but he can't outrun a Bouncing Bomb! Never get into a fight to the death with Karthus, even if you kill him, Requiem, your dead.




I'm not kidding when I put Jax in here. I've seen him mid all too many times, and he actually isn't all that bad mid. The reason he can legitimately go mid is because of Leap Strike, which lets him close the gap. This is pretty easy to counter as Ziggs. By just placing Hexplosive Minefield on yourself you can deal a massive amount of damage to Jax and then hit him with everything else.
Jax is about burst damage early game, then crazy DPS late game. The only way he can do damage is if he gets in melee distance. Just stand in a Hexplosive Minefield and you will be just fine. Be careful of ganks, but overall you should be just fine. Once you get to level 6 and have Mega Inferno Bomb, kill him and take that tower down.







Annie isn't too hard to play against, but a good Annie can Flash bang you really easily. Flash banging is a Flash and then combo. The thing with Annie is she can use any of her abilities to stun you and then she has her way with you. Annie's downside is her short range, Bouncing Bomb that hoe. Watch her movements to see if a gank is coming and a Flash bang.
Besides her burst power you can easily out damage/range her. Once you both get up to level, keep your distance and read her movements to foresee a possible gank. Get her in your places with Hexplosive Minefield and give Tibbers a Bouncing Bomb to play with. Don't get cocky and you should be killing her repeatedly.




Ahri really isn't too much of a problem for Ziggs. The only thing you have to watch out for is the evil Charm. Once you both are about level 3, dodge the pink heart of death. If Ahri can't hit you with Charm, she is pretty much useless. Without being charmed, Orb of Deception is extremely easy to dodge. Also, Fox-Fire can't do anything to you if there are minions between you.
You know what you can do? Lob Bouncing Bombs over the minion waves. Ahri is pretty squishy, so try and harass her so you always have more health than her. If she tries to go around the minion wave to get at you, zone her away with Hexplosive Minefield. If she uses Spirit Rush, Satchel Charge out of there!




Ugh, I hate playing Cassiopeia. She is actually one of the easier champs to go against, but she dishes out poison for almost free. Cassiopeia is a pretty big target though, Bouncing Bomb are easy damage. Just keep dodging her pools of poison and throw bombs back at her. Ziggs vs. Cassiopeia is a fairly even matchup, it's going to come down to dodging skill shots.
Remember you are an AP carry, you don't have to be looking at her to be doing damage. If you are expecting a Petrifying Gaze, just toss & turn baby. If she closes in to use Twin Fang, place Hexplosive Minefield and run. With practice, you should take Cassiopeia easily.




When I put Ezreal in this section I'm talking about the people who obsess over this guy and are damn good with him. Generally speaking a Ziggs vs. Ezreal game gets really intense as both champions are entirely skillshots. Now then, Ezreal is even more squishy than Ziggs, so a fight to the death is going to end quickly. Watch his movements and be able to react accordingly.
If you are a 'balls to the wall' kind of player like I am, you have to be even more aggressive then him. Bouncing Bomb him and keep an eye on the distance between both of you. If you see him use Arcane Shift, take the opportunity and jump him. Pay attention to his cooldowns, and hit him when he can't throw anything back. Use Mega Inferno Bomb when Ezreal is out of escapes.







Akali is a pain, because she goes right for Ziggs main weakness, people getting close to him. Her Twilight Shroud isn't a problem considering Ziggs is all AOE skill shots. What IS a problem is Shadow Dance. Shadow Dance let's Akali stick to champions, and Hexplosive Minefield can't stop her. You might be able to hold her off for a bit, but a good Akali is nearly unstoppable against Ziggs.
A last ditch effort I've used that can often work is saving your abilities until she jumps on you, then launching Mega Inferno Bomb, Hexplosive Minefield, and Bouncing Bomb. Should she choose to stay on you, she will die. Akali isn't tanky enough to take all of that punishment. If you think you can kill her, use Ignite as she jumps on you to cut her healing in half.




One the hardest opponents to play against easily. Anivia, while extremely underplayed, is a fierce opponent. I strongly recommend using a Boots of Speed and Health Potions start as you will need to dodge Anivia's abilities early. Your only goal against Anivia is to avoid Flash Frost. If you get hit, expect to lose half your health from the Flash Frost + Frostbite combo.
My advice? NEVER RUN BACKWARDS, run to the side or forward even. After a dodge make sure you give her a Bouncing Bomb and Short Fuse to remember you by. If you want to get ride of Rebirth, you can use Mega Inferno Bomb. If you want to KILL Anivia, get your jungler with you and don't use Ignite till you know you can kill her.




More than any other champion, don't play against Fizz mid (at least if he's good). If you are playing ranked and see a Fizz, honestly, don't be Ziggs. I know Fizz very well, and the best you can do is throw Hexplosive Minefield behind you to stop him. Bouncing Bomb him as much as possible, but be aware of how agile he is.
The sad thing is, Fizz can toss Chum the Waters, and Satchel Charge won't save you. He can also use Playful / Trickster to dodge everything you might throw back at him. Even if you can hold him off for a bit, once he gets to level 6 you should hug your tower, even then you should be careful.

Proof of Insurance

Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for watching and remember to thumbs us up just below the video... Wait... That doesn't seem right...

Thanks for reading my guide to Ziggs. It's officially finished but I will continue to update and add in sections to help with any changes that may come. I'm currently working on the 'Lane Game' section, so you can know how to fight each enemy you may face mid.

Please, comment and tell me what you think of the guide.
If you like what you see, and you have a new revelation about the universe, send me an up vote :)


If you see something wrong, be a bro, and let me know.


Please refrain from troll voting though, I'm not here to waste your time, I'm here to help everyone.


If you want to troll, go play AD Soraka!

Also, AP Master Yi is awesome

Change log

2/15/12 Guide is released, still much work to be done. Sorry my time is so limited, but if you have a question about Ziggs feel free to ask, I should get back to you within 24 hours.


2/22/12 Ugh, them trolls downvoting. It's a work in progress and if you have any advice please inform me, but I'm here to help. My information is not wrong or misleading so I don't think i deserve the downvote :( Oh well. I'll keep working!

2/23/12 Put in more information in the summoner spell, ability, and gameplay sections. Just about doubled the size of the guide. Hope it all helps, I'm going to do some more research.

2/24/12 All research today. I put a new picture into the 'Proof of Insurance' section. That is my up to date match history and I won't be able to do any more until possibly Sunday. Yes that is in fact a ranked game you see in that match history, and the build I used in it :D

2/27/12 I just put a bit more into the ability section today, otherwise. not too much. Should have another burst of work coming tomorrow

2/28/12 Much more work put into the ability section. Also have started working on the item section. Remember: BOMBS AWAY!

3/1/12 Almost done with the ability section! Need to do Mega Inferno Bomb but everything else is pretty much done. I'll get on the item section next, I know it's important. For right now just follow the build and know your abilities.

3/6/12 Still working :D

3/16/12 Hey, sorry I've been sick and have not been able to work on the guide recently. I got the ability section done today! ITEM SECTION NEXT!

3/22/12 BOOM! I'M BACK! Today I've gotten the starting items section done. Also fixed a few grammar mistakes.

3/26/12 MAH BIRFFDAY! Just did minor edits today, will keep working

3/27/12 Today I made several spelling corrections and put a solid hour into the items section. The format is much better now and I put in early game items. Should get the final sections up soon. I should have the guide finished before May, but I'll continue to add more after that. Ziggs is the bomb, use this guide and WIN!

3/29/12 MADE THE GUIDE EVEN MORE CLASSY! Added in Mid Game Items, hope it helps. Very close to being done now, just finish up the item sections and a few touch ups, then we will be finished! Remember gentlemen, when you walk away slowly from that Mega Inferno Bomb explosion:

4/10/12 OH YEAH BABY!!!! IT'S DONE!!!! I have all the sections I want up, I will add a few other sections just to help, but it's officially done now :)

5/3/12 Alright, sorry I've been gone for awhile. You see me and my girlfriend had our one year anniversary, and well, she bought me Skyrim. I have not been very productive lately... But I'm back today and am putting in an 'opponents' section. I hope it helps, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

5/8/12 Working on 'The Lane Game' section. Put in several more champions. Hope everything helps you guys, win!

Credits

Credits to Jhoi Jhoi for some of the format code (Mostly the Pros vs. Cons section), your guide to guide making is awesome! Makes everything look classy :D

I am simply using these pictures in my guide and am not taking any credit for making them. All credit to the creators, they are awesome.

If you have art you want uploaded or match history using this build please send it all to me, I will be happy to include anything in the guide and give you credit :D