Zyra Build Guide by Voosha

The Author

Hello I am Voosha. I am currently in one of the top 10 3v3 challenger teams (currently ranked 2nd but that can change at any point). I play 3v3 religiously so I am very familiar with every aspect of it.

Differences between Summoner's Rift and Twisted Treeline for Zyra

Zyra is my second most played champion on Twisted Treeline. She pokes well and has strong engage/disengage.

Zyra can be played as both an AP carry and support on summoners rift, however it is seen more as a strong support.

In Twisted Treeline you definitely play Zyra as an AP carry. Due to Twisted Treeline's increase in mana regeneration, Zyra is an even scarier threat. Her poke from Deadly Bloom and Grasping Roots combined with bonus effects from her Rampant Growth plants makes Zyra a very strong laner. The range on her Deadly Bloom is larger than you think and can be used to check bushes with seeds from Rampant Growth. (more on her techniques later in the guide) Her ultimate Stranglethorns can be used to both engage and disengage, which is also why she is considered a strong pick for Summoner's Rift.

Zyra is not an assassin so poke them down a bit to maybe under 75% health before you try and burst them down. Zyra's level 3 aggression is very strong once she can combo her skills with her plants.

Team comps that are good with Zyra

Champions with crowd control effects work particularly well with Zyra although this is true for any champions with cc. Champions such as Renekton or Jarvan IV are just some champions that have good synergy with Zyra. For example, Jarvan IV can engage from distance with his Demacian Standard + Dragon Strike combo which then allows Zyra to easily land a Grasping Roots on a stationary target. Any champion that can make landing Zyra's abilities easier goes well with her.

Some of my personal favorite team comps with Zyra are:

As mention above, both of these champions can make life for Zyra very easy. Renekton can dash in for a quick stun and Jarvan can engage from a distance. Furthermore, Stranglethorns can knockup enemy champions so that they are within Renekton's ult for a longer duration. Stranglethorns can also be combo'd on champions within Jarvan's Cataclysm. If you are being focused, these champions can also peel for you very well.



This comp is played similarly to the comp above, however, this comp does a lot more aoe damage. If you can synchronize all your abilities, you should be able to kill off most team comps in a full cycle of abilities. In particular, Riven's Blade of the Exile and Ki Burst can do massive amounts of damage combined with Zyra's skills. This team comp must engage because this is a relatively squishy comp. If engaged on, someone could easily be bursted down, and then Zyra's abilities would be used to escape rather than kill.



Zyra's ult synchronizes very well with Wukong's Cyclone. It is a double aoe knockup combo, and can help maximize the damage dealt from Wukong's ultimate. Team fights are always in your favor even if you're behind a little. They would be chain cc'd for a good 2-3 seconds.

Lee Sin is a particularly good jungler with Zyra on the team because you can put a plant down near a wall, such as near the Wolf camp wall, and Lee sin could dash to it for a surprise gank.

Summoner Spells, Masteries, Runes, Abilities

Summoner Spells

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If the enemy comp is extremely bursty grab Exhaust over ignite. You can go for a level 3 kill with Ignite and adds even more pressure to her already strong laning presence. I highly suggest always grabbing Flash, because sometimes Flash+ Grasping Roots is needed in order to secure a kill.


Masteries

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There are two types of masteries that I use depending on the team composition.


I take Spell Weaving over Double-Edged Sword because you should be landing auto attacks within your fights anyways, so it'll provide even more damage that the sword mastery and you won't take the extra damage. It only takes 2 auto attacks for it to be more worth it.


Runes

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Zyra's %AP scaling on her abilities is quite low so building penetration would be best. Later on during the game, you will want to build as much AP as you can since your plants from Rampant Growth scale off AP and will hit very hard.

You can swap out the 9x Greater Glyph of Magic Penetration for 9x Greater Glyph of Magic Resist if the enemy team is heavily AP oriented, but for most games the early magic penetration will allow you to do maximum damage. It is highly suggested that you do not swap out for magic resist, but if you're comfortable with them, keep using them.

Abilities

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I believe this is the most optimal ability sequencing path. Although leveling up E does increase the time they are rooted, it is a minimally increasing amount and leveling up Q does a lot more damage. You should never level your Grasping Roots over Deadly Bloom since the increase in time rooted will not allow for extra dps being made up instead of leveling up deadly bloom.

Building Zyra

A typical start for AP carries would be 2x Doran's Ring and waiting in base for money for an extra Health Potion. I will rush Sorcerer's Shoes as it gives added mobility and magic penetration. Being mobile and reacting is one of the key factors towards succeeding in 3v3. If your other lane is getting ganked, you can rush over before they die and potentially save them. If you get behind in lane, I strongly recommend getting another Doran's Ring as it is cost efficient and will bolster your health and AP. The next important item for completion is a Wooglet's Witchcap. Zyra is a relatively squishy champion especially against AD champions so building a Wooglet's allow you to be tankier and bait out some fights with its invulnerability effect. For example, if you get jumped on by the other team, you can ult right on top of yourself and then use wooglet's. They will then be knocked up if they wait for your which will allow you to Grasping Roots and run away or they will move out of the ult which gives you space. The Blackfire Torch will give you even more burst damage and you can potentially solo kill someone with the use of it and all your abilities.

A few good choices after you have completed the core build is


Haunting Guise would be a good choice against tankier teams. You can later turn it into a Liandry's Torment.

Similarly, you can pick up a Blackfire Torch against tankier teams if you are not being focused.

I strongly suggest picking up a Morellonomicon or Rylai's Crystal Scepter. If your team is fighting 3v3 a lot, pick up a Morellonomicon. If you are fighting skirmishes often, such as 1v2 or 2v2, or if you're kiting often, pick up a Rylai's Crystal Scepter. It will help you poke and kite and give you a boost of health.

If you get into late game, these are some items to be considered


Abyssal Mask gives you magic resist that will help against heavier AP damage comps. I would also generally pick this up if you're being focused since the magic penetration aura is within your casting range.

Void Staff should be picked up if the enemy team is HEAVILY stacking magic resist. You will be extremely squishy if you pick this up, so only get this if you're ahead by quite a bit.

Will of the Ancients should only be purchased if you have another heavy AP damage champion on your team. You should communicate with them on who should be purchasing this item. Although the aura stacks if both you and a teammate get it, it is still better if one of you grab something else like a Void Staff.

Items to avoid

Although Rod of Ages provides good stats, you need added effects such as the invulnerability from Wooglet's Witchcap or the slow from Rylai's Crystal Scepter. It also takes 10 minutes to fully charge, even if you get this right after your core build, the game should soon be over.

For similar reasons of taking too long to charge, Archangel's Staff also provides no defensive stats. The offensive stats it gives is miniscule compared to that of other items for similar prices.

I understand why some people would get Banner of Command since it does increase the damage from your plants and also gives armor, but there are just so many more options. I would maybe consider getting this as a 6th item since you can get 4 plants going at level 18, but honestly this is just a trap.

Techniques for playing Zyra

Besides the obvious of landing your skill shots, good Zyra's always make good use of their plants from Rampant Growth. A helpful tip would be to never lead with a Rampant Growth to Grasping Roots combo. By using the seeds first you are allowing the enemies to react faster. They will see the seed and immediately move away from it. Luckily, Zyra's skill shots travel slow enough for you to first cast either Grasping Roots or Deadly Bloom and then cast Rampant Growth right after. It may take some getting use to, but this is a powerful skill to learn if you are to ever play Zyra. This is also a good tip for Summoner's Rift.

When you get comfortable with the combo of using your seed after your skill shot, you can start baiting your seeds. As stated earlier, once they see a seed the enemy will tend to move away from it. You can try and bait out this movement and predict where they are going. For example, place a seed a little bit above their character. They will see it and hopefully move downwards away from the seed. You would have already predicted this from reading my guide and immediately cast Grasping Roots below their current position. Yes you do lose one plant since the baited seed is technically wasted, but the potential of landing both your skill shots with 1 plant is worth it.

The sequence should go like this Rampant Growth a little above enemy champion --> cast Grasping Roots below champion --> use Rampant Growth (your choice of roots plant or bloom plant, but personally I like the slow from the roots plant so I can land a few more auto attacks) --> cast Deadly Bloom

Another useful technique for laning phase is that your seeds do give vision momentarily. Use a seed to check bushes.


This seed is to detect if enemy junglers are coming to gank you. This forces them to go around the seeds so either yourself or your teammate who is jungling will have more vision on them since they will not be in a bush anymore.

Strategy

Early Game

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This is my preferred strategy for playing Zyra with one of the above team comps. Before laning phase even begins, I will give my jungler a leash at the wraith camp with a Deadly Bloom and an auto attack. I will push my lane as hard as possible and you will get to level 2 with 1 full wave and a melee minion. While you are doing this, poking the enemy champion (if you can) is highly recommended. Coordinate with your jungler and top lane to invade their jungle. A kill secured during this invasion is great, if not see if any of the lanes are pushed out for a 3v1 gank. Denying the enemy jungler early on with 1 or 2 camps will greatly increase the efficacy of your junglers ganks compared to theirs. Their ganks will be but a mere feather smack. If a kill is secured or you made the jungler back and all the lanes are at their tower, consider capturing one of the altars that spawn at the 3:00 minute mark of the game.

Be very aware of the map during these moves. Watch your flank in case all lanes decide to converge on your invasion. If a kill or back is not forced immediately decide whether you guys should back or continue with the invasion. This depends on your health and summoner spells available.


Mid Game

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Upon completing the Hextech Sweeper, the game should be transitioning into mid game. You should have enough magic penetration at this point to be dealing near true damage since most people will not rush magic resist. Strategically use your Hextech Sweeper to reduce the need to face check bushes and successfully gank as a team together. Grouping up during mid game is the key to success and avoiding late game where the gold difference is exponentially reduced. If ganks are not successful, focus on taking the enemy altar and their camps.

During these fights, try and save your Grasping Roots until one of your teammmates can land an easier cc. Team success is also dependent on how well you and your teammates can chain together your crowd control effects. Play many games together and build synergy. This is something guides can't teach and comes through experience with one another.

Zyra's ultimate is very strong defensively and offensively. Remember that your ult will increase the attack speed of your plants, so after landing your skill shots make sure your ult will reach them. It's best to use your ultimate when your team is hiding in a bush waiting for the enemy team. Do not hesitate to use your ultimate to initiate as it will knock up most, if not the entire enemy team and allow your team to chain cc one person and hopefully burst them down. Furthermore, do not be afraid to use your ultimate after one crowd control effect has landed. Most stuns or knock ups will last long enough for the ultimate to finish its damage to knock up cycle.

Late Game

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When you're level 18 and you have some cdr, you can have up to 4 seeds. Before a team fight starts you can place the 2 charges of your seed down first, then within a few seconds you can put down another 2. This will help maximize your damage during late game. This tip is especially helpful if you're behind or if your team fighting under your own tower. During late game the opposing team can easily burst you down and tank tower hits at the same time even with your invulnerability from Wooglet's. Ult early before you die. Ideally you'll want to hit at least 1 person with your ult, but it is ok if you hit no one with your ult and they run away. With a hextech sweeper and Morellonomicon your ult cooldown will be around a minute. The enemy team will take advantage of your ult being down and try to engage. However, you have enough wave clear by yourself to force them to either dive you under your tower or do nothing. Zyra is also a very strong defensive player for this reason.

Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to read my guide. If you have a request for a specific champion please leave a comment and I'll get to it as soon as possible.

Currently in the making I have a Wukong and Lee Sin(by request) guide.