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Aatrox has a lot of sustain, which can be a real nuisance. His passive also means you don't want to use your ignite until after it is down. Use your superior range to poke and harass with your Stretching Strike while avoiding extended fights. If he jumps on you, disengage by using a point blank elastic slingshot to knock him up, then walk away while using your other abilities to get more damage in. Rush thornmail. Once you have thornmail, you will win all trades and the lane is basically won. Something to keep in mind though is that he will outscale you in the 1v1 once he has a few completed items.
Ahri
Ahri has long range poke and decent sustain. Until you have Spirit Visage, you want to keep your distance and focus on your farm. If possible, try stand in the minion wave and bait out her orb of deception (while dodging it) to force her to push the wave so you can farm safely under tower. Look for trades when her Orb of Deception or Charm are on cooldown. If the lane is pushed against you, look for Stretching Strike, Elastic Slingshot, Unstable Matter combos to chunk her health. Once you have spirit visage, look for any opportunity to trade and go all in. Be aware that charm cancels Elastic Slingshot like a knock up would for some reason... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsepfKOvl58)
Akali
Still trying to figure out where to put akali here as I just haven't fought against enough of them yet. She seems like a stronger laner now then before, but its just too hard to tell yet.
Alistar
This lane is a joke. Once you hit level 2, look for any opportunity to trade. His abilities cost a ton of mana and do little damage. The only danger you have is if the jungler shows up, so try not to push the wave and ward up. Once you have Spirit Visage, he can't trade at all unless he is building like a bruiser and even then you should win almost all trades. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB8CtE4u7eI)
Amumu
It has been a VERY long time since I fought a lane amumu, and when I did, I lost hard. Just farm early on and try to use Stretching Strikes range to poke while avoiding extended fights. Once you have Spirit Visage, the lane should become easy. Trade as often as you can once you have that item.
Anivia
Anivia is bad news. Long range, hard cc, and high damage abilities makes this match up a nightmare. Add on the fact that Anivia also has a stronger revive passive then Zac and you see where the trouble is. Try to survive the laning phase by just farming and dodging her stun. Spirit visage will help a lot and maybe open up opportunities to go all in. She has no mobility, so a well timed gank can win the lane for you.
Annie
Annie's auto attack range is longer then your Stretching Strike, so you need to put yourself at risk to trade with her. The good news is that her auto attack and abilities don't hit that hard early and cost a lot of mana if used on you. Play passively and try to drain her mana before going all in. Also, pay attention to how many stacks her passive has. Notice when it gets to 3 and stay far back when it hits 4. Since she has no mobility, it's easy to land a Stretching Strike into Elastic Slingshot combo. Once you have Spirit Visage, look to trade whenever you can. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=230ILAg8WRA)
Azir
This can be an annoying lane. Long range and high sustained damage make him a credible threat at all points in the laning phase. Be aware, his wall also blocks Elastic Slingshot. When laning against Azir, look to all in him when he sends his soldiers at you. Without soldiers next to him, he really can't hurt you. Once you have Spirit Visage, the lane gets much easier.
Blitzcrank
Looking forward to the day I fight a solo lane Blitzcrank. I can't imagine Blitz would do well. Will update this when it happens.
Brand
Similar lane to annie, but longer range and higher damage. The good news is that his damage and cc are skill shots. If you can dodge a few abilities and drain his mana, you can look for all ins since he lacks mobility. Once you have Spirit Visage, look to all in whenever you can. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoHvfrQvNvU,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq8ylcvGuWI)
Braum
Another incredibly easy lane. Very low damage without items. His shield also does not block any of your abilities. Only danger is the jungler, so ward up.
Caitlyn
Caitlyn is a miserable lane. Thankfully, you almost never see Caitlyn in solo lanes. She out ranges you and her poke is significant. Try to farm as best as you can and wait for your jungler. Once you have thornmail, you can look for opportunities to all in, just try not to take too much poke first.
Cassiopeia
One of the worst lanes for Zac. She has long range and very high sustained damage. You need to dodge the majority of her skillshots and in general keep a large distance away from her to win this lane. The good news is she is very susceptible to ganks, so ask for jungler help. Once you get Spirit Visage, if you aren't too far behind, you can look for all ins.
Cho'Gath
Cho'gath is a really annoying lane. He has decent burst, good sustained damage with his Vorpal Spikes, hard crowd control, and very good sustain with his passive. His ultimate makes it scary to stay in lane with low health. His Feral Scream can also cancel Elastic Slingshot, so be careful when you start to charge it up. Try to survive till the laning phase is over and you will have more impact for your team.
Corki
As far as AD carries go, corki is one of your better matchups. His auto attack range is the same as Stretching Strike allowing you to get good trades and all his key abilities are skill shots that aren't too hard to dodge. The only real nuisance about Corki is the fact he does a lot of magic damage even when he builds full AD. Rush spectre's cowl into thornmail and you should be good.
Darius
I hate this lane... Do not underestimate his sustained damage. Avoid extended brawls at all cost. Even if you are 5/0 and he is 0/5, he can easily kill you in a 1v1. Use Stretching Strike to harass and farm. Try to get him to push the lane by baiting out his Decimate and disengaging with Stretching Strike. Be careful, his Apprehend has the same range as Stretching Strike. I now rush Zz'rot portal against Darius so that I can farm without risking my life and so that I can roam. You are a better teamfighter so focus on that. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn4wXQsIX90)
Diana
Diana is trouble. Her base values and scaling are significant and she has a very strong and long lasting shield. Try not to trade until after her shield is down and dodge crescent strike by circling towards her in a counter clockwise direction. Once you have Spirit Visage, look for all ins.
Dr. Mundo
The laning phase is the only time you will ever be able to just kill him 1 on 1. Once he has Spirit Visage, you won't be able to kill him alone. Mundo also does a ton of damage in extended brawls, so you should look to poke and harass instead of all in. If you get ahead, you can consider eating his cleavers to deny him farm. He mostly does magic damage, so rush Spirit Visage.
Ekko
Ekko is a melee ranged mage so his base damage and scaling are strong. Bait out and dodge Timewinder to force him to push the lane. If you ever see/hear him use parallel convergance, run! If you don't get stunned and don't fight when his shield is up, you should win the lane, especially when you get Spirit Visage.
Ezreal
Have not fought an Ezreal in a really long time. His damage is low early on, especially if you can dodge his skill shots. At the same time though, he is a difficult champion to land Elastic Slingshot on because of Arcane Shift. If he is building AP, rush Spirit Visage. If he is building AD, rush Thornmail. No matter what, you should have a bigger impact during teamfights.
Fiddlesticks
Another matchup I haven't seen in a long time. He has very high sustained damage if you let him drain you, so only fight him if you have elastic slingshot off cooldown. Very easy to gank, so ask the jungler for help and this will be an easy lane.
Fiora
This is a great lane for Zac if you know what you are doing. She is a melee only champion, which means she needs to get in range of all of your abilities to trade. She also relies heavily on items to scale up so her damage early is weak. Try to keep your weak point on the opposite side of her so she will have a difficult time hitting it. Your ultimate also counters hers, so if she ults you, and you don't think you can kill her, use Let's Bounce! and back away until the duration from Grand Challenge wears off. In lane, your goal is to poke her down until you can all in and kill her in one shot. The only thing you really need to be careful of is Riposte. Don't use Elastic Slingshot unless Riposte is on cooldown or you can do it at point blank range. Try to bait out Riposte with Stretching Strike. Just keep in mind that once she has a few items, she will be able to win a 1v1, even if you stomped her in the lane. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfAjni2LAJQ,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO4nhkNhp8U)
Fizz
AP fizz is a great lane. Fizz is a melee range assassin and Zac is fantastic against such champions. Fizz also has no sustain and no shield. Look for any opportunity to harass with Stretching Strike and trade when he jumps on you. Try to only use Elastic Slingshot at point blank range or when Playful Trickster is on cooldown. Once you have Spirit Visage, look for any chance to all in. Bruiser fizz can be a problem, because he has high sustain damage that is both physical and magic. Avoid extended fights against bruiser Fizz and you should be OK. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBk0XA51BMY)
Galio
Another dream lane. His harassing tools are skill shots that have low base damage. Try to dodge them as best as you can and trade/harass as often as possible without pushing the wave. Once you have Spirit Visage, the lane is over, you have won. He will never kill you without help.
Gangplank
This lane depends on one thing, and one thing only. Can you dodge his barrels? If you can, you win all trades. If you can't, you will get chunked down and lose trades. A trick I like to use is to elastic slingshot onto him, then while he is knocked up, destroy one of the barrels. In the end though, this lane depends on whether gangplank wants to fight or farm. If he just wants to farm, there isn't much you can do to stop it without help. And no matter how well you do against gangplank, he is still a HUGE threat in team fights. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAWBnMGT-ro,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3aMmpBbt50)
Garen
Garen is a pain. If he hits you with Decisive Strike, he will hit you for most of his Judgement before you can do anything. The lane can be won if you can hit him with Stretching Strike right after he activates Decisive Strike. Also look for chances to trade with him while Judgement is on cool down. In the end though, as long as you get farm, you will be much more useful in team fights. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZCJSvOlRs4,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LILPJVH3j0)
Gnar
Gnar can be an annoying lane. He has long range auto attacks and can harass you well. That, and when his rage bar gets full, he can unleash a devestating combo that can chunk you. If you can keep allied minions and some space between you and gnar, his boomerang can't hit you. Also, look for trades during his two moments of weakness. One is right after he transforms (so long as he does not transform on top of you) and right after he transforms back. If you can avoid getting stunned by his skill shot in mega gnar form, you will win any trade so focus on dodging it. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v51X4n7EI2I)
Gragas
Haven't fought one of these in a very long time. Will update when it happens
Graves
So far, graves has been a pretty good lane, but I have only faced 3 in top lane. In laning phase, take advantage of the fact he cant shoot through minions to hit you by hiding behind allied units. Play safe and farm up until you get thornmail. Look for any all once you have it.
Hecarim
Avoid extended fights. Try to poke and disengage until his health is low enough. Hard to kill post 6 unless he wastes his ultimate on you.
Heimerdinger
This lane sucks unless you get help from your jungler. He will just push the wave into your tower repeatedly until it goes down. Just farm as best as you can until you get Spirit Visage or a solid jungle gank. Once you have an advantage, try to all in whenever possible. You will be a lot more useful in teamfights, so just make it through the laning phase without dying and you will be fine. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv_fWEAS3tc)
Illaoi
This lane can be brutal. She has a lot of sustain and a lot of hard to avoid damage. Her Q is a large AOE, and if she knocks down your passive, she can kill it in one Q. Additionally, if she lands her test of spirit, you will likely need to just eat the damage and back away with the side effect of missing CS while you run. Her ultimate also means that once she hits 6, she can turn a gank easily if you can't burst her down fast. To win this lane, you need to dodge her skill shots. If she lands one test of spirit, that could mean losing half or more of your life with nothing you can do to stop it. Ask for a jungle gank pre 6 as that is when she is weakest. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AGIq8aTPZo,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD7X6fplAV0)
Irelia
This lane is a great lane for Zac. Irelia is a melee range only champion. That means for her to farm, she needs to get in range of your stretching strike. Pay attention to when allied minions get low and use Stretching Strike to hit Irelia when she dashes in to kill it. Use point blank Elastic Slingshots to avoid extended trades unless you have the burst to kill her. Igniting her during her ultimate can lead to kills, but only use it if she is really low. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsY-cUQaXGQ,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr35WqFSrkY)
Jarvan IV
This is a fun lane. He has medium burst damage and low sustained damage until he gets items. This is made better by how long his cooldowns are. In the lane, your goal should be to harass with Stretching Strike and dodge his knockup combo. Be wary of jungle ganks, otherwise, enjoy the easy lane.
Jax
Another strong lane for Zac. He is a melee range only champion. That means for him to farm, he needs to get in range of your stretching strike. Counterstrike is also only good for the stun it provides since you rarely ever auto attack the enemy champion. He does however have decent burst damage and sustained damage that gets better as he gets items. If you don't beat him hard enough early, he can outscale you. He also does hybrid damage, which makes it difficult to itemize early. I tend to rush Thornmail, then Specters Cowl before getting Liandry's Torment. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h58cTYhWv80,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6i9bDZNM_Q)
Jayce
High burst damage, long range, and a built in disengage make this a really difficult lane. Try to farm as best as you can and try to get him to shove into your tower. Focus on not dying and you will be much more useful then Jayce in teamfights.
Karma
Decent burst damage, a powerful shield, a snare and a slow make this lane a nightmare. Farm up as best as you can and try to survive until laning phase ends. Jungle help is a must.
Karthus
The fact that his primary source of damage is a difficult to land skillshot and he has no mobility make this a good lane. Dodge his skill shot and harass with Stretching Strike until he is low enough to all in. Once you have Spirit Visage, look for any opportunity to all in.
Kassadin
A melee ranged mage that needs to auto attack you or jump on top of you to get the most of his kit makes this an ideal lane for Zac. The only problem is his main ability also shields him. Look for opportunities to trade and harass only when his shield is down, otherwise you could end up losing the trade. Try to get a kill before he hits 6 as it will be much harder to kill him then. Once you have Spirit Visage, look for any opportunity to trade or go all in.
Katarina
I haven't fought enough Katarina's since the rework to really know where to put her yet. Her damage early on is MUCH higher, but it relies heavily on hitting you with the passive dagger proc which is difficult.
Kayle
A good Kayle is a rough lane. If all she does is shove and farm up, there is little you can do to stop her from outscaling you. Harass and disengage with Stretching Strike and look for opportunities to trade when Righteous Fury is on cool down. She has very high sustained damage while Righteous Fury is active so be careful. Try to kill before she hits 6, otherwise she will likely outscale you fast. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQmFHkzTidM)
Kennen
A good Kennen is a head ache to lane against. He has a lot of innate poke and is difficult to trade with successfully before you get magic resist. Start with armor 4 pot instead of doran's since most Kennens start Doran's Blade and focus on auto attacking to harass. Still rush Spirit Visage first though. Try to all in right after lightning rush goes on cooldown. Also note that Kennen's ultimate does not hurt the 4 blobs made by your passive.
Kha'Zix
Melee assassin's are some of Zac's best lanes. Use Stretching Strike to harass until he gets low and try to stay around your allied minions so he does not get isolation bonus. Once you have enough armor, look to trade whenever possible.
Kog'Maw
It has been a really long time since I fought an ap Kogmaw but I remember this being a good lane.
LeBlanc
Leblanc is so much scarier now. Her damage is considerably higher then the old leblanc and it is pretty much impossible to get out of range for the second chain proc if she lands the first. You need to do whatever you can not to die before you get spirit visage, even if it means missing farm and backing after she gets a good trade.
Lee Sin
Lee sin has very scary burst early on so try to farm from a distance. Seriously, stay back or hide behind minions until you have some armor. Once you do, he will have a hard time killing you. You will outscale the longer the game goes on and have much greater impact in teamfights so just be safe in lane. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiVsa9fLv7E)
Leona
This lane is a joke. Build magic resistance and ward up. She can't kill you without a jungler.
Lissandra
I have mixed feelings about this lane. I used to handle it really well, but lately, I find myself struggling. Ice Shard has considerable range (much longer then Stretching Strike) that becomes longer if it hits an enemy and is a wide skill shot. Try to position yourself so there is no allied minion between the two of you and farm. When a jungler comes, try to time your elastic slingshot to land on her after she casts Glacial Path when the claw is about half way to its destination. If you time it right, she will not be able to take it because of the knockup. Once you get Spirit Visage, the lane becomes much easier.
Lulu
A good Lulu is a nightmare to play against. Glitterlance range is massive, making using Stretching Strike to trade risky business. The good news is that it is a skinny skillshot. The bad news is that it is very easy to land after using Help Pix! If she times her shield right, it will negate a lot of your damage too. In the end though, her damage scaling is poor, so you just need to farm until you get Spirit Visage before you can fight her with confidence. Just be aware that she will make killing the enemy AD carry very difficult during the teamfight phase.
Lux
All of her abilities are skill shots. The difference between winning and losing this lane is about how well you can dodge them. Position yourself so that if she wants to harass you, she will need to push the lane and farm under tower. Wait until you get a jungle gank or Spirit Visage before you look to all in. She has no escapes, so she is very susceptible to going all in. Her shield can absorb a lot of damage so wait till she is low before throwing your ignite. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPY55mUu-xA)
Malphite
One of my favorite lanes. Once you hit level 2, look for any opportunity to trade and poke. He will run out of mana long before you die. Your Stretching Strike has a shorter cooldown then his passive shield so look to constantly harass him so he doesn't get his shield. Make him choose between getting farm and having a shield. Sooner or later, you will force him back or all in and kill him.
Malzahar
Malzahar is a really annoying lane. His E massively outranges your Stretching Strike and the voidlings hit like a truck. On top of that, he has a built in spell shield which absorbs part of your burst or denies knockups. Try to harass with your Stretching Strike, but focus on farming more then anything. Once you get Spirit Visage, look for any opportunity to all in. Be careful once he hits 6 though. If you are too low, he can take you down with his ultimate and ignite.
Maokai
Maokai does a lot of damage early on, but does not scale up well. I have recently switched to leveling W first against Maokai with great success. When he is low enough or you have Spirit Visage, look for opportunities to all in. His healing could mean it can take a while before you can kill him, but he will run out of mana if you are patient.
He will push non-stop. Ask for jungle help for easy kills. Once you are ahead, this becomes an easy lane. Spirit Visage will give you the confidence to all in whenever you want.
Morgana
She will push non-stop. Try to farm under tower as best as you can, and don't underestimate her burst damage once she turns 6. Her shield makes it hard to all in her, even with jungle help. It may be better just to farm and wait for team fights.
Nasus
This is either the worst lane for Zac or one of the best. If this is an E max Nasus, prepare for a relaxing and fun lane. If this is a Q stacking Nasus, prepare for a difficult lane. All of your abilities are aoe, so you can't harass him without pushing the wave. He also has so much sustain that you can't kill him without help. Sooner or later, he will outscale you. Leveling up W first is great if he likes to trade a lot. Leveling your E first allows you to shove and roam and make him passively farming a liability for his team. The good news is that you are much more useful in the teamfights. The bad news is that he will likely take an inhibitor while you decimate the rest of his team.
Nautilus
Respect his damage early on. Stay back and farm. Poke with Stretching Strike when you can, never fight him when his Shield is up. His abilities cost a lot of mana and push the wave so just farm under tower. You will outscale him hard, so just wait for the right opportunities to all in. Be very wary of Jungle ganks as he has a ton of CC. Eventually, you will be strong enough to fight whenever you feel like it. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbpI1ptmSRg)
Nidalee
AP nidalee is easy. Avoid spears either by dodging them or hiding behind allied minions. She can't win a trade without landing a spear. Rush Spirit Visage and the lane is over. Bruiser nidalee is a bit more annoying. Try to farm as best as you can and try to trade with Stretching Strike when she auto attacks you. Rush ninja tabi and Specters cowl early to help mitigate the mixed damage she will deal. Look to end the laning phase early as your teamfight presence is far superior.
Nocturne
Haven't fought a lane Nocturne in a long time. He has decent burst and sustain damage, but he has to get in melee range to get it off. Take advantage of that by poking with stretching strike. When he tries to go all in, use Stretching Strike followed by Elastic Slingshot to disengage until you are strong enough to all in him back. Try to get him to burn his spell shield on Stretching Strike so you can use the knockup in Elastic Slingshot. Rush Thornmail and this should be an easy lane.
Nunu & Willump
This lane is annoying, but easy. Until he hits 6, he only has one damaging ability and it has low base value. The annoyance is his ability to sustain and slow you from a distance. Look for any opportunities to trade and poke as you should win any fights so long as the enemy jungler doesn't show up.
Olaf
Olaf is a really nasty lane. He has really high sustain damage and decent burst to go with it with incredible chasing ability. If he lands one Undertow, he will be able to land more and really chunk you down. It is a really wide skillshot and difficult to dodge. However, if you do manage to dodge a few of them, he will run out of mana fast. His true damage can also be really oppressive. His biggest threat is his level 6 power spike. Normally, you can disengage against enemy champions with Stretching Strike, Elastic Slingshot, or Let's Bounce!, but Olaf is a freak that can ignore all that at level 6. Just try to farm as best as you can and try to bait him into throwing Undertow through the minions to force him to push to your tower. Rush ninja tabi and bami's cinder before completing Thornmail.
Orianna
Her burst and low ability cool downs make her annoying. Pay attention to where her attack ball (orb?) is and position yourself as far away from it as you can while still able to farm. If this is a problem, hide among the minions to force her to push if she wants to harass you and farm under tower. Like most mages, she can run out of mana in the early game if you dodge a few abilities/heal from your passive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QANyFKBitY).
Pantheon
As long as you don't die early you will out scale him like crazy. Farm up, play safe and wait for a jungle gank. He has no escapes so it is an easy kill if the jungle shows up. If he uses Heartseaker Strike without stunning you, immediately use elastic slingshot to cancel it and you should win any trade.
Poppy
This is one of those rare champions that is a great lane to be in but ruins you in teamfights. In lane, look to trade whenever her shield is down and be very careful about your positioning. Don't ever put yourself into a position where she can stun you into a wall. If she gets the stun, you have lost the trade horribly and may die. DO NOT PICK UP BLOBS NEAR WALLS! Also, only ever use elastic slingshot at point blank range or when her Steadfast Presence is on cooldown or you will suffer. Try to get Banshee's Veil before teamfighting begins or Steadfast Presence can really **** you over (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfntjMOVfPA,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSNzo8WKTwY).
Quinn
She has some decent burst damage and an annoying blind. Play passive and farm up until you can get thornmail or the jungler shows up. Once you have thornmail, look to trade/all in whenever you can.
Rammus
This lane is a joke. Trade whenever you can. Your only fear is the enemy jungler so ward up and have fun!
Rek'Sai
Only laned against a Rek'sai once or twice. Do not underestimate her damage like i did... Will add more info if I ever fight another one.
Renekton
Renekton can be a pain in the ***. He will win most trades and heal up as much as you do in the end. You need to do your best to cs and let him push you under tower where you are safe. If the wave is in a bad position, stand among the minions and try to bait him to trading with you. You will lose some health, but he will push the wave in the process allowing you to farm under tower. This lane is all about surviving and out scaling him in lane and having a bigger impact in teamfights. Even if you get a solid lead on him, don't assume you can win in an all in. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADiLsFd4l6M,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xDHYiubnu0)
Rengar
I haven't fought against a reworked Rengar in lane yet. Can't really comment until I do.
Riven
A true skill matchup! I really enjoy this lane even though it favors Riven a little. Be very careful of her damage as her sustained damage is very high, even at level 1. Try to force Riven to use two mobility skills in order to close the gap to hurt you. Try to harass with Stretching Strike, but only when her shield is down. Follow those two rules and you should win every trade. Also, it is possible to interrupt her third use of Broken Wings with a point blank elastic slingshot. The timing is tricky, but if you get it right, you win the trade even harder. This matchup can snowball either way so be careful. Usually, either you will stomp her, or she will stomp you. There is little middle ground in this matchup. Your teamfight is better though, so if you do get stomped, you may still be able to salvage the teamfight phase. Riven can't say the same.
Rumble
Rumble can be a bit annoying, but for him to do any real damage to you, he needs to push the wave. Use Stretching Strike to harass, preferably when his shield is down. Also, a good way to avoid taking damage from his flame spitter is to use elastic slingshot and land behind him or to the side. Only do this if you know the enemy jungler isn't around. Try not to get into extended trades when his heat is above 50%. Otherwise, build MR and look to all in when your jungler shows up or you are level 6 and above. Once you have Spirit Visage, it should be impossible for him to kill you 1 on 1.
Ryze
Ryze can be annoying, but you have two things on your side. He is very susceptible to early ganks (ask jungler for help) and very susceptible to hard CC. If your jungler shows up unseen, its a free kill every time. Be very wary of his burst and sustained damage as he will kill you really quickly if you ever disrespect his damage.
Sejuani
Haven't fought one in a long time. Can't imagine this would be a bad lane. You have longer range and good cc. Your only threat should be the enemy jungler. Rush SV and enjoy the easy lane.
Shaco
Only ever fought one or two solo lane shacos before. Just respect his early game burst and you should be fine.
Shen
Shen is stronger then you until you get some items. His Q can do massive damage as it is %max health. I max W first in this lane and wait till I have some magic resist before looking to all in. Once you have Spirit Visage, you will win any extended fights.
Shyvana
Your kit counters her kit. She has no gap closer till she hits 6 and all her abilities are melee range. If she lands a fireball on you, use stretching strike to ensure she can't close the gap and hurt you. Rush Spectres cowl and ninja tabi to counter her damage.
Singed
Singed can be... annoying. Unless the enemy jungle is nearby, always kite him away from his poison, even if it means moving towards his turret. His damage can be deceptively high early on so try not to get into any extended fights. Also, this is one of the matchups where Banner of Command is amazing. Singed players like to split push and Banner stops that immediately. In any case, team fighting is where you will excel, so just try to farm as best as you can.
Sion
Early on, his high base values can do some decent damage, so try to farm as best as you can while dodging his skill shots. Dodging his skill shots is easier said then done though, so be careful. You can't just try to elastic slingshot at him if he starts charging his Q on you as he will be able to knock you out of elastic slingshot. You will outscale him so just try not to die and rush Sunfire Cape and you should be able to win all ins.
Skarner
Haven't fought one in a long time. Will update when that happens.
Swain
Swain is dangerous in similar ways to Ryze. Lots of single target damage and powerful cc can make him scary in the beginning. Just play safe and ask the jungler for help. Swain, like Ryze, is susceptabe to early ganks. Just like Ryze though, if you don't get him down early, he may become too big to deal with later.
Syndra
This lane can be really annoying. Her skill shots are large area of effect abilities that are hard to dodge. Use that to your advantage by weaving among allied minions to get her to push so you can farm safely under tower. Like many mid mage mactchups this lane early on is a war of attrition. She is trying to slowly kill you while you try to drain her mana. Once she runs out of mana, you can look for opportunities to all in and kill her or shove the waves into the turret. Once you have Spirit Visage, look for opportunities to all in when you can.
Tahm Kench
Tahm kench is less annoying in the lane and more annoying in teamfights. His damage is relatively low so long as you don't get devoured. Hide behind minions so he cant hit you with his tongue lash. Once you have some MR, you can look for more extended engages as you should heal more health then he can shield. I have had a few run ins with tahm where we just keep brawling for a minute or more before I eventually come out on top. Just keep picking up blobs while you fight him and you can win. In teamfights, be aware that a good tahm will devour the target you are going to land on and can completely screw you over by doing so. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHFiHj1zbzw).
Talon
I haven't fought enough Talon's since the rework to really know where to put him yet. His damage seems higher, but it also seems more difficult for him to get it all in without taking more damage then he deals. Will need to update when I get more data.
Taric
I look forward to the day I fight taric top. Will update when it happens.
Teemo
TEEMO! I personally love this lane. Your stretching strike is the same range as his auto attacks, so try to hit him with it when he goes to harass you. Try not to take too much damage when farming and wait for your jungler to come gank or you hit 6 before you all in. Once you are level 6, if you think you can land an elastic slingshot (especially after landing stretching strike) throw everything you have at him and you should be able to kill him. Once you have spirit visage, all in whenever you can.
Trundle
Not a bad lane. He is melee only so just kite him back whenever he tries to trade with you. He will win extended fights, so just kite back and trade from range. Trundle is one of the few champs I itemize differently against. I really hate that his ultimate steals your life, armor and magic resist and makes you a squishy champion. To counter it, I only get thornmail (1st) and guardian angel (6th) as tank items and just go full AP. If I am going to be squishy, might as well do damage. You will be more useful to your team when team fighting begins, so just farm up and try not to die.
Tryndamere
Another great lane, so long as you don't die early. Beware of his level 2 power spike as he will look to spin on you and land a few crits. Harass with your Stretching Strike and disengage with a point blank elastic slingshot. This is one of those matchups where ignite really helps. When he all ins you with his ultimate, wait until it is about to wear off, then ignite him. He will likely die if you time it right. The big annoyance with Trynd is that even if you dominate the lane early, he can split push and become a massive pain. Look to end the game early by joining your team and pushing objectives. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaFEoeDvOZM,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCsu_Rw8JEM)
Twisted Fate
Twisted fate is an annoying matchup, because unlike most mid mages you fight, he can regen his mana indefinately. Farm up as safely as you can until you hit 6 or Jungle shows up. Once you are 6, look for opportunities to go all in since he has no built in escapes and has no power spike at 6. When TF hits 6, tell your team. Try to ward where he will need to go to walk in order to gank other lanes. If he is gone for more then 1 second, ping mia, just to be safe. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csSt4mJdIcE)
Udyr
This lane is an easy lane, but you will have almost no ability to kill him unless he lets you. He wont be able to kill you either, but the lane will be boring no matter what... If he is smart, he will try to split push so be careful when you leave lane to join the team or you can watch two of your towers die in quick succession (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCYApyYyObw,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0jKu9qZLp0).
Urgot
Haven't fought one of these in years. Will update when I do.
Varus
Long range and % health damage makes Varus a real nuisance to deal with. Farm as best as you can and try to dodge his poke. It won't be easy. Once you hit 6 or jungle comes to gank, look for opportunities to all in. Rush thornmail and ninja tabi.
Vayne
This lane can either be a nightmare or a breeze. She has the advantage, so this all comes down to you being able to outplay her if you want to win. Her attack range is the same as your Stretching strike, so look to trade when she tries to harass you. Only use Elastic Slingshot aggressively after she tumbles. Otherwise, farm up until you have thornmail and ninja tabi. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwnDlKY3fVU)
Veigar
Ugh, Veigar. The laning phase isn't terrible, but his scaling is ridiculous and you can't really punish him if he plays well. Try your hardest to avoid skill shots as each one will give him permanent AP. Banshee's Veil is a must, possibly as a first item, to counter his event horizon (which interrupts elastic slingshot for some reason). If you can ever get on top of him with your ultimate and ignite, you should be able to kill him, but that won't be easy.
Vel'Koz
Really nasty lane. He has good burst and sustained damage with very long range. This is another one of those lanes where you just need to farm as best as you can and dodge skill shots until you hit 6 or get a jungle gank.
Vi
Only ever played against Vi once or twice in solo lane. Will update when it happens again.
Viktor
Good range and powerful poke can make this an annoying lane. Weave through your minions to try to get him to push the lane so you can farm under your tower. Look for opportunities to go all in when your jungler shows up or once you have Spirit Visage. Try not to poke unless his shield is down.
Vladimir
Oh god how I hate reworked Vlad. Old Vlad had the distinct vulnerability of being kill able before he hit level 9. New Vlad has SO much more healing then the old one that it is really difficult both to kill him and lane against him. If he ever has his blood bar full, his transfuse heals for a massive chunk of health if he hits you so just back away until it drops. If you get a kill against him, you can dominate the games until he gets a few items and becomes unkillable. All around an unpleasant lane, even if he struggles to kill you too.
Volibear
Volibear is a good lane, but be careful in the early game. His damage is deceptively high and he sets up Jungle ganks very well. Play passive and let him push you under your tower until you get a few levels. Rush ninja tabi and a little bit of health and MR before getting Liandry. So long as you don't feed him a kill early, this lane just gets easier and easier.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MyEFAcb4sU)
Warwick
Haven't fought a reworked Warwick yet to comment.
Wukong
Wukong is dangerous. Very good burst with armor shred built into his kit. If he gets an edge early, he will bully you and kill you, a lot. Play passive and force him to push until you have some health and armor. The good news is that once you have an edge, you can bully him and win every trade.
Xerath
Xerath, like most mid mages, has weak early game damage and high mana costs. Try to get him to drain his mana trying to hit you while weaving through your minions to force him to push. Don't let him auto attack you with his passive up or he will heal a lot of mana. Once he is low on mana or you hit 6, look to all in him. Since he has no escapes, look to jump in with Elastic Slingshot while in the fog of war to chunk him or all in him. So long as you don't die early, you should be able to wreck him in lane and teamfights.
Xin Zhao
Not a common matchup. Beware his early burst and all in potential. Farm up and force him to push you under tower until you get some levels. Rush thornmail asap and watch him lose every all in from there on out.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJYHB7TafVI)
Yasuo
Yasuo is an annoying champ to deal with. His mobility makes it hard to land your abilities and his ult shreds armor. A good Yasuo will dodge almost everything you throw at him. Try to put his shield on cooldown before you look to trade or go all in. Play passive at first and let him push. Once you have thornmail and ninja tabi, look to all in him. Don't fight if he gets a good ult off and has a lot of health left, just run. If he gets an edge on you, this lane can get nasty, so care.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay8XzzI6uSs,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ1uem85ueA)
Yorick
Updated Yorick is annoyingly similar to laning against Nasus. He has great single target damage with a built in sustain, his ghouls hit surprisingly hard, and his ultimate makes his auto attacks shred your life in a massive way. A jungle gank early can go to making this lane a lot easier. Otherwise, just focus on farming up teamfighting as he is a lack luster teamfighter.
Zed
I love this lane. His damage is relatively low unless he is willing to use his shadow and if he does he leaves himself open to all in's and ganks. The key is trade with Stretching Strike and Unstable Matter when you can do so without him getting more then one auto attack in. If you feel safe (know enemy jungler isn't nearby), lead it with Elastic Slingshot. You also need to move in ways that make it hard for him to land his shuriken on you. Rush thornmail and ninja tabi and he will never be able to all in you without dying first.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fwreLOLJLQ,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqSzSvCx_2Y)
Ziggs
Ziggs, like many mid mages, has high mana costs and low early damage. Try to get him to push you under tower by weaving among your minions. When he gets low on mana or you hit 6, look to all in him. Once you have Spirit Visage, he will have a hard time hurting you.
Zilean
Haven't fought one in a long time, will update when it happens.
Zyra
Haven't fought one in a long time, will update when it happens.
I have been playing league since its release and for years the best I was able to do was get to silver 1. Then I discovered zac. At first I took him to the jungle with little success. However, at the end of season 3 (after zac was nerfed), I took him to mid and top lane and climbed to diamond. I am currently ranked #2 solo lane zac in NA on OP GG (zacs with less then 100 average cs are junglers). Hopefully, through this guide, you can learn to bounce your way to the top. Also check out my Youtube Channel for more videos and my Zac Stream where I am always happy to answer questions. This is still a work in progress, but I won't be satisfied until I have covered every lane matchup and every nuance of playing Zac, as well as have a video example for everything.
Runes
Runes
Lately I have been having success running two different rune setups. One I use against predominantly physical damage teams (30% CDR at level 18) and one against predominantly magic damage teams (20% CDR at level 18). I swap out magic resist for CDR depending on my needs as I no longer like Abyssal Scepter and would prefer not to buy it unless the enemy team has a lot of magic damage.
Magic pen marks: Since zac has very high base values on his damage, magic pen provides a substantial increase to his damage output. In teamfights, this extra magic pen can be the reason why you one shot an enemy carry.
Flat armor seals: In general, I prioritize armor over health as I feel it makes your opponents commit to fights they cannot win by thinking they can kill you because your health is low. I chose flat armor seals over armor per level seals because you generally end the game with 3 armor items and can really use that extra armor in the laning phase.
Scaling magic resist runes: Since you only tend to build one magic resistance (mr) item (spirit visage), any additional mr you can have at the end game is nice. Another good option is flat cdr or cdr per level as it both increases zac’s damage by allowing you to cast more abilities and provides more sustain from the extra blobs generated. If you are fighting a team that is only physical damage however, you could get cdr per level runes instead of magic resist per level runes.
Scaling cooldown reduction runes : I run 3 Scaling cooldown reduction runes to get a total of 20% (with the quintessences) CDR on Zac by level 18. With the masteries and two CDR items, you will hit 45% by level 18. Cool down reduction (cdr) gives both more damage and sustain. CDR is amazing on Zac especially in the late game as it will allow you to use elastic slingshot multiple times over a fight and have your ult ready for any teamfight.
Cool down per level Quintessences:
Masteries
Masteries
UPDATE: Added info on courage of the collossus, green fathers gift, and fearless I tried a few different keystones and here are my thoughts: Deathfire Touch is just too weak since you only get Liandry's Torment. This means you barely take advantage of the ap and ad ratios. Thunderlord’s decree’s base damage is high enough to be worth using.
Grasp of the Undying is a solid choice. The main reason why I don’t use it is playstyle. In general, as zac, I don’t like auto attacking the enemy champion as it will get enemy minion aggro. Sometimes the difference between winning a trade and not is minion damage so I would rather let my lane opponent take the extra minion damage while I just use my abilities and pick up my blobs.
Courage of the Colossus is an amazing keytstone on Zac as it provides a huge shield in teamfights and make you basically unkillable until your ultimate is over. It is much less useful in the laning phase though as the shield is pretty small if there is only one enemy champion nearby and its cooldown is long. In the end, I think it is the best keystone for Zac, but I won't use it as it does not suit my playstyle as I like to be aggressive in the laning phase and like to carry teamfights through damage.
Thunderlord's Decree adds noticeable damage and works well with the e q w combo. Being able to use it every 20 seconds for a considerable boost in burst is amazing in the laning phase. I frequently get many kills because of the extra burst it adds to my all ins coupled with ignite. Nobody expects Zac to be able to do 500+ damage of burst at level 5.
Other masteries of note: Runic Armor gives 8% more healing which is huge for zac. His passive heals zac for 4% of his max health and towards the end of the game, the 8% from runic armor could mean a few hundred health over the course of an extended fight.
Intelligence is nice since cool down reduction (cdr) both increases zac’s damage by allowing to cast more abilities and provides more sustain from the extra blobs generated. Since there is only one item I generally get that provides cdr (spirit visage), any additional cdr you can find is huge
Greenfather's Gift looks nice for top lane Zac, but I hardly ever used it and never noticed the damage it added. It could be good, but it would require a dramatic shift in playstyle for very marginal returns I feel.
Fearless adds noticeable armor and magic resist for teamfighting. I am still testing it out, but I think I will use fearless over perseverance and insight for now.
Items
Items
UPDATE: Just wanted to put some thoughts down before I make a serious edit to this section. Abyssal Scepter is no longer a must buy item on Zac. Magic penetration made the item great for killing squishy back line targets. I still like the item on Zac, but I feel like Liandry's Torment has once again become the must buy damage item on Zac again. I still buy fiendish codex early to max out my CDR, but I almost always complete Liandry's Torment before finishing Abyssal Scepter. Also, if there is no one on my team that does magic damage, I just skip Abyssal Scepter all together.
Also, the recent changes to Banner of Command make it an item I can't buy on Zac anymore because of the wasted mana stat.
For starting items, I either start Cloth Armor and 4 healing potions (against a physical damage champion) or Doran's Shield and a potion (against a magic damage champion). The reason why I start Doran's Shield is because it gives health (which helps your passive), passive healing and auto attack damage reduction. I don’t like Doran's Shield, but I can’t think of a better starting choice against magic damage champions.
In general, I always start off by completing a tanky item and then following it up with Abyssal Mask. The tanky item depends on your lane opponent. If you are fighting an auto attack heavy physical damage champion like Aatrox, Tryndamere, or Yasuo, I like to build Thornmail first. If you are fighting a spell based physical damage champion like Wukong, Garen, or Gangplank, I like to build Sunfire Aegis first. If you are fighting a magic damage champion, rush Spirit Visage. If you are playing against a champion with lots of hybrid damage like Jax, bruiser Fizz, or bruiser Nidalee, rush Abyssal Mask and Thornmail. Against jax, you may want to buy Thornmail first.
Detailed item analysis: Thornmail: This item is my personal favorite item to get on zac. It allows you to duel physical damage champions with confidence. In the end, zac’s passive means your health pool is actually larger than your opponent will anticipate as you will be picking up blobs while fighting. I cannot tell you how many times a tryndamere will go all in and find himself burning his ult while I am still at half health (add video link). Thornmail is also the item that allows you to dive the enemy ad carry with confidence knowing that they will kill themselves long before they kill you (add video link).
Abyssal Mask: When Abyssal Scepter had magic penetration and CDR, it was a must buy. Since they removed the magic penetration, I only buy it if I am up against a mostly magic damage team.
Spirit Visage: This item gives you all the healing and resistance to magic you need. The increased healing on your blobs can allow you to survive fights that would kill lesser champions. Once you have this item, you can fight most mid mages and win. Must buy unless they run all attack damage composition.
Liandry's Torment: This item will provide all the damage you need to one shot squishy back line champions. If you land Elastic Slingshot (e), into Let's Bounce! (r), followed with Unstable Matter (w) and eventually Stretching Strikes (q), most backline champions will be either dead or nearly dead. If you land Elastic Slingshot onto 3 or more enemy champions, you may win the fight by default since you will do so much damage. Even though this is the only damage item I buy on zac, it is very common for me to have the most damage dealt to champions by the end of the game.
Sunfire Aegis: Provides armor, health and a point blank burn aura. I generally buy this as my fifth item to add more durability and damage.
Randuin's Omen: If the game goes long enough, Randuin's Omen provides considerable tanking stats to help you survive end game ad carry damage. In the end, it's almost always the ad carry that hits hardest over time, so having that passive crit damage reduction will add up over a long fight.
Banshee's Veil: In most cases you will want Spirit Visage and Abyssal Mask as your only magic resist items. There are two instances where you will want to rush Banshee's Veil instead. If the enemy team has a Janna or a Poppy, you will want Banshee's Veil. Your main engaging tool Elastic Slingshot is easily canceled by either of those champions and you will find yourself in a VERY bad place.
Banner of Command: This item is no longer purchasable on Zac as it is just too inefficient stats wise.
Zz'Rot Portal: Another item I have begun to appreciate only recently. I will either buy it as my second item on games I can rush Banner of Command (to compound Banner's power) or as my 4th/5th item to help split push/siege. See "More information on Banner and Zz'rot" below for a more in depth explanation of the benefits of this item.
Rylai's Crystal Scepter: I almost never buy Rylai’s on Zac because zac already has a 40% slow in his Stretching Strikes and two knock ups in his kit and a low cooldown (when fully ranked) gap closer. He doesn’t need the slow and Liandry's Torment provides all the damage you ever need.
Warmog's Armor: Another great item I almost never get. The main reason for this is that I like to have tankiness in armor and magic resist so people will over commit to kill me when they see I have low life (it happens all the time, even in diamond)(FIND CLIP). Another reason why I avoid it is because Zac doesn’t need the passive healing it provides because of all the healing already in his kit, especially by the time Zac gets 3k life. If you choose to run 10% CDR Runes, Warmog's is a useful buy to get you maxed out.
Ninja Tabi: I don't buy boots anymore unless I am in the jungle, see Jealous of Cassiopia at the bottom of the items section.
Mercury's Treads: I don't buy boots anymore unless I am in the jungle, see Jealous of Cassiopia at the bottom of the items section.
Sorcerer's Shoes: Magic penetration is a great stat on Zac. When I jungle as Zac, I pick up Sorcerer's Shoes all the time for that little extra burst while ganking. In lane though, I don't buy boots anymore, see Jealous of Cassiopia at the bottom of the items section.
Zhonya's Hourglass: Another great buy in theory. The cooldown reduction, damage, and armor are all nice. Maybe purchase first or second when fighting a Zed? Not sure. Great if you go full AP Zac (which I now do vs Trundle to counter his ultimate). I don't buy it unless I plan on going heavy AP.
Hextech Rocketbelt: I like this item, but I just don't prioritize it higher then other available CDR items. It gives health, ap, and cooldown reduction. It also gives a short ranged blink that does decent area damage. The only problem with this item is that you can't use it mid ultimate like you can with flash. It is still great for re-positioning yourself after missing an elastic slingshot or catching up to an enemy when your elastic slingshot is on cooldown. I don't tend to buy it much though unless I really don't need Spirit Visage.
Void Staff: Now that I buy so much magic penetration I find Void Staff to be a really nice supplement to my damage in the late game. I sometimes buy it as my 5th or 6th item now.
Jealous of Cassiopeia: So, um, I don't buy boots on Zac anymore. In the 6.9 patch, they gave Zac 5 extra movement speed. It got me to thinking that boots really don't help Zac when it comes to fighting. Normally you want boots to catch up or run away from the enemy, but you are Zac, with 45% CDR, so you can use elastic slingshot to catch up or run away from the enemy (7 second cooldown is insane). When you land elastic slingshot, you can ult, which gives you 20-50% movement speed. So I stopped buying boots. I know it sounds strange, but I have been climbing steadily since this patch. I have been running no boots for a few months now and I really like it. Could still be useful if you have a rough lane (Illaoi or Darius for example) to dodge their skills shots and run away during the laning phase.
Summoner Spells
Summoner Spells
The only viable summoner spells for Zac are Flash, Ignite, or Teleport. In almost all cases, I take Flash and Ignite when I go mid or top zac.
Flash: The generic uses of being able to Flash to escape death or chase down an enemy is great all on its own. Add to that the ability to Flash behind an enemy and use your ultimate to knock them toward waiting teammates and you see why Flash is a summoner of choice (Flash ultimate on Irelia). You will not always be able to Elastic Slingshot into the back line, so Flash gives another opportunity to place yourself where you want in the middle of the enemy team (INSERT VIDEO).
Another great use for Flash is to use it mid ultimate to surprise and knockback one more enemy. Let's say you Elastic Slingshot into the enemy back line landing right behind an enemy Brand but missing the enemy Ezreal because he arcane shifted away. You use your ultimate to knock Brand towards your team and start chasing Ezreal. Right before the second or third bounce lands, you Flash behind Ezreal so the bounce knocks him towards your team. He will have no chance to react as you flash right before the bounce lands (FIND VIDEO).
Ignite: I prize Ignite for two main reasons. In the lane, it provides that little bit of extra burst that will allow you the confidence to get a kill. I can’t tell you how many times an enemy will stay at a quarter of their health only to die to a point blank Elastic Slingshot (e), Stretching Strikes (q), Unstable Matter (w), Ignite combo (INSERT WINGS VIDEO). The second reason is that it will allow you to secure a kill on the enemy ad carry during teamfights. When you have Thornmail and Liandry's Torment, you are almost guaranteed to kill an enemy ad carry if you land your Elastic Slingshot on them in a teamfight thanks to Ignite. Your Elastic Slingshot, followed by Let's Bounce!, and Unstable Matter should instantly take the enemy ad carry to 20-30% health. The second bounce and Ignite should be enough to finish them off, especially if they try to auto attack you and take damage from Thornmail. My favorite example of this was in a game against Doublelift. I was at half health with Liandry's Torment and Thornmail. I had 100 less cs and was lower level. Even then, when I landed my elastic slingshot on his ashe, I took him from 100-0 without help and without him being able to fight back. Check it out here.
Teleport: Teleport is another viable summoner for Zac though I almost never take it because I feel like the three great strengths of Teleport don’t work well for Zac.
1) Teleport allows you to return to the lane when the enemy gets you low so you don’t loss any farm or risk your life by staying. However, since you are playing zac, the passive ability to revive and the incredible healing of your passive allows you to stay when most other champions would have to back. That, and the ability for Zac to last hit well under the tower means you can just wait for the wave to hit your tower when you are low so you can heal and continue to farm. Staying can also give you a level lead which opens up new opportunities for kills (INSERT VIDEO).
2) Teleport allows you to gank the bottom lane and help secure a kill or two during the laning phase. However, since you are playing zac, you rely heavily on the element of surprise for your kills. It is incredibly easy to dodge elastic slingshot if you can see it coming (INSERT VIDEO).
3) Teleport allows you to split push and still join your team when they need you. However, since you are playing zac, you do very little damage to towers. Sure, you can wave clear really well, but it takes forever to kill a tower as zac. That, and like it was mentioned above, you tend to work best with the element of surprise.
That said, if you are playing as a 5 man premade, always take Teleport so you can be a team player!
Abilities
Abilities
Cell Division (passive): Zac’s passive has two important qualities. First, each your abilities cost 4% of our current health and produce a blob if you hit an enemy champion that will heal you for 4% of your maximum health. This means that if you pick up every blob you will gain more health then you lose. If you have Spirit Visage, it heals for even more. For more information see Blob Management under the chapter Zac Specific Mechanics. Second, if you are ever reduced to 0 health, you will split into 4 parts and revive if any make it back to the center. This passive has gotten me so many kills, since certain champions can’t kill zac passive alone and mana reliant champions with no mana usually can’t kill it in time (INSERT VIDEO). Also, when you revive, you always revive with at least 10% of your health, no matter how low your blobs get. When you do revive in these cases, you can sometimes get a kill by instantly using Elastic Slingshot, followed by Stretching Strikes and Unstable Matter. The following videos showcases both elements of Zac's passive (Team fight blobs, Extended Duel).
Stretching Strikes (q): Stretching Strikes is your bread and butter ability for the laning phase. It allows you to harass the enemy champion and last hit minions that would otherwise be unreachable. The base damage of Stretching Strikes is high, so if the enemy champion does not build magic resist, they will take noticeable damage from the ability. The slow also sets up an easy to land Elastic Slingshot for an even better trade or all in (insert video). It is also a great disengage tool and can be used to bait out enemy abilities (insert video).
Most champions in the game have an auto attack range that is the same range as stretching strike or shorter (including Teemo). If Teemo was trying to harass zac, you would try to use it right as he is auto attacking you. If you hit him, you will do roughly the same damage (or more) but will win the trade because you can now walk away since he is slowed and your allied minions will attack him. If you pick up the blob, you will win the trade in a massive way.
Unstable Matter (w): Although unstable matters damage at early levels is low, it has the shortest cooldown of all your abilities that gets shorter as you pick up blobs. The short cool down means you can get a lot of extra healing by spamming your abilities, and using Unstable Matter as you pick up blobs. Also, since Unstable Matter does % max health damage, in the late game it becomes quite potent, especially against tanks. Since you also get Liandry's Torment, it means you have two sources of % health damage built into your kit.
Elastic Slingshot (e): Games are won and lost by how you use Elastic Slingshot. It has the longest range of any basic ability in the game (when max rank 1800), very high base damage, and a slight knockback that disables enemies for 1 second. It also generates a shadow at the location you land in and can easily be dodged if enemies are paying attention. I noticed that before Plat 1, almost no one ever notices the shadow.
In the laning phase, Elastic Slingshot has 3 main purposes:
1) Escape: If your lane is pushing towards the enemy tower, Elastic Slingshot can be the only thing that helps you survive a gank. Don’t use it except to get a kill (INSERT VIDEO) or to run away (INSERT VIDEO) if you are pushed in, otherwise, bad things will happen (INSERT VIDEO). Also, pay attention to what hard crowd control (snares, stuns, silences) the enemy team has. Wait for them to use them before you start Elastic Slingshot (INSERT VIDEO), otherwise, bad things will happen (INSERT VIDEO). Try to angle Elastic Slingshot so you have two different places you can jump to to escape and choose the path farther from the enemies.
2) Harassing: If the lane is pushing towards your tower, you can use Elastic Slingshot to harass the enemy laner, knowing that you probably won’t need it to escape a gank. If flash, Let's Bounce! and your passive are on cooldown, you may want to forgo using Elastic Slingshot to harass just in case. The two ways you can use it to harass are to use it at point blank range (so it can’t be dodged) (INSERT VIDEO), or after landing a Stretching Strike (so it is hard to dodge) (INSERT VIDEO). After landing Stretching Strikes, use Unstable Matter before walking away and picking up blobs if you can.
3) All in: When you see your opponent is getting low on health or your jungler is on his way, you may want to use Elastic Slingshot to go all in. The three best ways you can do this is by using it at point blank range (so it can’t be dodged), after landing Stretching Strikes (so it is hard to dodge), or by hiding in the brush or behind a wall (so they don’t see you charge up elastic slingshot) (INSERT VIDEO). If you have your ultimate ready, aim right behind the enemy champion, so the knock back from Let's Bounce! will knock them away from escape.
In the teamfight phase, Elastic Slingshot is how you get to the enemy backline. If your team really needs it, Elastic Slingshot can be used to peel for your backline, however, I almost never do this because Zac can single handedly take the backline out of a teamfight and scatter the enemy carries. Before the teamfight, it is important to identify priority targets and how likely you are to hit/kill them. I first prioritize squishy carries that are often found in the mid lane or the enemy ad carry. Then I look at my odds of landing on them. An enemy ashe or brand is a high priority target since they have no mobility and no escapes and it is easy to land Elastic Slingshot on. An enemy ezreal or fizz is a low priority target because their mobility means that if they are paying attention, you will never land your elastic slingshot on them. Priorities can shift though if a hard to hit carry uses their mobility. If vayne just tumbled, she becomes a VERY high priority target as you may be able to lock her down and kill her before she can tumble or condemn you. If you hit 3 or more champions, you may win the teamfight right there with the follow up damage from Let's Bounce!, Unstable Matter, and Stretching Strikes (three man Elastic Slingshot). Also, try to aim right behind your targets so Let's Bounce! will knock them towards your team . If there are no priority targets that you can jump on with confidence, it may be best to just peel for your back line or go in when the enemy team engages and the priority targets may not be paying attention to you.
One last thing to mention, knockups and knockbacks can cancel elastic slingshot (Even Riven Knockup). That makes champions like Janna and nami very annoying. You may want to just wait until they have used their abilities or when they are preoccupied to jump in.
Let's Bounce! (r): Three things to note about Let's Bounce!.
1) You can’t use Stretching Strikes or Elastic Slingshot while it is active. You can still use Unstable Matter while you are bouncing so spam that and pick up blobs if possible.
2) It increases your movement speed the longer it is active making it a great escape and chasing tool.
3) It has a long lasting knockback (1 second) that pushes targets a noticeable distance away from zac. The knockback can be used to push enemies towards your team or into tower range (INSERT VIDEO). Another fun use is to knock enemy minions away from your tower exposing enemy champions to turret fire (INSERT VIDEO) Zhonya's Hourglass and bard ultimate will prevent future bounces from doing damage until after the effect wears off on Zac (INSERT VIDEO). It is also possible to die before Let's Bounce! does any damage… (INSERT VIDEO)
Zac Specific Mechanics
Zac Specific Mechanics
Controlling the minion wave: Zac is a champion that is an expert at fighting under allied towers. His abilities are on short cooldowns and have high base values allowing you to last hit most minions that make it to your tower. In addition, if enemies try to fight you under your tower, you have your passive, Cell Division, to fall back on in case they do enough damage to take you down. Something not all players know is that attacking one of your four blobs when your passive is popped will draw aggro from towers. I have gotten many kills because of this (INSERT VIDEO).
The reason why I mention that zac is an expert at fighting under the tower is that in general, you always want the lane minions pushing towards your tower. It means you are less likely to get ganked by the enemy jungler while also encouraging your own jungler to come gank. With all the crowd control (cc) that zac brings, it is really easy to get a kill when your jungler comes to gank so you want to encourage them to come. At the same time, it is really easy to push the lane as zac since each and every one of your abilities has an area of effect and can hit multiple enemy minions. If you are pushing the lane as zac, it also means you should not use Elastic Slingshot to trade or harass in case the enemy jungler does come which limits your options when trading. One of the first things you must do to master zac is get an understanding about the size of your Stretching Strikes and your Unstable Matter. If you can position yourself to get last hits by hitting only the minions you want to kill, you will minimize the chance that you will accidentally push the wave (insert video here) and generate a blob to heal yourself with at the same time. If you can hit the enemy champion at the same time, even better (insert video).
Last hitting under tower: One problem with Zac is that all of his abilities are AOE. Before you can really last hit well under tower, you need to understand the size of the AOE of each of his abilities to the point where you can be precise about which minions you hit. As for the minions themselves, let me give some tips about them. For melee minions, a full health minion will die to an auto attack after two tower shots. Eventually, it may take an auto attack and an Unstable Matter, but that is easy enough to adjust to at that point. It really helps to know how much health a melee minion should be at after each tower shot so you can adjust and get the last hit even if they take damage before hand. In those cases, you may need to use Stretching Strikes to last hit or to get it low enough to kill it with an auto attack. Being precise is important or you may hit other minions with Stretching Strikes and lose those last hits. For Ranged minions, they will die to one auto attack and one Unstable Matter after taking a tower shot at full health. If all three ranged minions are full health and nothing is attacking them, you can hit all three with Unstable Matter to simplify last hitting. Eventually, it will take an extra auto attack to kill them, but that is after 10 minutes or so. If they take damage before the tower shot, it is hard to get the last hit, but its still possible if you use Stretching Strikes (and maybe Elastic Slingshot) in addition to auto attacking and using Unstable Matter. To be honest, this is something that takes a lot of practice, but it is key to succeeding on Zac, especially against lane bullies like Renekton and Darius who like pushing the wave under tower.
Blob management: Sometimes picking up a blob can be a mistake your enemy laner can capitalize on. It means you either need approach blobs indirectly or not pick them up at all sometimes. At the same time, enemies can sometimes try to stamp out your blobs too zealously, missing opportunities to harass you and missing farm. When they go to stamp out your blobs, you can use your Stretching Strikes to harass them and make more blobs. Also keep in mind that your blobs reduce the cooldown on your Unstable Matter that can be used to trade or farm.
Baron steal: Even without smite, zac is one of the best champions to use in order to get a baron steal. As long as you are in the fog of war, and they don’t know you are coming, it is worth the risk. When Baron gets to around 3k health, start charging Elastic Slingshot. When baron gets to around 2k health fly into the pit, aiming for a spot that hits both the jungler and baron (and as many other people as possible). When you land, immediately use Let's Bounce! and Unstable Matter. If you are lucky, the burst from your abilities will kill the baron before the jungler recovers from all the knockups and can smite (Smiteless Baron Steal). The baron pit also makes an excellent place to teamfight (2 v 5 in the Baron pit). One more Baron steal for fun.
Team Work
Team Work
Zac is primarily a team fighter. What I mean, is that Zac wins games by being with his team when they need him unlike a champion like Tryndamere who tends to win the game by split pushing. This means that when the laning phase ends, you should spend most of your time grouping with your team and looking for opportunities to fly into the enemy back line or looking to make picks. I consider the laning phase over when your tower or your opponent's tower is destroyed. When either of those things happen, that is when I usually start to roam. If I can though, I push the wave before roaming, but you need to use your best judgement here. If people are gathering or allied lanes are getting pushed in, you may want to just head right to your allies and forgo pushing the lane first. At this point, you want to look for points where you can hide in the fog of war and Elastic Slingshot vulnerable targets. Great places to hide are here (INSERT MAP). Usually, you want to aim right behind your target so that your e will just barely hit them. However, for targets with slow moving mobility (like tristana or aatrox), you may want to aim a little farther behind them just incase they notice the shadow that e makes and start their jump before you land. If you aim it right, you will interrupt the escape ability and almost always secure the kill at that point (INSERT VIDEO).
Revision History
Revision History
1.1 - Added info for Banner of Command and Zz'rot portal to the Items section. Added info for last hitting under tower to Zac Specific Mechanics. Updated item sets to include Banner of Command and Zz'rot portal. Changed the format a bit to make it easier to find sub-sections.
1.2 - Added preliminary assessment of item changes in 6.9 under the Item section
1.3 - Updated all item choices to my current bootless build and updated my rune page sections.
1.4 - Updated a lot of the matchups.
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