Hello and welcome to my first ever guide for LoL featuring Ziggs.

Ziggs is a Mage, Ranged, Pusher Champion who deals AoE Damage. Don't let those AP stats up there fool you; this build has well over 700 AP (if my math is right) after building Archangel's Staff.

In this guide i will attempt to show a different Ziggs which i have yet to see which is the Cooldown Reduction, Mana Hungry and Mana Regen Ziggs. Before anyone wants to quickly bash this build i would like to point out that on my first game with Ziggs (having not played against bots either) i went 7/4/1 and 7/3/2 the second time i used him with this build.

This guide will attempt to stay up to date as possible.

So with that said let's begin.

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:


+ Lots of AoE Damage
+ Awesome Mid Lane Champion thanks to his AoE Spells and Long Range Q
+ Extremely Long Range Ult
+ That Evil Mad Bomber Look


Cons:


- Squishy
- 4 Skill Shots
- Mana and Cool Down Reduction Hungry (which this guide aims at fixing)
- Ult can go to waste if it misses its target(s)

Runes are AP Standard with a heavy focus on AP. Since Ziggs is an AoE Champ the extra AP Runes allow him to deal extra AoE Damage. This extra Damage from AP Runes can mean the difference between an enemy champion getting away from a death and you not picking up the kill or assist.




Other Runes to Consider:





Ziggs needs as much Mana Regen as he possibly can get early game. By taking these Flat Mana Regen Runes it allows Ziggs to stay in lane longer early game without having to recall for OOM.




Since Ziggs is Mana Hungry Early Game these Flat Mana Seals allow him to throw at least one more Bouncing Bomb or use one of his other abilities before Recalling for OOM.





Ziggs is slower than most Champs so by taking the only Movement Speed Runes in the game allows Ziggs to be on par in Movement Speed with most champions.

My Favorites:



Ignite


Ignite helps get the kill early game and makes sure they aren't getting away from team fights. A personal favorite and i never go into a game without this.



Flash


Flash ports you closer or helps escapes. Nuff said.




Other Summoner Spells Worth Taking:



Clarity


Take Clarity if you feel u need the extra mana during the laning phase so you don't need to recall as often for OOM as even with Meki Pendant early on he still goes OOM. Mid and Late Game Clarity becomes useless and you now have dead weight on a summoner spell as a result. Helps allies who may need mana though. Worth taking if you feel it's needed.



Ghost


Great for chasing or running away. Comes in very handy on Dominion too. Worth taking aswell.

Doran's Ring: To Take or Not To Take, That is the Question:


Before it gets asked i'm going to answer this right now. Doran's Ring is a good starting item for any AP Carry yes but not for Mana Hungry Ziggs. Reason is simple he needs to build Tear ASAP. 2 Doran's Rings is 950g, that is slightly less than Tear and does not begin to stack the mana right away like Tear does. Yes i know 2 Doran's Rings gives Ziggs extra health and extra AP but let's stop and look at the resell value for a second.

If you sold back 2 Doran's Rings to the shop you already lost over 500g, that's almost 2 champion kills needed to pay for that. 2 Champion kills is not always guaranteed. It's best to build your Tear so that Mana Problems are quickly out of the picture and you saved 500g that can be used to help pay for your final Boot Build.


If you feel you need Doran's Ring then by all means go ahead but it's not an efficient building order for Ziggs.




Core Items:







Sorcerer's Shoes


Standard AP Carry boots. The extra magic penetration helps your abilities do maximum damage. If you find yourself getting focused a lot or going up against a CC heavy team, you can replace these with Mercury's Treads. If you prefer Cooldown for an extra Build Item later consider taking Ionian Boots of Lucidity.




Tear of the Goddess


The Tear is the solution to an AP Champ who is Mana Hungry and may also need Mana Regen. With this Ziggs doesn't need Blue Buff (though it does help). Now the Blue Buff can go to another teammate champion who may need it. The Tear will eventually be upgraded towards the end of the final build (5th or 6th item build) into Archangel's Staff.




Rabadon's Deathcap


This is an automatic AP Item for any AP Carry.




Morello's Evil Tome


MET allows Ziggs to use his abilities more with less Cooldowns, allowing Ziggs to dish out more damage (especailly his Q), but it also allows his passive to deal more damage aswell which is also nice (especially against turrets). If you took Ionian Boots of Lucidity then now you have an extra Item Build Slot for a more useful item with your 40% CD Reduction now complete with MET and Ionian Boots of Lucidity.




Situational Items:


Rod Of Ages


A perfect item for Ziggs. Extra AP, HP, and Mana is always nice plus gives back lost HP and Mana lost when Ziggs levels up. A great replacement to either Will of the Ancients or Frozen Heart (if you took Ionian Boots of Lucidity). Make sure you build this before Rabadon's Deathcap if you do decide to build this to give it time to get to its max power.


Rylai's Crystal Scepter


A nice addition to slow down enemy champions, along with lots of AP and Health is always nice. Consider this as a replacement to Will of the Ancients or Frozen Heart (if you took Ionian Boots of Lucidity).


Banshee's Veil


A fine defensive item for any Carry Champ and a great counter to AP Carries. Consider this as a replacement to Frozen Heart if you chose Ionian Boots of Lucidity as your boots.


Abyssal Scepter


A great AP Item with lots of AP and MR and reduce enemy MR. Consider this as a replacement to Will of the Ancients.


Lich Bane


This is an excellent choice over Will of the Ancients or Frozen Heart. Increases Ziggs Basic Attacks and gives him extra Movement Speed with lots of AP and MR to go along with it. Can't go wrong with Lich Bane.


Void Staff


This awesome staff will make Ziggs bombing runs hurt even more with that 40% Mpen and extra AP. Definately consider this over Will of the Ancients if you don't need the Spell Vamp.


Zhonya's Hourglass


Now here we have one of the items i seriously do not like but a replacement to Will of the Ancients. I would only take this for it's high AP and the extra Armor and not for it's immunity. I honestly would rather take another Rabadon's Deathcap instead for offensive rather than defense; or i would take another defensive item like Banshee's Veil. Still it's an excellent item and one worth mentioning.


Deathfire Grasp


This item is not one i use but others do so it deserves a mention. A suitable replacement to Morello's Evil Tome but cost slightly more and does true damage. If you like the extra magic damage and willing to pay more for this than take it over Morello's Evil Tome


Hextech Gunblade


This is a Hybrid Item that certain champions love to have and Ziggs is no exception since his passive is an Auto Attack which means potential for Life Steal, Spell Vamp and extra AP all in one item which Hextech Gunblade was created for. Consider this as a suitable replacement to Will of the Ancients and consider this as an item that synergies with Lich Bane and/or Nashor's Tooth.


Nashor's Tooth


This is an excellent item to use when using Ionian Boots of Lucidity. It is similar to Morello's Evil Tome with slightly less AP and slghtly less MP5 but gives Attack Speed and slightly more CDR. This is an excellent way of combining Frozen Heart, and Morello's Evil Tome, with Ionian Boots of Lucidity to reach the 40% CDR without losing much AP and saving some Gold from the cost of buying Frozen Heart and Morello's Evil Tome; and saving a item slot for something else to make Ziggs better.


Shurelya's Reverie

This item is rarely seen on AP Champion builds but when it comes to CDR items this is one of the usual choices for CDR. Extra HP5, MP5 and HP is something that can't be overlooked and it comes at a reasonable price. It comes with a bonus to allied champions getting a 40% bonus to Movement Speed so that is always nice. A great replacement to Frozen Heart and/or Morello's Evil Tome. However i honestly would recommend Nashor's Tooth over this though.

The following sections below are different ways of building Ziggs. Please note i have not had a chance to test all of these builds yet but the ones that have not been tested are rather guidelines for building Ziggs in other ways depending on factors such as Team Composition, Being Fed, Role Needed, etc...

Fed Ziggs: | Approx Final Cost = 17.4k+ Gold |


This Ziggs is a dream come true for every Ziggs Player. However Ziggs will hardly be fed to take advantage of a build such as this. Beware this build is a High Risk / High Reward Build due to it's Cost.


Core Items:





This Core is designed to be A High Damage Ouput Ziggs in both AD and AP (basically a Hybrid Nuke). You build your Tear early like normal and then if Ziggs becomes fed you build this core for mid to late game. The Boots give him a slight boost in CDR to dish out more damage. If the enemy team is Heavy CC then use Mercury's Treads instead.


Final Build:





This final build gives Ziggs a little bit of everything. Lots of Mana, extra HP, CDR, Sustain, Burst, Spell Vamp, Life Steal, AD. AP, Hybrid, etc... Really nothing is wrong with a Fed Build such as this.


Optional Items:


Mercury's Treads


Again if the enemy team is Heavy CC take these over Ionian Boots of Lucidity


Sorcerer's Shoes


If CDR is not your concern take these boots instead for extra damage from his abilities.


Rod of Ages


Still want extra HP and Mana but with more AP rather than a little more defense from Banshee's Veil? Than Rod of Ages is for you.


Abyssal Scepter


Enemy team AP Heavy? Consider this as a AP defensive item with extra AP rather than Banshee's Veil


Rylai's Crystal Scepter


If you are worried that Ziggs needs enemies to slow down for Ziggs to either get away or chase them down consider Rylai's Crystal Scepter. Suitable replacement to Banshee's Veil.


Void Staff


Want more offense instead of defense? Take Void Staff over Banshee's Veil so that Ziggs Abilities hurt even more.


Zhonya's Hourglass


Still want more AP with a little defensive? Take Zhonya's Hourglass over Banshee's Veil for that extra immunity aswell.


Trinity Force


Now before someone even says why Trinity Force on Ziggs and not Lich Bane let's look at why. More Movement Speed, 25% Enemy Movement Reduction Chance, extra Attack Damage, extra HP, and Critical Strike Chance. What more can you say but it's a Hybrid Item with everything in it. It saves an item slot where Rylai's Crystal Scepter would otherwise go for Enemy Movement Reduction. As already stated this would replace Lich Bane but also costs 600g more than Lich Bane so keep that in mind.


Hextech Gunblade


Want more Lifesteal, Spell Vamp with AP then consider a second Hextech Gunblade as your 6th item over Banshee's Veil. A Hybrid build deserves a second Hextech Gunblade to stack with the other.


Morello's Evil Tome


Still feel like Ziggs needs more CDR? Take Morello's Evil Tome for the final 40% CDR. A suitable replacement to Banshee's Veil if Defense on Ziggs is not a concern.


Deathfire Grasp


Still want a little more extra magic damage with CDR? Then take Deathfire Grasp rather than Morello's Evil Tome. Just remember it will cost you an extra 260g for the extra magic damage bonus and you get slightly less Mana Regen and slightly less AP.


Frozen Heart

Still looking for CDR but don't want to lose too much defense from Banshee's Veil? Take Frozen Heart as a suitable replacement to having both defense and CDR.


Nashor's Tooth

This item is rather uncommon but works wonders on any Champion looking for AP, MP5 and CDR at a reasonable cost and Ziggs is no exception. The attack speed is just a bonus for Ziggs Auto Attacks. Great way to reach the 40% CDR when already using Ionian Boots of Lucidity.


Shurelya's Reverie


This item is rarely seen on AP Champion builds but when it comes to CDR items this is one of the usual choices for CDR. Extra HP5, MP5 and HP is something that can't be overlooked and it comes at a reasonable price. It comes with a bonus to allied champions getting a 40% bonus to Movement Speed so that is always nice. A great replacement to Banshee's Veil.

Another CDR Variation Ziggs: | Approx Cost = 15k+ Gold |


This build i have actually been able to test and has worked out pretty well for me so far. It basically just combines half of the Items already used from the Default Ziggs at the very top and combines half of the situational items to create a better Ziggs who has Extra HP and slighly less Mana but gets more AP and slows down enemies thanks to Rylai's Crystal Scepter. This is a Medium Risk / Medium Reward Build.


Core Build





This Core is designed to be A High AP Ziggs with extra HP and slightly less Mana. Just like before you build your Tear early like normal and then begin making this build. The Boots give him the CDR he needs to make room for another Item Later. If the enemy team is Heavy CC then use Mercury's Treads instead.


Final Build:





The final build fixes some of Ziggs weaknesses and that is his squishiness and no way to outrun a champ who is trying to chase Ziggs down or if he's trying to run from Ziggs due to Ziggs rather low Movement Speed.


Mercury's Treads


Enemy Team Heavy on CC take these boots instead.


Sorcerer's Shoes


If Maxing CDR is not your concern take this, which is the AP Standard Boots. The +20 Magic Penetration really helps (especially Early to Mid Game)


Nashor's Tooth


Take this over Morello's Evil Tome if you want the extra 50% Attack Speed for Zigg's Auto Attacks. The extra 385g is definately worth the 50% Attack Speed. The extra 5% CDR is useless because you already have 4% in CDR Masteries. You'll lose a little bit of AP and MP5 but totally worth it for the extra Attack Speed.


Lich Bane


Take this over Will of the Ancients to get synergy with Nashor's Tooth. This allows Ziggs to use his 50% Attack Speed from Nashor's Tooth with Lich Bane extra Auto Attacks Damage Bonus. This also gives Ziggs Magic Resistance aswell as Mana and additional Movement Speed which synergies with Rylai's Crystal Scepter, giving the enemy Movement Speed Reduction.


Void Staff


Since Ziggs lacks Magic Penetration by not having Sorcerer's Shoes this item goes great to dish out more Magic Damage. A Suitable Replacement to Will of the Ancients when you don't need or want the Spell Vamp from Will of the Ancients


Zhonya's Hourglass

Still want more AP with a little defensive? Take Zhonya's Hourglass over Will of the Ancients for that extra immunity aswell.


Banshee's Veil


A fine defensive item for any Carry Champ and a great counter to AP Carries. Extra HP, Mana, Magic Resistance, and block a spell every 45 seconds; what is there not to like. Consider this as a replacement to Will of the Ancients for more Sustain Damage from Ziggs.


Abyssal Scepter


Enemy champions building Magic Resistance including AP ones? No problem for Abyssal Mask. Take this over Will of the Ancients to counter champions trying to counter Ziggs.


Rod Of Ages

What isn't bad about this? Nothing... Extra HP, Mana, AP, the works and he gains free Mana and HP everytime he levels up. Awesome item and recommended for this build. Take this over Will of the Ancients if Spell Vamp is not for you.


Hextech Gunblade


This is a Hybrid Item that certain champions love to have and Ziggs is no exception since his passive is an Auto Attack which means potential for Life Steal, Spell Vamp and extra AP all in one item which Hextech Gunblade was created for. Consider this as a suitable replacement to Will of the Ancients and consider this as an item that synergies with both Lich Bane and/or Nashor's Tooth.

Nuke Ziggs: | Approx Final Cost = 18.5k+ Gold |


As you can already see this build is more expensive than the Fed Build above but it is much better than the Fed Build. Nuke Builds need no Explanation. They are designed to get the Champion at Max AP to Nuke (or Burst) enemy champions to death in one shot. This build is the build i use on my Cassiopeia and a build that can be used by any AP Carry and always works. This is a Medium Risk / High Reward Build.


Core Items:





This Core is the standard Nuke Builds. Not much is needed to explain other than to spam abilities to get Tear at Max Mana ASAP. I recommend you build Tear before you finish building your final boots. This way AP and Mana gets to Max ASAP which means more damage and mana when you really need it.


Final Build:





The Final Build is where the Max AP Shines. As Archangel's Staff gives 45 Base AP plus 3% AP of the Champions Max Mana, the highest possible AP for any Champion is 5x Archangel's Staff and 1 Rabadon's Deathcap (before any buffs). Since Ziggs is a little slow and has long Cooldowns, Ziggs doesn't really need the 5th Archangel's Staff like say a Champion such as Cassiopeia who can spam her abilities at will thanks to her low Cooldowns; and her abilities allow her to speed up and slow enemies down for her to easily get away without Boots. It is important to build Tear(s) as quickly as possible so that they get their Max Mana ASAP. I usually finish One Archangel's Staff then build Tear of the Goddess before Blasting Wand. You can also do the opposite if you feel you need the extra early AP to get kills or assists.


Optional Items:


Ionian Boots of Lucidity


Nuke Ziggs still has long cooldowns so having a little CDR to go with Blue Buff really helps in his nuking ability since he can nuke much more with extra CDR. Consider these over Sorcerer's Shoes.


Mercury's Treads


Just like in other previous builds if the enemy team is Heavy CC take these over any of the other 2 boots.


Rylai's Crystal Scepter


Rylai's Crystal Scepter is a great addition to a Nuke Build by allowing Ziggs to slow down enemies while still dishing out lots of damage thanks to the already really high AP of all those Archangel's Staff. Still if you like a little CC and Slows on your enemies just replace One Archangel's Staff with this.


Banshee's Veil


Nuke Ziggs main and only weakness is that he becomes extremely squishy. By building Banshee's Veil you give him a little defense to perhaps survive an incoming wave and get away to safely recall. This can mean the difference between a dead Ziggs or Ziggs getting away safely. Replace this with One Archangel's Staff.


Abyssal Scepter


If you want a little Resistance to AP Champs and still dish out extra AP while reducing their Magic Resistance build one of these over One Archangel's Staff to show the enemy AP Champ who's boss.


Void Staff


If you aren't worried about the squishiness about a Nuke Build and just want flat out offensive ownage but need to break past the wall of magic resistance that the enemy champions have built then take Void Staff. The 40% Magic Penetration insures that no matter how much Magic Resist they have they are going to get Nuked for every ounce of AP you got stocked up. If you have this along with Sorcerer's Shoes nothing is going to withstand the Extremely High AP you got piled up for your abilities. Just replace this with One Archangel's Staff and get ready for the guaranteed Nuking to start.


Zhonya's Hourglass

Want the extra AP with immunity and a little Armor? This is a great mix of AP with perks from Banshee's Veil. Take this and remove One Archangel's Staff and call it a day. Really helps lowers the Squishiness of a Nuke Build.


Frozen Heart


Want CDR with lots of Armor, extra Mana and enemies taking a 20% reduction to Attack Speed? Then this is a great item to build while still being able to keep Sorcerer's Shoes and build a little defense. The high Armor it gives helps if the enemy Team is heavy on AD. Nice way to give Ziggs a little Sustain. Again remove one Archangel's Staff to add this in.


Morello's Evil Tome


MET is back in another build once again. This time it's an optional item to build. If you want to add in the 40% CDR when using Ionian Boots of Lucidity then this is a great way to still Nuke without having to go get Blue Buff, leaving the Blue Buff for another allied champion who may need it more than Ziggs. Or if you still want the Magic Penetration of Sorcerer's Shoes without having to build Ionian Boots of Lucidity instead then this is the best way to maintain a high AP and extra CDR without losing Magic Penetration. Just like before add this and take away One Archangel's Staff.


Archangel's Staff


By now you must be asking why this is here when there's 4 already up above. Well you see if you are the kind of player who can actually play well without the extra Movement Speed of Boots or any other special bonus for the boot you build then a 5th Archangel's Staff is perfect to really say AP is at the absolute maximum that it can possibly go without buffs. As you can already tell at the end of the game when you have the other 4 build and you have extra gold and want to add a 5th just remove the boots and add the 5th in. Now Max Nuke is 100% complete after a 5th of this. Just make sure you keep your distance because you will be slow like a turtle and will probably not escape an incoming wave.

No CDR Ziggs: | Approx Final Cost = 15.6k+ Gold |


This Ziggs is your typical standard Ziggs but with no CDR whatsoever and will be Mana and Mana Regen Hungry. This means you'll be going to get the blue buff every 5 mins and instead of having a 2.4 second Cooldown (max cooldown) Bouncing Bomb you'll have to wait longer before being able to throw another Bouncing Bomb. Still it's nice, cheap, balanced and easy to build. As always a slight adjustment can be made for one or up to all the items to tweak to your satisfaction; or depending on what enemy champions you will be up against, as well as other factors such as Enemy Team Heavy on either AP and AD, an enemy AP Carry who's been fed and is building a Nuke Build, etc...


***** Do note this build will not have any CDR Items at all anywhere. If you want CDR items you already know which items they are from above builds and add them in by building optimal. *****


Core Items:





As you can see the Core is very plain. This is because after this Core you build depending on what the enemy team has or is building aswell as what you prefer to use. As always build your Tear early like normal before completing your final boots and then begin making this build.


Final Build:





As you can see this is a heavy Offense Build with no Defense at all. This is because i do not like building Defense on AP Champions. They are already squishy as it is so if they are gonna die they gonna die and running away because you have defense items is not always going to help when it would be better to build offense and kill an enemy champion before you get killed anyways. If you prefer a little defense then you can always add defensive items and replace them with what you don't prefer or see that you do not need to build in that particular game.


Optional Items:


Mercury's Treads


Enemy Team Heavy on CC? Takes these boots to reduce their CC on you. You'll be able to get out of Stuns, Snares, etc... faster with these.


Zhonya's Hourglass


The defensive item of choice for a standard Ziggs. Gives immunity, armor and lots of AP all in one item for a decent price.


Rod Of Ages


Lots of extra HP, Mana, and AP and extra HP and Mana upon level up is always nice to have. Just make sure you build this early (preferably as your second or third item build).


Banshee's Veil

Great item for any Carry and great counter against AP Carries with extra HP and Mana.


Abyssal Scepter

A great AP Item with lots of AP and MR and reduce enemy MR all in one.


Hextech Gunblade


This is a Hybrid Item that certain champions love to have and Ziggs is no exception since his passive is an Auto Attack which means potential for Life Steal, Spell Vamp and extra AP all in one item which Hextech Gunblade was created for. Has perfect synergy with Lich Bane.

2/9/2012

+ Published Guide
+ Fixed any Minor Errors and Tweaks
+ Added Rod of Ages to Situational Items Section


2/10/2012

+ Fixed any Minor Errors and Tweaks
+ Added Runes Section
+ Added Other Builds Section
+ Added Deathfire Grasp, Shurelya's Battlesong, Nashor's Tooth, and Hextech Gunblade to Situational Items Section


2/11/2012

+ Added Another CDR Variation Ziggs to the Other Builds Section


2/15/2012

+ Fixed any Minor Errors and Tweaks
+ Reworked the Other Builds Section and now each Builds will have their own Chapter for easy viewing. This section will now always be at the bottom of the guide before the Change Log Section
+ Added Nuke Ziggs and No CDR Ziggs to the Other Builds Section
+ Moved Summoner Spells Section up on the Guide for easier navigation around the guide as every section will be before the Other Builds Section


2/16/2012

+ Added 5 Builds to the Build Stats at the very top of the guide for quick stat comparison of some of the different builds

Ziggs is still very much new so alot of testing has to be done for an optimum build for him but i feel like Ziggs needs Mana, Mana Regen and CD which is why i wrote this guide.


Please leave constructive comments so that i can further make this guide better.


And don't forget this is my first guide so go easy on me.