Zyra Build Guide by JustM3

Introduction

Hello, my name is tud0r24, a support-main player who reached this season Diamond 5. This is my first guide, so any constructive cryticism or upvotes are welcome. :D Zyra has become lately a very popular support both in SoloQ and in competitive plays, thanks to her utility, but also because of her great damage.

Pros / Cons

Pros

+ Great engage/disengage with Grasping Roots/ Stranglethorns + Plants deal a lot of damage over time + Good poke in lane + Transforms in AP Carry late game if built properly.

Zyra is a popular support for many reasons. Her utility comes in great team fight potential with her engage or disengage, but her laning phase is also great with her poke. Late game, her damage is same with a AP Carry, so you can carry games by yourself

Cons

- You are really aquishy, so you need a good positioning. - Grasping Roots/ Stranglethorns are easy to dodge. + You can't poke properly vs a sustain lane.

Zyra is a squshy support, so she can be burst down by Leona or Thresh. your skillshots are easy to avoid, so you need good bush control to land good Grasping Roots. Soraka or Nami can heal your poke, so you have to force all-ins, which are pretty good post-6.

Skill explanation

deadly bloom

• // You don't have to throw it immediatelly after death, wait for a good opportunity.
• // If the enemies try to avoid it, you should throw it ASAP.

• // Try to get both the ADC and support with deadly bloom.
• // Don't spam it early or you're going to have mana issues.

• // Use seeds or plants to grants vision in bushes.
• // Plants' damage increase with level and AP, so you don't need to max Rampant Growth, but last.

• // Try to predict enemies' movement when landing it, because the projectile is quite slow.
• // If u catch multiple enemies with the root, follow with [[stranglethorns], so your team can follow up.

Grasping Roots

• // If there are plants in Stranglethorns, their AS will be increased, so try to get as many plants as possible in the fight.
• // Also a great pealing ability, use it on top of your ADC if he gets focused in teamfights.

Abilities sequence

Ability Sequence
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

> deadly bloom > >

In the laning phase maxing deadly bloom is best option for better poke, but when the fights for dragon start you should max Grasping Roots for better CC. Take Stranglethorns at level 6, 11, 16 and max Rampant Growth last.

Masteries

Masteries

4/1

2/5

2/5

1/1

1/5

2/5

3/1

3/1

1/5

3/1

1/5

1/5

1/1

1/

3/

1/

With these masteries you will start with 10% CDR, a free Doran's Shield from the Defense Masteries and bonus movement speed, mana regen, gold and improved potions ( Total Biscuit of Rejuvenation) from the Utility tree. This way you will have a good early game, scaling even better in the late game.

Runes

• Greater Quintessence of Ability Power: This will help when trading , also in the early fights or dragon teamfights.
  
• Greater Mark of Magic Penetration: Your abilies' base stats are great, and the plants will deal a good amount of the damage coupled with these marks. Another option is greater mark of hybrid penetration for a better laning phase pressure, as your AA range is one of the highest from the supports (except Annie's).
  
• Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: This will help with the poke of enemy support ( Lulu, Sona, Karma) but you can consider to mix with Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist if the enemy mid-laner is the only magic damage dealer.
  
• Greater Seal of Health: This way you won't die so easily if you trade early.

Items

Item Sequence
Sorcerer's Shoes - Homeguard 1550	Ruby Sightstone 1600	Frost Queen's Claim 2200	Liandry's Torment 3100	Zhonya's Hourglass 2900	Mikael's Crucible 2100

This will help with your damage, but Ionian Boots of Lucidity or Boots of Mobility are also good chices.

Best gold item for mage-supports, with a good active for peel and good stats. You can sell it in late game for Void Staff/ Rylai's Crystal Scepter or another AP item.

Rush it after Frostfang, but upgrade it to Ruby Sightstone later. You can also buy early wards and buy it after Frost Queen's Claim or Haunting Guise

Your plants apply the %health damage, and coupled with Rylai's Crystal Scepter every abilities procs the maximum damage. Buy an early Haunting Guise and upgrade it after Sorcerer's Shoes, Sightstone and Frost Queen's Claim

It helps with the assassin's and the armor is also pretty good. If you are not focused you can buy Rabadon's Deathcap instead.

Buy it earlier if the enemies have a lot of CC( Leona, Elise, Morgana or if the ADC dies early in teamfights.

This is a very siutuational item that shines vs healers ( Soraka, Vladimir, Swain, especially with your AoE spells.

This is an option to replace Sorcerer's Shoes if you want to roam a lot. I recomand this if your lane is easy to win and you can afford to help the mid-lane with wards and ganks.

If your team already has high damage (a carry top/jungler) this is a great choice to help you protect the ADC/initiate.

It's great for a late-game defensive item if the enemy team has a single spell initiatin ( Thresh, Blitzcrank, Malphite.

If the tank doesn't buy it, i would recomand it only vs AoE teams ( Katarina, Amumu, Miss Fortune).

Gameplay

Early game
Wait until 1:50 before leveling any ability; if you invade/get invaded put a point in E, otherwise level Q. Help your jungler, but don't get in lane too late and try to push fast and get level 2. Try to poke safely, and after level 3 find an oportunity to land E-W-Q-W combo on an enemy (preferably the ADC). Ward and try apply pressure.
If you win lane, try to pressure dragon with the jungler, but if you aren't ahead ask for jungler's help and keep warding.

---

Mid game
Mid game is about objectives. Try to group up and get drakes and turrets. Your kit is great for teamfights, so try to force them. Focus on peeling for your ADC and CC as many enemies as possible.

---

Late game
If it's safe, get baron , otherwise group and keep teamfighting and get inhibitors. If you're ahead, ward enemy jungle and try to catch an enemy, if you are behind ward your jungle and try to defend turrets. Never go alone and keep your ADC safe.

Synergies

Great Ashe synergy You have great CC and poke, so abuse it. At level 6 the kill potential with the jungler help is 100% if you both land the CC. Your best part of game is the late game, so try to get as many objectives as possible.

Great Caitlyn synergy Your range and poke make you have a great laning phase, making a good transition to late game.

Bad Corki synergy Not the best lane partener, but you can play a poke lane, even though Corki is better with an all-in support.

Good Draven synergy Play safe until he gets a BF Sword, then land your CC and Draven's damage will do the rest.

Good Ezreal synergy Poke them pre-6 and then you can force all-ins with your ultimates. You don't have to take care of him that much, his E helps him reposition quickly.

Medium Graves synergy Even though his all-in potenstial is great, he can also poke with his Q. Abuse his level 6 damage and force a fight.

Great Jinx synergy The range allows you to poke safely. You both have good CC, and try to force fights after you poke them, so Jinx can finish them with her ultimate.

Medium Kog'Maw synergy His laning phase is weak, but if you manage to protect him and allow him to cs, his late game is one of the best.

Good Lucian synergy His early game is really good, so be aggresive early and try to land your CC. His late game is decent, so try to protect him, even though he can reposition quickly with his E.

Good MF synergy Try to force early trades, but you will have to focus on peeling for her, because she has no escape macanism. At level 6 wombo-cmbo ultimates for win :D.

Medium Sivir synergy Her ultimate should help you being in a better positioning to land your abilities; she doesnt excel either at poking either at all-ins, so try to help her land both sides Q with your root.

Good Tristana Synergy Your early game is insane, if you poke them down enough she'll be able to burst your enemies down, transforming into a late game monster.

Good Twitch synergy After the nerfs he hasnt a reliable escape machanism, so focus on protecting him in teamfights. His early game isn't that good anymore, but still winnable.

Great Varus synergy He has good poke/all-in/CC just like you, abuse your laning phase power with short trades and all-ins post-6.

Good Vayne synergy Her laning phase is really weak, you can win trades after level 7/after she gets Blade of the Ruined King, try to pass through laning phase with decent cs and peel for her in teamfights as her late game damage is the highest.

Support matchups

Easy-Medium Spoiler: Click to view Poke him early, but don't get too close or he will combo you. Post-6 try to ignore him, as he is almost unkillable and try to CC the ADC.

Easy Spoiler: Click to view His laning phase isn't the best, so poke him down and he will not be able to respond. Late game just peel for your carry, cause you won't catch the enemy ADC with Braum's peel.

Easy-medium Spoiler: Click to view Stay behind minions and poke from safe spots. If you want to ward a bush put a plant in front of you so he will hook the plant. Consider buying Banshee's Veil later in game

Easy Spoiler: Click to view Don't trade when enemy ADC has the shield. She has no damage and she is very squishy, so you can focus her early.

Medium-hard Spoiler: Click to view She outpokes you if she hits empowered Q, she will shield your poke and the movement speed will help avoiding your CC. Anyway, she has no real ultimate, so go fight her post-6 if you have a better synergy with your ADC ( Vayne Karmavs Jinx Zyra

Medium Spoiler: Click to view Avoid her binding at all cost and poke her from safe spots. Post-6 make sure you land your ultimate on both enemies, because she can spellshield only one of them and try to burst down the other

Medium Spoiler: Click to view Make her use her mana on heals by poking 1 of them and then force skirmishes. Post-6 whoever lands the CC wins the trade.

Medium Spoiler: Click to view You outpoke and outrange her, but she can shield a part of your damage. Post-6 she can 'heal' one of them but she doesn't bring so much damage.

Medium-hard Spoiler: Click to view She will heal all your poke. All you can do is force all-ins when her heal is on cool-down or call for jungler's help.

Easy-Medium Spoiler: Click to view You poke harder, but she can heal a part of your poke. Post-6 you should win trades if you both hit your ultimates.

Medium Spoiler: Click to view Her auto-attack range is higher than yours, but her abilities' range is lower. Poke her and post-6 take care of flash ulti. If you hit your ultimate before hers you should be able to burst one of them down, otherwise they might kill you.

Medium Spoiler: Click to view His empowered auto-attacks hurt; stay behind minions and if he hooks your ADC land your root on the enemy ADC

Conclusion

This is my Zyra guide. I hope you enjoyed it and learnt something useful. This is my first guide and i would appreciate any tips or advice.
I would like to thank jhojhoi for her guide, that helped me a lot