Mage Zilean Theorycraft

[quote=Searz]Soooo, gogo ROA start? :3[/quote]

[quote=Trojan995]Zilean may taper off late-game, but the utility he brings is invaluable to teams, and he fits perfectly into the dual AP carry metagame. Stick another AP carry top and you've got yourself a team with lots of AP damage and lots of Zilean utility. As for the build, I'd probably do this: - [[doran's ring]], [[boots of speed]] if it's a skill shot champ ([[brand]] is currently who I'm thinking of) - [[sorcerer's shoes]] if I'm doing well, [[catalyst the protector]] if I'm not - whatever I didn't build above - [[rabadon's deathcap]] - [[rod of ages]] if I'm doing well, [[banshee's veil]] if I'm not As for a tear build... [[doran's ring]] [[catalyst the protector]] [[sorcerer's shoes]] [[tear of the goddess]] [[rod of ages]] [[rabadon's deathcap]] [[archangel's staff]] if I'm doing well, [[banshee's veil]] if I'm not whatever I didn't build above Then from there I'd build situationally.[/quote]

[quote=Jebus McAzn]What I'm thinking is that Zilean's strongest point in terms of damage is early game, as soon as he hits level 3 and his bomb harass starts seriously hurting. Catalyst helps you sustain until you can start taking blue. Then you build AP to further capitalize on that early game. His late game is strong too, obviously. The perma slow is invaluable, as is the potential to ulti up to three times in long fights. He doesn't really need AP for that though. He needs AP for early game harass which is why I'd shy away from it - there's little that it brings to the table that blue buff doesn't. The exception to this is when you have another AP carry who needs blue more than you, and that's just bad team comp because Zil NEEDS blue - both the mana and the CDR.[/quote]

[quote=Trojan995][quote=Jebus McAzn] What I'm thinking is that Zilean's strongest point in terms of damage is early game, as soon as he hits level 3 and his bomb harass starts seriously hurting. Catalyst helps you sustain until you can start taking blue. Then you build AP to further capitalize on that early game. His late game is strong too, obviously. The perma slow is invaluable, as is the potential to ulti up to three times in long fights. He doesn't really need AP for that though. He needs AP for early game harass which is why I'd shy away from it - there's little that it brings to the table that blue buff doesn't. The exception to this is when you have another AP carry who needs blue more than you, and that's just bad team comp because Zil NEEDS blue - both the mana and the CDR. [/quote] The problem is you can't have blue ALL the time. In that case I'd build RoA as a core item.[/quote]

[quote=Temzilla][quote=Searz] Rushing Deathcap is a meh strategy after the nerf. It now provides no more AP for your money than buying Needlessly Large Rods. It's probably a better idea to build some other AP item first. [/quote] I start amp tome, use ap/lvl blues, mana/5 seals, magic pen reds/quints and Zil has about 110~ AP at level 9 with amp tome + NLR. His double bomb attacks will do 800+ damage with that.[/quote]

[quote=Freddy Shopan]Also, because his late game isn't as good, would he be better in a double mage kinda line-up?[/quote]

[quote=theBMB]I don't think you have enough CDR in your build. I would skip on RoA and go for an evil tome if you want AP and CDR, then throw in a glacial shroud somewhere or a kindlegem and you're good.[/quote]

[quote=Trojan995][quote=theBMB] I don't think you have enough CDR in your build. I would skip on RoA and go for an evil tome if you want AP and CDR, then throw in a glacial shroud somewhere or a kindlegem and you're good. [/quote] With runes, masteries, and blue buff, you should be near 40% CDR. If not, a blue pot can make up the difference.[/quote]

[quote=Lugignaf]Are you saying you didn't make Mage-Zilean right from the start? He's got decent ratios and, building AP is just making him a bit more of a support. having only 3 "real" spell, and only one of them being useful when a champion dies, building almost straight AP is really his only option.[/quote]

[quote=The_Nameless_Bard]What about abyssal scepter? o.O Good choice imo[/quote]