Zilean, Icathian mage, we can also call him the master of time. Obsessed over past time after Void destroyed his homeland, he returns and stops time in order to see at least for a moment a different outcome from this tragic one. Becoming immortal, Zilean traverses the paths of past, present, and future, searching for a moment in time that will prevent the catastrophe that destroyed Icathia forever.
How To Play Zilean?
Zilean’s primary role is support, but League of Legends players also love to play him on mid-lane. But he is most famous for bot lane, with his abilities which are extremely useful and can help his ADC ally win lane. You won’t go wrong by choosing Spellthief’s Edge or Ancient Coin for starting items.
Then you can pick Ardent Censer, Shard of True Ice, Shurelya’s Battlesong, and Sorcerer’s Shoes. You can also do your own research and pick the build that works best for you. Next, we will briefly describe his abilities:
Time Bomb (Q)
- Zilean throws a bomb that activates after 3 seconds, and the bomb area captures everything in its path. The point is to throw a time bomb at the enemy champion because he can’t get rid of the bomb, and at the same time when the bomb detonates, it will also cause damage to the champions around the targeted champion. Time Bombs can do great damage even if they are thrown at minions because enemy champions may not be able to escape and thus will still be affected by the detonation of the bomb.
Rewind (W)
- Rewind reduces the cooldown of other abilities, which means that with Rewind, Zilean can, for example, throw 2 Time Bombs in a row, reducing the cooldown time for other abilities.
Time Warp (E)
- With Time Warp, Zilean can speed up its movement speed either from any ally champion or slow down the enemy champion. The trick is in team fights – with Time Warp, Zilean can give movement speed to a stronger ally champion to catch the enemy champions or slow down the enemy champion and thus ensure a kill for his team.
Chronoshift (R)
- He may not be able to turn back time to prevent Icathia’s destruction but still, he can save his ally champion by casting a protective time rune on him before the ally champion dies. If the ally champion dies soon, Chronoshift will automatically put him back in the game. The point is to throw an ult while the ally champion is still alive because Chronoshift can’t revive an already dead champion.
Zilean is an excellent poke with his Time Bombs; with this, he can easily harass enemy champions and win some easy kills because once an opponent’s champion is caught with a bomb, he can no longer get rid of it. Zilean can automatically stun the enemy champion and make him an easy target by throwing two bombs in a row.
Also, he is really a mobile champion. His mobility can save him from the attack of the opposing champion or can help him get to the team fight as soon as possible. Also, not only is he mobile, but he can use his E to slow down enemy champions and steal more time for himself. No pun intended!
Chronoshift itself becomes a powerful weapon in the team fight. Imagine the situation, your adc in the middle of a team fight starts to lose health or mana and is threatened with death. If the adc dies, your team will lose the team fight. Here comes Zilean and activates Chronoshift on adc champion. Adc dies but immediately comes to life and can kill opposing champions and save the team fight. Oh, and turn the game in favor of your team.
However, some drawbacks can make Zilean a rather useless champion on the map. For starters, his poking. If Zilean’s Time Bombs don’t make it to the champion, they are useless. Also, he is a very squishy champion, and his compliance with teammates must be excellent because otherwise, Zilean’s Chronoshift can be unused or poorly used or at the wrong time.
Also read: Best Azir Skins
What About Zilean’s Passive?
Great question! Zilean’s passive, called Time in a Bottle, is actually the time that Zilean can store as an Experience. When he has enough Experience, he can right-click on ally champion and thus increase his level. Zilean can help his teammates to finish their levels, which is especially good at the beginning of the game as it can speed up the experience of their allies.
This can strengthen, for example, the adc teammate in the short term, which actually means a tactical advantage over enemy champions. At the same time, by giving XP to his allies, he also gains the same amount of XP, which is a win-win situation.
Of course, in the late game, when all the champions reach level 18, Time in a Bottle is no longer of any use, but it can be used properly in the early game. This unique passive makes Zilean a special champion that should not be underestimated.
Also read: How to Play Against Brand Support
Final Thoughts
So, I think we mentioned everything there is to know about Zilean. Of course, his build and strategies are individual, and you can always experiment with that or go with the recommended option. Zilean is the mage champion, most often chosen as support or for mid-lane. His abilities include poking his enemies with Time Bombs, Zilean can quickly drop the bomb on the enemy champion, and everything in the bomb’s area will be damaged after 3 seconds when the Time Bomb detonates itself.
Also, he can reduce the cooldown of his abilities, which means he can with Rewind throw two bombs in a row, and if both bombs fall on the enemy champion, he will automatically be stunned. We must not forget Time Warp which can slow down the enemy champion and make it easier for his teammates to kill him. Or he can increase the movement speed of one of his allies and thus go on a hunt for runaway enemy champions. It works both ways, that’s for sure.
Chronoshift is a gift of coming back to life. Zilean has a nice ult that can change the course of the match at the right time. If his adc or other strong teammate is low on mana or health, Zilean can throw his ult on him and allow him to bring his ally back to life if he dies. This is tricky because Zilean can’t bring back the already dead ally champion, so he has to be careful at what point he will use the golden Chronoshift.
And last but not least, Zilean has a passive (Time in a Bottle) that makes him a true master of time. How? Well, let’s repeat: Zilean’s passive is actually the time that Zilean can store as an Experience. When he gathers enough Experience, he can right-click on ally champion and automatically level him up. The extra thing is that Zilean also gets the same amount of XP. His passive is intended for the early game; the sooner he levels up his allies, the sooner they will strengthen and be able to attack the enemy champions and be in the lead when conquering the lane. All in all, Zilean is an interesting champion and worth a try. Good luck!
