Zed is a melee assassin usually played Jungle/Mid on Summoner's Rift. This guide covers Zed in ARAM: Play as a mobile assassin, poking with shadows and diving backline squishies with your ultimate, then using shadows to escape.
Zed ARAM Abilities
Zed's basic attacks deal bonus magic damage to low-health targets, with a cooldown per champion.
Zed and his shadows throw shurikens that damage all enemies they pass through.
Zed dashes a shadow forward; reactivate to swap places with it.
Zed and his shadows slash nearby enemies, slowing those hit by a shadow's slash.
Zed dashes to an enemy, becoming untargetable and marking them; after 3 seconds, the mark detonates for a portion of damage dealt.
Zed ARAM Playstyle & Tips
Play as a mobile assassin, poking with shadows and diving backline squishies with your ultimate, then using shadows to escape.
Tips
Use your W shadow to poke safely from a distance in ARAM's narrow lane.
Maximize energy management by weaving auto-attacks between abilities.
Buy Serrated Dirk early to snowball kills with your ultimate's bonus damage.
Flash over walls to catch isolated squishies with your combo.
Save your W shadow to escape after diving with R in teamfights.
Combos
W > E > Q > auto-attack for safe poke and slow.
R > W > E > Q > auto-attack for a full burst assassination.
W > R > E > Q > auto-attack to gap close and finish with ultimate pop.
Zed ARAM Build Patch 16.13
Runes
Primary — Precision
Conqueror
Presence of Mind
Legend: Haste
Last StandSecondary — Sorcery
Transcendence
Axiom ArcanistSummoners
Skill Order
Max your skills in this order
Starter Items
- 1.
The Brutalizer - 2.
Health Potion
Core Items
- 1.
Hubris - 2.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity - 3.
Axiom Arc
Buy / avoid tips (5)
Buy when:
- you need burst and chase potential
- enemy has immobile squishy targets
- your champion relies on short trades
Avoid when:
- enemy team has heavy peel or disengage
- you need sustained damage over burst
Options
Buy / avoid tips (5)
Buy when:
- enemy team has multiple tanks or bruisers
- your champion relies on ability damage
- you need to kite melee opponents effectively
Avoid when:
- enemy team is mostly squishy
- your team already has enough armor penetration
Options
Buy / avoid tips (5)
Buy when:
- enemy team has multiple tanks or bruisers
- your champion relies on ability damage
- you need to kite melee opponents effectively
Avoid when:
- enemy team is mostly squishy
- your team already has enough armor penetration
Options
Zed ARAM FAQ
What is the best build for Zed in ARAM?
In ARAM, Zed typically builds core items like Hubris, Ionian Boots of Lucidity, Axiom Arc and Conqueror runes (Precision primary, Sorcery secondary).
What runes should I use for Zed in ARAM?
Take Conqueror in the Precision tree as your keystone, with Sorcery as your secondary tree for Zed in ARAM.
How do you play Zed in ARAM?
Play as a mobile assassin, poking with shadows and diving backline squishies with your ultimate, then using shadows to escape.
What is Zed's best combo in ARAM?
W > E > Q > auto-attack for safe poke and slow.
