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Zed Counters

Zed

Zed, the Master of Shadows

Who beats Zed in League of Legends, which picks to avoid and how to play the lane. Every matchup comes with the reason it works.

  • Mid
  • Assassin
  • Melee · 125 range
  • 345 move speed
  • Patch 16.21

Best picks against Zed

These champions have the tools to beat Zed.

  1. Lissandra
    Lissandra

    Lissandra roots Zed when he arrives, and she can freeze herself with her ultimate to survive his burst.

  2. Malzahar
    Malzahar

    Malzahar's spell shield absorbs the first part of Zed's combo, and his ultimate suppresses him.

  3. Malphite
    Malphite

    Malphite stacks armor against Zed's physical damage and engages him even through his shadows.

  4. Vex
    Vex

    Every time Zed swaps to a shadow or dashes in, Vex marks him and can fear him.

  5. Galio
    Galio

    Galio builds magic resist and taunts Zed when he dives in.

Worst picks against Zed

Zed usually wins these matchups.

  1. Xerath
    Xerath

    Zed dashes onto Xerath with his shadows and kills him before he can escape.

  2. Lux
    Lux

    Zed dodges Light Binding with his shadows and bursts Lux down.

  3. Vel'Koz
    Vel'Koz

    Zed swaps past Vel'Koz's skillshots and bursts him before he can respond.

  4. Ziggs
    Ziggs

    Zed closes the gap with his shadows and kills Ziggs before he can satchel away.

How to counter Zed

  1. Buy Zhonya's Hourglass or Guardian Angel to survive the burst from his ultimate.

  2. Watch where his shadows are: he can swap to them at any moment.

  3. Dodge his Q by moving perpendicular to his shadows.

  4. Stay near your team after level six; his ultimate is made for picking off isolated players.

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More Mid counters

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Got a question?
We have Answers!

Lissandra, Malzahar, Malphite, Vex and Galio are strong picks against Zed. Lissandra roots Zed when he arrives, and she can freeze herself with her ultimate to survive his burst.
Zed usually has the advantage against Xerath, Lux, Vel'Koz and Ziggs, so avoid those picks when Zed is likely in the mid.
Buy Zhonya's Hourglass or Guardian Angel to survive the burst from his ultimate. Watch where his shadows are: he can swap to them at any moment.
Zed has clear weaknesses that the right pick and good timing can exploit. Even without a counter pick, following the tips on this page will make the lane much easier.

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