Zilean Mid: Dominate Season 13 With The Chronokeeper

by Jhon Lennon 53 views

Hey guys! Are you ready to master Zilean mid and dominate Season 13? Well, buckle up because we're diving deep into how to make the Chronokeeper a powerful pick in your climb. Zilean, with his unique ability to manipulate time, offers exceptional utility, strong wave clear, and surprising burst potential. He's not just a support masquerading as a mid-laner; he's a strategic powerhouse that can control the pace of the game. Playing Zilean in the mid-lane during Season 13 requires a nuanced understanding of his abilities, itemization, rune choices, and matchups. This guide will equip you with everything you need to confidently pick Zilean and lead your team to victory.

Understanding Zilean's Kit

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of builds and strategies, let's break down Zilean's abilities. Knowing how each one works and how they synergize is key to maximizing his potential.

  • [Q] Time Bomb: This is your bread and butter. Zilean throws a bomb that sticks to the first unit it hits (enemy, minion, or even himself!). After a short delay, it explodes, dealing AoE damage. Two bombs detonating on the same target stuns them. Mastering the double bomb stun is crucial for both offense and defense.
  • [W] Rewind: Rewind is what makes Zilean so unique. It reduces the cooldowns of his other basic abilities. Use it strategically to chain Time Bombs, speed boosts, or even escape tricky situations.
  • [E] Time Warp: This ability either slows an enemy or speeds up an ally. The slow is significant, making it great for chasing down opponents or peeling for your carries. The speed boost is equally valuable for engaging or disengaging.
  • [R] Chronoshift: Zilean's ultimate is a game-changer. He places a time rune on an ally (or himself) that, if they take fatal damage, instead puts them in stasis for a few seconds and then restores a portion of their health. This can completely turn the tide of a fight.

Runes and Summoner Spells for Zilean Mid

Okay, so you know what his abilities do, now what runes and spells should you use? Here’s the lowdown:

Runes

  • Primary (Sorcery):
    • Summon Aery: This is generally the best keystone for Zilean. It provides extra damage and shielding, enhancing both your offensive and defensive capabilities.
    • Manaflow Band: Mana is crucial for Zilean, as he's very mana-hungry. This rune helps sustain your mana pool throughout the laning phase.
    • Transcendence: Extra ability haste is always good on Zilean, allowing you to use your abilities more frequently.
    • Gathering Storm: This provides scaling AP, making you a bigger threat as the game goes on. Alternatively, Scorch can be good for early-game poke.
  • Secondary (Inspiration or Domination):
    • Inspiration (Cosmic Insight & Biscuit Delivery): Cosmic Insight grants additional ability haste and summoner spell haste, while Biscuit Delivery provides sustain in lane.
    • Domination (Taste of Blood & Treasure Hunter): Taste of Blood offers sustain through healing on damage dealt, and Treasure Hunter provides bonus gold for takedowns, accelerating your item acquisition.

Summoner Spells

  • Flash: This is a must-have on virtually every champion, and Zilean is no exception. It provides crucial escape potential and can be used aggressively to secure kills.
  • Teleport or Ignite:
    • Teleport: Allows you to quickly join teamfights and make plays around the map.
    • Ignite: Provides kill pressure in lane and can be useful for securing early leads.

Item Build for Maximum Impact

Now, let's talk about gear! Here's a breakdown of the ideal item build for Zilean mid in Season 13, focusing on maximizing his utility and damage output.

  • Starting Items:
    • Tear of the Goddess: Essential for mana sustain and building into a powerful late-game item.
    • Health Potion: Provides early-game sustain.
  • Core Build:
    • Archangel's Staff/Seraph's Embrace: This is your primary mana item, providing a huge mana pool and scaling AP. It also grants a shield when your health is low, further enhancing your survivability.
    • Ionian Boots of Lucidity: Ability Haste is key for Zilean, and these boots provide a significant amount, along with summoner spell haste.
    • Everfrost: This item offers a great combination of AP, mana, health, and a crowd control active. The active can be used to set up your double bomb stun or to peel for yourself or your allies.
  • Situational Items:
    • Zhonya's Hourglass: Provides crucial survivability in teamfights, allowing you to avoid burst damage and buy time for your team.
    • Rabadon's Deathcap: Significantly increases your AP, boosting both your damage and the effectiveness of your shields and heals.
    • Void Staff: Essential for dealing damage to enemies with high magic resistance.
    • Morellonomicon: Provides magic penetration and Grievous Wounds, reducing enemy healing.
    • Banshee's Veil: Grants a spell shield, protecting you from key enemy abilities.

Laning Phase: Mastering the Early Game

The laning phase is where you set the stage for the rest of the game. As Zilean, your goal is to farm efficiently, poke the enemy laner, and set up ganks for your jungler. Here's how to do it:

  • Early Game (Levels 1-6):
    • Focus on Farming: Prioritize last-hitting minions to build up your gold. Zilean's Time Bomb is great for wave clear, but be mindful of your mana usage.
    • Poke with Time Bombs: Use your Time Bombs to harass the enemy laner, but be careful not to push the wave too hard.
    • Watch for Gank Opportunities: Communicate with your jungler and be ready to set up ganks with your Time Warp and Time Bombs.
  • Mid Game (Levels 7-11):
    • Continue Farming and Poking: Maintain your farm and continue to poke the enemy laner whenever possible.
    • Roam to Help Your Team: Look for opportunities to roam to other lanes and help your team secure objectives. Zilean's Time Warp can be incredibly effective for ganking.
    • Control Vision: Place wards in key areas to provide vision for your team and prevent enemy ganks.
  • Late Game (Levels 12-18):
    • Focus on Teamfighting: Stick with your team and use your abilities to support them. Your Time Warp can be used to speed up your carries or slow down enemy threats, and your Chronoshift can save them from certain death.
    • Peel for Your Carries: Protect your carries from enemy assassins and divers. Your Time Bomb stun and Time Warp slow can be invaluable for keeping them safe.
    • Control Objectives: Help your team secure objectives such as turrets, dragons, and Baron Nashor. Your Time Bomb can be used to clear minion waves quickly, and your Chronoshift can save your teammates from taking unnecessary risks.

Teamfighting: A Chronokeeper's Role

Teamfighting is where Zilean truly shines. His ability to speed up allies, slow enemies, and resurrect teammates can completely swing the tide of a battle. Here's how to play Zilean in teamfights:

  • Prioritize Protecting Your Carries: Your primary goal should be to keep your carries alive. Use your Time Warp to speed them up and help them kite, and use your Chronoshift to save them from fatal damage.
  • Disrupt the Enemy Team: Use your Time Bombs to stun key enemy targets, and use your Time Warp to slow down enemy assassins and divers.
  • Positioning is Key: Stay in the backline and avoid getting caught out. You need to be alive to use your abilities effectively.
  • Communicate with Your Team: Let your team know when your Chronoshift is available and who you plan to use it on. Coordination is crucial for maximizing its effectiveness.

Tips and Tricks for Zilean Mastery

Alright, you've got the basics down. Now, let's take it to the next level with some advanced tips and tricks.

  • Double Bomb Combo: The cornerstone of Zilean's burst potential. Land two Time Bombs on the same target to stun them, allowing for easy follow-up damage from yourself or your team.
  • Self-Bombing for Mobility: Throw a Time Bomb on yourself and then use Time Warp to speed yourself up, creating a burst of movement. This can be used to escape tricky situations or to engage aggressively.
  • Rewind Usage: Mastering Rewind is key to maximizing Zilean's potential. Use it to chain Time Bombs, speed boosts, or to reduce the cooldown of your Chronoshift.
  • Chronoshift Timing: Knowing when to use your Chronoshift is crucial. Save it for when your ally is about to take fatal damage, but be careful not to use it too early or too late.
  • Vision Control: As a support mage, vision control is an important part of your role. Place wards in key areas to provide vision for your team and prevent enemy ganks.

Matchups: Knowing Your Enemies

Knowing your matchups is crucial for success in any lane. Here's a brief overview of some common Zilean mid matchups:

  • Favorable Matchups: Champions with low mobility and predictable movement patterns, such as Viktor, Orianna, and Syndra, are generally favorable matchups for Zilean. You can easily land your Time Bombs on them and control the lane.
  • Neutral Matchups: Champions with moderate mobility and strong wave clear, such as Ahri, Veigar, and Xerath, are generally neutral matchups. The outcome of these matchups will depend on skill and execution.
  • Difficult Matchups: Champions with high mobility and strong all-in potential, such as Zed, Fizz, and Talon, are generally difficult matchups for Zilean. They can easily dodge your Time Bombs and burst you down before you have a chance to react. Play cautiously and focus on farming in these matchups.

Conclusion: Become a Time-Bending Master

So there you have it! A comprehensive guide to playing Zilean mid in Season 13. With practice and dedication, you can master the Chronokeeper and become a force to be reckoned with on the Rift. Remember to focus on farming, poking, and supporting your team with your unique abilities. Good luck, and have fun bending time to your will! Go out there and dominate Season 13 with Zilean, guys!