How to Play Zaheen in League of Legends

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Zaahen is the newest champion added to League of Legends, joining other Darkin like Varus and Kayn. He plays somewhat like the older version of Aatrox, another Darkin champion, but his story has a strong connection to Xin Zhao. This guide will help players understand Zaahen’s abilities – how they work together and how to use them effectively – and will suggest the best items to build for him as a Top Lane champion, focusing on the stats he needs most.

Zaahen’s Abilities In League Of Legends

Passive – Cultivation Of War

Zaahen builds up stacks of Determination whenever he attacks an enemy champion with either a basic attack or one of his abilities. Each stack increases his attack damage.

When Zaahen gains Determination, his Attack Damage is doubled. If he’s about to be defeated, he’ll enter a 4-second stasis instead, then revive with some of his maximum Health.

  • This revive has a cooldown that scales with level from 300-120 seconds.
  • Zaahen’s revive is similar to Guardian Angel.
  • Attack Speed helps stack this faster.
  • The only way to stack and maintain it is by hitting champions.

Q – The Darkin Glaive

With his next attack, Zaahen struck twice, dealing extra physical damage and regaining 5% of his maximum health.

Zaahen’s following attack will deal significantly more physical damage and briefly lift the enemy into the air for 0.75 seconds.

  • It functions similarly to Camille’s Q with two casts, the second of which is delayed.
  • It is an auto-attack reset, helping to stack his passive faster.
  • Healing is reduced to 50% against non-champions.
  • Deals an additional 50% bonus damage to monsters.
  • Try to use it after taking damage to get the most out of the heal.

W – Dreaded Return

Zaahen attacks in a line, damaging enemies and pulling them closer. This pull also deals additional damage.

  • Multiple enemies can be pulled at once.
  • You can W-Flash to increase the range.
  • The pull back is small, but it closes the gap and can cancel enemy dashes.

E – Aureate Rush

Zaahen dashes then slices around himself, dealing physical damage to nearby enemies.

Opponents hit at the outer limits of your range receive increased physical damage, plus extra magic damage based on their total health.

  • Zaahen can go over small and medium walls with this.
  • Deals additional physical damage to monsters, but this is capped.
  • Hitting enemies with the edge is crucial, especially if they are tanks.

R – Grim Deliverance

Passive: Zaahen gains percent Armor Penetration.

Active: Zaahen rises, gaining 50% Damage Reduction while casting.

Zaahen attacks by stabbing downwards, causing physical damage. He then heals himself for 33% of the damage he dealt to enemy champions.

  • It’s possible to go over large walls with his ult.
  • Try to use after taking damage to benefit from gaining health back.
  • The more enemies you hit, the more you will heal.
  • Also try to make use of the damage reduction, using it mid fight.
  • The passive armor penetration means he shouldn’t need to build anymore.

Zaahen’s Build In League Of Legends

Zaahen Ability Max Order

  • R > Q > E > W

Like many strong characters, Zaahen benefits from upgrading his ultimate ability as quickly as possible. However, if he can’t, his primary damage comes from his Q ability, combined with his passive, so that’s what players should focus on leveling up first.

Prioritize leveling Zaahen’s E over his W to maximize damage, as the E has a shorter cooldown and will allow for more frequent ability use. The E is also his primary way to quickly eliminate minion waves. Consider Zaahen’s W as a utility skill, offering support and control rather than direct damage.

Zaahen Runes

The Conqueror keystone ability works extremely well with Zaahen, letting him quickly build up both Conqueror’s stacks and his passive, making him very powerful in team fights. The Precision rune tree also offers several beneficial runes for Zaahen.

Runes like Triumph are excellent for champions who enjoy risky, close-quarters combat, providing valuable healing after securing takedowns. The Legend runes all offer benefits, with the first two increasing passive stacking through attack speed or Ability Haste. For the final rune selection, Coup de Grace is a reliable choice, but Cut Down is effective against tanky opponents, and Last Stand can be powerful for champions who thrive on low health and quick healing.

Most players will likely choose the Resolve rune tree for Zaahen, as he needs more defensive strength in the Top Lane. Good choices for all situations include Bone Plating and Revitalize. However, players can also adapt their runes based on the game: Demolish can help with split pushing, Second Wind is useful against champions who constantly attack from a distance, and Conditioning/Overgrowth can help you become stronger in safer matchups. If the enemy team has a lot of crowd control, Unflinching is a good option.

If I’m building my Rune setup, I often look at Sorcery, especially because of Axiom Arcanist. It’s awesome with my ultimate – anything that boosts damage and healing really helps. I usually pair that with Transcendence to get my abilities back up faster. Absolute Focus and Gathering Storm are also solid choices in that tree if I’m looking for a bit more power.

Boots For Zaahen

For Zaahen, the best boots depend on the enemy team. If they have a lot of magic damage or crowd control, Mercury’s Treads are usually the way to go. If they’re mostly dealing physical damage, particularly from auto attacks, Plated Steelcaps are better. These boots are important for helping him stay alive in the Top Lane.

Berserker’s Greaves can be a good choice for increasing attack speed and quickly building up his passive ability. However, players should only choose them if they’re comfortable sacrificing some defensive stats.

Core Items For Zaahen

As a Zaahen player, I’m always looking for gear that boosts my damage – specifically Attack Damage, Attack Speed, and Ability Haste. Surviving is key too, so I need items with Armor, Magic Resistance, and a good amount of Max Health. Anything that makes my healing stronger or gives me Lifesteal is awesome, and since I don’t move super fast, a little extra Movement Speed can really help me out!

The best items for Zaahen depend on the current game situation and his opponent in the Top Lane. These items are strong choices for his core build, but it’s helpful to check recent stats and guides to stay current with popular strategies. Titanic Hydra is especially useful because its special ability lets him attack more quickly, helping him build up his passive ability faster. Blade of the Ruined King is also a good choice, though it doesn’t offer any protection.

  • Blade of the Ruined King
  • Titanic Hydra
  • Sundered Sky
  • Trinity Force
  • Death’s Dance
  • Overlord’s Bloodmail
  • Sterak’s Gauge
  • Stride Breaker

Other Items For Zaahen

Sometimes, depending on the situation or what players are trying to do, certain items can be effective on Zaahen. For instance, some players might build Zaahen with a lot of Attack Speed or Lethality to try playing him as a more aggressive, assassin-style champion.

  • Experimental Hexplate
  • Black Cleaver
  • Chempunk Chainsword
  • Eclipse
  • Wit’s End
  • Maw of Malmortius
  • Spirit Visage
  • Guardian Angel
  • Ravenous Hydra
  • Hullbreaker
  • Kraken Slayer
  • Terminus

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2025-11-19 23:38