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the Master of Shadows

Zed Mid build & stats

Assassin C 1,656 games · patch 16.16
Win rate
46.7%
Pick rate
7.3%
Ban rate
19.4%
Division
Master
Build, runes, spells and skill order are from Master games only.

Recommended build

Chosen by win rate among builds with enough games, from ranked matches of high-elo players on patch 16.16

Solid sample

Start with

Doran's Helm
Doran's Helm
450 gold
Health Potion
Health Potion
50 gold
75.0% 8 games

Build in this order

Bastionbreaker 1
Bastionbreaker
3,000 gold
Voltaic Cyclosword 2
Voltaic Cyclosword
3,000 gold
Edge of Night 3
Edge of Night
3,000 gold
9,000 gold
75.0% WR 8 games

Boots

Immortal Path
Immortal Path
1,000 gold
50.4% 131 games

Runes

Inspiration Inspiration + Precision Precision
58.7% WR
46 games · 3% pick
First Strike
First Strike

When you initiate champion combat, deal 7% extra damage for 3 seconds and gain gold based on damage dealt.

Inspiration Inspiration
Glacial Augment Unsealed Spellbook First Strike
Magical Footwear Hextech Flashtraption Cash Back
Triple Tonic Biscuit Delivery Time Warp Tonic
Jack Of All Trades Cosmic Insight Approach Velocity
Precision Precision
Presence of Mind Absorb Life Triumph
Legend: Bloodline Legend: Alacrity Legend: Haste
Coup de Grace Cut Down Last Stand
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling

Summoner spells

Flash Teleport
50.7% 205 games

Max order

Razor Shuriken Q Shadow Slash E Living Shadow W
52.2% 136 games

Each line is the variant with the best win rate among those played enough times, not simply the most popular one. Win rates are smoothed so a lucky three-game build can't top the list. Sample sizes are shown next to every choice.

Tips for Zed

Generated from this patch's numbers

  • Zed wins 46.7% of games as Mid on patch 16.16 (1,656 games).
  • Most common core: Voltaic Cyclosword → Bastionbreaker → Serylda's Grudge — 33% win rate over 15 games.
  • Take First Strike as keystone: picked in 72% of games with a 49% win rate.
  • Best matchup: Naafiri (82% over 11 games). Hardest: Talon (21% over 19 games) — consider a ban or a different pick when you see it.
  • Banned in 19% of games — have a backup pick ready.

Items

Core build in purchase order (from match timelines)

Core build

Voltaic Cyclosword 1
Voltaic Cyclosword
Bastionbreaker 2
Bastionbreaker
Serylda's Grudge 3
Serylda's Grudge
36.4% WR
11 games · 1% pick
Bastionbreaker 1
Bastionbreaker
Voltaic Cyclosword 2
Voltaic Cyclosword
Edge of Night 3
Edge of Night
75.0% WR
8 games · 0% pick
Voltaic Cyclosword 1
Voltaic Cyclosword
Axiom Arc 2
Axiom Arc
Serylda's Grudge 3
Serylda's Grudge
50.0% WR
8 games · 0% pick

Starting items

Doran's Blade
Doran's Blade
Health Potion
Health Potion
53.8% WR
91 games · 5% pick
Doran's Shield
Doran's Shield
Health Potion
Health Potion
45.5% WR
22 games · 1% pick
Long Sword
Long Sword
Refillable Potion
Refillable Potion
33.3% WR
15 games · 1% pick

Boots

Crimson Lucidity
Crimson Lucidity
44.1% WR
526 games · 32% pick
Immortal Path
Immortal Path
50.4% WR
131 games · 8% pick
Chainlaced Crushers
Chainlaced Crushers
44.6% WR
101 games · 6% pick

Legendary items by win rate

ItemWin ratePick
58.9% 6% (95)
51.4% 29% (488)
51.2% 13% (215)
50.5% 11% (188)
49.4% 10% (158)
46.0% 14% (239)
45.6% 44% (734)
44.8% 10% (163)
41.7% 1% (24)
40.0% 2% (25)
33.9% 11% (180)
32.0% 2% (25)

Runes

Most played full pages and keystone win rates

Inspiration Inspiration + Precision Precision
43.3% WR
97 games · 6% pick
First Strike
First Strike

When you initiate champion combat, deal 7% extra damage for 3 seconds and gain gold based on damage dealt.

Inspiration Inspiration
Glacial Augment Unsealed Spellbook First Strike
Magical Footwear Hextech Flashtraption Cash Back
Triple Tonic Biscuit Delivery Time Warp Tonic
Jack Of All Trades Cosmic Insight Approach Velocity
Precision Precision
Presence of Mind Absorb Life Triumph
Legend: Bloodline Legend: Alacrity Legend: Haste
Coup de Grace Cut Down Last Stand
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling
Inspiration Inspiration + Precision Precision
42.0% WR
81 games · 5% pick
First Strike Cash Back Triple Tonic Jack Of All Trades Legend: Haste Cut Down
Inspiration Inspiration + Precision Precision
46.2% WR
78 games · 5% pick
First Strike Cash Back Triple Tonic Cosmic Insight Cut Down Legend: Haste

Keystones

  • First Strike First Strike When you initiate champion combat, deal 7% extra damage for 3 seconds and gain gold based on damage dealt. 46.8%36% pick
  • Electrocute Electrocute Hitting a champion with 3 separate attacks or abilities in 3s deals bonus adaptive damage. 36.8%7% pick
  • Conqueror Conqueror Gain stacks of adaptive force when attacking enemy champions. After reaching 12 stacks, heal for a portion of damage you deal to champions. 37.1%6% pick
  • Arcane Comet Arcane Comet Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a damaging comet at their location. 50.0%0% pick

Summoner spells

  • Flash Ignite Flash + Ignite 41.5%36% pick
  • Flash Teleport Flash + Teleport 50.7%12% pick
  • Exhaust Flash Exhaust + Flash 50.0%1% pick

Abilities & skill order

Which ability to max first, from match timelines

Razor Shuriken Q Shadow Slash E Living Shadow W 52.2%136 games

Most common first three levels: Q → W → E (49%), Q → E → W (52%), W → Q → E (100%).

  • PContempt for the Weak

    Zed's basic attacks against low health targets deals bonus Magic Damage. This effect can only occur once every few seconds against the same enemy champion.

  • QRazor Shuriken

    Zed and his shadows throw their shurikens.Each shuriken deals damage to every enemy hit.

  • WLiving Shadow

    Passive: Zed gains energy whenever he and his shadows strike an enemy with the same ability. Energy can only be gained once per cast ability.Active: Zed's shadow dashes forward, remaining in place for a few seconds. Reac...

  • EShadow Slash

    Zed and his Shadows slash, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Enemies hit by a Shadow's slash are slowed.

  • RDeath Mark

    Zed becomes untargetable and dashes to an enemy champion, marking them. After 3 seconds the mark triggers, repeating a portion of all the damage Zed dealt to the target while they were marked.