League of Legends S12: Zilean Support Build Guide

From runes to items, gameplay tips amd more, we've put together a guide to help you master playing Zilean as a support in League of Legends.

Be mindful that there are several ways to build and play a champion, and you'll need to be adaptable as the game and the enemy team progress.

That said, this guide is a good starting point to helping you get to grips with the champion and making an impact in your games.

Runes

Core Items

Shurelya's Battlesong

2500 Gold

Chemtech Purifier

2300 Gold

Build

Shurelya's Battlesong is a great support item for helping initiate trades or teamfights, thanks to the move speed buffs. 

Chemtech Purifier is great for debuffing enemy champions with Grievous Wounds while empowering allies. 

Other good items include Zhonya's Hourglass, Cosmic Drive, and Archangel's Staff.

Starting Item & Boots

Health Potion

50 Gold

Spellthief's Edge

400 Gold

Ionian Boots of Lucidity

950 Gold

Skill Order

While your choices may differ according to how the game progresses, the typical Zilean skill priority is:

R > Q > E > W

Summoner Spells

These are the summoner spells most typically taken by Zilean in this role. Naturally, this may change depending on match-ups.

Gameplay

Zilean is a great support for both poke, disruption, and roaming potential. You'll need to be flexible and adapt to each trade and teamfight, but once you hit level 6 you can be highly aggressive thanks to the escape tools at your disposal.

• Level 1 - Take Q - Time Bomb, for poke in lane. 
• Level 2 - Take E - Time Warp, for the slow on enemies and move speed buff on allies. This will help you control the lane better.
• First Back - Aim for boots, for the valuable cooldown reduction.

Tips & Tricks

• Zilean's Time Bomb + Rewind combo gives you significant damage output in the early game, allowing you to push lane aggressively. 
• Chronoshift is the perfect survival tool, both for yourself and an ally. Use it smartly.
• Using Time Bomb on allies when they use engage tools, such as Leona or Sylas, is a great way to damage the enemy. 
• Once you have enough cooldown reduction (40% equivalent), your Rewind essentially acts as an instant ability reset. 
• Your passive, Time in a Bottle, levels up allies quickly. Make sure to use it when your allies are levels 5, 10, and 15, so that they instantly get a bonus to their ultimates. At level 5, this could mean an instant, surprise engage in the early game.