Lane edge
+1.19 pp
#45 hardest of 65
Win rate vs Gnar
Lane opponent
How to play
Rank
All ranks
Patch 16.16.20–16.21
161718192021
How to play Zaahen
Read the full guide
Do not spend your chase just to start contact: Zaahen’s clean trades come from landing W, keeping Q resets and follow-up autos connected, and only turning E or late W-Flash into a real commit once the opponent is already getting stuck
Top lane is mostly about where the trade breaks, not who swung first, so keep the wave short enough that they have to overstep into Zaahen’s ugly near-tower exchanges instead of giving yourself a long lane where early mobility leaves you stranded
Zaahen’s best games come when one target cannot fully disengage, because Determination, extended contact, and the threat of his second life make the same fight keep getting worse for the enemy instead of ending cleanly after one rotation
When you are behind, stop trying to recreate the chase pattern from your good games. Let the wave come closer, take the shorter trade if they walk too far, and only spend your full commit once they have already used the spell that normally breaks contact. In fights, do not force a deep entry just because you see a carry; start on the target that has to stay in front of you long enough to build Determination, then keep moving forward only if the fight is still connected. The main goal is to stay useful without turning every bad lane into a second bad all-in.
Zaahen's attacks and abilities against enemy champions grant him stacks of Determination, gaining bonus Attack Damage per stack. When filled with Determination, Zaahen gains increased Attack Damage and can revive.
Zaahen slashes twice on his next attack, dealing bonus damage and healing himself. Zaahen can recast this ability to have his next attack deal bonus damage and knock up his target.
Zaahen stabs in a direction, damaging enemies hit, then pulls them toward him.
Zaahen dashes to a location and slices around himself.
Zaahen rises then stabs downward, damaging enemies and healing for a portion of the damage dealt.
