MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Zed vs Zilean
Zed vs Zilean in Mid: who wins more often?
Across 141 ranked games in Mid, Zed beats Zilean in 50% of them.
Global ranked sample: games from every region and every rank pooled together, not one server's stats. Data runs through patch 26.12; curves updated 2026-08-07.
By 15 minutes the median game has Zed ahead by 1,221 gold.
Zed at 15:00
- Gold: +1,221
- CS: +12
- XP: +189
Typical gap to Zilean, from 141 games that reached 15:00.
Does Zed counter Zilean?
Even on the count: Zed lands at 50% over 141 games. Neither pick wins the lane alone, so take the side you play better and use the rows below to see which early spots swing this one, then play your first ten minutes around them.
Your Zed game plan against Zilean
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 53% | 118 |
| First blood | 51% | 94 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 56% | 89 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 53% | 100 |
| 0 deaths at 10:00 | 59% | 53 |
In the median game here, the first death comes near 7:49 and level 6 lands around 5:09. Until your spike is online, treat the all-in window with respect.
Zed in Mid: the items that actually get built
The most-finished Zed core is Voltaic Cyclosword, Axiom Arc, Serylda's Grudge: 56.0% across 3,547 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Long Sword + Health Potion + Health Potion + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Voltaic Cyclosword (27,280 games).
Skill plan: Zed players max Q first and take Q at level 1.