Heartsteel Zaahen build with runes and items. Heartsteel Zaahen guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Heartsteel Zaahen build in League of Legends Patch 26.1!
You build items that scale and/or benefit from HP stacking.
And you build Armor and MR tanky items, depending on the situation and adapting to the enemy team.
How to play
General
General
You rush Heartsteel #1 unless it is going to be hard to proc it - they are all ranged and just poke you. Then you start slow with Guardian's Horn instead.
Item Order
Item Order after Heartsteel is flexible. You need to see what you need in particular game:
Get Overlord's Bloodmail for more damage and AD.
Get Warmog's Armor as anti-poke item (helps you stay in lane) and for some sweet HP.
Get Unending Despair, if there are prolonged fights in which you can stay near enemies (or enemies near you). The items gets better, the more HP you get.
Get various Armor and/or MR items to counter enemy team.
Get Titanic Hydra for more fun , more damage and some survivability.
Items
Sundered Sky is very good damage item for this build (as #2-#4 depending on the game). It scales off your HP (so Grasp, Heartsteel, Overgrowth). It gives damage and pretty good sustain in fights. Remember to switch targets to maximize the effect!
Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for a very long time (or even have it as 6th item).
Runes
Second Wind scales off with your HP, so it is going to be powerful sustain rune. You can use it by purposefully triggering it by letting enemies poke you a little or walking over some harmful spells.
Triumph is better (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of the Mind.
During game
Your main damage and power comes from auto attacks - Grasp of the Undying, Heartsteel
This is auto attack oriented Zaahen build, so do it! Especially if running with Titanic Hydra and Sundered Sky as well.
You can prioritize switching between champions in the fight, just to farm more Heartsteel procs.
You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.
Remember to consume your Heartsteel procs!
Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!
Tips and Tricks
Champion
Cultivation of War (Passive)
Passive stacks much faster when abilities hit multiple targets - Dreaded Return (W), Aureate Rush (E), and Grim Deliverance (R) give extra stacks per champion hit.
Always weave auto-attacks between abilities to maintain and build passive stacks.
You can be way more aggressive when passive is at max stacks as your revive gets available.
The Darkin Glaive (Q)
The Darkin Glaive (Q) is an auto-attack reset. Auto attack first, then use Q to reset and attack again immediately.
You can insta knock up enemies. Prepare Q2 beforehand (i.e. on minions), then activate it, issue attack on the enemy and Flash for the sweet CC.
Use The Darkin Glaive (Q) to sustain.
Dreaded Return (W)
To ensure your W hit, first knock enemy up with Q2.
Aureate Rush (E)
E can be used as a short dash or canceled entirely when used around walls.
You can use E + Flash, but you need to do it at right time at very last frames of the ability.
Grim Deliverance (R)
Grim Deliverance (R) is very versatile tool. You can use it offensively to initiate or defensively for survivability or escape.
As your Grim Deliverance (R) provides 50% damage reduction during cast as well as healing, you can use it as crucial defensive cooldown in fights. Don't waste it at maximum health, but time it well, for example to survive burst.