Tank Zaahen Build

Tank Zaahen Build.

Tank Zaahen build with runes and items. Tank Zaahen guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Zaahen build in League of Legends Patch 26.5!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Zaahen ability The Darkin Glaive should be leveled first.
Q
Zaahen ability Aureate Rush should be leveled second.
E
Zaahen ability Dreaded Return should be leveled third.
W
Final items
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Unending Despair should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Hollow Radiance should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Aftershock from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank Zaahen Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost for extra and mobility and chasing and disruptive running around in fights. Good alternative if you want to stay close to enemies.

Exhaust

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for peeling against enemy divers and assassins and protecting your carries.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option if you are feeling spicy. Grievous Wounds + some damage. Good in early fights and you can score some kills, but reduces your going-in potential. Especially later.

Optional Runes

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying is a solid alternative. You become more tanky over time as your HP grows, you get some sustain and you get some damage as well.

Presence of Mind

Presence of Mind

Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Demolish

Demolish

If you are into taking objectives, you can consider taking Demolish rune. Usually it is worth it and lets you push turrets quicker. Utility slash team oriented option.

Looking for another tank build? Check this:
HeartsteelZaahen

How it works

  1. You play as a Tank.
  2. Your job is to soak damage, disrupt fights, protect your team, and be a pain in the neck for the enemy.

Playstyle

  1. 🛡️

    Be the frontline. Soak damage, disrupt enemies, protect your carries.

  2. 💪

    Jak'Sho rewards you for staying in fights.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt your items to counter the enemy team.

How to play

Getting started

  1. Start with Guardian's Horn. Rush #1 Armor item if enemy is heavy on AD, or MR item if heavy on AP. Get Jak'Sho as #2.
  2. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for very long time (or even have it as 6th item).

During fights

  1. Your goal is to be in the middle of fights as long as possible - Jak'Sho stacks up with combat seconds.

Adapting

  1. 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.
  2. You can use Bandlepipes to give your whole team an attack speed boost whenever you CC enemies. Great synergy with auto attackers.

Runes

  1. Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.
  2. Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Save it for when you go in or when enemies jump on you.

Tips and Tricks

Champion

Cultivation of War
Cultivation of War (Passive)

  1. 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.
  2. Always weave auto-attacks between abilities to maintain and build passive stacks.
  3. You can be way more aggressive when passive is at max stacks as your revive gets available.

The Darkin Glaive
The Darkin Glaive (Q)

  1. The Darkin Glaive (Q) is an auto-attack reset. Auto attack first, then use Q to reset and attack again immediately.
  2. 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.
  3. Use The Darkin Glaive (Q) to sustain.

Dreaded Return
Dreaded Return (W)

  1. To ensure your W hit, first knock enemy up with Q2.

Aureate Rush
Aureate Rush (E)

  1. E can be used as a short dash or canceled entirely when used around walls.
  2. You can use E + Flash, but you need to do it at right time at very last frames of the ability.

Grim Deliverance
Grim Deliverance (R)

  1. Grim Deliverance (R) is very versatile tool. You can use it offensively to initiate or defensively for survivability or escape.
  2. 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.

Skill Order

  • Zaahen [object Object] ability.
    Q
    The Darkin Glaive
  • Zaahen [object Object] ability.
    W
    Dreaded Return
  • Zaahen [object Object] ability.
    E
    Aureate Rush
  • Zaahen [object Object] ability.
    R
    Grim Deliverance

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Plated Steelcaps item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Good tank items
Warmog's Armor item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Good MR items
Force of Nature item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Spirit Visage item.
Good Armor items
Unending Despair item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Frozen Heart item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Thornmail item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Situational items
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Trailblazer item.
Knight's Vow item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Bandlepipes item.
Situational DMG items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Blade of The Ruined King item.
Wit's End item.
Sterak's Gage item.
Titanic Hydra item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Wrath item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Unending Despair item.
Thornmail item.
Spirit Visage item.
Hollow Radiance item.