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Zyra · Support

Zyra Abilities and Combos

Abilities & combosData-drivenHardPatch 16.19.1
773Updated

More Zyra guides

This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

This guide goes through Zyra's kit ability by ability. The kit brings crowd control (root) with Garden of Thorns. Its ultimate is Stranglethorns.

Strengths

  • High magic damage: Riot rates it 8/10 in magic.
  • Crowd control: Garden of Thorns applies a root to set up kills.
  • Long attack range (575) for safe trades in lane.

Weaknesses

  • Fragile: Riot rates it 3/10 in defense.
  • No dash or blink in the kit: vulnerable to ganks without vision.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Builds

Standard build

BalancedRecommended
Open build

When to use it

The default path: Moonstone Renewer, Echoes of Helia and Imperial Mandate give the health, ability power and mana regeneration this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right
  1. SupportMain100% of matches

Starting items

World AtlasHealth Potion

Core items

  1. 1Moonstone Renewer
  2. 2Echoes of Helia
  3. 3Imperial Mandate

Boots

Ionian Boots of Lucidity

Situational

Zhonya's HourglassAgainst heavy physical damage.Banshee's VeilAgainst heavy magic damage.MorellonomiconCuts the enemy's healing.Void StaffAgainst tanky teams.

Runes

Primary· Sorcery

PrecisionDominationSorceryInspirationResolve
Summon AeryArcane CometStormraider's SurgeDeathfire Touch
Axiom ArcanistManaflow BandNimbus Cloak
TranscendenceCelerityAbsolute Focus
ScorchWaterwalkingGathering Storm

Secondary· Resolve

PrecisionDominationInspirationResolve
DemolishFont of LifeShield Bash
ConditioningSecond WindBone Plating
OvergrowthRevitalizeUnflinching

Shards

Adaptive ForceAttack SpeedAbility Haste
Adaptive ForceMove SpeedHealth Scaling
HealthTenacity and Slow ResistHealth Scaling

Summoner spells

  • Flash
  • Exhaust

Abilities

  • Garden of ThornsPassiveSeeds spawn around Zyra periodically, becoming faster with level. Zyra can cast Deadly Spines or Grasping Roots near seeds to grow plants, who fight for Zyra.Passive — applies a root and summons units. It works on its own: play around it.
  • QDeadly Spines7/6.5/6/5.5/5s55 mpThick vines spread through the ground and explode into spines, dealing magic damage to enemies within the area. If cast near a seed, Deadly Spines grows a Thorn Spitter plant, which fires at enemies from afar.
    Cooldown
    7·6.5·6·5.5·5
    Cost
    55
    Range
    800
    Basic ability — hits an area. Part of your regular rotation.
  • WRampant GrowthZyra plants a seed, lasting up to 60 seconds. Deadly Spines and Grasping Roots cast near seeds will turn them into plants who fight for Zyra. Zyra can store multiple seeds at once, and killing enemies reduces Rampant Growth's recharge time.
    Range
    850
    Basic ability — applies a root. Use it on the target your team can kill.
  • EGrasping Roots11s70/75/80/85/90 mpZyra sends forth vines through the ground to ensnare her target, dealing damage and rooting enemies they come across. If cast near a seed, Grasping Roots grows a Vine Lasher, whose short range attacks reduce enemy Move Speed.
    Cooldown
    11
    Cost
    70·75·80·85·90
    Range
    1100
    Basic ability — applies a root. Use it on the target your team can kill.
  • RStranglethornsUltimate110/100/90s100 mpZyra summons a twisted thicket at her target location, dealing damage to enemies as it expands and knocking them airborne as it contracts. Plants within the thicket are enraged.
    Cooldown
    110·100·90
    Cost
    100
    Range
    700
    Ultimate — applies a knock-up and summons units. Use it on the target your team can kill.

Strategy

1The kit

The kit brings crowd control (root) with Garden of Thorns.

  • Garden of Thorns — Passive — applies a root and summons units. It works on its own: play around it.
  • [Q] Deadly Spines — Basic ability — hits an area. Part of your regular rotation.
  • [W] Rampant Growth — Basic ability — applies a root. Use it on the target your team can kill.
  • [E] Grasping Roots — Basic ability — applies a root. Use it on the target your team can kill.
  • [R] Stranglethorns — Ultimate — applies a knock-up and summons units. Use it on the target your team can kill.

2Skill order

Put a point in Stranglethorns at levels 6, 11 and 16. Between the basic abilities, max first the one that does most for your lane — usually your main damage or wave clear — and keep the utility one for last.

3Combos

A simple sequence that follows from the kit: open with Garden of Thorns, follow with Deadly Spines and Rampant Growth and finish with Stranglethorns. The disable first means everything after it lands.

4Using your ultimate

Stranglethorns is the ability the enemy plays around. Use it where it changes the fight, and remember its cooldown: after using it, you're a smaller threat for a while.

Tips

  • Placing a seed in your spell's path after you have cast it gives you the best chance of having a seed in the proper spot.
  • Seeds grant vision to your team.
  • Zyra is a great ambusher - look for opportunities to set a trap of seeds in brush, then lure enemies in.
  • Land Garden of Thorns first: every ability after it is easier to hit.
  • Watch Stranglethorns's cooldown: fights you take without it are much harder.

Changelog

  1. Guide created for patch 16.19.1.

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