Zyra Support Build Guides, Runes, Items, and Abilities - Patch 14.21

Zyra, also known as "Rise of the Thorns," is a mage champion in League of Legends who excels at controlling the battlefield with her plants and crowd control abilities. As a master of nature, Zyra summons deadly vines and flora to ensnare and damage her enemies. She thrives in both support and mid-lane roles, using her long-range poke and area-of-effect (AoE) abilities to deal sustained damage while zoning out opponents.

Her playstyle revolves around positioning and timing, making her a high-impact champion when played skillfully. Zyra’s ultimate ability, Stranglethorns, unleashes a massive thorny bramble that knocks up enemies, allowing her team to capitalize on the disruption.

Playing Zyra offers several advantages, making her a strong pick in the support role or even as a mid-lane mage:

1. High Damage Output Zyra has some of the highest damage potential among support champions due to her plant-summoning abilities and AoE spells. Her Deadly Spines (Q) and Rampant Growth (W) provide consistent poke, while her Grasping Roots (E) allows for great follow-up damage.
2. Zone Control Zyra excels at controlling space, making it difficult for enemies to engage or escape. Her plants act as a constant threat, punishing mispositioned opponents and creating an oppressive lane environment.
3. Strong Crowd Control With her Grasping Roots (E) and Stranglethorns (R), Zyra can root multiple enemies and disrupt team fights. This makes her valuable for setting up kills or peeling for her team’s carries.
4. Scales Well into Late Game Unlike some other supports, Zyra's damage and utility remain strong throughout the game. Her plants scale with her ability power, allowing her to remain a significant threat even in late-game team fights.
5. Punishes Poor Positioning Zyra’s kit rewards good timing and positioning, making her a great pick to punish enemies who overextend. Her plants constantly harass opponents, forcing them to play cautiously or suffer heavy damage.
6. Versatility Zyra can be flexed into multiple roles. While she is most often played as a support, she can also be played as a mid-lane mage, providing flexibility in team compositions.
7. Strong Engage/Disengage Her crowd control abilities are great for both initiating fights and disengaging when necessary. The slow and knock-up from her ultimate, Stranglethorns, can turn the tide of team fights or prevent the enemy team from engaging.

In summary, Zyra is a great choice for players who enjoy controlling the battlefield, dealing consistent damage from range, and using strategic zoning and crowd control to outplay opponents.

Role: Mage/Support Primary Lane: Support (can also be played in mid-lane) Type: Magic Damage, Crowd Control

Lore: Zyra is a deadly embodiment of nature's fury, a powerful being who emerged from the ruins of an ancient civilization. She uses her mastery of plant life to create devastating vines and brambles, reflecting the untamed force of the wild. Wherever she roams, the land comes alive with her predatory creations.

Abilities: Passive – Garden of Thorns Effect: Periodically, seeds spawn around Zyra, which can be activated to grow into plants when hit by her abilities. These plants attack nearby enemies, adding extra damage and pressure.

Q – Deadly Spines Effect: Zyra conjures thorny spines in a target area, dealing magic damage. If a seed is hit, it spawns a Thorn Spitter that fires at enemies from range.

W – Rampant Growth Effect: Zyra plants a seed at a target location, which remains dormant until an ability hits it. Her plants grow stronger based on her ability power.

E – Grasping Roots Effect: Sends out vines in a line, rooting and damaging enemies. Seeds hit by this ability become Vine Lashers, plants that slow enemies with their attacks.

R – Stranglethorns Effect: Summons a massive thicket of thorns in an area, dealing AoE magic damage. After a short delay, it knocks up all enemies caught in the zone.

1. Strengths:

• Strong Zoning and Poking: Zyra’s seeds and plants give her unparalleled ability to control areas of the map, making it hard for enemies to engage or escape.
• High Damage for a Support: Unlike many supports, Zyra can deal significant burst damage, especially when landing her full combo.
• Crowd Control and AoE Impact: Her root (E) and ultimate (R) provide valuable crowd control and can swing team fights in her team’s favor.

2. Weaknesses:

• Squishy: Zyra is highly vulnerable to burst damage and assassins, so positioning is key.
• Dependent on Skillshots: Many of her abilities are skillshot-based, meaning that missing a key root or AoE can leave her vulnerable.
• High Mana Costs: Zyra can struggle with mana in the early game if she uses her abilities too liberally.

3. Playstyle Tips:

• Early Game: Focus on harassing enemies with your plants, poking them out of lane, and controlling vision around objectives.
• Mid to Late Game: In team fights, use your root (E) and ultimate (R) to control key areas and prevent enemy engages. Position yourself to maximize damage from your plants while staying safe.

4. Synergy: Zyra works well with AD carries who can capitalize on her crowd control and zone control, such as Jhin, Miss Fortune, or Ashe.

• Seeds will not spawn or show your location if you’re in a bush. Hide in bushes and wait for the enemy to walk past before collapsing on them.
• Try using your Deadly Spines (Q) or Grasping Roots (E) first before using your Rampant Growth(W) so the enemy doesn’t destroy your Seed W or run away.
• You can look to cheese kills and take objectives with ease if you can assassinate and blow someone up. Hide in an unwarded bush in a high traffic area and burst the unlucky enemy who walks nearby.

• Basic: Q + W
• Basic: E + W
• Basic: E + Q + W + AA
• Medium: E + Q + W + R + AA
• Hard: R + Q + W + AA + E + AA

1. Laning Phase If your Jungler is starting the Blue / Red buff on bot lane then you should help out with ideally a few seeds from your passive and a Deadly Spines (Q). Seed placement will be random, and ideally tell your jungler to let a plant tank hits for them as it will save about 200hp of damage.

During the laning phase harass with Deadly Spines (Q) as often as you can to get income with your World Atlas. You will also be building Manaflow Band stacks. If you are confident your Deadly Spines (Q) will land, put a Rampant Growth seed nearby to have a plant also hit the enemy to give you another gold hit and some extra damage.

Use Grasping Roots (E) carefully, as either as a peel or a hard engage and ensure you use a Rampant Growth seed to help slow the target, even if miss rooting the target.

Against heavy engage supports (such as Leona / Rakan), poke them down as much as possible level 1 while ensuring you hit level 2 first. This will allow you to control the lane and will prevent these type of champions from engaging as they will be too low on hp. If this hasn't happened stay back, only do safe poke and try and whittle them down before fully engaging.

Encourage your team to do dragon (unless its cloud drake). This is because your plants can each individually tank a dragon and mitigate the amount of damage your team takes. They can each take two hits before dying. NOTE: Cloud drake has an exceptionally fast auto attack and will kill plants very quickly and Mountain and Infernal Drakes have a mini aoe on their attack, so make sure only 1 plant is tanking at a time! - Also Hextech Dragon destroys plants quickly with its AoE so only spawn one at a time. Back to Top

2. Midgame & Teamfights Continue to encourage your team to do kill able objectives, plants are exceptionally good damage and tanks for herald, baron and dragons and only gets better once you purchase a Liandry's Torment.

Ensure you are constantly asking yourself "What is the next easiest objective to take". Once you have identified what it is, get wards around the objective and ensure you are buying Control Wards to ensure vision is secure.

If any enemies have a Banshee's Veil do your best just to tag them with one range plant, as this will pop the shield!

If your game has been going badly, moving towards a peeling, cc build is better than going up for straight pure DPS. Taking a Rylai's Crystal Scepter earlier can help peel for your team and extending the duration of the game can give your team a chance to get back in it.

Against full ad teams, it feels bad however, you should always build a Zhonya's Hourglass early to ensure you can out scale the enemy team.

3. Early game

• Get level 2 first and look for a favourable trade. Gaining an early health lead is key to getting a kill later on down the line. Level 2 in the bottom lane is the first minion wave followed by the next 3 melee minions.
• Your goal during the laning phase is so to look for kills and abuse the enemy as often as you can. Try to play aggressive frequently to gain a lead.
• After destroying the bottom lane tower, rotate to the mid lane and try to take that tower. This will open up the map and give your team a gold lead.

4. Mid game

• As a Support, you’re quite vulnerable and can easily be killed when going to ward, when you’re moving around the map, and when you’re alone. To reduce the chances of dying and getting caught out of position, try and stick with your team at all times.
• Keep a constant eye on what major objective is spawning next. If it’s spawning soon, make sure you place vision around the objective as quickly and as safely as possible before retreating to safety. Having vision around major objectives is key.
• Look for picks in the mid-game. You deal lots of damage and can easily blow champions up. Try to kill someone and then abuse their death timer to earn more gold.

5. Late game

• Ward major objectives and place vision in high traffic areas in the late stages of the game. Keep them warded so you can see the enemy move around the map and see them starting the objective.
• Stay with your team at all times. Avoid moving around the map alone so you do not get caught out. Getting caught out will result in your team having to play 4v5. Do not ward alone unless you know where the enemy is.
• Peel for your allies as much as possible. Keeping them alive for as long as possible in team fights is a must in order to win the game.

In conclusion, Zyra is a powerful and versatile support champion in League of Legends, offering high damage, excellent zone control, and impactful crowd control. Her ability to summon plants and manipulate the battlefield allows her to dominate laning phases and make a strong impact in team fights. While she can be squishy and dependent on positioning, a well-played Zyra can turn the tide of any match with her disruptive abilities and burst potential. If you enjoy a strategic, poke-heavy playstyle that thrives on punishing enemies for poor positioning, Zyra is a great pick for you.