Zilong

Zilong's kit highlights a clear focus on aggressive, basic attack-oriented gameplay, making him a potent threat when played to his strengths. However, he also possesses notable vulnerabilities that require careful management.

• Strengths:
  • High Mobility and Chase Potential: Zilong's ultimate, Supreme Warrior, grants him significant movement speed and slow immunity, making him excellent at chasing down fleeing enemies or escaping dangerous situations. This mobility is crucial for his role as an assassin-like Fighter.
  • Strong Single-Target Burst and Sustain: With his Spear Flip and Spear Strike combo, followed by empowered basic attacks from Dragon Flurry, Zilong can quickly eliminate squishy targets. His passive also provides a small amount of healing, contributing to his sustain in extended fights or during jungle clear.
  • Easy to Learn: With a difficulty rating of 10, Zilong is one of the most straightforward heroes to pick up and play effectively. His mechanics are intuitive, allowing new players to quickly grasp his core gameplay loop and contribute to their team.
• Weaknesses:
  • Low Durability: Zilong has a durability rating of 20, which is very low for a Fighter. This makes him extremely vulnerable to burst damage and crowd control, often requiring him to commit fully to engagements and rely on quick eliminations or escapes.
  • Reliance on Basic Attacks: While his basic attacks are powerful, Zilong is heavily dependent on them for his damage output, especially with his passive and ultimate. This makes him susceptible to heroes who can blind, disarm, or kite him effectively, reducing his damage potential.
  • Vulnerable to Crowd Control: Despite his ultimate granting slow immunity, Zilong can still be locked down by stuns, silences, and other forms of hard crowd control. Given his low durability, being caught in CC often means instant death for the Dragon Warrior.

Understanding Zilong's abilities is key to maximizing his impact on the battlefield, leveraging his basic attacks and mobility to secure kills and push objectives.

• Passive: Dragon Flurry

  After every 3 Basic Attacks, Zilong triggers Dragon Flurry on the next Basic Attack, hitting the target 3 times. Each hit deals 30 (+40% Total Physical Attack) Basic Attack damage and heals himself for 30 (+20% Total Physical Attack) HP. This passive is central to Zilong's sustained damage and provides a small but consistent source of healing. The 40% Total Physical Attack scaling on damage means that building physical attack items significantly boosts his overall output, making his basic attacks incredibly potent. The 20% Total Physical Attack scaling on healing also means that more physical attack translates to better sustain. To maximize its effect, especially in the early laning phase, attack enemy minions to trigger Dragon Flurry and then hit the enemy hero behind them.

• Skill 1: Spear Flip

  Zilong flings the target enemy over his head, dealing 250 (+80% Total Physical Attack) Physical Damage. This skill is a powerful crowd control and damage tool. The 250 flat + 80% scaling (Total Physical Attack, Physical) indicates that Spear Flip deals substantial damage, especially as Zilong accumulates physical attack items. This makes it a primary source of burst damage in his combo. It's best used to isolate key targets, pulling them into your team or under your tower. In the early laning phase, wait for enemy soldiers to push to your tower, and when they are gone, try to hook an enemy hero into the tower's range for easy damage.

• Skill 2: Spear Strike

  Zilong lunges at the target enemy, dealing 250 (+60% Total Physical Attack) Physical Damage and reducing their Physical Defense by 15 for 2s. He then launches a Basic Attack on the same target. The cooldown of Spear Strike is reset each time Zilong kills an enemy. This skill serves as Zilong's primary engagement and chase tool. The 250 flat + 60% scaling (Total Physical Attack, Physical) ensures it contributes well to his burst, while the physical defense reduction makes subsequent attacks and skills even more effective. The cooldown reset on kill is incredibly powerful, allowing Zilong to chain kills in teamfights or clear jungle camps rapidly. It can be used in conjunction with his first skill for a deadly combo, or independently to jump over walls for escapes, such as using enemy jungle minions as a target.

• Ultimate: Supreme Warrior

  Zilong removes all slow effects on himself and gains 40% Movement Speed, 45% Attack Speed, and Slow Immunity for 7.5s. For the duration, he can trigger Dragon Flurry after every 2 Basic Attacks (instead of the previous 3). This ultimate is a massive steroid for Zilong, transforming him into a hyper-aggressive duelist and chase machine. The increased movement speed and attack speed significantly boost his damage output and mobility, while the slow immunity ensures he can stick to targets. The reduced basic attack requirement for Dragon Flurry means his passive triggers much more frequently, leading to an explosion of damage. This skill can be used to chase down enemies, escape from dangerous situations, or on cast to immediately remove crowd control effects.

Zilong's recommended build focuses on maximizing his physical attack, attack speed, and basic attack effectiveness to amplify his Dragon Flurry passive and Supreme Warrior ultimate.

• Corrosion Scythe: This item provides a unique passive called Corrosion, where basic attacks gain 80 extra Physical Damage and slow the target by 8% for 1.5s, stacking up to 5 times. This is crucial for Zilong as it enhances his basic attack damage and provides a much-needed slow effect, allowing him to stick to targets and prevent them from escaping, especially when combined with his high movement speed from Supreme Warrior.
• Swift Boots: These boots provide additional movement speed and attack speed. For a hero like Zilong who relies heavily on basic attacks and needs to constantly reposition or chase, the increased attack speed helps trigger his Dragon Flurry passive more often, while the movement speed is vital for map presence and ganks.
• Demon Hunter Sword: With its unique passive Devour, basic attacks deal 8% of the target's current HP as extra Physical Damage. This item is incredibly effective against tanky heroes, allowing Zilong to shred through their health bars regardless of their defenses. It significantly boosts his sustained damage in longer fights and against high-HP targets.
• Golden Staff: The unique passive Swift converts every 1% extra Critical Chance gained into 1% extra Attack Speed. While Zilong doesn't typically build critical chance, Golden Staff's base stats and its synergy with his ultimate's attack speed boost make it a powerful choice. It further amplifies his attack speed, leading to more frequent Dragon Flurry triggers and higher overall damage output.
• Blade of Despair: This item's unique passive Despair increases Physical Attack by 25% for 2s when dealing damage to non-Minion enemies below 50% HP. This effect takes place before the damage is dealt, making it a phenomenal item for finishing off low-health targets. It provides a massive burst of damage that can turn close duels into decisive victories for Zilong.
• Malefic Roar: Malefic Roar's unique passive Armor Buster grants 0.125% extra Physical Penetration for each point of the enemy's Physical Defense, capped at 40%. This item is essential in the late game, allowing Zilong to bypass a significant portion of the enemy's physical defense. It ensures that his damage remains relevant even against heroes who build heavy armor, preventing his attacks from being mitigated too much.

Mastering Zilong involves understanding his aggressive, basic attack-centric playstyle and leveraging his mobility to outmaneuver opponents. Given his low durability, positioning and timing are paramount.

• Early Game Aggression: In the laning phase, utilize your Dragon Flurry passive by attacking enemy minions. Once the passive is charged, you can hit the enemy hero behind the minions for free poke damage and sustain. Look for opportunities to use Spear Flip (Skill 1) to pull unsuspecting enemies under your tower, especially when their minion wave is cleared, securing early kills or forcing them to recall.
• Mid-Game Roaming and Ganking: As the game progresses, use your Spear Strike (Skill 2) to quickly close distances or jump over walls to surprise enemies. Combine Spear Strike with Spear Flip to isolate and burst down squishy targets. Your low difficulty rating means you can focus more on map awareness and objective control. Always be on the lookout for isolated enemies or opportunities to secure jungle objectives.
• Late-Game Split-Pushing and Assassination: Zilong excels at split-pushing due to his high attack speed and ability to quickly clear waves and towers. Use Supreme Warrior (Ultimate) to rapidly push lanes or to escape if multiple enemies rotate to stop you. In teamfights, avoid being the primary initiator due to your low durability. Instead, flank the enemy backline, activate Supreme Warrior, and use Spear Strike and Spear Flip to quickly eliminate high-priority targets like Marksmen or Mages.
• Resource Management and Cooldowns: Be mindful of Spear Strike's cooldown reset on kill. This allows you to chain engagements and maintain pressure. Use Supreme Warrior not just for offense, but also as a crucial escape tool or to cleanse slow effects, ensuring you can always dictate the pace of your engagements.
• Durability Awareness: Always remember Zilong's low durability. Avoid prolonged engagements against multiple enemies or heroes with strong burst. Pick your fights carefully, focusing on quick, decisive eliminations, and always have an escape plan ready.

Understanding Zilong's matchups can significantly impact your performance, allowing you to capitalize on advantages and mitigate disadvantages.

• Best Mate: Eudora

  Zilong pairs exceptionally well with Eudora. His first skill, Spear Flip, allows him to fling enemies directly back to Eudora, setting up her powerful burst combo. This synergy enables Eudora to release her full damage potential on an isolated and displaced target, making it very difficult for enemies to escape their combined assault.

• Counters: Yi Sun-shin

  Zilong is particularly effective against heroes who lack displacement skills, such as Yi Sun-shin. Heroes without reliable escapes are very vulnerable to Zilong’s skillset, as he can easily close the distance with Spear Strike and then use Spear Flip to prevent them from retreating, securing a quick elimination before they can react.

• Countered By: Alucard

  Zilong can struggle significantly in 1v1 battles against certain heroes, including Alucard. It’s very hard for Zilong to beat these heroes in direct confrontations, suggesting that Alucard possesses superior dueling capabilities or sustain that allows him to outlast or out-damage Zilong in a head-on fight. Against such opponents, it's often better for Zilong to avoid direct engagements and focus on split-pushing or ganking other targets.

Imagine you're lurking in a bush, spotting an isolated enemy Marksman pushing a lane. This is Zilong's prime opportunity to strike. First, activate your ultimate, Supreme Warrior, to remove any potential slow effects, gain 40% Movement Speed, and a significant 45% Attack Speed boost. This also empowers your Dragon Flurry passive to trigger after every 2 basic attacks. Next, use Spear Strike (Skill 2) to lunge at the target, dealing 250 (+60% Total Physical Attack) Physical Damage and reducing their Physical Defense by 15 for 2s. This closes the gap instantly and weakens their defenses. Immediately follow up with Spear Flip (Skill 1) to fling the enemy over your head, dealing 250 (+80% Total Physical Attack) Physical Damage and further disrupting their position. With the enemy displaced and debuffed, unleash a flurry of basic attacks. Thanks to Supreme Warrior, your Dragon Flurry passive will trigger rapidly, hitting three times after every two basic attacks, each hit dealing 30 (+40% Total Physical Attack) Physical Damage and healing you for 30 (+20% Total Physical Attack) HP. This combination of burst damage, crowd control, and sustained basic attacks ensures a swift elimination, allowing you to either push the lane or rotate to another objective.

To truly master Zilong and lead your team to victory, focus on these key decisions:

1. Prioritize Basic Attack Enhancements: Build items like Corrosion Scythe, Demon Hunter Sword, and Golden Staff to maximize your Dragon Flurry passive and Supreme Warrior's attack speed benefits, turning your basic attacks into a primary source of devastating damage.
2. Utilize Spear Flip for Isolation: Master the timing of Spear Flip (Skill 1) to pull key enemy targets into unfavorable positions, either under your tower for early kills or into your team's burst range during skirmishes.
3. Activate Supreme Warrior Decisively: Use your ultimate, Supreme Warrior, not just for damage, but also as a crucial tool for chasing down fleeing enemies, escaping dangerous situations, or cleansing slow effects to maintain mobility and control.
4. Exploit Spear Strike's Reset: Leverage Spear Strike's (Skill 2) cooldown reset upon killing an enemy to chain engagements, clear jungle camps efficiently, and maintain relentless pressure across the map, especially in teamfights where multiple low-health targets are present.