Smolder vs Zed Counter Pick

Zed runs on Energy instead of mana, and that Energy regenerates by itself. Whenever he and a shadow hit with the same ability, he collects even more through Living Shadow. That leaves his poke with no cost for Smolder to outlast. Across 117 games on patch 16.13.1, the mid lane win rate for Smolder comes out at 33.3%, a steep deficit for a ranged champion facing a 125-range assassin. Both of Smolder’s poke spells consume Mana, so he has to keep an eye on that bar while Zed never has to.

Zed begins with more staying power than most assassins, at 654 health and 32 armor compared with 575 and 24. He moves at 345 to Smolder’s 330, and by the end he sits on 2,337 health and 111.9 armor against 2,275 and 92. Razor Shuriken lets him and his shadows throw together, so he wins that ranged exchange without ever closing in. Death Mark makes him untargetable, pulls him onto the target, tags it, and then returns a share of the damage he deals afterward. Against a champion without a defensive ability, that is plenty. Shadow Slash slows whatever a shadow’s version of the strike catches, which shuts the opening that Flap, Flap, Flap would otherwise leave. Contempt for the Weak adds bonus magic damage to attacks against low health enemies. For Smolder, a fair target is simply getting two items on even farm, not fighting for anything before that.