Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu: Damage from Basic Attacks and skills apply marks to enemy units andstructures.
Build core
Rush Mask of Agony, Boots of Tranquility, Frozen Breath, then complete Insatiable Tome, Augur's Word, Venomous Staff
Combo
Wildfire → Scorching Bolt → Flames of War → weave basic attacks
Draft
Zhou Yu excels into Cirrus, Nakoruru, Xuance. Avoid blind picking into Augran, Cao Cao, Dian Wei without team peel.
Best Build for Zhou Yu
End-game item order with gold costs and slot notes. Purchase path may differ in-match.
Build philosophy
Zhou Yu benefits from Magic attack, Cooldown reduction, Penetration — match items and runes to kit scaling.
Passive: Damage from Basic Attacks and skills apply marks to enemy units and structures. At 4 stacks, targets are slowed and suffer damage over time.
Arcana: Prioritize runes that boost Magic attack, Cooldown reduction, Penetration for this hero's passive and skill scaling.
2 presets — switch by draft, lane, or CN meta. Default matches Mid Lane when available.
| # | Item | Gold | Stats | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Void Staff | 2,040g | MATK +210, HP +500, CDR +5% Anti-tank | Fits Magic attack priority — Passive - Devastation — Magical Pierce +45% |
| 2 |  Frozen Breath | 2,100g | MATK +180, CDR +7.5%, HP +500 Skill hits slow | Fits Magic attack priority — Passive - Deep Freeze — When a Basic Attack or skill hits an enemy, it reduces their Movement Speed by 5–10% (for up to 2 stacks) for 1.5s. |
| 3 |  Twilight Stream | 2,040g | MATK +160, CDR +10%, Max HP +500 Boosts Magical Pierce | Fits Magic attack priority — Passive - Purge — Dealing damage to a hero increases Magical Pierce by 20–40 for 4s, for up to 6 stacks. |
| 4 |  Breakthrough Robe | 2,120g | MATK +120, HP +900 Converts HP into Magical Pierce | Fits Magic attack priority — Passive - Breakthrough — Grants 20–40 (+2% extra HP) Magical Attack, up to 100. |
| 5 |  Ardent Dominion | 2,040g | MATK +150, Magical Lifesteal +12%, MSPD +7.5% Cleanse and shield at low HP | Fits Magic attack priority — Passive - Mana Shield — When Health drops below 30%, removes all crowd control effects and grants a shield that negates (500–1,000 + 100% {ap} + 7.5% extra HP) damage and increases Movement Speed by 30% for 4s. |
| 6 |  Splendor | 2,080g | MATK +160, CDR +7.5%, Magical Lifesteal +12% Temp. invincibility | Temp. invincibility supports your Magic attack focus. |
Best Arcana & Spells
| Slot | Choice | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Nightmare | Recommended for Mage Mid Lane |
| Spell | Flash | Adjust Purify/Execute based on enemy dive. |
Skill Order
Skill 2 → Skill 1 → Flames of War (max Skill 2 first)
Max primary utility/damage skill first, then Wildfire, and Flames of War on cooldown.
Combos
1. Standard trade
Wildfire → Scorching Bolt → Flames of War → weave basic attacks
When: Mid Lane skirmish or objective fight
Abilities
Passive
Blaze
Damage from Basic Attacks and skills apply marks to enemy units and structures. At 4 stacks, targets are slowed and suffer damage over time.
Skill 1
Wildfire
Invokes a wind domain in the target direction, slowing and knocking back enemies in range. Nearby teammates gain Movement Speed, and his nearby fires will spread in the direction of the wind.
Skill 2
Scorching Bolt
Creates a fire domain at the target location that deals burning damage to enemies within it. Up to 6 fire domains can exist at a time. Recovers Health over time while in a fire domain. Can stock up to 3 charges of this skill.
Ultimate
Flames of War
Deals damage to enemies in range. If there's a fire domain in range, any enemies within it will be stunned and take extra damage.
Counters & Matchups
Zhou Yu is strong into
Pick Zhou Yu when the enemy drafts these heroes.
Zhou Yu struggles into
Avoid Zhou Yu or ban these when they appear on the enemy team.
- Cao Cao
Playstyle & Ranked Tips
Laning Phase
Control first wave without taking free poke. Roam after pushing wave 2–4 to side lanes with your jungler.
Teamfight Role
Poke from max range before objective. Save hard CC for enemy dive or your carry peel window.
High Rank (Diamond+)
Zhou Yu sits at Tier B globally (51.2% WR). In high rank, pick only into favorable matchups or when you have a dedicated pocket pick.
vs Similar Heroes
- Zhou Yu vs Daji (Mage, Tier S+): Daji is 2.4% pick / 51.0% WR. Zhou Yu has +0.1% WR vs Daji in Camp data. Choose Zhou Yu when you need Mid Lane identity; choose Daji for Mid Lane comfort.
- Zhou Yu vs Angela (Mage, Tier S+): Angela is 2.3% pick / 51.8% WR. Angela wins 0.7% more often globally. Choose Zhou Yu when you need Mid Lane identity; choose Angela for Mid Lane comfort.
FAQ
What is the best Zhou Yu build?
Recommended: Void Staff, Frozen Breath, Twilight Stream, Breakthrough Robe, Ardent Dominion, Splendor.
How to counter Zhou Yu?
Pick Augran, Cao Cao, Dian Wei. Strong into Cirrus, Nakoruru, Xuance.
Is Zhou Yu good in current season?
Zhou Yu is Tier B Mage with 51.06% win rate, 0.52% pick rate, and 0.02% ban rate (Camp HOK international).