Zhuangzi
Crimson Shadow - Redemption
Dawnlight
Succubus Cloak
Blazing Cape
Overlord's Platemail
Ominous PremonitionZhuangzi: Periodically removes crowd control effects and increases Movement Speed and damage reduction.
Build core
Rush Boots of Fortitude, Glacial Buckler, Ominous Premonition, then complete Longnight Guardian, Overlord's Platemail
Combo
Kaleidoscope → Sleep Starts → Butterfly Effect → weave basic attacks
Draft
Zhuangzi excels into Cirrus, Dian Wei, Menki. Avoid blind picking into Allain, Wukong, Musashi without team peel.
Best Build for Zhuangzi
End-game item order with gold costs and slot notes. Purchase path may differ in-match.
Build philosophy
Zhuangzi benefits from Survivability, Movement speed — match items and runes to kit scaling.
Passive: Periodically removes crowd control effects and increases Movement Speed and damage reduction.
Arcana: Prioritize runes that boost Survivability, Movement speed for this hero's passive and skill scaling.
3 presets — switch by draft, lane, or CN meta. Default matches Roaming when available.
| # | Item | Gold | Stats | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crimson Shadow - Redemption | 2,080g | HP +1,200, MSPD +7.5% DPS aura | Fits Survivability priority — Active - Rescue — Grants a shield that negates (240–480 + 10%HP) damage to teammates within range for 4s. |
| 2 | Dawnlight | 2,040g | PDEF +210, HP +900, CDR +10% Shields on dealing damage | Fits Survivability priority — Passive - Firstlight — When dealing damage to enemy heroes with Basic Attacks or skills, grants a shield that negates (250–500 + 4% HP) damage to self and the nearby teammate with the lowest Health for 3s. When no teammates are nearby, shield value increases by 50%. |
| 3 | Succubus Cloak | 2,020g | MDEF +300, HP +1,100 Negates magical damage | Fits Survivability priority — Passive - Mist Veil — Grants a shield that negates 400–800 (+7% extra HP) magical damage every 15s. |
| 4 | Blazing Cape | 2,040g | PDEF +150, MDEF +150, HP +1,100 Area burn & imperil | Fits Survivability priority — Passive - Conflagration — Burns enemies within a range of 375 every second, dealing (1.5% HP) magical damage. Deals double damage to minions and monsters. |
| 5 | Overlord's Platemail | 2,450g | HP +1,800, PDEF +160, MDEF +80 Extra HP | Fits Survivability priority — Passive - Fated — Increases HP by 4%. |
| 6 | Ominous Premonition | 2,020g | PDEF +300, HP +1,200 Slows attackers | Fits Survivability priority — Passive - Cold Steel — When taking damage, reduces the attacker's Attack Speed by 20%–40% and Movement Speed by 7.5%–15% for 2.5s. |
Best Arcana & Spells
| Slot | Choice | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Fate | Recommended for Tank Roaming |
| Spell | Smite / Heal | Adjust Purify/Execute based on enemy dive. |
Skill Order
Skill 2 → Skill 1 → Butterfly Effect (max Skill 2 first)
Max primary utility/damage skill first, then Kaleidoscope, and Butterfly Effect on cooldown.
Combos
1. Standard trade
Kaleidoscope → Sleep Starts → Butterfly Effect → weave basic attacks
When: Roaming skirmish or objective fight
Abilities
Passive
Nature's Will
Periodically removes crowd control effects and increases Movement Speed and damage reduction.
Skill 1
Kaleidoscope
Triggers Nature's Will, releasing dream butterflies in a cone-shaped area, inflicting damage and slowing enemies in range.
Skill 2
Sleep Starts
Damages enemies within range and increases teammates' Movement Speed. Gains a stack each time damage is dealt, up to 5 stacks. Each stack increases skill damage. Passive: Periodically uses Sleep Starts.
Ultimate
Butterfly Effect
Removes crowd control effects from teammates within range and provides a shield.
Counters & Matchups
Zhuangzi is strong into
Pick Zhuangzi when the enemy drafts these heroes.
Zhuangzi struggles into
Avoid Zhuangzi or ban these when they appear on the enemy team.
Playstyle & Ranked Tips
Laning Phase
Help marksman crash wave, then rotate mid for picks. Return before Tyrant if your carry has no escape.
Teamfight Role
Engage on enemy carry when your team has follow-up. Body-block skillshots for your marksman.
High Rank (Diamond+)
Zhuangzi is a viable Tier A pick in high rank with 49.9% win rate — strong in one-trick hands or as a counter-pick. Ban rate 1.1% — expect Zhuangzi to be removed in tryhard lobbies; have a backup in the same role.
vs Similar Heroes
- Zhuangzi vs Kaizer (Tank, Tier S): Kaizer is 1.6% pick / 51.4% WR. Kaizer wins 1.5% more often globally. Choose Zhuangzi when you need Roaming identity; choose Kaizer for Clash Lane comfort.
- Zhuangzi vs Dun (Tank, Tier S): Dun is 1.5% pick / 52.3% WR. Dun wins 2.4% more often globally. Choose Zhuangzi when you need Roaming identity; choose Dun for Clash Lane comfort.
FAQ
What is the best Zhuangzi build?
Recommended: Crimson Shadow - Redemption, Dawnlight, Succubus Cloak, Blazing Cape, Overlord's Platemail, Ominous Premonition.
How to counter Zhuangzi?
Pick Allain, Wukong, Musashi. Strong into Cirrus, Dian Wei, Menki.
Is Zhuangzi good in current season?
Zhuangzi is Tier A Tank with 50.17% win rate, 0.66% pick rate, and 1.04% ban rate (Camp HOK international).