Zyra controls areas of the map with seeds, pokes aggressively in lane with rooted plants, and delivers devastating teamfight ultimates. Pre-planting seeds before fights is the key to maximising her output.
Abilities
Skills Overview
P
Garden of Thorns
Passive
Seeds spawn around Zyra periodically, becoming faster with level. Zyra can cast Deadly Spines or Grasping Roots near seeds to grow plants, who fight for Zyra.
When Zyra dies, she transforms into a plant for 2 seconds and can cast a last-gasp spell. Use your death form to cast E onto the nearest enemy — a root from a dead Zyra is extremely tilting.
Q
Deadly Spines
AoE Damage · Plant Spawn
Thick vines spread through the ground and explode into spines, dealing magic damage to enemies within the area. If cast near a seed, Deadly Spines grows a Thorn Spitter plant, which fires at enemies from afar.
CD: 7/6.5/6/5.5/5 · Cost: 55
Deadly Spines hits in a rectangular AoE and sprouts a plant if it lands on a seed. Pre-place W seeds in bushes before fights — Q through the seeds to instantly spawn plants without the enemy seeing them.
W
Rampant Growth
Seed Placement · Plant Spawn Area
Zyra plants a seed, lasting up to 60 seconds. Deadly Spines and Grasping Roots cast near seeds will turn them into plants who fight for Zyra. Zyra can store multiple seeds at once, and killing enemies reduces Rampant Growth's recharge time.
CD: 0 · Cost: 0
Rampant Growth places a seed that spawns a plant when hit by Q or E. Seeds last 60 seconds. Pre-plant seeds in common fight locations before any objective fight — they're invisible to enemies and reward good map awareness.
E
Grasping Roots
Linear Root · Plant Spawn
Zyra sends forth vines through the ground to ensnare her target, dealing damage and rooting enemies they come across. If cast near a seed, Grasping Roots grows a Vine Lasher, whose short range attacks reduce enemy Move Speed.
CD: 11 · Cost: 70/75/80/85/90
Grasping Roots fires in a line and roots all enemies hit. Aim it through a seed to root AND spawn a plant simultaneously. Use E first in fights, then Q through the fresh plants for maximum burst.
R
Stranglethorns
AoE Knockup · Plant Activation
Zyra summons a twisted thicket at her target location, dealing damage to enemies as it expands and knocking them airborne as it contracts. Plants within the thicket are enraged.
CD: 110/100/90 · Cost: 100
Stranglethorns knocks up all enemies in the area after a short delay. Plants in the R area attack twice as fast for the duration. Use R after E roots the primary target — the root prevents them from escaping the R zone.
Skill Leveling Order — Max E first, then Q, then W · R at 6 / 11 / 16
| Level | Q | W | E | R | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take E — root available at level 1 for all-in or escape | ||||
| 2 | Take Q — damage and plant spawn for level 2 poke | ||||
| 3 | Take W — seed placement for sustained plant pressure | ||||
| 4 | Level E — longer root duration | ||||
| 5 | Level E | ||||
| 6 | R — Stranglethorns knockup unlocked | ||||
| 7 | Level E | ||||
| 8 | Level Q — higher AoE damage | ||||
| 9 | E maxed ✓ | ||||
| 10 | Level Q | ||||
| 11 | R rank 2 | ||||
| 12 | Level Q | ||||
| 13 | Level Q | ||||
| 14 | Q maxed ✓ | ||||
| 15 | Start leveling W — more seeds available | ||||
| 16 | R rank 3 | ||||
| 17 | Level W | ||||
| 18 | W maxed ✓ |
Itemization
Recommended Builds
Summoner Spells
Primary
Flash
Best repositioning tool — engage, escape and combo extension
Secondary
Ignite
Kill pressure and Grievous Wounds to deny enemy healing
Situational
Exhaust
Exhaust
Starter
Spellthief's Edge
Q+E poke stacks Spellthief charges easily. Aggressive plant poke generates gold while poking enemies out of lane.
400g
Core
Moonstone Renewer
Plants count as combat for Moonstone stacking. Constant plant attacks generate significant healing for your team during fights.
2200g
Morellonomicon
Grievous Wounds applied by your plants and Q/E hits. Hard counters enemy healer compositions.
2500g
Riftmaker
AP + omnivamp on your massive plant damage. Your R+plant burst heals a significant portion of your HP.
3000g
Situational
Zhonya's Hourglass
Die into your passive plant form, then Zhonya's to survive while your plants finish the fight.
2600g
Void Staff
Magic penetration for enemies stacking MR against your high AP damage.
2800g
Rabadon's Deathcap
Massive AP spike that makes plant attacks deal enormous burst damage in teamfights.
3600g
Runes
Sorcery Primary
Arcane Comet
E root guarantees Comet hit every time. High damage bonus on a locked-down target.
Manaflow Band
Zyra is mana hungry — Manaflow sustains constant Q+E poke.
Transcendence
CDR lets you root and Q more frequently.
Scorch
Extra burn on E root hits makes lane poke genuinely threatening.
Domination Secondary
Cheap Shot
Bonus damage on rooted targets — triggers on every E root for extra burst.
Ultimate Hunter
Reduces R cooldown — more teamfight knockups per game.
Gameplay
How to Play Zyra
01
Early Game
Poke with Plants
- Place W seeds in the lane brushes at level 1 before minions arrive — free plant ambushes in the opening level 2 skirmish.
- Q through your seeds to spawn plants instantly. Enemies don't know seeds are there — plant ambushes deal surprising burst.
- E root the enemy support when they walk up — follow with Q through the root zone for a plant+root combo.
- Your passive death form: always cast E when you die — a root from a dead Zyra is devastating and tilting.
02
Mid Game
Zone Dragon and Herald
- Plant W seeds in the Dragon or Herald pit BEFORE your team contests. Q or E during the objective fight to spawn multiple plants instantly.
- Roam with your jungler — your E+R combo in a river skirmish can 1v2 with planted seeds already in place.
- Zyra's burst is massive — you can 1v1 most supports if you land E first and have plants up.
- Buy Morellonomicon against any healer composition — your plants apply Grievous Wounds on every hit.
03
Late Game
E+R to Carry Teamfights
- Pre-plant W seeds in the Baron or Dragon pit before every major fight — instant plants mid-fight are fight-winning.
- E+R combo: root the priority target, then R under them. The root prevents escape and they take the full plant explosion.
- Your R also activates ALL plants in the area to attack twice as fast — position R to hit as many existing plants as possible.
- Your passive at death: use it. Die, transform, E the nearest enemy carry. A last-gasp root turns 'gg' into '??'.
Teamfighting
How to Teamfight as Zyra
Zyra's teamfight is built around pre-planted seeds and the E+R lockdown combo. Your R is one of the best teamfight ultimates in the game — landing it on 3+ enemies with plants already placed is a team wipe.
1
Pre-Fight — Seed the Battlefield
Before engage
01
Place W seeds in the fight location 60 seconds early — they're invisible and ready to spawn plants the instant Q or E hits them.
02
Position behind your frontline — you need clear line of sight for E and R but die fast if engaged on.
03
Save E for the enemy carry, not the tank. Root the biggest threat, not the most tanky.
2
Fight — E into R
Fight opening
01
E the priority target to root them in place, then immediately R under them.
02
Q through your seeds while the target is rooted — instant plants deal burst damage on the stunned target.
03
R activates nearby plants — position R to catch as many pre-placed plants as possible for maximum DPS.
Never waste R on one target. Zyra's R radius is large — wait for enemies to cluster before casting. A 5-man R knockup wins fights instantly.
3
Aftermath — Passive Death Form
Post-fight
01
If you die — immediately E in your passive form onto the nearest surviving enemy carry.
02
Q to spawn plants during your 2-second death form if seeds are nearby.
03
After fight, re-seed the area immediately for the next skirmish over Baron or Dragon.
Video Guide
Watch the Full Guide
Credits to i0ki
Tips & Tricks
Advanced Mechanics & Hidden Tech
Zyra's depth comes from pre-fight seed placement, E+Q combo timing, and using her passive death form aggressively. Most Zyra players waste their passive — the best ones treat it as a bonus spell.
Basic
Seed Before the Fight
W seeds last 60 seconds and are invisible to enemies. Plant them in the Dragon pit, river brushes, or common fight locations before any objective fight. When the fight starts, Q or E to instantly spawn plants — enemies are surprised by plants appearing from nowhere.
Basic
E → Q Combo Order
Always E first to root the target, then Q through the root location. The root prevents them from walking out of Q's hit zone. Q → E order wastes much of the damage since E takes time to land.
Intermediate
Use Your Passive Every Death
When Zyra dies, she transforms for 2 seconds and can cast one spell. ALWAYS cast E in death form onto the nearest enemy carry. A root from a dead Zyra is one of the most unexpected and tilting things in the game — treat your death as a bonus ability.
Intermediate
R Plant Activation
Stranglethorns R causes all plants in its area to attack twice as fast. Pre-place multiple seeds, then cast R over all of them simultaneously — the knockup plus frenzied plant attacks deals massive burst. Position your R to hit as many pre-placed seeds as possible.
Advanced
Invisible Seed Ambushes
W seeds are invisible to enemies. Place seeds in brushes that enemies commonly walk through — their Sweeper only removes them if they actively ward. Seeds placed 60+ seconds before a fight are almost always missed by enemy control wards.
Advanced
Zhonya's During Death
If you're about to die, Zhonya's before the killing blow and then allow the death to proc your passive plant form while Zhonya's expires. The passive form gives you 2 extra seconds — combined with Zhonya's, you effectively have 4 seconds of post-death gameplay.
Matchups
Counters & Matchups
Zyra loses to mobile supports and champions who can dodge or destroy her plants. She dominates immobile mages and tanks who walk into her seed zones.
Click any matchup to expand tips & how to play against them
Loses Against
Xerath outranges Zyra completely. He pokes her from outside plant range and destroys seeds with AoE. His R finishes any Zyra who tries to death-form root him.
Respect Xerath's range. Stay behind minions and play for all-in with your jungler rather than trying to win the poke war.
Lulu polymorph cancels your E root setup. Her W turns you into a squirrel mid-combo, completely stopping your burst rotation. She also shields your primary targets before your plants kill them.
E through a seed to root the enemy before Lulu can W you. Speed is the key — your E must land before she can react.
Morgana W destroys your plants instantly. Black Shield blocks your E root. Her entire kit counters Zyra's seed-based playstyle.
Bait out Black Shield with a feint E, then cast the real E after it expires. Save Ignite for after her R — she can't Black Shield the Ignite damage.
Wins Against
Soraka cannot match Zyra's burst. Your E+Q combo one-shots Soraka through her heal, and she has no CC to prevent your plants from dealing damage.
Ignite Soraka when she tries to self-heal. E+Q combo her whenever she walks up to heal her ADC.
Sona is squishy and cannot escape your plants. E root prevents her from using Crescendo effectively.
E+Q Sona when she steps up for an aura proc. She cannot trade into rooted plants.
Yuumi cannot contest your zone control. Your plants kill her host and her healing can't keep up with sustained plant + Q + E burst.
E the host, not Yuumi. Root their ADC and your plants shred them. Yuumi attaching doesn't prevent the root.
Team Comp
Best Synergies
Jarvan R cataclysm traps enemies inside Zyra's E root + R knockup zone with pre-planted seeds, combining into a devastating simultaneous burst.
MF R channels freely while Zyra's R knocks up enemies and activated plants shred the grouped team simultaneously.
Jinx AoE Flame Chompers chain with Zyra's E root and R plant explosion for multi-layer CC that locks down grouped enemies.
Amumu R groups enemies onto pre-seeded terrain for Zyra's E root + R knockup combo to detonate plants on the trapped team.