Zoe, the new champion, was revealed today by Riot, and the League of Legends community has been very busy trying to wrap their heads around her abilities.
And let us tell you, the task is harder than it sounds.
After watching the short clip provided on Zoe’s reveal page, which showcases her abilities in full combos, it’s hard not to scratch your head, hit rewind, and watch over and over again to fully grasp what’s happening. There is certainly a lot going on.
Zoe’s kit is stuffed with teleporting, spell copying, warping, freezing, and even stealing abilities from enemies. It’s certainly one of the most unique kits ever to be introduced to the game, but it’s also very complex. And by “complex,” we mean, “kinda sorta really confusing.” Once you understand how her abilities work, however, it all starts to come together.
Passive: More sparkles!
Her kit starts out simply enough. Her passive, More sparkles!, grants her next basic attack bonus damage after casting a spell. Easy enough, right? One spell equals one basic attack with extra damage.
Q: Paddle Star
This is where things start to get a wee bit more confusing. Her Q starts out as a simple projectile ability. She casts it, and if it hits the enemy, it deals damage and applies her passive. The thing is, though, she can also cast it far away, and then recast the ability to a new location while it’s still flying from the first cast, causing the projectile to then snap back to the new location. The further the projectile flies in the straight line, the more damage it does, so you’ll need to master some sick trick shots to fully appreciate this ability’s damage.
W: Spell Thief
You’ll only go deeper into the rabbit hole from here, so if you want to go back to an easier ability, scroll back on up to the passive. Her W, Spell Thief, is unlike any spell ever seen in League. When nearby enemies cast Summoner Spells or item actives, they drop a shard that Zoe can then pick up and use to recast that same item or spell. Mirroring an enemy’s spell or item also gives Zoe some orbs that then automatically fire out towards an enemy, each one triggering her passive.
E: Sleepy Trouble Bubble
Aside from showcasing Riot’s creativity when it comes to naming things, the Sleepy Trouble Bubble is also a potent crowd control spell. She throws out a ball that sticks to the first enemy hit, dealing damage and causing them to become drowsy. After a few seconds, they fall asleep and will take extra damage from the next spell or attack. If the ball doesn’t hit an enemy, it lingers on the ground for a while, sticking to the first enemy that walks over it, sort of like a Zilean bomb.
R: Portal Jump
This is Zoe’s primary mobility. After casting her ult, she warps to a location before warping back a moment later. While warping, she is able to attack, cast spells, and see over walls, but she cannot move. On its own, this is a very simple ability, but paired with the other tricks she has up her quirky sleeves, this can be a real mind bender when it comes to fooling your enemies.
With Zoe’s reveal today, she’ll likely be released in a couple of weeks with Patch 7.23.
