Common Misconceptions
Never really posted on the forums before. However I look at them from time to time and I always see one thing in common: the amount of threads that have people complaining about certain things that lack no merit. Let's take the classic "Zed is too strong" example. It is wise to note that I have played quite a large number of games against Zeds, but perhaps more importantly, I have played even more games AS Zed so I know his many weaknesses and strengths.
People's arguments are that Zed is unfair and unfun to play against. Reasons supporting this are his resourceless lane presence and his safe laning phase with strong harass. There are much more elements that go into the negative perception of Zed but let's focus on these for now.
Zed does NOT have infinite damage tools at his exposure. He uses energy. Energy can be just as bad as mana when not managed properly, if not worse. If you use all of your energy, you're useless until it restores within several seconds. For mana, you can use your spells off cooldown until you RUN OUT of mana. In small skirmishes and many in-lane trades (you know, where most of the negative feedback on Zed comes from), energy users have it the worst because they're done after one rotation. All Zed can do when he uses his W-E-Q combo is what exactly? Start running at you trying to auto you? Meanwhile, a mana user can trade back with their rotation the same time Zed does, but now they can throw in another ability or even a few depending on how low the cooldowns are while Zed is retreating or engaging still. This is how it works: Energy champs lose the short fights. However, if not taken advantage of, the energy will come back much faster than mana will, so they start to win in lanes where they aren't punished. Mana is better for short term, and gets depleted in the long term. If you just keep on farming while Zed uses his whole harass combo on you without returning any damage, then that's not a champion problem; that is a player's problem.
Next is his safe lane phase. Let's be honest people, when do you ever see an assassin playing safe? You don't. They ALWAYS look for kills when whenever they can. Can Zed farm from a distance? Yes he can, his Q is a good ability in doing so. However, if the Zed is trying to last hit every possible minion with just Q, not only will it be impossible to last hit all of them by the time his Q comes up again, his energy bar will already be low enough that he can't all in you with his whole rotation. The argument that his W-E-Q is too safe as a harass tool is also fundamentally flawed. Guys... if he uses all of his abilities besides his ultimate, he's a sitting duck. It's not like his combo is up every 2 seconds like many people make it out to be. That combo takes about 15 seconds in the early stages of the game and drains his WHOLE energy bar. If he even uses Q once to farm a minion or harass between that 15 seconds, he has to wait another 5 seconds for his energy to come back, and so on. Also, the only real way the Zed can actually harass you significantly in lane is if he uses his W to chain his E and Q abilities. If he does that, well there goes his "SUPER SAFE MOBILITY". If he doesn't use his W and saves it in case of jungler ganks, well you pretty much win lane. All he can do is Q you and even then he'll probably miss it. If he does hit you, then big whoop. It does little damage if it hits your minions first, which it should because you shouldn't be standing isolated.
Assassins in general are the EASIEST champs to play against but the ones that people complain the most about and don't try to solve the problem. Assassins have one goal and one goal only: kill champions--mainly the carries. A single exhaust will just destroy these champs, especially Zed. Having a Zyhonas just counters his ULT completely. Grouping up will diminish any chance of him killing you. There are too many games that I see no one with exhaust, the AP mid's not building hourglass, no grouping up while trying to splitpush and expecting him not you kill you 1v1. There's just so many counters to Zed and he's overhyped as this great lane bully that is safe and has oppressing damage but it's just not true. I invite you all to actually play Zed for just 10 games. You won't like the amount of games you win, I'll tell you that. I have more tips and tricks to playing against Zed and more information on why many people's arguments on why Zed is too strong are flawed.
