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Ziggs Counters: Who Beats Ziggs

Updated for patch 26.21. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch.

Ziggs counters are bot laners who dash onto him before his bombs pile up: all-in marksmen with gap closers, fighters who dodge his poke, and anyone who punishes a 550 range mage after Satchel Charge is spent. Ziggs is a long-range artillery mage who sieges towers and pokes, so getting on top of him early wins the lane.

Kits decided these five, not win rates.

Ziggs counters: Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert, splash art

Why is Ziggs hard to counter?

  • Short Fuse (passive): periodically his next basic attack deals bonus magic damage, and his abilities lower that cooldown.
  • Bouncing Bomb (Q): a bouncing bomb that deals magic damage. Cooldown 6/5.5/5/4.5/4.
  • Satchel Charge (W): an explosive that knocks enemies away (and Ziggs too, without damage), and can hexplode vulnerable turrets. Cooldown 20/18/16/14/12.
  • Hexplosive Minefield (E): mines that damage and slow on contact. Cooldown 16.
  • Mega Inferno Bomb (R): a bomb thrown an enormous distance, hitting hardest in the centre. Cooldown 120/95/70.

Ziggs is a siege machine. Bouncing Bomb pokes every few seconds, the minefield zones you away from the wave, and Satchel Charge can finish a turret that’s low enough. His ultimate hits from across the map. Annoying, sure. But look at the list again: one self-knockback on a 20 second cooldown, and nothing else to get away. Once someone reaches him with Satchel Charge down, Ziggs has very few answers.

Which champions are the best Ziggs counters?

Samira

Samira’s E carries her straight through a target, slicing on the way, and a champion takedown resets it; that’s her road onto a backline bomber. Blade Whirl (W) slashes around her and destroys enemy missiles, so some of his bombs may simply vanish (worth testing in a custom game first). Her passive even closes the distance by itself when the target is rooted or stunned. Flair (Q) and Inferno Trigger (R) finish the job. Can Ziggs escape with his Satchel? Sometimes. Not twice.

Tristana

Draw a Bead (passive) grows Tristana’s attack range every level, so she ends up trading with Ziggs from her own long range. Rocket Jump (W) propels her to a distant spot and slows nearby units on landing. Explosive Charge (E) plants a bomb on the target that explodes shortly after. Buster Shot (R) knocks him back with magic damage, which can push him away from his tower or toward your own team. Pop Rapid Fire once she lands.

Lucian

Lucian wins short trades. Relentless Pursuit (E) is a quick dash, and Lightslinger (passive) turns his next attack into a double-shot after every ability, which also lowers the dash cooldown. Piercing Light (Q) shoots through a target. Ardent Blaze (W) marks and briefly reveals enemies, giving Lucian Move Speed when he attacks them. His ultimate unloads a stream of bullets in one direction. Thing is, Ziggs needs time and space. Lucian takes both away.

Nilah

Nilah is a melee bot laner with 225 range, and that’s still enough here because she closes the gap so quickly. Slipstream (E) dashes toward her target. Jubilant Veil (W) raises her Move Speed and lets her dodge all incoming attacks, which takes Short Fuse’s empowered attack out of the equation. Formless Blade (Q) extends her attack range briefly. With her ultimate she spins, hurting everyone close, then reels them toward her. Joy Unending (passive) shares healing and shielding with allies.

Draven

Raw lane damage is Draven’s answer to Ziggs. A caught Spinning Axe keeps the bonus damage going, and Blood Rush refreshes each time he catches one, so he chases a Satchel-jumping Ziggs at full speed. Stand Aside knocks enemies aside and slows them. Whirling Death crosses the map and executes. Honestly, a Ziggs who falls behind early against Draven rarely catches up.

How do you play the lane against Ziggs?

  • Engage after Satchel Charge. It’s his only escape, on a 20 second cooldown at rank 1.
  • Don’t walk through Hexplosive Minefield; each mine slows and damages.
  • Protect low turrets. Satchel Charge can hexplode vulnerable enemy turrets.
  • Watch his empowered attack, since abilities shorten Short Fuse’s cooldown.
  • Move away from the centre of Mega Inferno Bomb; enemies there take more damage.

Which items counter Ziggs?

Ziggs deals magic damage with everything. Cheapest step: Mercury’s Treads, boots with 20 Magic Resist. Maw of Malmortius suits AD bot laners, with a magic damage shield from Lifeline when you’d fall low. One bomb a fight can be eaten by Annul, which comes on both Banshee’s Veil (mages) and Edge of Night (AD). Wit’s End adds Magic Resist and Tenacity on an attack speed item. Tanks in front can take Force of Nature, whose Steadfast passive gains more Magic Resist after taking magic damage several times. In practice, one early Magic Resist item changes the lane. See every item in our items database, and Maw of Malmortius has its own page.

When is Ziggs at his weakest?

In close range. His abilities are long-range bombs, and once a fighter or dashing marksman reaches him, he can only push himself away with Satchel Charge. Without it, he’s stuck (and he knows it, which is why good Ziggs players hold it).

Before his ultimate is ready, too. Mega Inferno Bomb has a 120 second cooldown at rank 1 (70 at rank 3), and it’s his biggest damage in teamfights. Fight while it’s down.

Still learning bot lane? Before anything else, skim our guide to LoL roles. Every explosive costume the yordle owns appears on the Ziggs skins page. Rolled him on the bridge? The Ziggs ARAM guide has you covered, with a full build for that mode. Long story short, Ziggs counters dash onto him after Satchel Charge, avoid the minefield, and buy Magic Resist early.

FAQ

Who counters Ziggs the most?

Samira, Tristana, Lucian, Nilah and Draven, bot laners with dashes or strong all-ins who reach him before his poke builds up.

Does Ziggs have an escape?

Satchel Charge. It knocks enemies away and also knocks Ziggs away without damaging him. Its cooldown is 20/18/16/14/12 seconds.

Can Ziggs destroy turrets?

Satchel Charge can hexplode vulnerable enemy turrets, so low turrets are at risk when he’s in lane.

What items work against Ziggs?

Magic Resist items such as Mercury’s Treads, Maw of Malmortius and Force of Nature, plus Banshee’s Veil or Edge of Night for a Spell Shield.

How were these Ziggs counters chosen?

By comparing each bot laner’s abilities with his patch 26.21 kit. No win rates were used.