Zephyr: An Undervalued Treasure for Marksmen and Top Laners

For many years now, the Zephyr has been lying at the bottom third of all the items in terms of usage. Many forums dismiss the item as a mere replacement for boots at the very late stages of the game. Although there are some defenders of this undervalued item, their comments are treated as actual zephyrs, light gusts of wind. This article aims to prove that the Zephyr should be treated as more than an afterthought.



“It’s not underused, I build it every other game!”

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you and I are the 0.61% of people who actually purchase the item. Even its Ability Power counterpart has peaked at 4 times that amount!



“If no one uses it, why should I?”

Because, statistically, it improves your chances at winning. The win-rate of players who build Zephyrs consistently hover in between 65 to 70%. Granted, several players only build Zephyr to replace boots in the latest stages of a game, but, this does not discount its usefulness in other parts of the game.



Why Zephyr is useful for Marksmen

Zephyr would make a great mid to late game choice for AD carries due to its unique mix of pluses. First, it gives an additional 25 attack damage. That is self-explanatory. Next, it offers a 50% increase in attack speed. For most of the marksmen, attack speed is highly valued. Not only does Zephyr offer attack speed at a relatively close price point to other major AD items, it also gives the second most attack speed in the game, under only Runaan’s Hurricane. Thirdly, it gives the most passive movement speed in the game at a 10% increase which greatly aids marksmen in kiting during teamfights. The 10% cooldown reduction is a nice little bonus for caster marksmen such as Ashe. Lastly, and arguably its best feature, is the 35% tenacity it gives. Countless AD carries have been shut down in a teamfight by a barrage of Nunu snowballs or a perfectly placed Glacial Fissure. The 35% tenacity might not instantly lift all the burdens of having a Nunu on the enemy team, but it will, however, help. That one less second being slowed or stunned could be the difference between winning and losing the game.



Photo courtesy of Nfouque - http://nfouque.deviantart.com/



Why Zephyr is useful for Top Laners

While all of the aforementioned still hold true, Zephyr is a good purchase for top laners because of the way it synergizes with their job as a front liner. The bonus AD adds to the effectiveness of Champions such as Hecarim and Tryndamere at dealing damage and drawing attention away from their carries. The additional attack speed on the other hand helps champions such as Irelia and Aatrox at letting their respective abilities proc more often. The 10% movement speed helps all top laners either chase the enemy team, dive their backline, or get to their own carries to peel. Lastly, the deadly pairing of 10% cooldown reduction as well as 35% tenacity means more spells, more often. Especially in teamfights, chains of crowd control will be put on bruisers and tanks in order to peel for their own marksman. The tenacity will help one get free from the crowd control and, paired with the cooldown reduction, be able to cast more spells, deal more damage, or land more crowd control to help his team win the fight.

Photo courtesy of Nighthunte - http://nighthunte.deviantart.com/

In Summary

The Zephyr, being both underused and undervalued, can improve one's chances of getting that Victory Screen. While, like many items, it is situational, it should not be regarded as a throwaway or a possible substitute. It is its own item with unique bonuses that can greatly aid top laners and marksmen alike.