League Of Legends players love their “flavor of the month” champions. Whether it’s Miss Fortune support, zero damage Tryndamere or something so crazy nobody’s thought of it yet, LoL players adore trying out something new. The newest FOTM champion is ADC/Marksman Ziggs and he’s actually pretty good. If anyone had tried to take the little explosive yordle to the bot lane in season six, that player would have been immediately branded as a troll. With some major changes to Zigg’s kit and how marksmen work in season seven, it’s now an actual, legitimate strategy.
Where Did ADC/Marksman Ziggs Come From?
So why exactly are people taking Ziggs in the bot lane? In the mid-season Mage Update, Riot gave Ziggs a tiny buff that nobody really paid any attention to. Players were too busy gawking at Katarina’s Daggers or how OP Rengar was to notice that Riot made Ziggs’ Satchel Charge execute turrets under 25 percent. Shiphtur started winning with him in Challenger and everybody started to jump on the bandwagon. Along with increased damage on his passive to structures, Short Fuse, Ziggs could push towers faster than anyone else. The buffs essentially cut the time he needed to lane by a quarter.
Another big change that contributed to this bot lane debauchery is how weak ADCs are in season seven. Riot changed how armor penetration works in the pre-season, reworking it to “lethality.” Instead of auto attacks doing a base number of damage to foes with lots of armor, Riot reworked it into a gimmick that requires a math formula to compete. Without going into the numbers, lethality is a lot weaker than old armor penetration.
With regular ADCs barely able to make a dent in the meta game, it was only natural for something weird to pop up to take its place. Ziggs pushes really hard, can wave clear better than anybody else and can sustain as long as he has the mana. Other ADCs that are still viable this meta, like Ezreal and Vayne, struggle against the bomberman, making him a great choice. If your team has a Zed, Yasuo or Talon in the mid lane, some AP damage isn’t bad at all.
How Do You Play ADC/Marksman Ziggs?
When playing Ziggs in the bottom lane, your main goal is to push. You want to destroy as many towers as you can in as little time as possible. Clear the wave with your empowered auto attacks and Bouncing Bomb, making it really hard for the enemy to push the wave back. Once you buy a Lich Bane and some Ability Power, you can start one-hitting towers.
Take Flash and Heal as your Summoner Spells and go 12-18-0 in your Masteries, taking Thunderlord’s Decree for more burst. The perfect Rune page is still up for argument, Rekkles goes straight damage while Ruler prefers scaling CDR glyphs and Health per level Seals. I’ve been playing with something a bit simpler that might work for you.
Flat Ability Power Quints
Magic Penetration Marks
Flat Armor Seals
CDR Per Level Glyphs
You want to max your abilities Q>E>W while putting a point in your Mega Inferno Bomb whenever it is up.
Start off with two pots and a Doran's Ring, then head to land. You want to rush a Morellonomicon followed by Sorcerer Shoes or a Lich Bane. At that point you should be a tower-killing god who can wreck in the most hectic of teamfights.
There are a few things you have to keep in mind before playing Marksman/ADC Ziggs. He isn’t like other bot laners; his damage comes from his empowered auto attacks and bombs. When trading, try to not waste your empowered auto on a minion, throw it at the enemy whenever you get the chance. If you lose trades levels 1 through 5, you might need more practice.
ZIggs is one of my favorite champions and it’s good to see him get some play again. Will he the be the APC bot laner Riot so desperately wanted Mordekaiser to be, or is he just a gimmick? Tell us in the comments.
