The first week of the 2023 LEC Winter Split has shown that the meta in League of Legends is volatile and rewards players for using unconventional strategies. On the final day of the first week, G2 Esports surprised everyone with their picks against Astralis. They put Karma in the top lane, Kindred in the jungle, and Caps played Zac in the mid lane.
Zac has gained popularity because players have discovered new synergies with his kit and different items that allow him to be played in roles other than jungle. In professional play, off-role Zac was played at the 2022 World Championship with mixed success.
Caps’ decision to play Zac in the mid lane confused fans, but he quickly showed the champion’s power by dominating the matchup against Dajor’s Sylas. Caps finished the game with an 8/1/7 score and helped G2 secure the victory.
Caps AP Zac mid runes
Conqueror is Zac’s preferred keystone, especially when played in the mid lane with a full-AP build. It allows Zac to heal from the damage he causes and synergizes well with his ability to heal himself by picking up blobs.
Triumph rewards Zac’s persistence in engaging with opponents. It gives Zac HP and extra gold upon getting a takedown.
Legend: Tenacity helps Zac deal with crowd control, which can be a major counter to him. It provides him with tenacity per kill, reducing the effectiveness of crowd control.
Last Stand gives Zac extra damage when he’s at low health, which can be useful in risky situations.
Second Wind provides healing to Zac when he’s surrounded by enemies. It restores his HP based on the damage he takes.
Revitalize strengthens Zac’s healing, regardless of the build. It enhances the healing he gets from picking up blobs and helps him survive long fights.
Bonuses: +8 ability haste, +8 magic resist, +15-140 health (based on level)
Caps AP Zac build and gameplay
The core item in Caps’ AP Zac build is Demonic Embrace. This item provides health, ability power, bonus ability power based on health, and the ability to burn nearby enemies. It has allowed champions like Zac to dominate the early game.
Caps managed to build three complete items within 25 minutes, thanks to his lead and the synergy with his jungler, Yike. Yike made sure Caps maintained a strong lead throughout the game.
While it may not be easy to get such a strong lead early in the game in solo queue, players should remember that this Zac build gets stronger with more items. Adding items like Rabadon Deathcap or Sunfire Aegis to the build would further increase Caps’ damage.
The strength of this Zac build lies in its roaming potential. Zac can easily move around the map, and with the extra damage from AP items, he can gank and secure kills without the lane player’s assistance. Caps demonstrated this by helping the top lane and preventing BrokenBlade’s Karma from falling behind.
If players want to replicate Caps’ successful AP Zac mid pick, they should remember the champion’s potential outside of the mid lane. Roaming near the Rift Herald or dragon pit can give players a significant advantage over the enemy team.
2023 LEC Winter Split, League of Legends, meta, G2 Esports, Astralis, Karma, Kindred, Caps, Zac, mid lane, runes, build, gameplay.