Support Matchup

Karma vs Zilean

Patch: 15.16 (25.16)
League: Platinum+
Karma

Karma

the Enlightened One
Support
Karma Support Overall Win Rate
50.09%

Matchup Win Rate

52.1%
Karma vs Zilean Wins
47.9%
Zilean vs Karma Wins
Zilean

Zilean

the Chronokeeper
Support
Zilean Support Overall Win Rate
51.17%

Karma vs Zilean - Support Matchup Guide Patch 15.16 (25.16)

Karma Support vs Zilean Support - Who is stronger?

Karma Support has an advantage against Zilean (52.1% win rate) based on 747 games. The matchup leans toward Karma.

View detailed statistics below: items, runes, and counter builds for Karma Support vs Zilean Support in patch 15.16 (25.16), including win rates and pick rates. With proper study, this can improve your chances of victory up to 70%+ in this matchup.

Statistical Matchup Analysis

Karma dominates the meta (6th most popular, 7.9% pick rate) and regularly clashes with Zilean (2.5% pick rate). Understanding this common matchup forms the foundation of consistent gameplay for one of support's current powerhouses. Optimize for consistency: Arcane Comet paired with Manaflow Band (50.8% win rate, 18.0% popularity) provides the stats you need, while the item sequence Moonstone Renewer > Redemption > Dawncore with Ionian Boots of Lucidity delivers 70%+ win rate against Zilean.

Total map control: Karma dominates both the matchup and vision control (0.95 vs 0.00 wards/min). Your extra 0.95 wards/min create massive macro advantages for your entire team. Complete superiority: Karma dominates both win rate (52.1%) and damage output (398 vs 0/min, 2nd among Support). The 398 damage/min difference creates massive snowball potential. Statistical dominance: Karma leads in both matchup win rate (52.1%) and KDA (2.80 vs 0.00) - complete superiority across all metrics.

Karma vs Zilean - Support Stats Comparison

Karma Support
Karma Support
Versus
Zilean Support
Zilean Support
ATierA+
52.1%Matchup Winrate47.9%
50.09%Role Winrate51.17%
#26Winrate Rank#10
7.9%Pickrate2.5%
2.8Average KDA0.0
305Gold per Minute0
0.95Wards per Minute0.00
398Damage per Minute0

How to Beat Zilean as Karma (Support)

The Karma versus Zilean matchup as support is favorable with proper positioning. Use your statistical advantage and prevent the opponent from realizing their potential.

The magic damage that Karma deals remains relevant in the late game. Look for opportunities to initiate or counter-initiate. Zilean has mixed damage, be careful as it may be harder to defend if the opponent gets ahead or plays aggressively.

An important advantage of Karma is superior vision control (ranked 10th among supports) (versus 34th for Zilean), which provides better map control and safety for the team in important map areas. Meanwhile, their lower KDA (0.0 versus 2.8) suggests they are less effective in team fights.

Key aspects of the Karma Support versus Zilean Support matchup

Despite the statistical advantage in the matchup, overconfidence can be the main mistake. It is important for the Karma player to maintain constant pressure on Zilean, not allowing the opponent to safely scale up, and actively use the advantage gained to help their team.

Karma vs Zilean: Support Summoner Spells

Most Popular

Flash
Flash Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
Heal
Heal Restores Health and grants Move Speed to you and target allied champion.
46.9% Win Rate51.0% Pick Rate

Highest Win Rate

Exhaust
Exhaust Slows target enemy champion and reduces their damage dealt.
Flash
Flash Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.
48.4% Win Rate16.4% Pick Rate

Karma vs Zilean: Support Runes

Most Frequent Runes

Primary Path
Sorcery
Summon Aery
Summon Aery Damaging enemy champions with basic attacks or abilities sends Aery to them, dealing 10 - 50 based on level (+0.05 AP) (+0.1 bonus AD).

Empowering or protecting allies with abilities sends Aery to them, shielding them for 30 - 100 based on level (+0.05 AP) (+0.1 bonus AD).

Aery cannot be sent out again until she returns to you.

Summon Aery

Damaging enemy champions with basic attacks or abilities sends Aery to them, dealing 10 -…

Manaflow Band
Manaflow Band Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.

After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 15 seconds

Manaflow Band

Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum ma…

Transcendence
Transcendence Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:
Level 5: +5 Ability Haste
Level 8: +5 Ability Haste
Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.

Transcendence

Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:Level 5: +5 Ability Haste Level…

Gathering Storm
Gathering Storm Every 10 min gain AP or AD, adaptive.

10 min: + 8 AP or 5 AD
20 min: + 24 AP or 14 AD
30 min: + 48 AP or 29 AD
40 min: + 80 AP or 48 AD
50 min: + 120 AP or 72 AD
60 min: + 168 AP or 101 AD
etc...

Gathering Storm

Every 10 min gain AP or AD, adaptive.10 min: + 8 AP or 5 AD 20 min: + 24 AP or …

Secondary Path
Resolve
Font of Life
Font of Life Impairing the movement of an enemy champion restores @BaseHeal@ Health to you and the lowest health nearby allied champion.

70% effect for Ranged Users.

Cooldown: 20s

Font of Life

Impairing the movement of an enemy champion restores @BaseHeal@ Health to you a…

Revitalize
Revitalize Gain 5% Heal and Shield Power.

Heals and shields you cast or receive are 10% stronger on targets below 40% health.

Revitalize

Gain 5% Heal and Shield Power.Heals and shields you cast or receive are 10% str…

Adaptive
Scaling Cooldown Reduction
Scaling Cooldown Reduction +8 Ability Haste

Scaling Cooldown Reduction

+8 Ability Haste

Adaptive Force
Adaptive Force Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Adaptive Force

Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

+65 Health
+65 Health +65 Health

+65 Health

+65 Health

48.3% Win Rate62.3% Pick Rate

Best Win Rate Runes

Primary Path
Sorcery
Arcane Comet
Arcane Comet Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a comet at their location, or, if Arcane Comet is on cooldown, reduces its remaining cooldown.

Adaptive Damage: 30 - 130 based on level (+0.05 AP and +0.1 bonus AD)
Cooldown: 20 - 8s

Cooldown Reduction:
Single Target: 20%.
Area of Effect: 10%.
Damage over Time: 5%.

Arcane Comet

Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a comet at their location, or, if Arcane Comet …

Manaflow Band
Manaflow Band Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.

After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 15 seconds

Manaflow Band

Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum ma…

Absolute Focus
Absolute Focus While above 70% health, gain an adaptive bonus of up to 18 Attack Damage or 30 Ability Power (based on level).

Grants 1.8 Attack Damage or 3 Ability Power at level 1.

Absolute Focus

While above 70% health, gain an adaptive bonus of up to 18 Attack Damage or 30 …

Scorch
Scorch Your next damaging ability hit sets champions on fire dealing 20 - 40 bonus magic damage based on level after 1s.

Cooldown: 10s

Scorch

Your next damaging ability hit sets champions on fire dealing 20 - 40 bonus mag…

Secondary Path
Domination
Sixth Sense
Sixth Sense Automatically sense a nearby untracked and unseen ward, tracking it for the team.

Level 11: Also reveal the ward for 10s.

This effect has a 250 second Cooldown.

Sixth Sense

Automatically sense a nearby untracked and unseen ward, tracking it for the tea…

Ultimate Hunter
Ultimate Hunter Your ultimate gains 6 Ability Haste, plus an additional 5 Ability Haste per Bounty Hunter stack. Bounty Hunter stacks are earned the first time you get a takedown on each enemy champion.

Ultimate Hunter

Your ultimate gains 6 Ability Haste, plus an additional 5 Ability Haste per Bou…

Adaptive
Scaling Cooldown Reduction
Scaling Cooldown Reduction +8 Ability Haste

Scaling Cooldown Reduction

+8 Ability Haste

Adaptive Force
Adaptive Force Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

Adaptive Force

Grants 9 Attack Damage or 9 Ability Power

+65 Health
+65 Health +65 Health

+65 Health

+65 Health

50.8% Win Rate18.0% Pick Rate

Karma vs Zilean: Support Item Builds

Most Popular Build

Starting Items
Stealth Ward
Stealth Ward (0 gold) Active (210 - 120s, max 2 charges)
Places an Invisible Stealth Ward that grants vision for 90-120 seconds.
World Atlas
World Atlas (400 gold)
Health Potion
Health Potion (50 gold) Consume
Restores 120 Health over 15 seconds.
49.6% Win Rate85.8% Pick Rate
Popular Boots
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Ionian Boots of Lucidity (900 gold) 10 Ability Haste
45 Move Speed

Ionian Insight
Gain 10 Summoner Spell Haste.
49.7% Win Rate86.5% Pick Rate
Sorcerer's Shoes
Sorcerer's Shoes (1100 gold) 12 Magic Penetration
45 Move Speed

46.7% Win Rate3.4% Pick Rate
Boots of Swiftness
Boots of Swiftness (1000 gold) 60 Move Speed
Fleetfooted
Reduce the effectiveness of Slows by 25%.
25.2% Win Rate1.6% Pick Rate
Core Build
Bandleglass Mirror
Bandleglass Mirror (900 gold) 20 Ability Power
100% Base Mana Regen
10 Ability Haste

->
Moonstone Renewer
Moonstone Renewer (2200 gold) 25 Ability Power
200 Health
20 Ability Haste
125% Base Mana Regen

Starlit Grace
Healing or shielding an ally chains the effect to another ally (excluding yourself), healing 30% or shielding 35% of the original amount.
Redemption
Redemption (2300 gold) 200 Health
15 Ability Haste
100% Base Mana Regen
10% Heal and Shield Power

Intervention
Restore 200 - 400 Health to allied champions and deal 10% max Health true damage to enemy champions after 2.5 seconds.
Dawncore
Dawncore (2500 gold) 45 Ability Power
16% Heal and Shield Power
100% Base Mana Regen

First Light
Gain 2% Heal and Shield Power and 10 Ability Power per 100% Base Mana Regen.
98.2% Win Rate5.8% Pick Rate
Final Build
Morellonomicon
Morellonomicon (2950 gold) 75 Ability Power
350 Health
15 Ability Haste

Grievous Wounds
Dealing magic damage to champions applies 40% Wounds for 3 seconds.
100.0% Win Rate16.8% Pick Rate

Best Win Rate Build

Starting Items
Oracle Lens
Oracle Lens (0 gold) Active (160 - 100s, max 2 charges)
Reveals enemy Stealth Wards and traps around you for 6 seconds.
World Atlas
World Atlas (400 gold)
Health Potion
Health Potion (50 gold) Consume
Restores 120 Health over 15 seconds.
53.8% Win Rate7.8% Pick Rate
Highest Winrate Boots
Symbiotic Soles
Symbiotic Soles (900 gold) 40 Move Speed
Voidborn
Gain Empowered Recall.
Symbiosis
After traveling 150000 units of distance, transform into Synchronized Souls.
50.5% Win Rate0.4% Pick Rate
Ionian Boots of Lucidity
Ionian Boots of Lucidity (900 gold) 10 Ability Haste
45 Move Speed

Ionian Insight
Gain 10 Summoner Spell Haste.
49.7% Win Rate86.5% Pick Rate
Sorcerer's Shoes
Sorcerer's Shoes (1100 gold) 12 Magic Penetration
45 Move Speed

46.7% Win Rate3.4% Pick Rate
Core Build
Bandleglass Mirror
Bandleglass Mirror (900 gold) 20 Ability Power
100% Base Mana Regen
10 Ability Haste

->
Moonstone Renewer
Moonstone Renewer (2200 gold) 25 Ability Power
200 Health
20 Ability Haste
125% Base Mana Regen

Starlit Grace
Healing or shielding an ally chains the effect to another ally (excluding yourself), healing 30% or shielding 35% of the original amount.
Redemption
Redemption (2300 gold) 200 Health
15 Ability Haste
100% Base Mana Regen
10% Heal and Shield Power

Intervention
Restore 200 - 400 Health to allied champions and deal 10% max Health true damage to enemy champions after 2.5 seconds.
Dawncore
Dawncore (2500 gold) 45 Ability Power
16% Heal and Shield Power
100% Base Mana Regen

First Light
Gain 2% Heal and Shield Power and 10 Ability Power per 100% Base Mana Regen.
98.2% Win Rate5.8% Pick Rate
Final Build
Morellonomicon
Morellonomicon (2950 gold) 75 Ability Power
350 Health
15 Ability Haste

Grievous Wounds
Dealing magic damage to champions applies 40% Wounds for 3 seconds.
100.0% Win Rate16.8% Pick Rate
Other Items
Ardent Censer
Ardent Censer (2200 gold) 45 Ability Power
10% Heal and Shield Power
125% Base Mana Regen
4% Move Speed

Sanctify
Healing or Shielding an ally enhances you both for 6 seconds, granting 25% Attack Speed and 20 magic damageOn-Hit.
98.6% Win Rate16.7% Pick Rate
Malignance
Malignance (2700 gold) 85 Ability Power
600 Mana
15 Ability Haste

Scorn
Gain 20 Ultimate Ability Haste.
Hatefog
Damaging a champion with your Ultimate burns the ground beneath them for 3s, dealing magic damage per second and reducing their Magic Resist.
99.7% Win Rate16.6% Pick Rate

Karma vs Zilean: Support Skill (abilities) Orders

Most Frequent Skill Order

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Q
Q
Inner Flame Karma sends forth a ball of spirit energy that explodes and deals damage upon hitting an enemy unit.

Mantra Bonus: In addition to the explosion, Mantra increases the destructive power of her Inner Flame, creating a cataclysm which deals damage after a short delay.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
W
W
Focused Resolve Karma creates a tether between herself and a targeted enemy, dealing damage and revealing them. If the tether is not broken, the enemy will be rooted and damaged again.

Mantra Bonus: Karma strengthens the link, healing herself and extending the root duration.
W
W
W
W
W
E
E
Inspire Karma summons a protective shield that absorbs incoming damage and increases the Move Speed of the protected ally.

Mantra Bonus: Energy radiates out from her target, strengthening the initial shield and applying Inspire to nearby allied champions.
E
E
E
E
E
R
R
Mantra Karma empowers her next ability to do an additional effect. Mantra is available at level 1 and does not require a skill point.
R
R
R
Max Order: Q > E > W
40.8% Win Rate50.0% Pick Rate

Highest Win % Skill Order

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
R
Q
Inner Flame Karma sends forth a ball of spirit energy that explodes and deals damage upon hitting an enemy unit.

Mantra Bonus: In addition to the explosion, Mantra increases the destructive power of her Inner Flame, creating a cataclysm which deals damage after a short delay.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
R
W
Focused Resolve Karma creates a tether between herself and a targeted enemy, dealing damage and revealing them. If the tether is not broken, the enemy will be rooted and damaged again.

Mantra Bonus: Karma strengthens the link, healing herself and extending the root duration.
W
W
W
W
W
R
E
Inspire Karma summons a protective shield that absorbs incoming damage and increases the Move Speed of the protected ally.

Mantra Bonus: Energy radiates out from her target, strengthening the initial shield and applying Inspire to nearby allied champions.
E
E
E
E
E
R
R
Mantra Karma empowers her next ability to do an additional effect. Mantra is available at level 1 and does not require a skill point.
R
R
R
Max Order: Q > E > W
90.5% Win Rate1.4% Pick Rate

Karma tips:

  • Gathering Fire rewards aggressive play. Look to land abilities and basic attacks on your opponent to lower Mantra's cooldown and stay on the offensive.
  • When using Focused Resolve, slow your opponents with Inner Flame or speed yourself up with Inspire if you're having trouble sticking to a target.
  • Don't be too conservative with Mantra. Gathering Fire is strongest in teamfights, making it easy to recharge Mantra multiple times.

Playing Against Zilean

  • If you're able to match Zilean's speed, it can sometimes be beneficial to wait until his ultimate has faded before landing the killing blow.
  • Zilean is fragile if a team focuses on him, but otherwise he's very difficult to kill. Commit to killing him as a team.