Anivia vs Zaahen · Top
The lane in ten seconds, then the whole brief — written by our coach for your level, from Riot's own kits for patch 16.21. Every number checked against Riot's data. Options, never orders.
The same lane is not played the same way in Silver and in Diamond: pick your level, the advice changes. Signed in, Olymps opens on your rank. Coaching, not statistics — the abilities and Riot's cooldowns are the same at every level.
Stay at range, Q then E, and keep your wall ready.
Keep minions between you or block with your wall.
›
›AAAfter he spends his dash or pull.
How the lane plays · Gold – Platinum
Anivia wants to poke and control the wave from 600 range while Zaahen wants to close the gap and stick; the lane turns on whether he connects.
Poke with E (Frostbite) after landing Q (Flash Frost) when you can. Mana is tight, so avoid spamming. Zaahen wants to walk up and trade with AA and Q.
His W (Dreaded Return) and E (Aureate Rush) give him ways in. Keep your wall W (Crystallize) ready and stay near your side of the wave.
Your R (Glacial Storm) zones the wave and slows him. His R (Grim Deliverance) heals him in a fight, so avoid long melee trades and kite out.
Play it aggressive
After he wastes W or E on the wave or a miss, you can Q and E him while he has no way in.
When he walks up for last hits, a Q into E poke is a cheap trade.
With R down on the wave, you can push and zone him while he has few stacks.
Play it safe
When his W and E are both available, keep distance and hold your W for the engage.
Once he has stacks of Determination from landing hits, his damage grows, so avoid giving free trades.
When his R is up at level 6 or later, don't sit in melee range after a Q stun.
Their threats · Riot's cooldowns
Pulls you into melee range after a hit. Stand so minions block the line, and keep your own W for cutting his path.
Dash lets him close distance fast and hits around him. Don't stand at max range with nothing ready, since he can still reach you.
Two slashes heal him, and the recast knocks you up. Avoid trading AAs with him while the knock-up is available.
Your combo
››AAQ onto him as he steps up to the wave, then E for the doubled damage and an AA if he stays.
Zaahen's kit · Riot's cooldowns, every level
Other Anivia matchups · top
No other Anivia lane is written yet. Every lane a player meets with our free desktop app is written for their level — and lands here.
Everything about Anivia →How this is written
Our coach reads both kits exactly as Riot publishes them for the current patch — abilities, cooldowns, costs, ranges — and writes the lane for one level at a time: Iron – Silver, Gold – Platinum, Emerald – Diamond, Master+. Every number in the text is checked against Riot's data; a line that cites anything else is dropped. No win rates, no tier lists: coaching, not statistics.