Zilean

Support

Middle

I’ve Seen Their Death

Wave clear pressure, roams, and maximum utility.

Inspiration

Creative tools and rule bending

Unsealed Spellbook

Swap Summoner Spells while out of combat. Swapping to unique Summoner Spells will increase the rate at which you can make future swaps.
Perfect Timing

Gain a free stopwatch. Stopwatch has a one time use Stasis active.
Minion Dematerializer

Start the game with 6 Minion Dematerializers. Killing minions with the item gives permanent bonus damage vs. that minion type.
Cosmic Insight

+5% CDR
+5% Max CDR
+5% Summoner Spell CDR
+5% Item CDR

Sorcery

+22 Ability Power or +13 Attack Damage, Adaptive

Manaflow Band

Hitting enemy champions with a spell grants maximum mana.

After reaching 250 mana, Manaflow Band restores 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.
Transcendence

Gain 10% CDR when you reach level 10. Excess CDR becomes AP or AD, Adaptive.

WhyUnsealed Spellbook

The key to this build is lane pressure and roaming. Spellbook plus Cosmic Insight allows you to keep your Teleport on a short cooldown so you're able to shove lane and roam.

WhyPerfect Timing

Zhonya's and Zilean's [R] grant numerous chances to minimize positioning mistakes.

Don't upgrade the Stopwatch into a Zhonya's early unless you're playing into an assassin matchup and are dying a lot.

WhyMinion Dematerializer

Minion Dematerialzer plays a key role in being able to keep the lane pressure/wave clear up so you're able to leave lane and find ganks or fights with your jungler.

The bonus damage to minions allows you to clear waves in 2 bombs without stragglers being left behind to auto attack.

WhyCosmic Insight

With Zilean's only damage ability being [Q], he heavily relies on the bonus CDR. The extra bit of Summoner CDR also means more TP pressure and Flash safety.

WhyManaflow Band

Manaflow Band is great for empowering your early game harass and waveclear with [Q].

WhyTranscendence

Transcendence allows you to go Morello's and Lucidity as your only 2 CDR items, while still hitting cap.

It also opens the opportunity to buy Zhonya's if need be, against difficult assassin matchups.