It turns out that Zul'jin is one of the most balanced heroes upon his initial release and the community consensus seems to be positive. Zul'Jin is powerful in the right settings, but also has some counters players can combat his strength with. If you are skilled with heroes like Valla, Raynor, or Lunara, I'd say Zul'jin is your next top-tier ranged assassin to master.
We all encounter trolls online but, in the case of you meeting this literal one, here are some tips to ensure your time spent with Amani Warlord is a positive one:
- Cocoon, Gorge, and all forms of Polymorph are fantastic counters Taz'dingo that neutralizes Zul'jin's rampage and ensures his death upon the heroic ending. Anub'arak's Cocoon, in particular, is easy to cast and completely shuts down Zul'jins team wipe capability.
- Medivh and Zul'Jin are a perfect match thanks to Force of Will negating damage and allowing Zul'Jin to fight at low HP. Additionally, rescuing Zul'Jin out of Taz'dingo fueled death scenarios with portal allows Zul'Jin to stand his ground and take down a target before taking the portal to safety.
Medivh's Reabsorption talent is also perfect for creating those Taz'dingo highlight reels, as it allows Zul'Jin to exit his Taz'dingo state with some health to spare.
- Zul'jin benefits from Tassadar's Leeching Plasma talent as much as you would imagine. Tassadar's shields also protect Zul'Jin while allowing him to stay at low HP and benefit from increased attack speed.
- Mark of Mending is a niche talent that Tyrande usually can't justify picking. However, when paired with Zul'Jin it combos especially well with his Taz'dingo Heroic. Simply Hunter's Mark the target that Zul'jin is targeting while unkillable and watch his HP recover incredibly quickly.
- Thanks to his activatable Beserking trait and his high base damage, Zul'jin pairs well with any hero that can give him attack speed. Raynor's Inspiration and E.T.C Rock Star passive are the easiest ways to maximize Zul'Jins damage. LT.
Morales and her Stim Drone is another clear synergy that is especially powerful once Zul'Jin has completed his "You want axe?"quest talent, as the extra range allows him to really rack up damage quickly.
- Some people opt for a spell damage based Zul'jin build which is surprisingly effective. Varian's Dalaran Banner and Auriel's Wrath of Heaven talent can give Zul'Jin even more ability power and make for a devastating Level 16 power spike. You can even use the aforementioned Medivh to give Zul'jin another spike in ability power at level 20 with his Arcane Brilliance talent.
Impractical? Maybe, but the result could be some pretty insane Guillotine damage numbers.
General tips against Zul'Jin
- You should keep track of which talents Zul'jin chooses in order to correctly determine if the majority of his damage will come from physical attacks or ability damage. That way, you can choose your defensive talents accordingly.
- When facing Zul'jin, he should always be your highest priority target to CC or zone out of the fight completely. Letting Zul'Jin attack for free is playing right into his strengths.
- Guillitone has an incredibly long cast range and a skilled Zul'Jin will use it to finish off fleeing enemies or those who think they are out of harm's way. A little mindfulness of his telegraphed casting animation can help you dodge certain death.
General tips when playing as Zul'Jin
- Like other ranged sustained damage assassins, your primary goal is to never die and get as many free auto attacks as possible. By design, it is tempting to always go "all-in" with Zul'Jin, as he gets stronger the lower health he has. However, this one-trick style of play is easily countered and will mainly get you killed a lot.
Treat Zul'Jin as if you are playing Raynor, Valla, or Lunara and poke at anything that moves.
- Contrary to popular belief, it is more than ok for assassins like Zul'Jin to attack the enemies warrior. As long as you are safely throwing axes, you are doing your job and helping your team win the team fight. You start running into problems when you jeopardize your safe positioning by chasing squishy targets.
- If you don't know how to stutter-step when attacking, then Zul'Jin becomes much less valuable to your team. Master this technique and always stay on the move when attacking, as you will always be the prime target for enemy CC and stuns.
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