Buzz
It's quite intriguing that the two most purchased items for Zeri by professional players are the Trinity Force and the Black Cleaver.
Following the official release of patch 12.2 on international servers, the hottest topic undoubtedly revolves around the new champion, Zeri. With a kit full of mobility and versatile gameplay, many gamers have experimented with various item builds for this character. Among them, professional gamers opt for a particularly unique build for Zeri, combining the Trinity Force and the Black Cleaver. So why do these Duelist-oriented items garner favor from skilled players? Let's delve into it.
Firstly, let's delve into the mechanics of her Q ability - Electric Barrage - and its interaction with the Trinity Force and the Black Cleaver. Put simply, when activated, Zeri's Q ability is considered as a basic attack, thus it can trigger the full effects of both the Trinity Force and the Black Cleaver. With Zeri's Q ability having an extremely short cooldown, scaling with attack speed, she can continuously trigger the spellblade effect of the Trinity Force with substantial damage.
What's noteworthy here is that with the Black Cleaver in possession, just one activation of Q - Electric Barrage is enough for Zeri to apply the full 6 stack armor reduction from this item. While armor penetration stats may not be ideal for Zeri, the ability to shred armor directly onto the target from the Black Cleaver tells a completely different story. It enables Zeri herself and her teammates to swiftly take down opponents due to the interaction between Q - Electric Barrage and the Black Cleaver.
As for the third equipment slot, professional players opt for Runaan's Hurricane on Zeri. The reason being that the bolts from this item can also trigger the ability to deal magic damage on basic attacks after Zeri activates her ultimate ability, Thundering Peak. This item boosts the damage output from Zeri's ultimate significantly, potentially causing a substantial spike in team fights.
Aside from the mentioned items, Zeri also excels with on-hit effect items like Blade of the Ruined King, Titanic Hydra, and Infinity Edge. For defensive options, Guardian Angel and Sterak's Gage are favored among professional League of Legends players.
In terms of rune setup, Electrocute proves to be the most suitable for Zeri's high-speed playstyle. In the secondary tree, considering options like Taste of Blood or Ravenous Hunter ensures her sustain. It's crucial to note that Zeri's items lean heavily towards offense, hence opting for runes that provide healing is essential for self-preservation.
