AP Zaahen Build

1. You are not really AP champion, but you can make it work with two specific items!
2. You rush Hextech Rocketbelt #1, Liandry's Torment #2.
• If you are against many HP stacking champions, you can rush Liandry's Torment first.
3. You get Cosmic Insight rune to use Hextech Rocketbelt more often.
4. You poke with Hextech Rocketbelt and First Strike to earn gold and burn enemies.
5. After core items, you adapt. You can play as a tank or as a damage dealer.

1. Use Hextech Rocketbelt active to poke your enemies all the time, earning gold with First Strike.
2. Look for opportunities when enemies are grouped to hit multiple targets with single Hextech Rocketbelt activation.
3. Adapt to the enemy team. Build tanky or more damage. You can play as a utility tank, poke, or even you can go some AD items to still have plenty of damage. Depends on the team and how you want to play.
4. For utility tank, remember that Liandry's Torment works good with Serpent's Fang (to counter shields) and Oblivion Orb (to counter healing).

Items

1. If you are doing really well and want to have even more AP dmg, you can go Lich Bane, Cosmic Drive and The Collector (it procs and works nicely with DoTs).
2. Cosmic Insight reduces the cooldown of all active items, so Zhonya's Hourglass really works well with this build.

Runes

1. Wait for the First Strike and proc it with your combo, to deal damage and earn gold.
2. Be careful to not get poked, because you waste First Strike procs.

Cultivation of War (Passive)

1. Passive stacks much faster when abilities hit multiple targets - Dreaded Return (W), Aureate Rush (E), and Grim Deliverance (R) give extra stacks per champion hit.
2. Always weave auto-attacks between abilities to maintain and build passive stacks.
3. You can be way more aggressive when passive is at max stacks as your revive gets available.

The Darkin Glaive (Q)

1. The Darkin Glaive (Q) is an auto-attack reset. Auto attack first, then use Q to reset and attack again immediately.
2. You can insta knock up enemies. Prepare Q2 beforehand (i.e. on minions), then activate it, issue attack on the enemy and Flash for the sweet CC.
3. Use The Darkin Glaive (Q) to sustain.

Dreaded Return (W)

1. To ensure your W hit, first knock enemy up with Q2.

Aureate Rush (E)

1. E can be used as a short dash or canceled entirely when used around walls.
2. You can use E + Flash, but you need to do it at right time at very last frames of the ability.

Grim Deliverance (R)

1. Grim Deliverance (R) is very versatile tool. You can use it offensively to initiate or defensively for survivability or escape.
2. As your Grim Deliverance (R) provides 50% damage reduction during cast as well as healing, you can use it as crucial defensive cooldown in fights. Don't waste it at maximum health, but time it well, for example to survive burst.