Zed vs Garen MID Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Zed

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Mid

Garen

Zed vs Garen

Updated Jun 5, 2026

Overview

Use Zed's high early agency and lane pressure to deny Garen free farm and force him off the wave.
This is a snowball lane where Zed must punish Garen's predictable short trades and avoid his silence and execute windows.

Trading pattern

Use (W)+(E) to guarantee damage, poke with (Q), then all-in with (R) when (Q) silence is on cooldown.
Punish Garen immediately after he uses (Q) since he loses reach and silence.
Avoid engaging if (W) combo misses or if (W) damage reduction is active; reset and wait for cooldown windows.

Danger windows

Respect (Q) silence and (E) spin damage combo; avoid extended trades when these are available.
Be cautious after level 6 when (R) execute is available and he has a health lead.
Avoid engaging if you miss your (W) combo, as Garen can punish your cooldown downtime and lack of mobility.

Early game

Avoid extended trades before level 3 since Zed is vulnerable and can be bullied.
Hold the wave near your side to punish Garen's CS attempts and limit his passive regen.
Use level 3 to unlock (W)+(E)+(Q) combo and look for poke or short trades when (Q) silence is down.

Power spikes

Level 3 unlocks Zed's full combo for poke and all-in; use this to pressure Garen before he can trade back.
Level 6 (R) enables lethal all-ins and dodges; track its cooldown and commit only when you can secure a kill or force Garen out.
After first lethality item, increase pressure on waves and trades as your burst outdamages Garen's sustain.

Win conditions

Snowball early by punishing Garen's cooldowns and denying his free farm through aggressive wave control.
Use your mobility and burst to all-in after level 6 when (R) is available and Garen's key abilities are on cooldown.
Roam or side-lane after pushing wave to leverage your kill threat and snowball map advantage.