Stats for mythic rank, last 7 days — third-party aggregation, not an official Moonton figure.
Written by EllieAnth — playing MLBB since 2017 (9+ years), peak rank Mythical Immortal, 1126 stars.
A breakdown of the 10 matchups that decide Zilong games — why each one leans the way it does, what it costs you in lane, and how to play it.
Overview
What decides Zilong's matchups
Zilong's matchups hinge on his ability to isolate fragile targets using Spear Strike to close the gap and reduce Physical Defense before following up with Spear Flip to drag them out of safety. His ultimate, Supreme Warrior, grants crucial Movement Speed, Attack Speed, and Slow Immunity, allowing him to rapidly stack Dragon Flurry for frequent burst damage and sustain. However, with a base durability rating of just 20, Zilong remains exceptionally fragile; opponents exploit his weak early laning phase by trading before he unlocks Supreme Warrior or by bursting him down before Dragon Flurry's healing can keep him alive.
Hard counters 6
These heroes have a structural edge over you: their kit directly shuts down the tools you rely on. Winning the lane outright is rarely the plan — the goal is to limit mistakes, give up as little tempo as possible, and look for value somewhere else on the map.
Alucard fundamentally overpowers Zilong in extended melee duels due to his superior base durability and overwhelming sustain mechanics. When Zilong engages with Spear Strike and Spear Flip, his upfront burst falls short against Alucard's passive Hybrid Lifesteal from Fission Wave. Once Alucard casts Fission Wave, his skill cooldowns drop by half, allowing him to rapidly cycle Whirling Smash and trigger Pursuit dashes repeatedly. Zilong relies on Supreme Warrior to out-damage opponents via accelerated Dragon Flurry procs, but Alucard steals Hybrid Defense with Fission Wave while easily out-healing Zilong's physical output in direct head-to-head combat.
Lane impact
In the EXP Lane, Alucard asserts immediate wave dominance by pressing Groundsplitter and Whirling Smash to clear minions quickly while catching Zilong in the wide area of effect. If Zilong attempts to trade passive Dragon Flurry hits, Alucard responds with Fission Wave to reduce Zilong's Movement Speed and Hybrid Defense, completely stripping away his survivability. This forces Zilong to freeze waves near his turret, ceding control of the river. Consequently, Alucard gains complete freedom to roam into the enemy jungle, secure early Turtle objectives, or collapse on the mid lane while Zilong is pinned under tower.
How to play it
Zilong must abandon direct 1v1 trades in lane and treat Alucard as an unkillable lane bully. Respect Alucard's ultimate spike and never commit when Fission Wave is available. If Alucard wastes Groundsplitter on the minion wave, Zilong can briefly poke with Spear Strike and Spear Flip to fling him into tower range, but must immediately disengage before Fission Wave triggers. Your primary win condition is avoiding Alucard entirely by using Supreme Warrior for split-push pressure or saved mobility, waiting for team fights to flank and execute vulnerable backline damage dealers instead of fighting Alucard directly.
Paquito's Champ Stance passive grants frequent shield stacking through Heavy Left Punch and explosive burst via Jab, structurally neutralizing Zilong's straightforward engagement style. When Zilong uses Spear Strike to close distance and Spear Flip to reposition, he enters Paquito's ideal melee range where Knockout Strike easily interrupts him. Zilong's extremely frail base stats cannot survive Paquito's double-cast combos, while Paquito's shields absorb Dragon Flurry proc damage before Zilong can establish sustain, forcing Zilong to retreat or exhaust Supreme Warrior defensively.
Lane impact
In the EXP Lane, Paquito exerts total wave authority by clearing creeps with Jab while generating Champ Stance charges. Zilong is completely locked out of contestable minions and must sacrifice early gold to avoid lethal combos. Paquito routinely leverages this lane dominance to secure the nearby Turtle and invade the enemy jungle while Zilong remains pinned near his turret. Any attempt by Zilong to trade using Spear Strike results in immediate retaliation from an enhanced Knockout Strike, locking down Zilong's side lane tempo completely.
How to play it
Zilong must abandon standard trading and track Paquito's Champ Stance charges before stepping up to last-hit creeps. Never initiate with Spear Strike when Paquito holds active passive stacks; instead, save Spear Flip to fling Paquito into turret range if he aggressively dashes under tower with Jab. Once Supreme Warrior becomes available, use its movement speed and slow immunity strictly for escaping Paquito's Knockout Strike slow or rotating to side lanes for split-pushing, bypassing Paquito entirely to win through map pressure.
Hilda structurally hard-counters Zilong due to extreme early durability and superior trade pressure. Her passive Blessing of Wilderness gives her recurring shields and HP regeneration from bushes, completely mitigating Zilong's meager Dragon Flurry poke and sustain. When Zilong engages with Spear Strike or attempts a displacement with Spear Flip, Hilda retaliates with Art of Hunting for uninterrupted knockbacks and applies Wilderness Mark stacks. Once stacked, her ultimate Power of Wildness easily executes Zilong's fragile health pool long before Supreme Warrior can offer enough sustain or escape movement.
Lane impact
In the EXP Lane, Hilda asserts absolute bush control from level one, forcing Zilong completely off the minion wave. Any attempt by Zilong to last-hit minion waves exposes him to Combat Ritual's empowered strike and heavy slow, leading directly into a full Art of Hunting combo. Zilong is forced to concede early lane tempo, hug his turret, and spend his HP defensively. Consequently, Hilda secures uninterrupted lane priority, allowing her to freely invade the enemy jungle or rotate early to secure major objectives like the Turtle.
How to play it
As Zilong, accept that trading early is fatal and completely concede bush control. Track the movement of Combat Ritual and never initiate trades while her shield from Blessing of Wilderness is active. Save Spear Flip solely to disrupt her Art of Hunting or peel her off under your turret. Your win condition shifts entirely away from dueling; farm safely until unlocking Supreme Warrior, then use your mobility to clear side lane waves away from her presence and isolate squishier backline targets during chaotic teamfights.
Minsitthar structurally counters Zilong through absolute mobility suppression and superior frontal durability. The arena from King's Calling grounds Zilong, completely disabling his Spear Strike dash and rendering Supreme Warrior's speed useless if trapped inside. When Zilong attempts close-range trades, Minsitthar activates Shield Assault, reducing frontal physical damage from Dragon Flurry by twenty-five percent. Meanwhile, rapid hits build stacks of Mark of the King to stun Zilong and heal Minsitthar, forcing Zilong to burn defensive resources just to walk away alive.
Lane impact
Laning in the EXP Lane against Minsitthar is a constant threat of displacement and frozen waves. A single landed Spear of Glory tip pulls Zilong directly into a full combo, often resulting in massive HP losses or death near Minsitthar's turret. Because Shield Assault out-trades Dragon Flurry's natural sustain, Zilong loses all wave authority. He is forced to collect minion gold strictly under his own tower, surrendering early pressure and leaving his team without side-lane assistance during early Turtle contests while Minsitthar dictates tempo.
How to play it
As Zilong, never engage with Spear Strike while King's Calling remains available. Instead, let the minion wave push toward your side and farm under turret protection. Bait out Spear of Glory before stepping forward to fling Minsitthar with Spear Flip, taking a brief trade and retreating before Shield Assault or Mark of the King can trigger. If caught inside King's Calling, pop Supreme Warrior instantly to clear the slow and walk out. Shift your mid-game goal from dueling to split-pushing far away from Minsitthar.
Chou's Shunpo grants control immunity that cleanly neutralizes Spear Flip, while its shield absorbs the initial impact of Spear Strike. Crucially, Zilong's ultimate Supreme Warrior only cleanses slow effects, leaving him completely helpless against the knockups from Jeet Kune Do and the lengthy displacement of The Way of Dragon. Because Chou can activate Shunpo to nullify Zilong's primary crowd control and counter with high physical penetration, Zilong is routinely forced to waste his ultimate just to escape bad trades, granting Chou full control over every duel.
Lane impact
During the EXP Lane phase, Chou asserts total wave dominance by zoning Zilong away from minion exp ranges using Jeet Kune Do. Any attempt by Zilong to step up and trigger Dragon Flurry exposes him to an empowered basic attack from Only Fast followed by a full combo. Zilong cannot contest wave clearance without taking devastating trades, forcing him to farm defensively beneath his turret. This loss of lane priority grants Chou free rotations to invade the enemy jungle or establish vision control around the Turtle.
How to play it
To survive this lane, Zilong must track the third cast of Jeet Kune Do and wait out Shunpo before committing any cooldowns. Only lunge with Spear Strike after Chou uses Shunpo to clear minions, as trading into his control immunity guarantees a lost trade. If Chou holds his dashes, concede the laning phase entirely and farm until Supreme Warrior provides enough movement speed to clear side lanes safely. Shift your win condition from fighting Chou directly to split-pushing turrets whenever Chou leaves to join team fights.
Silvanna structurally counters Zilong because Imperial Justice traps him inside a restricted arena, completely invalidating the extra Movement Speed and slow immunity provided by Supreme Warrior. Zilong relies on rapid trades via Spear Strike and Spear Flip, but Silvanna neutralizes this early burst using Spiral Strangling, which absorbs his damage behind a heavy shield while stacking Knightess' Resolve to shred his defense. Furthermore, Cometic Lance interrupts his initial commit with a stun, forcing Zilong to spend his ultimate defensively just to survive her massive lifesteal advantage.
Lane impact
During the EXP Lane phase, Silvanna asserts immediate wave control because Spiral Strangling rapidly clears minions while shielding her against Zilong's Dragon Flurry trades. Attempting early contests puts Zilong in range of Cometic Lance, leaving him stunned and exposed to heavy magic damage. Once Silvanna unlocks Imperial Justice, any aggressive lunge with Spear Strike becomes a lethal trap. Zilong is forced to freeze the wave near his turret, ceding total lane priority and allowing Silvanna to freely rotate toward early Turtle fights or invade the ally jungle.
How to play it
Survival in this matchup requires extreme patience and strict cooldown tracking. Never initiate with Spear Strike while Silvanna holds Cometic Lance or Spiral Strangling. Instead, bait out her abilities near your tower and reserve Spear Flip to disrupt her positioning if she leaps in with Imperial Justice. If you are trapped inside her ultimate, activate Supreme Warrior solely for the Attack Speed boost to stack Dragon Flurry heals rather than trying to walk out. If trading remains impossible, abandon duels entirely and focus on split-pushing side lanes.
Unfavorable 2
You are behind in this matchup but not helpless. These opponents punish specific mistakes rather than dominating every exchange, so precise cooldown tracking and patient trading keep you in the game.
Sun structurally counters Zilong's single-target burst archetype. Zilong relies on Spear Strike and Spear Flip to isolate and burst specific targets, but Sun's Endless Variety and Swift Exchange clutter the lane with Doppelgangers that absorb these single-target lock-on abilities. In extended trades, Sun's Simian God continuously strips Zilong's physical defense while healing Sun whenever his clones strike. Zilong's frail durability cannot withstand the multiplied basic attack output from Instantaneous Move, forcing Zilong to trigger Supreme Warrior defensively rather than using it as an offensive execution tool.
Lane impact
Laning against Sun forces Zilong out of wave management early, as Doppelgangers quickly clear minions and punish Zilong if he attempts to trade with Dragon Flurry. If Zilong misdirects Spear Strike onto a clone, Sun immediately counters with Instantaneous Move, rapidly applying Simian God stacks that make remaining under tower dangerous. Consequently, Zilong loses lane priority, preventing him from roaming to contest early Turtle spawns. He must play passively near his turret, ceding side-lane pressure and objective vision to Sun's clone-driven pushing speed.
How to play it
To survive this lane, Zilong must refrain from engaging whenever Sun has Endless Variety available. Save Spear Flip specifically for when the real Sun reveals himself or overcommits under your tower, rather than blowing Spear Strike blindly on clones. If Sun initiates with Instantaneous Move, immediately activate Supreme Warrior to neutralize slow effects, boost your movement speed, and disengage before Simian God stacks accumulate. Shift your win condition away from duel kills, focusing on clearing minion waves with Dragon Flurry and split-pushing side lanes when Sun leaves.
Guinevere structurally counters Zilong's trade patterns through Spatial Migration and Violet Requiem. Zilong relies on close-range target isolation using Spear Strike followed by Spear Flip, but Guinevere can leap on him with Spatial Migration for a guaranteed airborne setup. Supreme Warrior cleanses slow effects, yet offers no protection against knockups. Furthermore, while Guinevere channels Violet Requiem, her Control Immunity prevents Spear Flip from disrupting her multi-hit magic burst. Zilong is forced to burn Supreme Warrior defensively just to escape her threat radius rather than offensively.
Lane impact
During the laning phase in EXP Lane, Guinevere asserts dominant wave control by poking with Energy Wave to reduce her skill cooldowns while constantly threatening a Spatial Migration engage. Zilong cannot contest the minion wave early due to his fragile health pool and lack of inherent escape before level four. If Zilong attempts to trade with Spear Strike, Guinevere easily disengages or counters with Spatial Migration's second cast illusion, absorbing damage while healing via Super Magic. This forces Zilong under tower, giving Guinevere free rotations toward the Turtle.
How to play it
To survive this matchup, Zilong must play reactively and prioritize baiting out Spatial Migration before committing. Sidestep Energy Wave to prevent Guinevere from getting skill cooldown reductions. If Guinevere misses her knockup leap, immediately lunge in with Spear Strike and shred her defense, executing a quick Spear Flip trade before Spatial Migration's illusion explodes. If Guinevere holds her jump, give up wave priority and farm under tower. Zilong's ultimate win condition lies in mid-to-late game split-pushing with Supreme Warrior, avoiding direct five-on-five team fights against her Violet Requiem field.
Favorable 1
Your kit has the edge here. These are the matchups where you should look to build a lead early and convert it, rather than playing for scaling.
Yi Sun-shin relies on precise spacing between longbow and glaive via Heavenly Vow to cycle enhanced critical hits, but Zilong completely destroys this dynamic. Once Zilong activates Supreme Warrior, the immense Movement Speed and Slow Immunity ensure Yi Sun-shin cannot kite him with Blood Floods. While Yi Sun-shin can attempt to block displacement using the crowd control immunity on Traceless, Zilong's Spear Strike gap-closer combined with its Physical Defense reduction locks him into a close-quarters engagement where Dragon Flurry easily overwhelms his fragile health pool.
Lane impact
Because Yi Sun-shin must swap weapons to optimize damage, Zilong severely restricts his wave management. The moment Yi Sun-shin approaches with his glaive, Zilong can lunge with Spear Strike and fling him with Spear Flip, forcing Yi Sun-shin to burn Traceless defensively. Spending Traceless early halts Yi Sun-shin's cooldown reduction loop, stripping his ability to fight back. This forces Yi Sun-shin to drop priority, rely on Mountain Shocker for vision, and forfeit map rotations toward early objectives like the Turtle.
How to play it
Patience with your crowd control is essential in this matchup. Do not throw Spear Flip immediately if Yi Sun-shin still has Traceless available, as its brief immunity will negate the flip entirely. Instead, open with Spear Strike to apply the armor debuff, trigger Supreme Warrior to match his bonus speed, and wait out his dash before flipping him. If Yi Sun-shin attempts to escape or engage using the Turtle Ship, back off until its bonus speed decays, then re-engage using Dragon Flurry to execute him.
Best allies 1
Heroes whose kit compounds with yours. Drafting alongside them turns your individual strengths into a coordinated threat.
Zilong and Eudora form a lethal burst execution engine through seamless lock-and-reposition chain control. When Eudora hits an enemy with Ball Lightning, the guaranteed stun creates an unmissable opening for Zilong to close the gap using Spear Strike. Zilong then flings the target backward into Eudora's optimal spell range using Spear Flip, stripping physical defense while isolating the victim. This displacement ensures Eudora lands both hits of Thunder’s Wrath and Forked Lightning on a Superconductor-marked target without fear of the enemy escaping or retaliating.
Lane impact
When Eudora roams from Mid Lane toward Zilong's EXP Lane, the threat of incoming burst immediately forces the opposing laner to concede wave control. Zilong's ability to pull targets out from the safety of their turret using Spear Flip allows Eudora to safely cast her combo from bush concealment. Around early contestable objectives like the Turtle, this duo controls tight choke points; any enemy caught out by Ball Lightning is instantly flipped directly into Eudora's full spell broadcast, securing decisive numerical advantages before teamfights fully erupt.
How to play it
To execute this combo effectively, Eudora should lead from brush with Ball Lightning to lock the target, followed immediately by Forked Lightning to apply Superconductor. Zilong must close in with Spear Strike and instantly use Spear Flip to toss the stunned target deeper into Eudora's range right as she casts Thunder’s Wrath. Zilong must never activate Spear Flip early before Eudora lands her stun, as flipping an enemy away mid-cast can cause her targeted burst skills to whiff or fall out of effective range.
Matchup relationships for 3 of these pairings come from the game's own hero data; the rest are selected from the heroes you actually meet in this lane. All written analysis is AI-generated from both heroes' ability kits and reviewed automatically for accuracy — it describes kit interactions, not live win rates.
