How to win lane as Zilean against Nautilus · 51.6% win rate over 3,839 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Level 1 is even before Nautilus's hook-shield combo comes online. |
| Level 2 | Nautilus | Level 2 favours Nautilus as Q+W gives him a repeatable engage you can't dodge. |
| Level 3 | Nautilus | Level 3 stays Nautilus's; his CC chain out-pressures your poke. |
| Levels 4-5 | Nautilus | Levels 4-5 remain Nautilus-favoured on hook threat and lane control. |
| Level 6 | Nautilus | Level 6 is Nautilus's — unstoppable Depth Charge sets a full lockdown all-in. |
| First item | Nautilus | First item keeps Nautilus ahead as his hook remains lane-ending. |
| Two+ items | Zilean | Two-plus items flips to you — Chronoshift and speed hard-counter his single-target CC. |
Level 1 is even, but from level 2 on Nautilus owns the lane. His Dredge Line hook plus Titan's Wrath shield is a repeatable engage your immobile kit can't dodge or trade back into, and one hook near a wall is a kill. Hug the middle of the lane away from terrain, keep the wave on your side, and only bomb when he's on cooldown.
The full Zilean vs Nautilus report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
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Playing the other side? Nautilus vs Zilean guide →
All Zilean support matchups →