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The hero Sikong Zhen has always been a hot topic among players. On one hand, he is indeed fun to play with many mind games and operational possibilities; on the other hand, his build ideas always have new variations. Previously, when mentioning Sikong Zhen, most players immediately thought of the projectile build combined with Windchaser. However, since the new season, many players have started to switch to Shadow Blade, and the core three items have become Boots of Swiftness, Static Sword, and Shadow Blade. So what makes this build so strong?

New Build Idea

Let's first look at the build plan. The core three items are basically fixed: Boots of Swiftness, Static Sword, and Shadow Blade. The fourth item uses Endless instead of Windchaser. For defensive items, you can choose based on the enemy lineup; players use items like Dragon's Fury Shield, Frosty Impact, Thornmail, and Ominous Sign. The sixth item is situational, adding either Eternal Night or Witch's Cloak.

There is also a variant idea: a combination of Static Sword, Shadow Blade, Frostbite, and Endless as the first four items, plus Attack Speed Boots, with the last item filled based on the lineup. The overall idea revolves around attack speed and critical strikes, which is quite different from the previous projectile build. Simply put, it shifts from sustained damage to an attack speed/crit playstyle. Additionally, with 10 Dominator runes, Sikong Zhen's laning strength increases significantly, making it hard for opponents to suppress him. This is one of the foundations of this build. Some players also choose to start with the Quick Shotgun for a smoother early game transition.

Why Start Abandoning Windchaser?

The reason this build has become popular is multifaceted. First, Shadow Blade's price was reduced in the new season, greatly improving its cost-effectiveness. Previously, the price might have been high, but now it can be obtained faster, meaning combat power can be accelerated. Second, the new item "Formless" actually doesn't suit Sikong Zhen; after testing, it felt off, so that route was abandoned. Third, Shadow Blade provides 5 more movement speed than Windchaser, giving better mobility. Although its trigger mechanism is less stable than Windchaser's and cannot be triggered when pushing towers, overall the pros outweigh the cons.

Another key point is that in the late game, Shadow Blade makes it easier to transition to a crit build, pairing with Sage's Dawn or Sun's Fury to achieve higher damage ceilings. This is also why many players are willing to try it. In practice, the attack speed bonus of Shadow Blade combined with Static Sword's chain lightning makes wave clearing and team fighting much smoother than with Windchaser. The difference in actual gameplay experience is noticeable.

However, this build is not without its weaknesses. Its biggest fear is multi-frontline engage and control compositions, because the crit build lacks the tankiness of the projectile build. In such situations, Sikong Zhen has to flank to find a damage position, but in solo queue, teammates rarely help with kiting, and if the flank takes too long, the team might get wiped. Therefore, the timing of engagement is crucial. Additionally, without the Red Buff, he struggles against multi-frontline lineups, with noticeably insufficient damage. At the end of last season, when Sikong Zhen was played in the sidelane, his priority for Red Buff was even higher than the ADC's, which shows how important Red Buff is for him. If possible, he should try to secure it.

Overall, this build is strong in terms of power, but it tests the player's farming awareness and engagement timing. It is suitable for players who have a certain level of proficiency with Sikong Zhen. What do you all think?

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