Honor of Kings: Ziya guide

Honor of Kings’ potential unlocker has arrived on the official global server. The Sanctifier, Ziya, has arrived to absolve his team’s sin. He is the only hero in the game who can access level 25 and gives one of his teammates the ability to do so.

He gains level quickly with his passive to absorb EXP orbs after defeating enemies. This enables him to reach level 15 significantly faster than the other heroes. He is also a capable lane pusher and harasser. All of his abilities have an area of effect and a long range.

With all of his capabilities, here are his skill breakdown, equipment, arcana, and how to play him effectively:

Skills breakdown

Passive – Sanctification
Ziya opens his level limit to level 25. Depending on who he defeats or assists in defeating, he can collect one to three EXP orbs (1 for minions, 1 for jungle monsters, 2 for towers, 3 for Tyrants/Overlords, and 3 for heroes).

When reaching level 15, Ziya gained a one-time ability to unlock one teammate’s potential, giving them 1,200 EXP, the capability to reach level 25, and collecting EXP orbs. Starting from 15, each level will grant heroes a unique stats bonus depending on their role.

Here is the breakdown for every role:

Tank: +75 Health Points
Marksman: +3% Attack Speed
Mage: +10 Magical Attack
Assassin: +3% Movement Speed
Fighter: +50 Health Points and 1% Movement Speed
Skill 1: Divine Seal
Ziya places a divine seal in an area. The seal will have three effects on the enemy over its duration:

Damages the enemy and gives them Damage over Time every 0.4 seconds
Slows the enemy by 30 to 70% over the duration
Gradually Reduces the enemy’s Physical and Magical by 10 to 20%
If Ziya hits an enemy with this skill, he will gain 30% Movement Speed for 1 second. This skill is Ziya’s bread and butter. He uses this skill to harass, debuff, and make spaces against his enemy.

Skill 2: Divine Punishment
Ziya marked an area. The area deals damage to the enemy twice and launches them with the third hit. This skill is an excellent follow-up to his Divine Seal or ally’s CC to set his ultimate.

Ultimate: Universal Law
Ziya charges his Sanctification power and launches three waves in a straight line. The first two waves deal minor magical damage, while the third deals massive damage to everyone hit. This skill also damages enemy structures by ten per cent of its damage.

How to play Ziya
First and foremost, Ziya needs to get to level 15 as fast as possible and absorb every EXP orb he can. He is a great hero for teaching the players how to lane properly, as it can maximize his experience intake.

While in the early stages, try to stay in his lane as much as possible while still providing necessary support to another lane. However, if it was too risky to get to another lane, Ziya should stay in his lane, as staying alive is his main priority.

When he reaches level 15, he can be more active in helping the other lane. Sanctify your main carry because they will lead your team to victory. However, it is preferable to give your Sanctify to a Marksman or Assassin type of hero as they are the ones who benefit the most from the stat bonuses.

In the late game, you can use your ult as area denial and land your combo to unsuspecting enemies. Ziya has a strong debuff that shreds the enemy defense by 20 percent while also considerably controlling them. However, be wary of enemy assassins as they can one-shot Ziya because he lacks the survivability and mobility to escape them.

As a mage, he can be instrumental if played safe and be a nuisance to the opponents. Be mindful of assassins or any backline diver as he lacks the means to fight them head-on.