Shaco vs Zyra Counter Pick

Plants do the work. Garden of Thorns spawns seeds around Zyra on a timer, Deadly Spines and Grasping Roots grow them into plants, and those plants attack on their own — which means Jack In The Box placements get triggered and cleared by units rather than by champions walking into them. That single interaction removes the setup Shaco depends on.

Reach compounds it. She operates at 575 attack range against his 125, Grasping Roots travels through the ground and catches him as he emerges from Deceive, and Stranglethorns knocks everyone in its radius airborne, ending a committed dive. Her own frame is soft — 574 base health, 29 base armor, 2,155 at level 18 — but the damage happens at a distance her plants keep for her. Rampant Growth banks seeds over time, so clearing one changes little; she plants another, and her 340 move speed against his 345 leaves barely any room to run her down.

Shaco is the losing side and the margin is decisive: 41.7% across 230 games on patch 16.13.1. Difficulty offers no rescue either, 9 for him against 7 for Zyra. Since Backstab rewards striking from behind, the realistic line is flanking through terrain while an ally holds her attention, instead of opening the fight himself and absorbing plant damage the whole way in.