Forum talk:Neekerivittu/@comment-109.165.210.162-20121103201057/@comment-92.36.5.104-20121104025750

And what escape Talon has after blowing his combo? Don't forget about slow from shadow. blink is not his only escape mechanism. Also if you manage to get an enemy close to other targets, in minion wave for example, you can get your shadow again almost immediately after assasination (with CDR of course, why do you think Boots of lucidity and brutalizer are recommended item for him?). He has not only burst like talon, but sustained dmage because of low cooldowns and unlike other ninjas he can keep it for long because doublehits from shadow restore about 80 % of his abilities' cost. 3 second detonation of ultimate's mark suggests that he must be able to stay on target and do not die for that time. He has no silence like Talon, but can blink between shadows two timesTalon is all about burst, when he jumps he jumps to kill, while Zed has an option to escape. Zed can also harass from a very long range in multiple ways and wear down opponent close to 50% so he can perform assasination for sure, his passive helps.

In short, I think that Zed should be built more tanky than Talon, maybe even fighter-like, but he also can be full AD depending on situation. You can say what he is a fighter who becomes an assassin when he decides to use his ultimate.