Originally Posted by
Scilab
The complicated is that Brad has no escape, the only way to escape of an engage is W/Q or all-in. Even if you run away from most Zyra E's, sooner or later you get caught up and is bursted (without Flash or Zhonya's, of course).
It was just me who thought this Hextec thing was just a great marketing move by Riot? In the first week, I won some chests and keys. Now, nothing.
And I get S in most matches.
I've played a loooooooot of games of brand support. In that role, Brand has the advantage imo, but let me cover midlane first.
Zyra is a disengage champion that relies on you to be in range of her E so she can do serious damage to you. Brand on the other hand is brutal. One of my favorite tricks against squishy mids like Zyra is pulling them into the wave and Pillar of Flame/Pyroclasming them/a minion near them for maximum damage from really far. It's great for securing kills when the enemy mid is slightly above half hp.
The Brand vs. Zyra matchup is one where I wouldn't use your E too much. It's a very predictable action and a good Zyra will toss her E out to intercept you. A well played Brand is very difficult to zone because of Pillar of Flame's very large range and punishment capability. I sometimes toss out Pyroclasm to force an enemy back if they are trying to zone me. I wouldn't try to solo kill a Zyra in the lane unless she makes a big mistake, because there is a very big chance that she can turn your attempt on its head. It might be a bit counterintuitive, but you shouldn't be looking to put a lot of damage down on her, because chances are she can return it and push the wave while doing so, leaving you with a large mana deficit and a wave pushing your turret.
As for support, the story is the same but you just have to play a lot safer due to not having any sort of utility.