Loading...
Karthus
Patch 16.2.1
JungleDifficulty
Medium
Strength
Early
Mid
Late
Win Condition
Out-farm the enemy jungler to reach level 16 quickly. Use to help lanes win early, then transition into a high-damage teamfighter who forces the enemy to play around your zone.
Playstyle
AP power-farmer who uses global ultimate pressure to snowball lanes and high-damage death mechanics to win late-game teamfights.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- +Fastest clear speed in the game with isolated damage
- +Global map influence via without leaving the jungle
- + allows you to deal massive damage and secure objectives even after being focused down
- + provides significant Magic Resist shred for the entire team
Weaknesses
- -Zero mobility; extremely vulnerable to early-game invades from Lee Sin or Xin Zhao
- -Very mana-hungry if is left on accidentally
- -Highly reliant on landing skillshots for any meaningful 1v1 pressure
- -Ultimate has a long cooldown and can be blocked by shields or invulnerability
Abilities
When you die, you get 7 seconds of free casting. You are untargetable and your spells cost 0 mana. Do not panic cast; focus on hitting isolated s on carries and always start your channel with 4 seconds left on the timer.
Your main damage tool. It deals double damage if it hits only one target. When clearing camps, aim for the big monster away from the small ones. In fights, predict where the enemy will move rather than where they are.
Creates a wall that slows and reduces Magic Resist. Use this to scout bushes safely or to guarantee your hits. The MR shred is flat, making it incredibly effective against squishy targets.
A toggle AOE. It refunds mana when you kill a unit—this is how you stay healthy in the jungle. Toggle it on when enemies are in range and off immediately when they leave or the camp dies to conserve mana.
A global 3-second channel. Always check your teammates' health bars and the enemy's. If you see a fight breaking out, prepare to use this. It is best used from your to ensure it cannot be interrupted by CC.
Teamfight Role
Front-line Suicide Mage
Position yourself in the middle of the fight. Use to shred the frontline's MR and to burn everyone around you. You want to be a priority target so that your can take over the fight from a central location.
If the enemy has multiple ways to cancel (like Soraka silence or Kassadin Q), stay far back and only use R once those specific cooldowns are used or you are already dead in passive.
Combos
The Gank Sequence
-> -> ->
Lead with the wall to slow the enemy. This makes landing the isolated Qs much easier. Only turn on E once you are within melee range.
The Kamikaze Dive
Flash -> -> -> (until death) -> casting
Used in late-game teamfights. Flash into the enemy backline with E active. Your death zone is massive; force them to stand in your damage or run away and lose the fight.
Death Defied Optimal Output
x4 ->
When you enter , you have time for exactly 4 Qs before you must start channeling your ultimate to ensure it finishes before the passive ends.
Self-Peel Defense
(on self) -> -> (at feet)
When an assassin jumps on you, drop the wall directly on top of yourself and spam Qs at your own feet while E burns them.
Power Spikes
| Spike | Why |
|---|---|
| Level 4 | With two points in and one in , your clear speed becomes one of the fastest in the game. |
| Level 6 | You unlock , giving you global pressure. You can now 'gank' any lane without stopping your farm. |
| Level 11 | Rank 2 deals significantly more base damage and becomes a major threat to enemy squishies. |
| Level 16 | Max rank combined with late-game AP items can often take 40-50% of an ADC's health instantly. |
Tips & Tricks
- • provides vision; cast it into bushes to avoid being face-checked by an enemy jungler.
- •Always toggle off between camps. Leaving it on for 2 extra seconds can ruin your mana pool for the next gank.
- •Isolated damage on is your lifeblood. In teamfights, try to hit the enemy standing furthest from their minions or teammates.
- •Check your map every 5 seconds. If a teammate is about to get a kill but the enemy is escaping with 10% HP, press .
- •If you're about to die, try to die in a choke point or directly on top of the enemy's priority target to maximize value.
- •The MR shred from applies before the damage of , so always lead with the wall in a 1v1.
Common Mistakes
- ✕Using while alive in a dangerous spot→The 3-second channel is easily interrupted by any CC, putting the ultimate on a full cooldown for 0 damage.
- ✕Neglecting the isolated mechanic→Your clear speed drops by half and you will lose 1v1s you should otherwise win.
- ✕Over-focusing on ganking early→You fall behind in levels; Karthus is a stat-checker who needs a level advantage to be useful via .
- ✕Dying too far away from the fight→Your becomes useless as enemies simply walk out of your range, leaving you with no impact.
- ✕Forgetting that passive gives mana on kill→Failing to last hit properly with or E in the jungle leads to going OOM and being unable to finish the clear.
AI-generated guide • Patch 16.2.1 • Cached