Karthus ADC build & stats
- Win rate
- 53.4%
- Pick rate
- 1.1%
- Ban rate
- 1.8%
Master
All divisions
Challenger
Grandmaster
Diamond
Emerald
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Iron
Recommended build
Chosen by win rate among builds with enough games, from ranked matches of high-elo players on patch 16.17
Start with
Build in this order
Runes
Sorcery +
Precision 
Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.
Sorcery
Precision
Summoner spells
Max order
Q
E
W
Each line is the variant with the best win rate among those played enough times, not simply the most popular one. Win rates are smoothed so a lucky three-game build can't top the list. Sample sizes are shown next to every choice.
Tips for Karthus
Generated from this patch's numbers
- Karthus wins 53.4% of games as ADC on patch 16.17 (1,020 games).
- Most common core: Blackfire Torch → Shadowflame → Rabadon's Deathcap — 56% win rate over 27 games.
- Take Deathfire Touch as keystone: picked in 65% of games with a 54% win rate.
- Best matchup: Kog'Maw (80% over 10 games). Hardest: Seraphine (33% over 12 games) — consider a ban or a different pick when you see it.
- Karthus is an early-game champion: 62% win rate in games under 25 minutes but 51% after 35. Snowball your lead into towers and objectives.
Items
Core build in purchase order (from match timelines)
Core build
Starting items
Legendary items by win rate
| Item | Win rate | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| 100.0% | 1% (10) | |
| 77.8% | 1% (9) | |
| 75.0% | 1% (12) | |
| 66.9% | 12% (118) | |
| 62.5% | 1% (8) | |
| 56.0% | 18% (184) | |
| 55.3% | 43% (438) | |
| 54.9% | 34% (348) | |
| 54.1% | 10% (98) | |
| 53.7% | 9% (95) | |
| 52.3% | 15% (153) | |
| 46.2% | 1% (13) |
Runes
Most played full pages and keystone win rates
Sorcery +
Precision
Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.
Sorcery
Precision
Sorcery +
Precision
Domination +
Precision 
Keystones
-
Deathfire Touch
Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.
56.2%32% pick
-
Dark Harvest
Damaging a low health champion inflicts adaptive damage and harvests a soul from the victim.
50.5%10% pick
Summoner spells
-
Exhaust + Flash
55.4%40% pick
-
Flash + Teleport
50.0%0% pick
-
Flash + Barrier
66.7%0% pick
Abilities & skill order
Which ability to max first, from match timelines
Q
E
W
54.8%62 games
Most common first three levels: Q → E → Q (60%), Q → E → W (50%), Q → W → E (100%).
-
PDeath DefiedUpon dying, Karthus enters a spirit form that allows him to continue casting spells.
-
QLay Waste
Karthus unleashes a delayed blast at a location, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Deals increased damage to isolated enemies.
-
WWall of Pain
Karthus creates a passable screen of leeching energy. Any enemy units that walk through the screen have their Move Speed and Magic Resist reduced for a period.
-
EDefile
Karthus passively steals energy from his victims, gaining Mana on each kill. Alternatively, Karthus can surround himself in the souls of his prey, dealing damage to nearby enemies, but quickly draining his own Mana.
-
RRequiemAfter channeling for 3 seconds, Karthus deals damage to all enemy champions.