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the Deathsinger

Karthus ADC build & stats

Mage C 23 games · patch 16.18
Win rate
52.2%
Pick rate
0.5%
Ban rate
1.0%
Division
All divisions

Recommended build

Chosen by win rate among builds with enough games, from ranked matches of high-elo players on patch 16.18

Built from single items

Best three items so far

Stormsurge
Stormsurge
2,800 gold
Rabadon's Deathcap
Rabadon's Deathcap
3,500 gold
Void Staff
Void Staff
3,000 gold
9,300 gold
66.7% WR each item separately

Runes

Sorcery Sorcery + Precision Precision
60.0% WR
10 games · 43% pick
Deathfire Touch
Deathfire Touch

Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.

Sorcery Sorcery
Summon Aery Arcane Comet Stormraider's Surge Deathfire Touch
Axiom Arcanist Manaflow Band Nimbus Cloak
Transcendence Absolute Focus Celerity
Waterwalking Gathering Storm Scorch
Precision Precision
Presence of Mind Absorb Life Triumph
Legend: Bloodline Legend: Alacrity Legend: Haste
Coup de Grace Cut Down Last Stand
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling

Summoner spells

Exhaust Flash
52.9% 17 games

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. Not enough players have finished the same three items yet, so the core above is the three strongest items measured one by one. Sample sizes are shown next to every choice.

Tips for Karthus

Generated from this patch's numbers

  • Most common core: Blackfire Torch → Rabadon's Deathcap → Shadowflame — 67% win rate over 6 games.
  • Take Deathfire Touch as keystone: picked in 74% of games with a 59% win rate.

Items

Most common sets of three completed items

Core build

Blackfire Torch
Blackfire Torch
Rabadon's Deathcap
Rabadon's Deathcap
Shadowflame
Shadowflame
66.7% WR
6 games · 26% pick

Legendary items by win rate

ItemWin ratePick
80.0% 43% (10)
66.7% 26% (6)
61.5% 57% (13)
57.9% 83% (19)
55.6% 39% (9)
52.6% 83% (19)
33.3% 13% (3)

Runes

Most played full pages and keystone win rates

Sorcery Sorcery + Precision Precision
60.0% WR
10 games · 43% pick
Deathfire Touch
Deathfire Touch

Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.

Sorcery Sorcery
Summon Aery Arcane Comet Stormraider's Surge Deathfire Touch
Axiom Arcanist Manaflow Band Nimbus Cloak
Transcendence Absolute Focus Celerity
Waterwalking Gathering Storm Scorch
Precision Precision
Presence of Mind Absorb Life Triumph
Legend: Bloodline Legend: Alacrity Legend: Haste
Coup de Grace Cut Down Last Stand
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling
Domination Domination + Sorcery Sorcery
66.7% WR
3 games · 13% pick
Dark Harvest Cheap Shot Grisly Mementos Ultimate Hunter Axiom Arcanist Gathering Storm

Keystones

  • Deathfire Touch Deathfire Touch Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time. 58.8%74% pick
  • Dark Harvest Dark Harvest Damaging a low health champion inflicts adaptive damage and harvests a soul from the victim. 50.0%17% pick

Summoner spells

  • Exhaust Flash Exhaust + Flash 52.9%74% pick

Abilities & skill order

  • PDeath Defied

    Upon 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.

  • RRequiem

    After channeling for 3 seconds, Karthus deals damage to all enemy champions.