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the Deathsinger

Karthus Mid build & stats

Mage – 38 games · patch 16.18
Win rate
42.1%
Pick rate
0.1%
Ban rate
1.4%
Solo/Duo Flex ARAM
16.18 16.17 16.16
Division
All divisions
All divisions Challenger no data Grandmaster no data Master no data Diamond no data Emerald no data Platinum no data Gold no data Silver no data Bronze no data Iron no data

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
Void Staff
Void Staff
3,000 gold
Liandry's Torment
Liandry's Torment
3,000 gold
8,800 gold
66.7% WR each item separately

Boots

Spellslinger's Shoes
Spellslinger's Shoes
1,100 gold
45.5% 33 games

Runes

Domination Domination + Sorcery Sorcery
37.5% WR
8 games · 21% pick
Dark Harvest
Dark Harvest

Damaging a low health champion inflicts adaptive damage and harvests a soul from the victim.

Domination Domination
Electrocute Dark Harvest Hail of Blades
Cheap Shot Taste of Blood Sudden Impact
Sixth Sense Grisly Mementos Deep Ward
Relentless Hunter Ultimate Hunter Treasure Hunter
Sorcery Sorcery
Axiom Arcanist Manaflow Band Nimbus Cloak
Transcendence Absolute Focus Celerity
Waterwalking Gathering Storm Scorch
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling

Summoner spells

Exhaust Flash
60.0% 15 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

  • Karthus wins 42.1% of games as Mid on patch 16.18 (38 games).
  • Most common core: Blackfire Torch → Rabadon's Deathcap → Shadowflame — 20% win rate over 5 games.
  • Take Deathfire Touch as keystone: picked in 53% of games with a 45% win rate.

Items

Most common sets of three completed items

Core build

Blackfire Torch
Blackfire Torch
Rabadon's Deathcap
Rabadon's Deathcap
Shadowflame
Shadowflame
20.0% WR
5 games · 13% pick

Boots

Spellslinger's Shoes
Spellslinger's Shoes
45.5% WR
33 games · 87% pick

Legendary items by win rate

ItemWin ratePick
Stormsurge Stormsurge
 100.0% 8% (3)
Void Staff Void Staff
 80.0% 13% (5)
Liandry's Torment Liandry's Torment
 50.0% 42% (16)
Zhonya's Hourglass Zhonya's Hourglass
 50.0% 21% (8)
Blackfire Torch Blackfire Torch
 46.4% 74% (28)
Malignance Malignance
 45.5% 29% (11)
Shadowflame Shadowflame
 42.9% 55% (21)
Rabadon's Deathcap Rabadon's Deathcap
 33.3% 24% (9)

Runes

Most played full pages and keystone win rates

Domination Domination + Sorcery Sorcery
37.5% WR
8 games · 21% pick
Dark Harvest
Dark Harvest

Damaging a low health champion inflicts adaptive damage and harvests a soul from the victim.

Domination Domination
Electrocute Dark Harvest Hail of Blades
Cheap Shot Taste of Blood Sudden Impact
Sixth Sense Grisly Mementos Deep Ward
Relentless Hunter Ultimate Hunter Treasure Hunter
Sorcery Sorcery
Axiom Arcanist Manaflow Band Nimbus Cloak
Transcendence Absolute Focus Celerity
Waterwalking Gathering Storm Scorch
Shards
Adaptive Force Attack Speed Ability Haste
Adaptive Force Move Speed Health Scaling
Health Tenacity and Slow Resist Health Scaling
Sorcery Sorcery + Precision Precision
100.0% WR
3 games · 8% pick
Deathfire Touch Axiom Arcanist Transcendence Scorch Presence of Mind Last Stand
Sorcery Sorcery + Precision Precision
50.0% WR
2 games · 5% pick
Deathfire Touch Axiom Arcanist Transcendence Gathering Storm Last Stand Presence of Mind

Keystones

  • Deathfire Touch Deathfire Touch Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time. 45.0%53% pick
  • Dark Harvest Dark Harvest Damaging a low health champion inflicts adaptive damage and harvests a soul from the victim. 42.9%37% pick
  • First Strike First Strike When you initiate champion combat, deal 7% extra damage for 3 seconds and gain gold based on damage dealt. 33.3%8% pick

Summoner spells

  • Exhaust Flash Exhaust + Flash 60.0%39% pick
  • Flash Teleport Flash + Teleport 28.6%37% pick
  • Flash Ignite Flash + Ignite 50.0%11% 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.