Karthus

Recommended Build

Patch 16.11 · Diamond+ Solo Queue · Updated 6/9/2026

52.1% Based on 430 games wr in Bot

Build path

1. Boots any step
   

   Sorcerer's Shoes

   1100 gold

   12 Magic Penetration
   45 Move Speed
   
   

   Sorcerer's Shoes

   97% pick · 52.9% Based on 399 picks wr
2. Item 1
   • 
     Doran's Ring

     400 gold

     18 Ability Power
     90 Health
     
     Drain
     Restore 1 Mana every second, increased to 2 Mana per second for 5 seconds after dealing damage to an enemy champion. If you can't gain Mana, heal for 45% of this value instead.
     
     Helping Hand
     Attacks deal 5 bonus physical damage to minions.
     Doran's Ring

     100% pick · 52.1% Based on 430 picks wr
3. Item 2
   • 
     Blackfire Torch

     2800 gold

     80 Ability Power
     600 Mana
     20 Ability Haste
     
     Baleful Blaze
     Damaging Abilities deals bonus magic damage for 3 seconds.
     
     Blackfire
     For each enemy champion, epic and large monster affected by your Baleful Blaze, gain 4% Ability Power.
     Blackfire Torch

     96% pick · 53.3% Based on 409 picks wr
4. Item 3 2 options
   • 
     Shadowflame

     3200 gold

     110 Ability Power
     15 Magic Penetration
     
     Cinderbloom
     Magic and true damage Critically Strike enemies below 40% Health, dealing 20% increased damage.
     Shadowflame

     58% pick · 53.1% Based on 228 picks wr
   • 
     Liandry's Torment

     3000 gold

     60 Ability Power
     300 Health
     
     Torment
     Damaging Abilities burn enemies for 2% max Health magic damage per second for 3 seconds.
     
     Suffering
     For each second in combat with enemy champions, deal 2% bonus damage, up to 6%.
     or Liandry's Torment

     35% pick · 52.6% Based on 137 picks wr
5. Item 4 3 options
   • 
     Rabadon's Deathcap

     3500 gold

     130 Ability Power
     
     Magical Opus
     Increases your total Ability Power by 30%.
     Rabadon's Deathcap

     40% pick · 52.5% Based on 118 picks wr
   • 
     Zhonya's Hourglass

     3250 gold

     105 Ability Power
     50 Armor
     
     
     
     Time Stop
     Enter Stasis for 2.5 seconds.
     or Zhonya's Hourglass

     21% pick · 55.7% Based on 61 picks wr
   • 
     Shadowflame

     3200 gold

     110 Ability Power
     15 Magic Penetration
     
     Cinderbloom
     Magic and true damage Critically Strike enemies below 40% Health, dealing 20% increased damage.
     or Shadowflame

     20% pick · 67.8% Based on 59 picks wr

Most-built legendary at each step (purchase order).

Summoner spells

Exhaust

Slows target enemy champion and reduces their damage dealt.

Exhaust +

Flash

Teleports you a short distance toward your cursor.

Flash 99% · 52.1% Based on 426 picks wr

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Q Lay Waste

Karthus unleashes a delayed blast at a location, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Deals increased damage to isolated enemies.

Q

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W Wall 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.

W

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E Defile

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.

E

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R Requiem

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

R

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Sorcery

Summon Aery

Your attacks and abilities send Aery to a target, damaging enemies or shielding allies.

Arcane Comet

Damaging a champion with an ability hurls a damaging comet at their location.

Stormraider's Surge

Dealing 25% of a champion's maximum health grants a burst of MS and Slow Resist.

Deathfire Touch · selected

Damaging a champion with an ability burns them over time.

Axiom Arcanist · selected

Your Ultimate has increased damage, healing, and shielding. Scoring a takedown on an enemy champion reduces your Ultimate's current cooldown.

Manaflow Band

Hitting an enemy champion with an ability permanently increases your maximum mana by 25, up to 250 mana.

After reaching 250 bonus mana, restore 1% of your missing mana every 5 seconds.

Nimbus Cloak

After casting a Summoner Spell, gain a short Move Speed increase that allows you to pass through units.

Transcendence · selected

Gain bonuses upon reaching the following levels:
Level 5: +5 Ability Haste
Level 8: +5 Ability Haste
Level 11: On Champion takedown, reduce the remaining cooldown of basic abilities by 20%.

Celerity

All Move Speed bonuses are 7% more effective on you and gain 1% Move Speed.

Absolute Focus

While above 70% health, gain extra adaptive damage.

Scorch · selected

Your first damaging ability hit every 10s burns champions.

Waterwalking

Gain MS and AP or AD, adaptive in the river.

Gathering Storm

Gain increasing amounts of AD or AP, adaptive over the course of the game.

Precision

Absorb Life

Killing a target heals you.

Triumph

Takedowns restore 5% of your missing health and grant an additional 20 gold.

Presence of Mind · selected

Restore a small amount of mana or energy when damaging an enemy champion. Takedowns restore mana or energy.

Legend: Alacrity

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Attack Speed.

Legend: Haste

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Basic Ability Haste.

Legend: Bloodline

Takedowns on enemies grant permanent Life Steal, up to a cap. Once the cap is reached, increase your max health. Weaker earlier but stronger later game than other Legend Runes.

Coup de Grace

Deal more damage to low health enemy champions.

Cut Down

Deal more damage to high health enemy champions.

Last Stand · selected

Deal more damage to champions while you are low on health.

Stat shards

Adaptive Force · selected

+9 Adaptive Force (AD or AP — whichever helps more).

Attack Speed

+10% Attack Speed.

Ability Haste

+8 Ability Haste.

Adaptive Force · selected

+9 Adaptive Force (AD or AP — whichever helps more).

Move Speed

+2% Move Speed.

Bonus Health

+10–180 Bonus Health (based on level).

Health · selected

+65 flat Health.

Tenacity & Slow Resist

+10% Tenacity and Slow Resist.

Bonus Health

+10–180 Bonus Health (based on level).