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Karthus

Mage · Jungle · ADC

Karthus counters, build & runes

Karthus, the Deathsinger, is a mage mostly played in Jungle and ADC. In Jungle it has a 49.5% win rate in patch 16.22 and sits in tier C. It excels at area damage, waveclear and sustained damage and is strongest in the late game.

Patch 16.22 · SoloQ

JungleJungle68%ADCADC32%
CTier
49.5%Win rate
1.4%Pick rate
1.0%Ban rate
#49Rank · Jungle
34,882Games

Karthus Jungle most played build

Runes53% of games · 51.8% WR

DominationDark Harvest
Cheap ShotGrisly MementosTreasure Hunter
Precision
Presence of MindCoup de Grace

Dark Harvest · Cheap Shot · Grisly Mementos · Treasure Hunter
Presence of Mind · Coup de Grace

Summoner spells51.9% WR

ExhaustExhaustSmiteSmite

Skill order80% of games · 59.1% WR

QEW

Levels 1 to 3: Q · E · Q

Starting items52% of games · 52.6% WR

Scorchclaw PupScorchclaw PupHealth PotionHealth Potion

Core build23% of games · 50.0% WR

Blackfire TorchBlackfire TorchShadowflameShadowflameZhonya's HourglassZhonya's Hourglass

Boots99% of games · 50.3% WR

Sorcerer's ShoesSorcerer's Shoes

Jungle path

Starting on redBlueGrompWolvesRaptorsRedKrugs

Starting on blueBlueGrompWolvesRaptorsRedKrugs

BTier
53.8%Win rate
0.7%Pick rate
0.9%Ban rate
#15Rank · ADC
16,578Games

Karthus ADC most played build

Champion profile

  • Burst damage2
  • Sustained damage4
  • Durability1
  • Crowd control2
  • Mobility0
  • Engage0
  • Peel1
  • Poke3

0 to 5 attributes from HeroCoach's Fuente 1 profile, rated from the champion kit and Emerald+ stats.

Power curve

Early
Mid
Late

Game plan

Teamfighting

Excels at

  • Area damage
  • Waveclear
  • Objective control
  • Roaming

Struggles against

  • hard crowd control
  • poke
  • burst damage

Frequently asked questions

Who counters Karthus in Jungle?

In patch 16.22, the hardest lane opponents for Karthus in Jungle are Darius (42.3%), Sejuani (42.7%) and Master Yi (42.7%). In brackets, Karthus's win rate in that matchup.

Who is Karthus strong against?

In Jungle, Karthus wins most often against Qiyana (58.5%), Jayce (55.4%) and Jarvan IV (54.2%).

What is the best Karthus build in Jungle?

The core Karthus build in Jungle is Blackfire Torch, Shadowflame and Zhonya's Hourglass. Keystone: Dark Harvest, with Precision as the secondary tree. Skill order: Q > E > W.

Is Karthus good in patch 16.22?

It is tier C in Jungle (rank 49), with a 49.5% win rate, 1.4% pick rate and 1.0% ban rate in SoloQ.

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Global SoloQ stats for patch 16.22. Updated November 4, 2026.