Tank Darius Build

Tank Darius Build.

Tank Darius build with runes and items. Tank Darius guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Darius build in League of Legends Patch 26.4!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Guardian's Horn should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Darius ability Decimate should be leveled first.
Q
Darius ability Apprehend should be leveled second.
E
Darius ability Crippling Strike should be leveled third.
W
Final items
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Unending Despair should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Hollow Radiance should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Aftershock from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank Darius Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

Optional Summoner Spells

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost for extra and mobility and chasing and disruptive running around in fights. Good alternative if you want to stay close to enemies.

Exhaust

Exhaust

Defensive option. Exhaust for peeling against enemy divers and assassins and protecting your carries.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option if you are feeling spicy. Grievous Wounds + some damage. Good in early fights and you can score some kills, but reduces your going-in potential. Especially later.

Optional Runes

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying

Grasp of the Undying is a solid alternative. You become more tanky over time as your HP grows, you get some sustain and you get some damage as well.

Presence of Mind

Presence of Mind

Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.

Demolish

Demolish

If you are into taking objectives, you can consider taking Demolish rune. Usually it is worth it and lets you push turrets quicker. Utility slash team oriented option.

Looking for another tank build? Check these:
Glacial AugmentDariusHeartsteelDariusIceborn GauntletDarius

How it works

  1. You play as a Tank.
  2. Your job is to soak damage, disrupt fights, protect your team, and be a pain in the neck for the enemy.

Playstyle

  1. 🛡️

    Be the frontline. Soak damage, disrupt enemies, protect your carries.

  2. 💪

    Jak'Sho rewards you for staying in fights.

  3. 🧰

    Adapt your items to counter the enemy team.

How to play

Getting started

  1. Start with Guardian's Horn. Rush #1 Armor item if enemy is heavy on AD, or MR item if heavy on AP. Get Jak'Sho as #2.
  2. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for very long time (or even have it as 6th item).

During fights

  1. Your goal is to be in the middle of fights as long as possible - Jak'Sho stacks up with combat seconds.

Adapting

  1. You need to adapt your items to the game. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR. They heavy on AD? Buy Armor. You need some damage? Well buy that.
  2. You can use Bandlepipes to give your whole team an attack speed boost whenever you CC enemies. Great synergy with auto attackers.

Runes

  1. Triumph is better overall (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of Mind.
  2. Be careful to not waste Aftershock. Save it for when you go in or when enemies jump on you.

Tips and Tricks

Champion

Hemorrhage (Passive)

  1. Darius is all about bleeds. Focus on getting 5 stacks - for example, you can stack it on their tanks/frontline, and once stacked you can focus on their backline for easier kills (Mark/Flash).

Decimate (Q)

  1. You can Flash during Decimate (Q) animation.
  2. Slow enemies with your Crippling Strike (W), so you have much easier time to hit your Decimate (Q).
  3. Remember that your Decimate (Q) heals, so do not forget to use it in clutch moments.

Crippling Strike (W)

  1. Your Crippling Strike (W) resets auto. Try weaving it: auto - W - auto. This maximizes damage output (especially important to push turrets faster).

Apprehend (E)

  1. Apprehend (E) is a powerful cooldown. You can use to cancel enemy abilities. Do not waste it right away, but wait for a good moment (like when somebody tries to Flash away from you, or to cancel some of their abilities).

Darius Combos

  1. Decimate (Q) + Flash Combo: wait till the very end of Q animation to Flash. This way, your enemies will have less time to react, and you can surprise them.

Riot

  1. Decimate is a powerful harassment ability. Strike an enemy from maximum range for the greatest effect.
  2. Noxian Guillotine does more damage the more attacks you can land prior to it. Use Noxian Might to deal maximum damage.
  3. Darius benefits greatly from enhanced survivability. The longer you can prolong a fight, the more powerful he becomes.

Skill Order

  • Darius [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Decimate
  • Darius [object Object] ability.
    W
    Crippling Strike
  • Darius [object Object] ability.
    E
    Apprehend
  • Darius [object Object] ability.
    R
    Noxian Guillotine

Items

Starting items
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Plated Steelcaps item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Good tank items
Warmog's Armor item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Fimbulwinter item.
Protoplasm Harness item.
Good MR items
Hollow Radiance item.
Spirit Visage item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Force of Nature item.
Good Armor items
Frozen Heart item.
Unending Despair item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Thornmail item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Situational items
Trailblazer item.
Knight's Vow item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Bandlepipes item.
Zeke's Convergence item.
Situational DMG items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Sterak's Gage item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Wit's End item.
Blade of The Ruined King item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Wrath item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Spirit Visage item.
Unending Despair item.
Thornmail item.
Hollow Radiance item.