Imperial Mandate Karthus Build

Imperial Mandate Karthus Build.

Imperial Mandate Karthus build with runes and items. Imperial Mandate Karthus guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Imperial Mandate Karthus build in League of Legends Patch 26.2!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Bandleglass Mirror should be final item in your build.
Tear of the Goddess should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Karthus ability Wall of Pain should be leveled first.
W
Karthus ability Defile should be leveled second.
E
Karthus ability Lay Waste should be leveled third.
Q
Final items
Ionian Boots of Lucidity should be final item in your build.
Imperial Mandate should be final item in your build.
Rylai's Crystal Scepter should be final item in your build.
Spirit Visage should be final item in your build.
Kaenic Rookern should be final item in your build.
Morellonomicon should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Guardian from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Exhaust as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Imperial Mandate Karthus 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

Heal

Heal

OK option if you want to play more support-ish as it provides extra healing.

Ignite

Ignite

Offensive option. Improves your damage.

Ghost

Ghost

Mobility option. Helps you position better to apply slows. Good for kiting or chasing. And running away.

Looking for another support build? Check this:
SupportKarthus

How it works

  1. This build is all about Imperial Mandate and slowing your enemies.
  2. You support your team through disrupting fights, slowing enemies, providing healing/buffs, and soaking damage.

Playstyle

  1. Disrupt fights with slows and CC. ❄️
  2. Proc Imperial Mandate and Font of Life frequently. ⚡
  3. Support allies. 🎯
  4. Adapt items to counter enemy team. 🛡️

How to play

  1. Your core is Imperial Mandate, optionally Rylai's Crystal Scepter for more consistent slows.
  2. Your slows trigger Font of Life AND Imperial Mandate, healing and buffing your allies.
  3. Remember that you need to keep close to your allies to trigger Guardian.

How Imperial Mandate works

  1. Imperial Mandate requires your TEAM to proc it for damage. Try coordinating it with your allies - mark targets when they're about to get poked or when your team goes in.

Buffing your team

  1. Font of Life heal triggers various support items like Ardent Censer, Staff of Flowing Water or even Moonstone Renewer!
  2. If your team needs sustain, you can even get Diadem of Songs.
  3. If your team has auto attackers, get Ardent Censer. Your Font of Life will buff them constantly.
  4. Bandlepipes is excellent - gives MS and buffs allies' attack speed when you CC/slow enemies.
  5. Staff of Flowing Water is good item if you have lots of AP scaling champions on the team.

Adaptation

  1. Enemy team heavy on AP? Buy MR items like Kaenic Rookern or Spirit Visage.
  2. Enemy team heavy on AD? Buy Armor items like Thornmail or Randuin's Omen.
  3. Your team lacks damage? You can buy damage items - Liandry's Torment or Blackfire Torch work well.

Tips and Tricks

Champion

  1. Late in the game, you can sell boots and go for sixth AP item.
  2. You can stop push by using Wall of Pain (W) on minions.
  3. You can die in strategic positions and prevent an enemy team from pushing/defending turret.
  4. You can start casting your Requiem (R) when somebody is dead and has 2 seconds left, so you will hit him instantly with R (i.e Fizz won't use E to dodge it).
  5. Enemies in your base? Use Defile (E) before taking portal (frost-gate) - you will damage them on your way!

Riot

  1. Ask your allies to help point out when you should use Requiem to get kills in different lanes.
  2. Lay Waste is very strong at farming minions and harassing enemy champions.

Skill Order

  • Karthus [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Lay Waste
  • Karthus [object Object] ability.
    W
    Wall of Pain
  • Karthus [object Object] ability.
    E
    Defile
  • Karthus [object Object] ability.
    R
    Requiem

Items

Starting items
Bandleglass Mirror item.
Tear of the Goddess item.
Rush this #1
Imperial Mandate item.
Optional rush #2
Rylai's Crystal Scepter item.
Boots
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Good support items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Moonstone Renewer item.
Ardent Censer item.
Bandlepipes item.
Redemption item.
Locket of the Iron Solari item.
Staff of Flowing Water item.
Shurelya's Battlesong item.
Diadem of Songs item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Knight's Vow item.
Good MR items
Spirit Visage item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Force of Nature item.
Good Armor items
Randuin's Omen item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Thornmail item.
Frozen Heart item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
For mana problems
Tear of the Goddess item.
Seraph's Embrace item.
Situational dmg items
Blackfire Torch item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Cryptbloom item.
Rabadon's Deathcap item.
Cosmic Drive item.
Liandry's Torment item.
Rod of Ages item.
Counter healing
Oblivion Orb item.
Morellonomicon item.
Counter shielding
Serpent's Fang item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Seeker's Armguard item.
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Elixir of Iron item.
Example final build
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Imperial Mandate item.
Rylai's Crystal Scepter item.
Spirit Visage item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Morellonomicon item.