Tank Karthus Build

Tank Karthus Build.

Tank Karthus build with runes and items. Tank Karthus guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Tank Karthus build in League of Legends Patch 25.08!

Author: Wrekah

TLDR

Starting items
Giant's Belt should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal 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
Mercury's Treads should be final item in your build.
Heartsteel should be final item in your build.
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Kaenic Rookern should be final item in your build.
Warmog's Armor should be final item in your build.
Overlord's Bloodmail should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Grasp of the Undying from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Tank 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)).

How it works

General

  1. You play Tank Karthus.
  2. You rush Heartsteel #1.
  3. You are gonna have tons of HP.
  4. You build items that scale and/or benefit from HP stacking.
    • And you build Armor and MR tanky items, depending on the situation and adapting to the enemy team.

How to play

General

  1. You rush Heartsteel.

Item Order

  1. Item Order after Heartsteel is flexible. You need to see what you need in particular game:
    • Get Overlord's Bloodmail for more damage and AD.
    • Get Warmog's Armor as anti-poke item (helps you stay in lane) and for some sweet HP.
    • Get Unending Despair, if there are prolonged fights in which you can stay near enemies (or enemies near you). The items gets better, the more HP you get.
    • Get various Armor and/or MR items to counter enemy team.
    • Get Titanic Hydra for more fun , more damage and some survivability.

Items

  1. Sundered Sky is very good damage item for this build (as #2-#4 depending on the game). It scales off your HP (so Grasp, Heartsteel, Overgrowth). It gives damage and pretty good sustain in fights. Remember to switch targets to maximize the effect!
  2. Guardian's Horn is a surprisingly good item for its price. You can keep it for a very long time (or even have it as 6th item).

Runes

  1. Second Wind scales off with your HP, so it is going to be powerful sustain rune. You can use it by purposefully triggering it by letting enemies poke you a little or walking over some harmful spells.
  2. Triumph is better (heal + gold), but if you want to have easier time with your mana, go Presence of the Mind.

During game

  1. Your main damage and power comes from auto attacks - Grasp of the Undying, Heartsteel
  2. This is auto attack oriented Karthus build, so do it! Especially if running with Titanic Hydra and Sundered Sky as well.
  3. You can prioritize switching between champions in the fight, just to farm more Heartsteel procs.
  4. 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.
  5. Remember to consume your Heartsteel procs!
  6. Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!

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
Giant's Belt item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Starting items vs poke
Guardian's Horn item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Boots
Plated Steelcaps item.
Ionian Boots of Lucidity item.
Mercury's Treads item.
Rush this
Heartsteel item.
Core items
Warmog's Armor item.
Unending Despair item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.
Heartsteel item.
Dmg items
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Wit's End item.
Zhonya's Hourglass item.
Sundered Sky item.
Titanic Hydra item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Good MR items
Spirit Visage item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Force of Nature item.
Good Armor items
Randuin's Omen item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Frozen Heart item.
Thornmail item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Situational items
Trailblazer item.
Knight's Vow item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Sorcery item.
Elixir of Iron item.
Cappa Juice item.
Example final build
Mercury's Treads item.
Heartsteel item.
Thornmail item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Overlord's Bloodmail item.