Caitlyn - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
50.0%
Pick Rate
10.0%

Caitlynvs Karthus

CMarksman
Patch26.11
Matches776,441
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 7, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Caitlyn vs Karthus is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Karthus wins with a 64.4% win rate (+28.9%) over Caitlyn based on 45 games. Karthus holds the advantage in both the early and late game. Below you'll find the best Caitlyn build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Caitlyn vs Karthus matchup.

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Caitlyn Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Caitlyn performs against them. You'll get head-to-head win rates, laning stats, the best build and runes for the matchup, and early vs late game analysis — all based on real ranked data.

Compare against an opponent
Caitlyn - 35.6% win rate in this matchup
Caitlyn
35.6% WR
VS
Karthus vs Caitlyn matchup - 64.4% win rate
Karthus
64.4% WR

Who Wins the Caitlyn vs Karthus Matchup?

Karthus wins the Caitlyn vs Karthus matchup
Winner
Karthus
Matches: 45
35.6%
Win Rate
64.4%
6.7
CS / min
6.5
866
DMG / min
1,326
15,027
Gold / game
16,022
185
Heal / min
88
396
DMG Mitigated / min
414
0.7
CC / min
0.6
13.3%
Early Game WR
86.7%
46.7%
Late Game WR
53.3%

Caitlyn vs Karthus Matchup Summary

The Caitlyn vs Karthus matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 45 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 64.4% win rate compared to Caitlyn's 35.6%, giving Karthus a 28.9 percentage point advantage. Karthus dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Caitlyn players to find favorable windows, so team-dependent strategies and avoiding solo confrontations are essential. The most significant statistical gap is in damage output, where Karthus leads by 460 DMG/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus has a strong advantage in this matchup. Caitlyn players should play defensively, prioritize safe farming under tower, and look for opportunities created by jungle pressure or Karthus overextending. Avoid prolonged trades and wait for team fights where positioning and coordination matter more. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Caitlyn vs Karthus Laning Phase Breakdown

Caitlyn wins the laning phase against Karthus in League of Legends

Caitlyn is favored during the laning phase against Karthus, winning 3 out of 5 key stat categories. Caitlyn holds advantages in farming, crowd control and sustain, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
6.7Caitlyn
6.5Karthus
Caitlyn and Karthus farm at nearly identical rates in this matchup, with only a 0.2 CS/min difference. Neither champion holds a meaningful farming advantage, so lane dominance will come from trading and jungle interaction rather than CS leads.
Damage
866Caitlyn
1,326Karthus
Karthus heavily out-damages Caitlyn by 460 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Caitlyn should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Karthus's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
15,027Caitlyn
16,022Karthus
Karthus generates a commanding 995 more gold per game than Caitlyn. This substantial economic advantage means Karthus consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Caitlyn should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.7Caitlyn
0.6Karthus
Both Caitlyn and Karthus provide similar amounts of crowd control (0.1s/min difference), meaning neither has a significant advantage in locking down opponents for ganks or team fights. Lane ganks are equally effective for both sides.
Sustain
581Caitlyn
502Karthus
Caitlyn heals and mitigates 79 more damage per minute than Karthus, providing moderate extra durability. This sustain edge allows Caitlyn to stay in lane longer between recalls and gradually win extended wars of attrition. Consider building early grievous wounds if playing Karthus.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
86.7%
+73.3% advantage
Caitlyn early game win rateCaitlyn13.3%
Karthus early game win rateKarthus86.7%
Late Game
Karthus
53.3%
+6.7% advantage
Caitlyn late game win rateCaitlyn46.7%
Karthus late game win rateKarthus53.3%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 86.7% win rate — a 73.3 percentage point lead over Caitlyn. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Karthus is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 53.3% win rate — 6.7 points above Caitlyn. Extended games heavily favor Karthus, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

Karthus holds the advantage at every stage of the game, making this a consistently favorable matchup from lane through late game team fights. Caitlyn players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Caitlyn Runes Against Karthus

Precision rune tree - Caitlyn primary runes vs KarthusPrecision
Fleet Footwork - best Caitlyn rune vs KarthusAbsorb Life - best Caitlyn rune vs KarthusLegend: Bloodline - best Caitlyn rune vs KarthusCoup de Grace - best Caitlyn rune vs Karthus
Inspiration rune tree - Caitlyn secondary runes vs KarthusInspiration
Cash Back - best Caitlyn rune vs KarthusCosmic Insight - best Caitlyn rune vs Karthus
100.0% WR

The Precision and Inspiration rune setup gives Caitlyn the best tools to compete against Karthus in this difficult matchup, compensating for the statistical disadvantages with optimal rune synergies.


Caitlyn matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.11. The table below shows Caitlyn's win rate, gold difference, and performance stats against every champion in the current meta. Click any champion name to see a detailed head-to-head breakdown including the best Caitlyn build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Caitlyn matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.11
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
49.49%1,4836.882513,00951.4%48.0%
50.03%1,4296.884013,25752.5%48.3%
49.18%1,4096.684212,89049.3%49.1%
48.41%1,3496.986012,96248.1%48.6%
49.86%1,0636.991513,77753.2%47.8%
54.46%9646.987513,12949.8%58.1%
50.52%5746.887313,43847.0%53.5%
49.49%4896.787813,35950.2%48.9%
53.99%4766.891213,61155.7%52.6%
48.75%4416.785612,60252.6%44.5%
52.05%4406.482013,10863.7%43.2%
56.10%4266.989513,52957.6%54.8%
47.57%3916.886012,78351.6%43.8%
51.63%3686.984713,50845.5%55.6%
48.97%3396.886013,24546.3%51.4%
52.77%3076.982713,31148.1%56.4%
46.33%3006.884213,16241.4%50.0%
48.78%2877.087213,54146.7%50.3%
50.18%2737.091313,81544.3%55.0%
50.92%2716.987413,33352.8%49.3%
47.34%2077.188813,21845.2%49.5%
47.00%2006.681513,21539.5%52.1%
53.57%1406.896414,49947.9%56.5%
54.03%1246.575813,00943.6%62.3%
46.61%1186.887513,52241.5%50.8%
40.87%1156.780212,83145.3%37.1%
42.16%1026.473012,73243.8%40.7%
45.00%1006.791013,77847.7%42.9%
51.55%976.898213,67552.9%50.0%
50.00%966.792313,49852.5%48.2%
41.98%816.368012,59429.4%51.1%
49.32%736.589014,00334.6%57.5%
45.71%707.496314,23246.9%44.7%
50.88%576.465212,83033.3%59.0%
46.67%456.869612,00838.1%54.2%
46.67%457.284814,11240.0%52.0%
35.56%456.786615,02713.3%46.7%
48.89%457.294415,07535.7%54.8%
45.24%427.084012,36438.1%52.4%
38.10%426.91,04113,44040.9%35.0%
53.33%306.885714,54653.9%52.9%
40.74%276.887513,28233.3%44.4%
30.00%205.91,05711,38318.2%44.4%
38.89%186.51,06015,56360.0%30.8%
47.06%177.497215,36142.9%50.0%
31.25%166.899413,51222.2%42.9%
62.50%167.187313,92050.0%75.0%
43.75%166.370712,57460.0%36.4%
37.50%166.299712,31133.3%40.0%
50.00%166.395313,72950.0%50.0%
33.33%156.66389,65340.0%20.0%
33.33%157.195912,17133.3%33.3%
53.85%137.075913,99457.1%50.0%
69.23%137.31,19615,73766.7%71.4%
75.00%126.91,01615,01483.3%66.7%
50.00%126.91,21416,75550.0%50.0%
41.67%126.770612,98250.0%37.5%
63.64%116.81,00715,46450.0%71.4%
40.00%106.782014,875100.0%25.0%
22.22%96.682413,01725.0%20.0%
11.11%96.491112,6160.0%20.0%
50.00%86.184213,10566.7%40.0%
37.50%86.684615,4310.0%37.5%
14.29%76.882010,56520.0%0.0%
71.43%76.465910,665100.0%33.3%
14.29%76.451810,05325.0%0.0%
57.14%77.19399,90250.0%66.7%
42.86%76.090311,9900.0%75.0%
28.57%76.674113,25533.3%25.0%
71.43%76.868710,56475.0%66.7%
42.86%75.997511,85650.0%33.3%
57.14%76.299816,77050.0%60.0%
66.67%66.089913,46750.0%75.0%
50.00%66.896816,68550.0%50.0%
33.33%66.870611,6990.0%66.7%
66.67%66.683211,35750.0%100.0%
66.67%66.51,03711,35850.0%100.0%
33.33%66.063210,62433.3%33.3%
16.67%65.388313,46233.3%0.0%
16.67%66.25979,36225.0%0.0%
66.67%67.285814,18975.0%50.0%
33.33%66.385515,371100.0%20.0%
33.33%66.478411,29433.3%33.3%
40.00%54.958010,9560.0%50.0%
60.00%57.180613,30350.0%66.7%
20.00%56.575510,92533.3%0.0%
60.00%56.675410,97560.0%0.0%
40.00%55.080711,33750.0%0.0%
40.00%56.576712,53933.3%50.0%

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Caitlyn vs Karthus - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Caitlyn do against Karthus in League of Legends?

Karthus wins the Caitlyn vs Karthus matchup with a 64.4% win rate compared to Caitlyn's 35.6%, a 28.9 percentage point difference. This data is based on 45 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Caitlyn do against Karthus in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Caitlyn with a 86.7% win rate versus 13.3%. Karthus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Caitlyn do against Karthus in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Caitlyn vs Karthus matchup with a 53.3% win rate compared to 46.7%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Caitlyn vs Karthus matchup?

Karthus wins the matchup against Caitlyn with a 64.4% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 28.9 percentage point advantage means Karthus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 45 games analyzed.

What is the best Caitlyn build against Karthus?

The best Caitlyn build against Karthus includes optimized core items. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Caitlyn runes against Karthus?

The best Caitlyn runes against Karthus use the Precision primary tree with Inspiration secondary. This rune setup achieves a 100.0% win rate in the Caitlyn vs Karthus matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Caitlyn counter Karthus?

No, Caitlyn struggles against Karthus with only a 35.6% win rate. Karthus has the advantage in this matchup. Caitlyn players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Karthus's lead.

How do I play Caitlyn against Karthus?

When playing Caitlyn against Karthus, play cautiously and avoid Karthus's power spikes. Look for jungle assistance and team-dependent plays since Karthus has the statistical advantage at most stages. Use the matchup-specific build and runes above to optimize your chances.