Karthus Counters
The best Karthus counters in League of Legends patch 26.1 are Evelynn, Vi, Jax, Jinx, Zac. The best Karthus counter is Evelynn, with Karthus having only a 23.81% win rate in this matchup. Secondary patch 26.1 Karthus counter choices are Volibear, Graves, Zed, Caitlyn, DrMundo. Below are the top Karthus counters and matchups alongside their win rates.
Death Defied
Upon dying, Karthus enters a spirit form that allows him to continue casting spells.
Lay Waste
Karthus unleashes a delayed blast at a location, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Deals increased damage to isolated enemies.
Cost:- 20/
- 25/
- 30/
- 35/
- 40
Cooldown:- 0
Range:- 875
Wall of Pain
Karthus creates a passable screen of leeching energy. Any enemy units that walk through the screen have their Move Speed and Magic Resist reduced for a period.
Cost:- 70
Cooldown:- 15
Range:- 1000
Defile
Karthus passively steals energy from his victims, gaining Mana on each kill. Alternatively, Karthus can surround himself in the souls of his prey, dealing damage to nearby enemies, but quickly draining his own Mana.
Cost:- 30/
- 42/
- 54/
- 66/
- 78
Cooldown:- 1
Range:- 550
Requiem
After channeling for 3 seconds, Karthus deals damage to all enemy champions.
Cost:- 100
Cooldown:- 200/
- 180/
- 160
Range:- 10000
- Mage
These champions are Karthus's hardest counters in League of Legends patch 26.1. Evelynn is Karthus's biggest counter with only a 23.81% win rate for Karthus. When facing these Karthus counter picks, focus on safe farming and waiting for jungle assistance. Avoid extended trades and play around your power spikes to survive difficult Karthus matchups.
Evelynn
Vi
Jax
Jinx
Zac
Volibear
Graves
Zed
Caitlyn
Dr. Mundo
When facing Karthus in League of Legends, understanding Karthus's primary damage profile is essential for building effective counter strategies. Karthus deals primarily magic damage, which means prioritizing magic resist in your defensive itemization will significantly reduce Karthus's threat in fights. Top defensive items against Karthus include Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide substantial magic resist stats that directly mitigate Karthus's damage output throughout all stages of the game.
From a champion selection perspective, the strongest Karthus counters are Evelynn, Vi, Jax, and Jinx. These champions either out-trade Karthus in lane, have abilities that negate Karthus's core mechanics, or scale better into team fights. Evelynn in particular exploits Karthus's weaknesses by providing consistent pressure while being difficult to punish.
Beyond item builds and counter picks, successful counter play against Karthus involves understanding Karthus's power spikes and cooldown windows. Engage on Karthus when key abilities are on cooldown, and coordinate with your team to focus Karthus in team fights before Karthus can output maximum damage. Vision control is also crucial when playing against Karthus to avoid getting caught out of position. By combining proper defensive itemization with smart champion selection and strategic gameplay, you can effectively neutralize Karthus's impact and secure victory.
Understanding Karthus's power curve is essential for effective counter play. Here's when Karthus is most vulnerable throughout the game.
EARLYEarly Game (Levels 1-6)
Karthus may be mana-dependent early. Punish after spell rotations when abilities are on cooldown. All-in when mana is depleted for advantageous trades.
MIDMid Game (Levels 7-13)
Karthus's poke and zone control peaks mid game. Engage quickly to close the gap before Karthus can kite. Use flanks and hard engage to bypass poke damage.
LATELate Game (Levels 14-18)
Karthus provides strong team fight damage late. Prioritize diving Karthus or use assassins to reach the backline. Magic resist items become crucial.
Use these actionable tips to gain an advantage when facing Karthus in lane or team fights.
- Pick Evelynn or similar champions with kits that exploit Karthus's weaknesses
- Build Mercury's Treads or Hexdrinker early to reduce Karthus's damage in lane
- Track Karthus's cooldowns and engage when key abilities are unavailable
- Ward Karthus's common roam paths and ping missing immediately
- Coordinate with your jungler to gank Karthus during vulnerable windows
- Dodge Karthus's skill shots by moving unpredictably
- All-in Karthus when mana is low from spell rotations
Karthus performs exceptionally well against these champions in patch 26.1. Cho'Gath is Karthus's best matchup with a 72.22% win rate. When playing Karthus into these favorable matchups, look for early aggression and lane dominance. Karthus can capitalize on these champions' weaknesses to snowball leads and carry games.
Cho'Gath
Miss Fortune
Kai'Sa
Rengar
Lee Sin
Hecarim
Kayn
Jayce
Shaco
Amumu
Karthus Counters - Frequently Asked Questions
Who counters Karthus?
The best Karthus counters are Evelynn, Vi, and Jax. These champions have favorable matchups against Karthus and can exploit Karthus's weaknesses effectively in League of Legends patch 26.1.
What is Karthus's hardest counter?
Evelynn is Karthus's hardest counter with Karthus having only a 23.81% win rate in this matchup. Vi (28.57% WR) and Jax (32.14% WR) are also strong Karthus counters.
Who does Karthus counter?
Karthus performs well against Cho'Gath, Miss Fortune, and Kai'Sa. These are Karthus's best matchups where Karthus has favorable win rates and can dominate lane in patch 26.1.
How do I beat Karthus in lane?
To beat Karthus in lane, pick a counter champion like Evelynn or Vi. Focus on trading when Karthus's key abilities are on cooldown, and build magic resist items to reduce Karthus's damage output. Ward defensively and call for jungle assistance if Karthus gains an advantage.
What items counter Karthus?
The best items to counter Karthus are Mercury's Treads, Spirit Visage, Force of Nature, and Banshee's Veil. These items provide magic resist which directly reduces Karthus's damage. Consider building these items early if you're struggling against Karthus in lane.
When is Karthus weakest?
Karthus is typically weakest during specific power troughs between item spikes. Exploit windows when Karthus's ultimate or key abilities are on cooldown. Coordinate with your team to engage on Karthus before Karthus can set up fights on Karthus's own terms.
How do I play Karthus into counter matchups?
When playing Karthus into counters like Evelynn, focus on safe farming, waiting for jungle assistance, and playing around power spikes. Avoid extended trades in unfavorable matchups and look for opportunities to scale into mid and late game.
What champions are similar to Karthus's counters?
If Evelynn, Vi, or Jax are banned or picked, look for champions with similar kits that can exploit Karthus's weaknesses. Champions with crowd control, burst damage, or sustained damage (depending on Karthus's vulnerabilities) can serve as alternative counters.