Karthus - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
50.0%
Pick Rate
1.1%

Karthusvs Ambessa

CMage
Patch26.11
Matches776,441
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedJun 6, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Karthus vs Ambessa is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Karthus wins with a 62.5% win rate (+25.0%) over Ambessa based on 8 games. Karthus holds the advantage in both the early and late game. Below you'll find the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Karthus vs Ambessa matchup.

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Karthus Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Karthus 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
Karthus - 62.5% win rate in this matchup
Karthus
62.5% WR
VS
Ambessa vs Karthus matchup - 37.5% win rate
Ambessa
37.5% WR

Who Wins the Karthus vs Ambessa Matchup?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Ambessa matchup
Winner
Karthus
Matches: 8
62.5%
Win Rate
37.5%
2.0
CS / min
1.8
991
DMG / min
973
13,519
Gold / game
14,360
289
Heal / min
449
446
DMG Mitigated / min
1,448
0.6
CC / min
0.6
100.0%
Early Game WR
0.0%
50.0%
Late Game WR
50.0%

Karthus vs Ambessa Matchup Summary

The Karthus vs Ambessa matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 8 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 62.5% win rate compared to Ambessa's 37.5%, giving Karthus a 25.0 percentage point advantage. Karthus dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Ambessa players to find favorable windows, so team-dependent strategies and avoiding solo confrontations are essential. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Ambessa leads by 1,162 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus players can confidently pick into Ambessa and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Ambessa away from CS whenever possible. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Karthus vs Ambessa Laning Phase Breakdown

Ambessa wins the laning phase against Karthus in League of Legends

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

Farming
2.0Karthus
1.8Ambessa
Karthus and Ambessa farm at nearly identical rates in this matchup, with only a 0.3 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
991Karthus
973Ambessa
Damage output is virtually even between Karthus and Ambessa, with only 18 DMG/min separating them. Fights in this matchup are decided more by ability timing and positioning than raw damage numbers, making mechanical skill the deciding factor in trades.
Economy
13,519Karthus
14,360Ambessa
Ambessa generates a commanding 842 more gold per game than Karthus. This substantial economic advantage means Ambessa consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Karthus should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.6Karthus
0.6Ambessa
Both Karthus and Ambessa 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
735Karthus
1,897Ambessa
Ambessa vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 1,162 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Ambessa can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Karthus is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Karthus, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Best Karthus Build Against Ambessa

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Ambessa, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Ambessa are Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame and Malignance. This combination gives Karthus an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build achieves a solid 50.0% win rate across 2 games, proving it to be a reliable item path when facing Ambessa. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Ambessa matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
100.0%
+100.0% advantage
Karthus early game win rateKarthus100.0%
Ambessa early game win rateAmbessa0.0%
Late Game
Karthus
50.0%
+0.0% advantage
Karthus late game win rateKarthus50.0%
Ambessa late game win rateAmbessa50.0%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 100.0% win rate — a 100.0 percentage point lead over Ambessa. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Late game (25+ minutes) is equally balanced, with Karthus at 50.0% win rate — only 0.0 points ahead of Ambessa. Team fight execution and macro play determine the winner at this stage, not champion matchup advantage.

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

Best Karthus Runes Against Ambessa

Sorcery rune tree - Karthus primary runes vs AmbessaSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Karthus rune vs AmbessaAxiom Arcanist - best Karthus rune vs AmbessaTranscendence - best Karthus rune vs AmbessaGathering Storm - best Karthus rune vs Ambessa
Precision rune tree - Karthus secondary runes vs AmbessaPrecision
Triumph - best Karthus rune vs AmbessaLast Stand - best Karthus rune vs Ambessa
100.0% WR

Running Sorcery primary with Precision secondary allows Karthus to press their advantage against Ambessa, amplifying the strengths that make this a favorable matchup.


Karthus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.11. The table below shows Karthus'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 Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Karthus 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
49.09%551.41,03012,95747.8%50.0%
43.64%551.71,17013,03740.0%46.7%
45.10%511.61,05713,34631.8%55.2%
59.18%496.31,29113,60950.0%65.5%
52.08%481.51,25914,65547.1%54.8%
42.22%451.51,01713,07143.8%41.4%
37.78%451.31,02712,76840.9%34.8%
64.44%456.51,32616,02286.7%53.3%
50.00%426.61,19713,07066.7%33.3%
43.59%396.31,21513,23850.0%36.8%
57.89%381.41,26313,76053.3%60.9%
47.37%381.51,14413,40237.5%54.5%
34.21%381.91,06712,86740.0%30.4%
43.24%371.81,21213,46357.1%34.8%
38.24%347.01,24713,84233.3%42.1%
46.88%321.81,14612,84538.5%52.6%
43.33%301.81,29414,56958.3%33.3%
55.17%296.11,20312,39066.7%42.9%
46.43%281.41,03012,47453.3%38.5%
57.14%286.61,42315,21450.0%62.5%
40.74%271.31,33515,99216.7%47.6%
28.00%251.81,16313,29530.0%26.7%
66.67%241.61,14614,33775.0%58.3%
45.45%221.51,30714,90550.0%44.4%
66.67%212.21,20113,57277.8%58.3%
55.00%201.61,26713,96860.0%50.0%
68.42%195.61,49616,092100.0%60.0%
63.16%191.31,11614,40962.5%63.6%
38.89%181.51,44814,53542.9%36.4%
55.56%186.41,27613,45466.7%44.4%
72.22%185.11,12111,32260.0%87.5%
35.29%171.51,05612,45536.4%33.3%
52.94%171.31,37015,16157.1%50.0%
76.47%176.51,26315,48280.0%75.0%
47.06%171.596012,24444.4%50.0%
52.94%176.51,33013,71966.7%45.5%
43.75%161.41,24415,49750.0%41.7%
56.25%161.31,08013,22180.0%45.5%
53.33%155.41,37313,67875.0%45.5%
35.71%141.61,23913,56744.4%20.0%
28.57%146.71,35911,93450.0%12.5%
42.86%142.41,25014,77740.0%44.4%
50.00%141.61,08215,54125.0%60.0%
69.23%136.51,30513,96557.1%83.3%
61.54%136.51,25612,93960.0%62.5%
53.85%132.51,05212,27675.0%44.4%
58.33%125.91,02710,26957.1%60.0%
83.33%121.31,22913,18380.0%85.7%
50.00%125.41,34014,96775.0%37.5%
45.45%111.41,03113,14557.1%25.0%
72.73%111.61,02712,997100.0%57.1%
27.27%115.91,13213,2320.0%42.9%
30.00%103.21,05913,47225.0%33.3%
70.00%107.41,27115,568100.0%57.1%
70.00%102.91,14415,271100.0%62.5%
50.00%107.21,13812,21650.0%50.0%
40.00%102.91,37615,5780.0%44.4%
55.56%95.51,26613,15150.0%60.0%
33.33%94.992710,92520.0%50.0%
44.44%96.21,07210,46733.3%66.7%
55.56%93.31,21214,875100.0%42.9%
55.56%91.41,25215,076100.0%42.9%
77.78%92.91,16514,15366.7%83.3%
33.33%92.11,19513,83433.3%33.3%
87.50%81.31,11314,33780.0%100.0%
25.00%81.31,28513,22250.0%16.7%
87.50%86.41,18214,46450.0%100.0%
75.00%81.71,65016,96550.0%83.3%
75.00%86.71,19715,02375.0%75.0%
62.50%82.099113,519100.0%50.0%
37.50%81.799613,5240.0%50.0%
57.14%76.31,63217,174100.0%50.0%
42.86%72.91,10811,95025.0%66.7%
14.29%71.190712,62625.0%0.0%
71.43%76.91,20214,28450.0%80.0%
85.71%75.51,33217,1080.0%85.7%
42.86%74.11,21013,9640.0%50.0%
28.57%76.01,44213,3670.0%40.0%
57.14%77.01,42713,69033.3%75.0%
57.14%72.41,12412,10740.0%100.0%
85.71%71.01,06214,10450.0%100.0%
50.00%67.11,38812,74350.0%50.0%
33.33%66.81,14411,4860.0%66.7%
66.67%64.21,44015,135100.0%60.0%
33.33%62.39659,7790.0%50.0%
33.33%62.51,07412,12050.0%0.0%
33.33%66.61,31611,4480.0%66.7%
16.67%65.81,30313,2700.0%25.0%
50.00%62.51,43716,7350.0%75.0%
20.00%56.31,40913,9390.0%33.3%
40.00%55.37986,5180.0%100.0%
40.00%51.11,41814,8040.0%50.0%
40.00%53.41,19015,0350.0%50.0%
60.00%54.61,65613,73266.7%50.0%
80.00%56.71,33110,47066.7%100.0%
60.00%52.01,29214,405100.0%50.0%
20.00%56.01,20610,84633.3%0.0%
40.00%56.71,01212,7100.0%50.0%
40.00%56.31,48213,690100.0%25.0%
60.00%55.91,40013,38366.7%50.0%
40.00%56.51,1899,67725.0%100.0%

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Karthus vs Ambessa - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Karthus do against Ambessa in League of Legends?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Ambessa matchup with a 62.5% win rate compared to Ambessa's 37.5%, a 25.0 percentage point difference. This data is based on 8 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Karthus do against Ambessa in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Ambessa with a 100.0% win rate versus 0.0%. Karthus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Karthus do against Ambessa in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Karthus vs Ambessa matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to 50.0%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Karthus vs Ambessa matchup?

Karthus wins the matchup against Ambessa with a 62.5% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 25.0 percentage point advantage means Karthus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 8 games analyzed.

What is the best Karthus build against Ambessa?

The best Karthus build against Ambessa includes Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame, Malignance with Sorcerer's Shoes. This build achieves a 50.0% win rate in the matchup. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Karthus runes against Ambessa?

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

Does Karthus counter Ambessa?

Yes, Karthus has a favorable matchup against Ambessa with a 62.5% win rate. Karthus strongly counters Ambessa in lane based on current patch 26.11 data.

How do I play Karthus against Ambessa?

When playing Karthus against Ambessa, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. You have early game priority — look for kills and zone control before first recall. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.