Karthus - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
49.1%
Pick Rate
1.2%

Karthusvs Garen

DMage
Patch26.10
Matches1,627,927
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedMay 20, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Karthus vs Garen is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.10. Karthus wins with a 80.0% win rate (+60.0%) over Garen based on 5 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 Garen matchup.

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
Garen - 80.0% win rateGaren(80.0%)
Karthus - 80.0% win rate in this matchup
Karthus
80.0% WR
VS
Garen vs Karthus matchup - 20.0% win rate
Garen
20.0% WR

Who Wins the Karthus vs Garen Matchup?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Garen matchup
Winner
Karthus
Matches: 5
80.0%
Win Rate
20.0%
5.5
CS / min
5.8
1,166
DMG / min
803
14,373
Gold / game
15,162
168
Heal / min
203
518
DMG Mitigated / min
1,686
0.6
CC / min
1.1
100.0%
Early Game WR
0.0%
66.7%
Late Game WR
33.3%

Karthus vs Garen Matchup Summary

The Karthus vs Garen matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 5 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 80.0% win rate compared to Garen's 20.0%, giving Karthus a 60.0 percentage point advantage. Karthus dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Garen players to find favorable windows, so team-dependent strategies and avoiding solo confrontations are essential. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Garen leads by 1,203 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus players can confidently pick into Garen and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Garen 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 Garen Laning Phase Breakdown

Garen wins the laning phase against Karthus in League of Legends

Garen is favored during the laning phase against Karthus, winning 4 out of 5 key stat categories. Garen holds advantages in farming, gold income, crowd control and sustain, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
5.5Karthus
5.8Garen
Karthus and Garen 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
1,166Karthus
803Garen
Karthus heavily out-damages Garen by 364 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Garen 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
14,373Karthus
15,162Garen
Garen earns 788 more gold per game than Karthus, equivalent to roughly one additional component item. This economic edge comes from a combination of better farming, kill participation, and objective control, giving Garen slightly faster item completions.
Utility
0.6Karthus
1.1Garen
Garen provides 0.5 seconds more crowd control per minute than Karthus, offering better gank setup potential and slightly more team fight utility. This CC advantage helps Garen coordinate with their jungler and control the pace of skirmishes.
Sustain
686Karthus
1,889Garen
Garen vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 1,203 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Garen 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 Garen

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Garen, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Garen are Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame and Void Staff. This combination gives Karthus an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build performs exceptionally well, achieving a 100.0% win rate across 1 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Garen. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Garen matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
100.0%
+100.0% advantage
Karthus early game win rateKarthus100.0%
Garen early game win rateGaren0.0%
Late Game
Karthus
66.7%
+33.3% advantage
Karthus late game win rateKarthus66.7%
Garen late game win rateGaren33.3%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 100.0% win rate — a 100.0 percentage point lead over Garen. 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 66.7% win rate — 33.3 points above Garen. 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. Garen players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Karthus Runes Against Garen

Sorcery rune tree - Karthus primary runes vs GarenSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Karthus rune vs GarenAxiom Arcanist - best Karthus rune vs GarenTranscendence - best Karthus rune vs GarenGathering Storm - best Karthus rune vs Garen
Precision rune tree - Karthus secondary runes vs GarenPrecision
Triumph - best Karthus rune vs GarenLast Stand - best Karthus rune vs Garen
100.0% WR

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


Karthus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.10. 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 26.10
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
52.78%726.61,37814,72251.9%53.3%
46.38%691.41,13412,90148.4%44.7%
41.18%681.41,17213,54622.2%53.7%
58.46%656.61,22013,19075.0%46.0%
60.94%646.61,25713,91170.4%54.0%
49.21%631.51,23915,22347.4%50.0%
44.64%561.41,17413,17450.0%40.0%
48.21%561.21,03213,00054.2%43.8%
46.30%546.51,26313,41947.6%45.5%
50.94%531.51,18714,06047.1%52.8%
55.10%491.41,24815,30460.0%52.9%
38.78%491.41,06513,21438.9%38.7%
56.52%466.81,38014,57860.0%54.8%
34.78%461.81,27214,03118.2%40.0%
48.89%456.51,31814,19846.7%50.0%
52.27%441.41,26514,69375.0%43.8%
40.00%401.31,24014,73030.8%44.4%
48.65%376.41,35313,43058.8%40.0%
65.71%351.41,01412,73571.4%61.9%
38.24%341.41,20613,23423.5%52.9%
51.52%332.51,15513,30957.9%42.9%
46.88%321.31,14013,33738.5%52.6%
40.63%321.91,13111,72943.8%37.5%
64.52%311.31,25514,09250.0%71.4%
43.33%301.61,27313,42038.5%47.1%
50.00%304.51,23313,76061.5%41.2%
51.72%291.41,15413,52657.1%46.7%
55.17%291.91,25115,36471.4%50.0%
51.85%271.41,08012,76260.0%47.1%
74.07%271.31,12612,789100.0%46.1%
46.15%266.41,27515,22842.9%47.4%
65.38%261.51,18014,15760.0%68.8%
72.00%252.81,17512,37684.6%58.3%
40.00%251.61,16912,66945.5%35.7%
48.00%256.51,09913,37544.4%50.0%
45.83%241.41,31014,60833.3%53.3%
34.78%231.81,26414,13842.9%31.3%
59.09%224.21,35717,01660.0%58.8%
50.00%221.51,21613,79437.5%57.1%
72.73%226.51,45116,70575.0%71.4%
61.90%211.41,05313,15871.4%57.1%
52.38%213.91,23314,61050.0%53.3%
40.00%206.51,27413,45133.3%50.0%
47.37%191.51,28912,18142.9%50.0%
63.16%191.91,22213,50166.7%60.0%
57.89%192.11,17215,5440.0%68.8%
55.56%181.71,22313,67875.0%40.0%
55.56%186.21,16714,89860.0%53.9%
50.00%187.21,25212,50160.0%37.5%
33.33%181.91,11714,49812.5%50.0%
50.00%166.31,16913,00633.3%60.0%
53.33%151.21,27715,07066.7%44.4%
66.67%156.61,31513,70960.0%70.0%
26.67%151.21,18013,01133.3%22.2%
40.00%156.31,21412,93916.7%55.6%
42.86%142.61,28612,75333.3%50.0%
42.86%147.01,03611,52028.6%57.1%
57.14%143.81,31415,71625.0%70.0%
50.00%146.51,31514,708100.0%30.0%
57.14%146.51,40515,41366.7%50.0%
57.14%146.71,15715,33980.0%44.4%
50.00%141.71,11812,39455.6%40.0%
30.77%136.61,11012,21720.0%37.5%
69.23%136.51,04812,18875.0%66.7%
23.08%132.01,06113,48050.0%11.1%
53.85%137.21,16713,96350.0%55.6%
69.23%136.21,14512,33066.7%70.0%
33.33%126.61,17414,15425.0%37.5%
50.00%127.21,18212,14962.5%25.0%
41.67%126.01,45114,72750.0%37.5%
66.67%122.11,11414,85260.0%71.4%
27.27%112.41,31614,6930.0%50.0%
63.64%113.01,20111,98275.0%57.1%
63.64%116.91,43614,66933.3%100.0%
45.45%111.31,14713,58466.7%37.5%
60.00%102.21,18414,09433.3%71.4%
22.22%96.71,45212,80920.0%25.0%
44.44%94.61,37412,77933.3%50.0%
55.56%92.184910,52760.0%50.0%
77.78%93.01,33612,56075.0%80.0%
44.44%95.51,23811,31620.0%75.0%
55.56%97.01,16710,60460.0%50.0%
88.89%92.11,15015,23166.7%100.0%
62.50%85.11,26013,70733.3%80.0%
50.00%86.89379,79066.7%40.0%
25.00%84.21,37615,3420.0%28.6%
50.00%86.51,60713,0710.0%57.1%
37.50%84.61,30111,12625.0%50.0%
37.50%87.092711,09233.3%50.0%
57.14%71.91,17111,17066.7%50.0%
14.29%73.51,17113,1740.0%25.0%
71.43%73.21,25213,60350.0%80.0%
57.14%76.01,37911,31575.0%33.3%
83.33%63.21,19214,95650.0%100.0%
66.67%61.21,41317,9620.0%66.7%
0.00%65.292212,4180.0%0.0%
33.33%66.68907,70266.7%0.0%
33.33%67.096010,70125.0%50.0%
66.67%62.51,31114,43933.3%100.0%
50.00%61.61,47713,90950.0%50.0%
16.67%63.71,20112,66233.3%0.0%
33.33%66.91,15611,25120.0%100.0%
60.00%54.91,26813,58633.3%100.0%
40.00%52.51,12015,6250.0%40.0%
40.00%53.41,27314,7500.0%66.7%
80.00%56.81,06213,35750.0%100.0%
0.00%57.21,27013,5260.0%0.0%
40.00%53.41,01510,25150.0%33.3%
40.00%57.21,19513,41933.3%50.0%
20.00%51.51,23013,4540.0%50.0%
80.00%55.51,16614,373100.0%66.7%
20.00%56.31,45211,5710.0%33.3%

Get the MetaBot Desktop App

Level up your gameplay with real-time overlays, automatic game detection, and instant stats — all on your desktop.

In-game overlaysAuto game detectionMulti-game supportPersonal dashboard
Download NowFree download
🔍

Help us maintain accuracy! If you notice incorrect stats, missing data, or any issues, your feedback directly improves the quality of our data for the entire community.

Report an Issue

Karthus vs Garen - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Karthus do against Garen in League of Legends?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Garen matchup with a 80.0% win rate compared to Garen's 20.0%, a 60.0 percentage point difference. This data is based on 5 recent ranked games in patch 26.10.

How does Karthus do against Garen in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Garen 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 Garen in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Karthus vs Garen matchup with a 66.7% win rate compared to 33.3%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Karthus vs Garen matchup?

Karthus wins the matchup against Garen with a 80.0% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.10. The 60.0 percentage point advantage means Karthus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 5 games analyzed.

What is the best Karthus build against Garen?

The best Karthus build against Garen includes Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame, Void Staff with Sorcerer's Shoes. This build achieves a 100.0% 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 Garen?

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

Does Karthus counter Garen?

Yes, Karthus has a favorable matchup against Garen with a 80.0% win rate. Karthus strongly counters Garen in lane based on current patch 26.10 data.

How do I play Karthus against Garen?

When playing Karthus against Garen, 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.