Karthus - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
49.3%
Pick Rate
1.3%

Karthusvs Graves

DMage
Patch26.7
Matches949,984
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedApr 25, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Karthus vs Graves is a moderate matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Graves wins with a 51.2% win rate (+2.4%) over Karthus based on 41 games. Karthus wins the early laning phase while Graves scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Karthus vs Graves 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
Graves - 48.8% win rateGraves(48.8%)
Karthus - 48.8% win rate in this matchup
Karthus
48.8% WR
VS
Graves vs Karthus matchup - 51.2% win rate
Graves
51.2% WR

Who Wins the Karthus vs Graves Matchup?

Graves wins the Karthus vs Graves matchup
Winner
Graves
Matches: 41
48.8%
Win Rate
51.2%
1.5
CS / min
1.6
1,246
DMG / min
857
13,634
Gold / game
13,846
303
Heal / min
377
485
DMG Mitigated / min
711
0.6
CC / min
0.7
64.7%
Early Game WR
35.3%
37.5%
Late Game WR
62.5%

Karthus vs Graves Matchup Summary

The Karthus vs Graves matchup is a very close matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 41 recent matches analyzed, Graves wins with a 51.2% win rate compared to Karthus's 48.8%, giving Graves a 2.4 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Karthus controls the early laning stage, but Graves outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Karthus needs to press advantages before Graves reaches their power spikes, while Graves should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in damage output, where Karthus leads by 389 DMG/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. While Graves is slightly favored, Karthus can absolutely win this lane through smart trading patterns and wave management. Focus on playing around your cooldowns, conceding CS only when necessary, and capitalizing on Graves's mistakes. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Karthus vs Graves Laning Phase Breakdown

Graves wins the laning phase against Karthus in League of Legends

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

Farming
1.5Karthus
1.6Graves
Karthus and Graves farm at nearly identical rates in this matchup, with only a 0.1 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
1,246Karthus
857Graves
Karthus heavily out-damages Graves by 389 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Graves 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
13,634Karthus
13,846Graves
Karthus and Graves generate nearly equal gold per game, with just a 211 gold difference. Neither champion has a clear economic advantage, so gold leads will depend on individual play quality, kill participation, and objective contributions.
Utility
0.6Karthus
0.7Graves
Both Karthus and Graves 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
788Karthus
1,088Graves
Graves vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 300 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Graves 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 Graves

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Graves, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Graves are Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass and Void Staff. 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 4 games, proving it to be a reliable item path when facing Graves. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Graves matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
64.7%
+29.4% advantage
Karthus early game win rateKarthus64.7%
Graves early game win rateGraves35.3%
Late Game
Graves
62.5%
+25.0% advantage
Karthus late game win rateKarthus37.5%
Graves late game win rateGraves62.5%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 64.7% win rate — a 29.4 percentage point lead over Graves. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Graves is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 62.5% win rate — 25.0 points above Karthus. Extended games heavily favor Graves, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

This matchup features a dramatic power shift: Karthus must aggressively press their early advantage and close out the game before Graves reaches their scaling breakpoints. If Graves survives the laning phase without falling too far behind, the matchup flips in their favor. Dragon and Rift Herald control are pivotal — the team that secures early objectives can snowball or buy time to scale.

Best Karthus Runes Against Graves

Domination rune tree - Karthus primary runes vs GravesDomination
Dark Harvest - best Karthus rune vs GravesCheap Shot - best Karthus rune vs GravesGrisly Mementos - best Karthus rune vs GravesTreasure Hunter - best Karthus rune vs Graves
Precision rune tree - Karthus secondary runes vs GravesPrecision
Legend: Haste - best Karthus rune vs GravesCoup de Grace - best Karthus rune vs Graves
100.0% WR

The Domination primary with Precision secondary combination helps Karthus maximize their potential in this closely contested matchup, providing the right mix of offensive and defensive tools to edge out Graves.


Karthus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.7. 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 26.7
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
48.78%411.51,24613,63464.7%37.5%
45.00%401.71,19914,67650.0%41.7%
37.84%371.81,20313,45342.9%34.8%
59.46%376.81,20414,13361.1%57.9%
58.33%361.41,18514,86346.1%65.2%
42.86%351.61,14713,92340.0%45.0%
44.12%341.41,12214,48658.3%36.4%
65.63%326.31,26613,64771.4%61.1%
50.00%281.61,25415,99971.4%42.9%
44.44%276.11,21913,94641.7%46.7%
59.26%276.01,24814,69160.0%58.8%
60.00%251.51,20814,13545.5%71.4%
63.64%222.01,41215,52085.7%53.3%
63.64%226.01,33115,66162.5%64.3%
57.89%191.21,11113,72737.5%72.7%
36.84%196.51,28014,54516.7%46.1%
42.11%191.51,29515,86340.0%42.9%
57.89%191.41,15014,33071.4%50.0%
47.06%176.41,29415,52850.0%46.1%
76.47%171.21,06613,39466.7%87.5%
47.06%171.81,19814,51350.0%46.1%
75.00%161.41,29814,71466.7%80.0%
56.25%161.51,14013,02250.0%62.5%
26.67%151.31,03412,14627.3%25.0%
33.33%152.11,14213,21320.0%40.0%
35.71%141.11,12013,85225.0%50.0%
38.46%131.21,08313,38916.7%57.1%
38.46%131.41,18614,42740.0%37.5%
23.08%132.21,01010,85522.2%25.0%
46.15%136.01,24613,80450.0%44.4%
53.85%137.11,16413,19242.9%66.7%
50.00%123.71,31914,92180.0%28.6%
50.00%121.21,22814,55325.0%62.5%
25.00%126.51,36414,04133.3%16.7%
83.33%121.41,23815,11766.7%88.9%
25.00%121.61,12615,19325.0%25.0%
66.67%127.31,53918,810100.0%60.0%
25.00%121.21,07613,8870.0%60.0%
50.00%121.31,03811,95450.0%50.0%
63.64%116.81,40515,26060.0%66.7%
63.64%112.91,09213,99266.7%62.5%
27.27%111.31,12512,25020.0%33.3%
18.18%111.51,18312,73025.0%14.3%
45.45%116.71,23014,91440.0%50.0%
70.00%105.91,26912,68760.0%80.0%
60.00%107.01,16813,68960.0%60.0%
60.00%101.41,38813,38660.0%60.0%
70.00%107.11,33314,53075.0%66.7%
33.33%97.31,21213,57820.0%50.0%
44.44%93.899013,717100.0%28.6%
22.22%96.81,08812,89120.0%25.0%
66.67%91.61,56915,98675.0%60.0%
66.67%91.81,22714,33780.0%50.0%
33.33%94.81,07213,64425.0%40.0%
50.00%86.71,22114,59460.0%33.3%
37.50%81.81,33816,668100.0%28.6%
42.86%72.11,10612,56733.3%50.0%
42.86%72.21,17211,38060.0%0.0%
42.86%72.01,37413,47750.0%33.3%
42.86%77.21,12512,97033.3%50.0%
71.43%75.71,05413,5520.0%100.0%
71.43%71.21,49615,8850.0%83.3%
14.29%72.91,23213,7160.0%33.3%
57.14%72.01,19112,95466.7%50.0%
42.86%72.11,19315,03550.0%40.0%
85.71%71.61,34617,646100.0%80.0%
57.14%72.81,23515,411100.0%40.0%
50.00%66.91,27912,34425.0%100.0%
66.67%61.31,38414,20166.7%66.7%
66.67%61.396311,486100.0%50.0%
33.33%65.41,55214,5320.0%33.3%
33.33%62.481311,29650.0%0.0%
66.67%64.01,15114,6630.0%80.0%
16.67%61.41,19215,1100.0%20.0%
50.00%61.61,26817,2400.0%60.0%
60.00%55.91,19113,24966.7%50.0%
40.00%51.61,10312,8790.0%66.7%
40.00%56.81,00311,9160.0%50.0%
60.00%55.11,47719,353100.0%50.0%
20.00%52.81,10312,98150.0%0.0%
60.00%53.17289,38375.0%0.0%
60.00%57.11,03414,8450.0%75.0%
20.00%58.21,15513,53650.0%0.0%
60.00%52.382213,48466.7%50.0%

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Karthus vs Graves - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Karthus do against Graves in League of Legends?

Graves wins the Karthus vs Graves matchup with a 51.2% win rate compared to Karthus's 48.8%, a 2.4 percentage point difference. This data is based on 41 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Karthus do against Graves in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Graves with a 64.7% win rate versus 35.3%. 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 Graves in the late game?

In the late game, Graves takes over the Karthus vs Graves matchup with a 62.5% win rate compared to 37.5%. Graves scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Karthus vs Graves matchup?

Graves wins the matchup against Karthus with a 51.2% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 2.4 percentage point advantage means Graves is moderately favored in this lane matchup based on 41 games analyzed.

What is the best Karthus build against Graves?

The best Karthus build against Graves includes Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass, Void Staff 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 Graves?

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

Does Karthus counter Graves?

No, Karthus struggles against Graves with only a 48.8% win rate. Graves has the advantage in this matchup. Karthus players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Graves's lead.

How do I play Karthus against Graves?

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