Karthus - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
50.4%
Pick Rate
1.2%

Karthusvs Jarvan IV

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

Karthus vs Jarvan IV is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.11. Karthus wins with a 66.7% win rate (+33.3%) over Jarvan IV based on 24 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 Jarvan IV 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 - 66.7% win rate in this matchup
Karthus
66.7% WR
VS
Jarvan IV vs Karthus matchup - 33.3% win rate
Jarvan IV
33.3% WR

Who Wins the Karthus vs Jarvan IV Matchup?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Jarvan IV matchup
Winner
Karthus
Matches: 24
66.7%
Win Rate
33.3%
1.6
CS / min
1.1
1,146
DMG / min
532
14,337
Gold / game
12,508
337
Heal / min
328
475
DMG Mitigated / min
1,296
0.6
CC / min
0.7
75.0%
Early Game WR
25.0%
58.3%
Late Game WR
41.7%

Karthus vs Jarvan IV Matchup Summary

The Karthus vs Jarvan IV matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 24 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 66.7% win rate compared to Jarvan IV's 33.3%, giving Karthus a 33.3 percentage point advantage. Karthus dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Jarvan IV 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 614 DMG/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus players can confidently pick into Jarvan IV and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Jarvan IV 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 Jarvan IV Laning Phase Breakdown

Karthus wins the laning phase against Jarvan IV in League of Legends

Karthus is favored during the laning phase against Jarvan IV, winning 3 out of 5 key stat categories. Karthus holds advantages in farming, damage and gold income, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
1.6Karthus
1.1Jarvan IV
Karthus edges out Jarvan IV by 0.5 CS per minute — a moderate farming advantage that adds up to roughly 7 CS over a 15-minute laning phase. This translates to earlier component purchases and slightly faster power spikes for Karthus.
Damage
1,146Karthus
532Jarvan IV
Karthus heavily out-damages Jarvan IV by 614 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Jarvan IV 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
14,337Karthus
12,508Jarvan IV
Karthus generates a commanding 1,829 more gold per game than Jarvan IV. This substantial economic advantage means Karthus consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Jarvan IV should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.6Karthus
0.7Jarvan IV
Both Karthus and Jarvan IV 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
813Karthus
1,625Jarvan IV
Jarvan IV vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 812 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Jarvan IV 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 Jarvan IV

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Jarvan IV, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Jarvan IV are Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame and Zhonya's Hourglass. 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 Jarvan IV. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Jarvan IV matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
75.0%
+50.0% advantage
Karthus early game win rateKarthus75.0%
Jarvan IV early game win rateJarvan IV25.0%
Late Game
Karthus
58.3%
+16.7% advantage
Karthus late game win rateKarthus58.3%
Jarvan IV late game win rateJarvan IV41.7%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 75.0% win rate — a 50.0 percentage point lead over Jarvan IV. 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 58.3% win rate — 16.7 points above Jarvan IV. 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. Jarvan IV players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Karthus Runes Against Jarvan IV

Sorcery rune tree - Karthus primary runes vs Jarvan IVSorcery
Deathfire Touch - best Karthus rune vs Jarvan IVAxiom Arcanist - best Karthus rune vs Jarvan IVAbsolute Focus - best Karthus rune vs Jarvan IVGathering Storm - best Karthus rune vs Jarvan IV
Precision rune tree - Karthus secondary runes vs Jarvan IVPrecision
Triumph - best Karthus rune vs Jarvan IVLast Stand - best Karthus rune vs Jarvan IV
100.0% WR

Running Sorcery primary with Precision secondary allows Karthus to press their advantage against Jarvan IV, 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 Jarvan IV - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Karthus do against Jarvan IV in League of Legends?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Jarvan IV matchup with a 66.7% win rate compared to Jarvan IV's 33.3%, a 33.3 percentage point difference. This data is based on 24 recent ranked games in patch 26.11.

How does Karthus do against Jarvan IV in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Jarvan IV with a 75.0% win rate versus 25.0%. 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 Jarvan IV in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Karthus vs Jarvan IV matchup with a 58.3% win rate compared to 41.7%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Karthus vs Jarvan IV matchup?

Karthus wins the matchup against Jarvan IV with a 66.7% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.11. The 33.3 percentage point advantage means Karthus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 24 games analyzed.

What is the best Karthus build against Jarvan IV?

The best Karthus build against Jarvan IV includes Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass 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 Jarvan IV?

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

Does Karthus counter Jarvan IV?

Yes, Karthus has a favorable matchup against Jarvan IV with a 66.7% win rate. Karthus strongly counters Jarvan IV in lane based on current patch 26.11 data.

How do I play Karthus against Jarvan IV?

When playing Karthus against Jarvan IV, 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.