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

Karthusvs Nocturne

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

Karthus vs Nocturne is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Karthus wins with a 58.3% win rate (+16.7%) over Nocturne based on 36 games. Nocturne wins the early laning phase while Karthus scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Karthus vs Nocturne 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
Nocturne - 58.3% win rateNocturne(58.3%)
Karthus - 58.3% win rate in this matchup
Karthus
58.3% WR
VS
Nocturne vs Karthus matchup - 41.7% win rate
Nocturne
41.7% WR

Who Wins the Karthus vs Nocturne Matchup?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Nocturne matchup
Winner
Karthus
Matches: 36
58.3%
Win Rate
41.7%
1.4
CS / min
1.1
1,185
DMG / min
697
14,863
Gold / game
13,288
330
Heal / min
528
540
DMG Mitigated / min
805
0.6
CC / min
5.9
46.1%
Early Game WR
53.9%
65.2%
Late Game WR
34.8%

Karthus vs Nocturne Matchup Summary

The Karthus vs Nocturne matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 36 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 58.3% win rate compared to Nocturne's 41.7%, giving Karthus a 16.7 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Nocturne controls the early laning stage, but Karthus outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Nocturne needs to press advantages before Karthus reaches their power spikes, while Karthus should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in crowd control, where Nocturne leads by 5.3s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus players can confidently pick into Nocturne and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Nocturne 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 Nocturne Laning Phase Breakdown

Karthus wins the laning phase against Nocturne in League of Legends

Karthus is favored during the laning phase against Nocturne, 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
1.4Karthus
1.1Nocturne
Karthus and Nocturne 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
1,185Karthus
697Nocturne
Karthus heavily out-damages Nocturne by 488 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Nocturne 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
14,863Karthus
13,288Nocturne
Karthus generates a commanding 1,574 more gold per game than Nocturne. This substantial economic advantage means Karthus consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Nocturne should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.6Karthus
5.9Nocturne
Nocturne brings significantly more crowd control than Karthus, with 5.3 more seconds of CC per minute. This large utility gap makes Nocturne far more valuable in setting up jungle ganks, controlling objectives, and locking down targets in team fights. Karthus should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
871Karthus
1,334Nocturne
Nocturne vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 463 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Nocturne 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 Nocturne

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Nocturne, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Nocturne are Shadowflame, Void Staff and Rabadon's Deathcap. 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 3 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Nocturne. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Nocturne matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Nocturne
53.9%
+7.7% advantage
Karthus early game win rateKarthus46.1%
Nocturne early game win rateNocturne53.9%
Late Game
Karthus
65.2%
+30.4% advantage
Karthus late game win rateKarthus65.2%
Nocturne late game win rateNocturne34.8%

Nocturne dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 53.9% win rate — a 7.7 percentage point lead over Karthus. This lopsided early game means Nocturne 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 65.2% win rate — 30.4 points above Nocturne. Extended games heavily favor Karthus, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

This matchup features a dramatic power shift: Nocturne must aggressively press their early advantage and close out the game before Karthus reaches their scaling breakpoints. If Karthus 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 Nocturne

Domination rune tree - Karthus primary runes vs NocturneDomination
Dark Harvest - best Karthus rune vs NocturneCheap Shot - best Karthus rune vs NocturneSixth Sense - best Karthus rune vs NocturneUltimate Hunter - best Karthus rune vs Nocturne
Precision rune tree - Karthus secondary runes vs NocturnePrecision
Last Stand - best Karthus rune vs NocturneTriumph - best Karthus rune vs Nocturne
100.0% WR

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


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 Nocturne - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Karthus do against Nocturne in League of Legends?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Nocturne matchup with a 58.3% win rate compared to Nocturne's 41.7%, a 16.7 percentage point difference. This data is based on 36 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Karthus do against Nocturne in the early game?

In the early game, Nocturne has the advantage against Karthus with a 53.9% win rate versus 46.1%. Nocturne players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Karthus do against Nocturne in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Karthus vs Nocturne matchup with a 65.2% win rate compared to 34.8%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Karthus vs Nocturne matchup?

Karthus wins the matchup against Nocturne with a 58.3% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 16.7 percentage point advantage means Karthus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 36 games analyzed.

What is the best Karthus build against Nocturne?

The best Karthus build against Nocturne includes Shadowflame, Void Staff, Rabadon's Deathcap 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 Nocturne?

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

Does Karthus counter Nocturne?

Yes, Karthus has a favorable matchup against Nocturne with a 58.3% win rate. Karthus strongly counters Nocturne in lane based on current patch 26.7 data.

How do I play Karthus against Nocturne?

When playing Karthus against Nocturne, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. Play safe early and scale into your power spikes where you outperform Nocturne. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.