- Win Rate
- 50.3%
- Pick Rate
- 0.7%
- Ban Rate
- 0.6%
Karthus Jungle Runes: Keystone & Shards
- Patch
- 26.20
- Games
- 907
- Lane
- Jungle
- Tier
- All Tiers
- Last Updated
- Oct 13, 2026 UTC
- Methodology
- Data Methodology
- Author
- Dakota Chinnick
Best Jungle Karthus runes for LoL Patch 26.20 - Dark Harvest from the Domination tree with Sorcery secondary (52.5% WR, 35.5% pick rate). Karthus's optimal primary runes are Dark Harvest, Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, Ultimate Hunter. Secondary tree: Axiom Arcanist, Gathering Storm.
Primary Tree
Domination
Dark HarvestDamaging a Champion below 50% health deals
Dark Harvest damage: 30 (+11 damage per soul) (+0.1 bonus AD) (+0.05 AP)
Cooldown: 35s (resets to 1.0s on takedown)
Cheap ShotDamaging champions with impaired movement or actions deals 10 - 45 bonus true damage (based on level).
Cooldown: 4s
Grisly MementosCollect 1 memento on champion
Gain 6 Trinket Haste for each collected. In game modes where vision Trinkets do not exist, instead gain 3 Summoner Spell Haste.
Ultimate HunterYour ultimate gains
Axiom ArcanistYour Ultimate has 12% increased damage, healing, and shielding.
(AoE damage is reduced to a 8% increase)
Scoring a takedown on an enemy champion reduces your Ultimate's current cooldown by 7%.
Gathering StormEvery 10 min gain AP or AD,
10 min: + 8 AP or 5 AD
20 min: + 24 AP or 14 AD
30 min: + 48 AP or 29 AD
40 min: + 80 AP or 48 AD
50 min: + 120 AP or 72 AD
60 min: + 168 AP or 101 AD
etc...
Primary Tree
Sorcery
Deathfire TouchDamaging a champion with an ability burns them for 3 - 12 based on level (+
Duration:
Single Target: 4s
Area of Effect: 2s
Damage over Time: 1s
Axiom ArcanistYour Ultimate has 12% increased damage, healing, and shielding.
(AoE damage is reduced to a 8% increase)
Scoring a takedown on an enemy champion reduces your Ultimate's current cooldown by 7%.
Absolute FocusWhile above 70% health, gain an
Grants 1.8 Attack Damage or 3 Ability Power at level 1.
Gathering StormEvery 10 min gain AP or AD,
10 min: + 8 AP or 5 AD
20 min: + 24 AP or 14 AD
30 min: + 48 AP or 29 AD
40 min: + 80 AP or 48 AD
50 min: + 120 AP or 72 AD
60 min: + 168 AP or 101 AD
etc...
TriumphTakedowns restore 5% of your missing health, 2.5% of your max health, and grant an additional 20 gold.
'The most dangerous game brings the greatest glory.'
—Noxian Reckoner
Last StandDeal 5% - 11% increased damage to champions while you are below 60% health. Max damage gained at 30% health.
Cho'Gath
FiddlesticksEvery Karthus Jungle Keystone and Secondary Tree (Patch 26.20)
881 gamesKarthus Jungle runs Dark Harvest in 64% of games, with a 49.8% win rate. Sorcery is the usual secondary tree (48%). Standard stat shards: Adaptive Force (offense), Adaptive Force (flex), Health Scaling (defense).
Keystones
| Rune | Players | Win Rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark HarvestMost played | 64.2% | 49.8% | 566 |
| Deathfire Touch | 27.8% | 51.8% | 245 |
 First Strike | 7.0% | 48.4% | 62 |
Secondary trees
| Rune | Players | Win Rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| SorceryMost played | 48.4% | 52.3% | 426 |
 Precision | 46.8% | 49.3% | 412 |
Pick rate is the share of Karthus games in this lane that used the rune; options under 40 games are left out. A higher win rate on a rarely picked rune is usually a matchup-specific choice, not a general upgrade.
Karthus Minor Runes by Tree
Every minor rune Karthus players take, grouped by rune tree, with how often it is picked and how often it wins.
Sorcery
| Rune | Players | Win Rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axiom ArcanistMost played | 75.7% | 52.0% | 667 |
| Gathering Storm | 73.1% | 52.6% | 644 |
| Absolute Focus | 22.0% | 52.1% | 194 |
 Transcendence | 7.0% | 50.0% | 62 |
Domination
| Rune | Players | Win Rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap ShotMost played | 65.2% | 49.7% | 574 |
| Grisly Mementos | 54.1% | 48.8% | 477 |
| Ultimate Hunter | 49.7% | 50.9% | 438 |
 Treasure Hunter | 18.3% | 45.3% | 161 |
 Sixth Sense | 10.4% | 54.3% | 92 |
Precision
| Rune | Players | Win Rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last StandMost played | 31.0% | 53.8% | 273 |
| Triumph | 26.2% | 58.0% | 231 |
 Presence of Mind | 18.7% | 38.2% | 165 |
 Coup de Grace | 14.4% | 39.4% | 127 |
Inspiration
| Rune | Players | Win Rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
 Triple TonicMost played | 7.3% | 50.0% | 64 |
 Cosmic Insight | 6.9% | 45.9% | 61 |
 Cash Back | 6.9% | 45.9% | 61 |
Karthus Stat Shards
Which stat shards Karthus players choose in each of the three shard rows, and the win rate of each.
| Rune | Players | Win Rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
 Adaptive Force (flex)Most played | 99.4% | 50.3% | 876 |
| Adaptive Force (offense) | 92.5% | 49.4% | 815 |
 Health Scaling (defense) | 79.3% | 48.2% | 699 |
| Health (defense) | 19.2% | 59.2% | 169 |
 Ability Haste (offense) | 6.8% | 60.0% | 60 |
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Karthus Runes FAQ - Patch 26.20
What is the best keystone for Karthus Jungle?
Dark Harvest: Karthus Jungle takes it in 64% of ranked games and wins 49.8% of 566 games. Alternatives: Deathfire Touch (28%, 51.8%), First Strike (7%, 48.4%).
What stat shards should Karthus take?
Most Karthus players take Adaptive Force (offense), Adaptive Force (flex), Health Scaling (defense) — one from each shard row.
What are the best Karthus runes in patch 26.20?
The best Karthus runes in patch 26.20 use the Domination tree with Dark Harvest, Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, and Ultimate Hunter, and the Sorcery tree with Axiom Arcanist and Gathering Storm. This rune setup achieves a 52.5% win rate with a 35.5% pick rate.
What is the win rate for Karthus's best rune page?
Karthus's best rune page has a 52.5% win rate in patch 26.20, which is +2.2% compared to Karthus's average win rate. This rune setup has a 35.5% pick rate among Karthus players.
What keystone should I use on Karthus?
Dark Harvest from the Domination tree is the best keystone rune for Karthus in patch 26.20. This keystone synergizes well with Karthus's kit and provides a 52.5% win rate.
What is Karthus's primary rune tree?
Karthus's primary rune tree is Domination. The optimal Domination runes for Karthus are Dark Harvest, Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, and Ultimate Hunter, with Dark Harvest being the keystone of choice.
What is Karthus's secondary rune tree?
Karthus's best secondary rune tree is Sorcery. The recommended Sorcery runes are Axiom Arcanist and Gathering Storm, which complement Karthus's Domination primary tree.
What are alternative rune setups for Karthus?
An alternative Karthus rune setup uses Deathfire Touch from the Sorcery tree. This alternate build may be preferred in certain matchups or playstyles. Check the alternative rune page above for full details including win rate and pick rate.
How popular are Karthus's runes?
Karthus's top rune page has a 35.5% pick rate in patch 26.20. This indicates that 35.5% of Karthus players use the Dark Harvest setup with Domination and Sorcery trees.