Shen - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
51.0%
Pick Rate
2.7%

Shenvs Varus

ATank
Patch26.3
Matches785,220
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedFeb 26, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Shen vs Varus is a moderate matchup in LoL patch 26.3. Varus wins with a 51.4% win rate (+2.7%) over Shen based on 37 games. Shen wins the early laning phase while Varus scales better into the late game. Below you'll find the best Shen build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Shen vs Varus matchup.

Shen Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Shen 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
Varus - 48.6% win rateVarus(48.6%)
Shen - 48.6% win rate in this matchup
Shen
48.6% WR
VS
Varus vs Shen matchup - 51.4% win rate
Varus
51.4% WR

Who Wins the Shen vs Varus Matchup?

Varus wins the Shen vs Varus matchup
Winner
Varus
Matches: 37
48.6%
Win Rate
51.4%
5.1
CS / min
6.2
539
DMG / min
1,061
10,705
Gold / game
13,060
142
Heal / min
171
1,597
DMG Mitigated / min
630
0.9
CC / min
1.1
53.9%
Early Game WR
46.1%
45.8%
Late Game WR
54.2%

Shen vs Varus Matchup Summary

The Shen vs Varus matchup is a very close matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 37 recent matches analyzed, Varus wins with a 51.4% win rate compared to Shen's 48.6%, giving Varus a 2.7 percentage point advantage. Game phase dynamics play a critical role here: Shen controls the early laning stage, but Varus outscales as the game goes longer. The matchup shifts dramatically depending on game length — Shen needs to press advantages before Varus reaches their power spikes, while Varus should focus on safe farming and hitting key item breakpoints. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Shen leads by 938 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. While Varus is slightly favored, Shen 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 Varus's mistakes. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Shen vs Varus Laning Phase Breakdown

Varus wins the laning phase against Shen in League of Legends

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

Farming
5.1Shen
6.2Varus
Varus significantly out-farms Shen by 1.1 CS per minute, accumulating an estimated 16 CS lead by mid game. This substantial farming gap gives Varus a major gold advantage and earlier item completions. Shen players should prioritize wave management techniques like freezing near tower and using abilities efficiently to minimize the deficit.
Damage
539Shen
1,061Varus
Varus heavily out-damages Shen by 522 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Shen should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Varus's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
10,705Shen
13,060Varus
Varus generates a commanding 2,355 more gold per game than Shen. This substantial economic advantage means Varus consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Shen should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.9Shen
1.1Varus
Both Shen and Varus provide similar amounts of crowd control (0.2s/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
1,739Shen
802Varus
Shen vastly out-sustains Varus, healing and mitigating 938 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Shen can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Varus is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Varus, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Best Shen Build Against Varus

Plated Steelcaps is the optimal boots choice against Varus, providing the mobility and stats Shen needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Shen against Varus are Titanic Hydra, Dead Man's Plate and Bandlepipes. This combination gives Shen 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 Varus. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Shen vs Varus matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Shen
53.9%
+7.7% advantage
Shen early game win rateShen53.9%
Varus early game win rateVarus46.1%
Late Game
Varus
54.2%
+8.3% advantage
Shen late game win rateShen45.8%
Varus late game win rateVarus54.2%

Shen dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 53.9% win rate — a 7.7 percentage point lead over Varus. This lopsided early game means Shen can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Varus is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 54.2% win rate — 8.3 points above Shen. Extended games heavily favor Varus, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

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

Resolve rune tree - Shen primary runes vs VarusResolve
Grasp of the Undying - best Shen rune vs VarusShield Bash - best Shen rune vs VarusSecond Wind - best Shen rune vs VarusOvergrowth - best Shen rune vs Varus
Inspiration rune tree - Shen secondary runes vs VarusInspiration
Biscuit Delivery - best Shen rune vs VarusApproach Velocity - best Shen rune vs Varus
44.4% WR

The Resolve primary with Inspiration secondary combination helps Shen maximize their potential in this closely contested matchup, providing the right mix of offensive and defensive tools to edge out Varus.


Shen matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.3. The table below shows Shen'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 Shen build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Shen matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.3
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
47.06%1365.463810,40548.0%46.0%
46.55%1165.870511,00351.0%43.1%
49.54%1095.963411,12261.2%40.0%
52.34%1075.372810,50149.1%55.8%
47.62%1055.780310,70150.0%45.3%
46.53%1015.41,02910,61352.9%40.0%
51.02%985.261910,33348.9%52.9%
60.64%945.466511,77870.0%53.7%
56.18%895.882110,74350.0%62.2%
48.84%865.783311,20350.0%48.1%
48.78%825.252811,04747.2%50.0%
59.26%815.666811,51856.7%60.8%
52.50%805.061010,32157.1%45.2%
48.00%755.266110,68448.7%47.2%
65.75%735.785210,92064.1%67.7%
52.11%714.972511,59545.5%57.9%
57.14%705.874010,61548.4%64.1%
42.42%665.251310,09627.6%54.0%
47.62%635.487611,12747.8%47.5%
52.46%614.281710,35944.8%59.4%
39.66%585.766410,39335.5%44.4%
42.11%576.067210,92843.5%41.2%
47.37%575.574010,97239.3%55.2%
47.37%575.264310,82256.0%40.6%
60.71%566.060810,78172.4%48.1%
59.26%545.16129,60454.5%66.7%
50.98%516.169310,65953.9%48.0%
53.06%495.774412,10968.2%40.7%
48.98%495.563111,19556.5%42.3%
51.06%475.979111,14052.0%50.0%
53.19%475.563510,69861.1%48.3%
50.00%441.44749,52440.0%58.3%
41.86%431.24228,66047.8%35.0%
50.00%423.556510,75868.8%38.5%
39.02%411.55529,39337.5%40.0%
50.00%405.662211,17944.4%54.5%
48.65%375.153910,70553.9%45.8%
54.05%374.870111,62966.7%48.0%
55.56%361.548210,32860.0%52.4%
41.67%361.54698,96847.4%35.3%
45.71%355.560911,14630.8%54.5%
58.82%343.364110,06464.7%52.9%
45.45%331.454110,33353.3%38.9%
51.61%311.34899,34453.3%50.0%
53.33%301.444910,51377.8%42.9%
48.28%291.350010,94875.0%15.4%
48.28%295.259910,59450.0%46.7%
62.96%274.266211,38662.5%63.2%
62.96%275.570210,31855.6%77.8%
62.96%275.577610,99258.3%66.7%
46.15%265.454111,85844.4%47.1%
42.31%265.168810,39253.9%30.8%
66.67%244.966310,90563.6%69.2%
54.17%245.559911,60141.7%66.7%
45.83%244.355911,49642.9%47.1%
45.83%245.27518,80943.8%50.0%
50.00%241.54409,12354.5%46.1%
50.00%221.43908,87355.6%46.1%
18.18%222.754011,11012.5%21.4%
68.18%222.147310,14660.0%70.6%
66.67%211.24639,39066.7%66.7%
76.19%215.360211,48987.5%69.2%
47.62%211.249610,09145.5%50.0%
57.14%211.944610,93955.6%58.3%
47.62%211.952811,41954.5%40.0%
30.00%201.64939,30933.3%27.3%
42.11%191.15169,75666.7%30.8%
57.89%195.055111,81557.1%58.3%
68.42%191.25049,54075.0%63.6%
72.22%181.642810,54566.7%73.3%
50.00%181.662012,11766.7%33.3%
61.11%182.051510,78257.1%63.6%
64.71%173.767910,17454.5%83.3%
70.59%175.87579,87766.7%80.0%
35.29%170.844310,81933.3%37.5%
47.06%174.368912,41750.0%45.5%
64.71%175.457610,16071.4%60.0%
58.82%171.34588,75270.0%42.9%
50.00%162.251812,63820.0%63.6%
62.50%160.653811,93871.4%55.6%
66.67%152.764911,24275.0%57.1%
40.00%153.16479,91633.3%44.4%
80.00%151.452810,52185.7%75.0%
85.71%141.45508,55580.0%100.0%
35.71%143.158112,08125.0%40.0%
50.00%142.15409,24350.0%50.0%
64.29%142.751810,44462.5%66.7%
57.14%141.249311,98766.7%50.0%
38.46%135.267811,74125.0%44.4%
30.77%131.34339,41720.0%37.5%
58.33%122.04099,50366.7%50.0%
33.33%121.45557,97842.9%20.0%
50.00%124.08229,00050.0%50.0%
33.33%123.680412,67740.0%28.6%
41.67%121.651410,54933.3%44.4%
50.00%125.16149,21060.0%42.9%
50.00%125.15259,87242.9%60.0%
41.67%122.061912,82750.0%40.0%
45.45%114.647710,6670.0%62.5%
36.36%111.457212,35233.3%37.5%
30.00%105.272012,5040.0%42.9%
40.00%100.953110,75520.0%60.0%
60.00%105.86879,87150.0%75.0%
44.44%91.63808,10542.9%50.0%
66.67%92.355410,45866.7%66.7%
55.56%91.23418,13420.0%100.0%
75.00%81.64499,013100.0%0.0%
37.50%84.375812,08933.3%40.0%
25.00%80.740410,72650.0%0.0%
62.50%81.95229,93480.0%33.3%
50.00%85.661412,14233.3%60.0%
62.50%83.560011,71366.7%50.0%
71.43%73.983813,36750.0%80.0%
28.57%73.068212,33350.0%20.0%
71.43%71.162812,26250.0%100.0%
50.00%61.867210,95466.7%33.3%
50.00%62.385112,86933.3%66.7%
33.33%62.350211,31566.7%0.0%
16.67%60.539210,81533.3%0.0%
83.33%60.65298,71275.0%100.0%
20.00%56.158511,1190.0%50.0%
60.00%55.493114,07850.0%66.7%
60.00%53.590613,38250.0%66.7%
80.00%52.486313,8750.0%100.0%
60.00%54.64669,70066.7%50.0%
60.00%55.587712,957100.0%33.3%
40.00%55.44998,98125.0%100.0%
40.00%53.557712,073100.0%25.0%
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Shen vs Varus - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Shen do against Varus in League of Legends?

Varus wins the Shen vs Varus matchup with a 51.4% win rate compared to Shen's 48.6%, a 2.7 percentage point difference. This data is based on 37 recent ranked games in patch 26.3.

How does Shen do against Varus in the early game?

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

How does Shen do against Varus in the late game?

In the late game, Varus takes over the Shen vs Varus matchup with a 54.2% win rate compared to 45.8%. Varus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Shen vs Varus matchup?

Varus wins the matchup against Shen with a 51.4% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.3. The 2.7 percentage point advantage means Varus is moderately favored in this lane matchup based on 37 games analyzed.

What is the best Shen build against Varus?

The best Shen build against Varus includes Titanic Hydra, Dead Man's Plate, Bandlepipes with Plated Steelcaps. 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 Shen runes against Varus?

The best Shen runes against Varus use the Resolve primary tree with Inspiration secondary. This rune setup achieves a 44.4% win rate in the Shen vs Varus matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Shen counter Varus?

No, Shen struggles against Varus with only a 48.6% win rate. Varus has the advantage in this matchup. Shen players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Varus's lead.

How do I play Shen against Varus?

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