Varus - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
47.7%
Pick Rate
2.2%

Varusvs Smolder

FMarksmanMage
Patch26.7
Matches508,082
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedApr 11, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Varus vs Smolder is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Smolder wins with a 55.8% win rate (+11.6%) over Varus based on 86 games. Smolder holds the advantage in both the early and late game. Below you'll find the best Varus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Varus vs Smolder matchup.

Varus Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Varus 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
Smolder - 44.2% win rateSmolder(44.2%)
Varus - 44.2% win rate in this matchup
Varus
44.2% WR
VS
Smolder vs Varus matchup - 55.8% win rate
Smolder
55.8% WR

Who Wins the Varus vs Smolder Matchup?

Smolder wins the Varus vs Smolder matchup
Winner
Smolder
Matches: 86
44.2%
Win Rate
55.8%
6.5
CS / min
7.2
884
DMG / min
981
13,789
Gold / game
14,565
160
Heal / min
213
410
DMG Mitigated / min
401
1.0
CC / min
0.4
48.6%
Early Game WR
51.4%
41.2%
Late Game WR
58.8%

Varus vs Smolder Matchup Summary

The Varus vs Smolder matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 86 recent matches analyzed, Smolder wins with a 55.8% win rate compared to Varus's 44.2%, giving Smolder a 11.6 percentage point advantage. Smolder dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Varus players to find favorable windows, so team-dependent strategies and avoiding solo confrontations are essential. The most significant statistical gap is in crowd control, where Varus leads by 0.6s CC/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Smolder has a strong advantage in this matchup. Varus players should play defensively, prioritize safe farming under tower, and look for opportunities created by jungle pressure or Smolder overextending. Avoid prolonged trades and wait for team fights where positioning and coordination matter more. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Varus vs Smolder Laning Phase Breakdown

Smolder wins the laning phase against Varus in League of Legends

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

Farming
6.5Varus
7.2Smolder
Smolder edges out Varus by 0.7 CS per minute — a moderate farming advantage that adds up to roughly 10 CS over a 15-minute laning phase. This translates to earlier component purchases and slightly faster power spikes for Smolder.
Damage
884Varus
981Smolder
Smolder heavily out-damages Varus by 98 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Varus should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Smolder's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
13,789Varus
14,565Smolder
Smolder earns 776 more gold per game than Varus, equivalent to roughly one additional component item. This economic edge comes from a combination of better farming, kill participation, and objective control, giving Smolder slightly faster item completions.
Utility
1.0Varus
0.4Smolder
Varus provides 0.6 seconds more crowd control per minute than Smolder, offering better gank setup potential and slightly more team fight utility. This CC advantage helps Varus coordinate with their jungler and control the pace of skirmishes.
Sustain
570Varus
614Smolder
Varus and Smolder have comparable sustain profiles, with only 44 HP/min separating their healing and damage mitigation. Neither champion can out-attrition the other in lane, so trades will be decided by burst potential and ability usage rather than sustain.

Best Varus Build Against Smolder

Ionian Boots of Lucidity is the optimal boots choice against Smolder, providing the mobility and stats Varus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Varus against Smolder are Riftmaker, Nashor's Tooth and Dusk and Dawn. This combination gives Varus an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. This build performs exceptionally well, achieving a 100.0% win rate across 1 games — well above average and making it the top item path against Smolder. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Varus vs Smolder matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Smolder
51.4%
+2.9% advantage
Varus early game win rateVarus48.6%
Smolder early game win rateSmolder51.4%
Late Game
Smolder
58.8%
+17.6% advantage
Varus late game win rateVarus41.2%
Smolder late game win rateSmolder58.8%

During the early laning phase (first 15 minutes), Smolder has a meaningful 51.4% win rate, outperforming Varus by 2.9 percentage points. Smolder players should look to press this advantage through aggressive trades, wave priority, and early jungle coordination.

Smolder is far superior in the late game (25+ minutes), boasting a 58.8% win rate — 17.6 points above Varus. Extended games heavily favor Smolder, whose kit and scaling make them a dominant force in team fights and objective control.

Smolder holds the advantage at every stage of the game, making this a consistently favorable matchup from lane through late game team fights. Varus players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Varus Runes Against Smolder

Precision rune tree - Varus primary runes vs SmolderPrecision
Press the Attack - best Varus rune vs SmolderTriumph - best Varus rune vs SmolderLegend: Alacrity - best Varus rune vs SmolderCoup de Grace - best Varus rune vs Smolder
Domination rune tree - Varus secondary runes vs SmolderDomination
Taste of Blood - best Varus rune vs SmolderTreasure Hunter - best Varus rune vs Smolder
60.0% WR

The Precision and Domination rune setup gives Varus the best tools to compete against Smolder in this difficult matchup, compensating for the statistical disadvantages with optimal rune synergies.


Varus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.7. The table below shows Varus'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 Varus build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Varus 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
50.00%2086.590213,92959.8%43.0%
54.23%1426.690713,39462.9%45.8%
49.65%1416.490813,98355.2%45.8%
50.38%1336.182712,98153.0%47.8%
37.60%1256.582313,30242.9%33.3%
44.19%866.588413,78948.6%41.2%
44.87%786.586713,79740.6%47.8%
49.33%756.586713,55358.1%43.2%
42.65%686.592914,11944.0%41.9%
40.68%596.783414,15540.9%40.5%
65.12%436.389313,76775.0%56.5%
43.59%396.280914,49336.4%46.4%
42.11%386.590313,58950.0%36.4%
54.05%376.095913,49455.6%52.6%
51.35%376.981612,26847.6%56.3%
43.75%326.691814,30154.5%38.1%
46.67%306.687911,82342.9%50.0%
57.14%286.892013,38153.3%61.5%
50.00%266.589615,06575.0%28.6%
65.38%266.81,02114,66970.0%62.5%
38.46%266.077913,23136.4%40.0%
50.00%246.377312,42836.4%61.5%
50.00%226.288610,77038.5%66.7%
36.36%227.01,04614,70120.0%50.0%
40.00%206.31,05815,04728.6%46.1%
50.00%206.785913,04563.6%33.3%
42.11%196.092912,44957.1%33.3%
33.33%186.51,03313,22133.3%33.3%
61.11%186.31,06616,88175.0%57.1%
62.50%166.374711,64866.7%57.1%
43.75%166.376011,13222.2%71.4%
62.50%166.594012,45171.4%55.6%
50.00%166.51,11813,82380.0%36.4%
46.67%156.71,18612,78833.3%55.6%
42.86%146.71,00815,17525.0%50.0%
42.86%146.687412,29233.3%60.0%
35.71%146.41,04811,44220.0%44.4%
21.43%146.38599,80411.1%40.0%
46.15%136.493310,43366.7%0.0%
50.00%125.91,01113,294100.0%33.3%
36.36%116.391714,90833.3%37.5%
27.27%116.575914,1990.0%33.3%
54.55%116.36969,86955.6%50.0%
80.00%106.61,09214,95750.0%87.5%
40.00%106.177711,56757.1%0.0%
30.00%107.299213,6120.0%75.0%
66.67%96.885212,19080.0%50.0%
44.44%97.11,12311,31250.0%33.3%
55.56%97.31,08712,01140.0%75.0%
44.44%96.786910,62560.0%25.0%
62.50%86.078112,78950.0%66.7%
25.00%86.095111,4000.0%50.0%
75.00%85.887815,03675.0%75.0%
62.50%86.692213,25960.0%66.7%
62.50%86.298312,87366.7%60.0%
50.00%86.71,27413,95325.0%75.0%
42.86%75.71,30915,583100.0%20.0%
57.14%75.982512,21266.7%50.0%
57.14%76.792810,88760.0%50.0%
42.86%77.395415,50350.0%40.0%
66.67%65.181712,552100.0%50.0%
66.67%67.06949,34460.0%100.0%
0.00%65.97858,4700.0%0.0%
50.00%66.476612,37166.7%33.3%
83.33%66.91,08114,624100.0%66.7%
50.00%67.297112,65525.0%100.0%
66.67%63.982812,14550.0%100.0%
60.00%56.682312,91450.0%100.0%
40.00%56.291713,851100.0%0.0%
60.00%57.197112,18550.0%100.0%
0.00%56.71,25416,3830.0%0.0%
60.00%56.598313,262100.0%33.3%
60.00%57.585011,87366.7%50.0%
20.00%57.289612,5020.0%50.0%
20.00%55.998512,74533.3%0.0%
80.00%56.91,37015,979100.0%66.7%
40.00%56.11,26718,2590.0%40.0%
60.00%56.667110,66450.0%100.0%
40.00%55.385715,4800.0%50.0%
80.00%56.093814,081100.0%50.0%
80.00%56.81,01617,84350.0%100.0%
60.00%55.977511,52175.0%0.0%

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Varus vs Smolder - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Varus do against Smolder in League of Legends?

Smolder wins the Varus vs Smolder matchup with a 55.8% win rate compared to Varus's 44.2%, a 11.6 percentage point difference. This data is based on 86 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Varus do against Smolder in the early game?

In the early game, Smolder has the advantage against Varus with a 51.4% win rate versus 48.6%. Smolder players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Varus do against Smolder in the late game?

In the late game, Smolder takes over the Varus vs Smolder matchup with a 58.8% win rate compared to 41.2%. Smolder scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Varus vs Smolder matchup?

Smolder wins the matchup against Varus with a 55.8% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 11.6 percentage point advantage means Smolder is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 86 games analyzed.

What is the best Varus build against Smolder?

The best Varus build against Smolder includes Riftmaker, Nashor's Tooth, Dusk and Dawn with Ionian Boots of Lucidity. 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 Varus runes against Smolder?

The best Varus runes against Smolder use the Precision primary tree with Domination secondary. This rune setup achieves a 60.0% win rate in the Varus vs Smolder matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Varus counter Smolder?

No, Varus struggles against Smolder with only a 44.2% win rate. Smolder has the advantage in this matchup. Varus players should focus on safe farming and avoiding extended trades to minimize Smolder's lead.

How do I play Varus against Smolder?

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