Darius vs Jayce
Skill matchup
Build vs Jayce
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Darius: Youmuu's Ghostblade, Dead Man's Plate, Death's Dance, Plated Steelcaps, Stridebreaker, Sterak's Gage, Force of Nature, Spear of Shojin.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Jayce's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
When Jayce swaps weapons he gains Move Speed for a short duration.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 16s | 10s | 20s | – |
| 6 | 12s | 10s | 20s | 6s |
| 9 | 8s | 10s | 20s | 6s |
| 11 | 8s | 10s | 20s | 6s |
| 16 | 8s | 10s | 16s | 6s |
| 18 | 8s | 10s | 12s | 6s |
Playing as Darius
Tips to maximize your impact
- Hit with the edge of your axe
Aim the outer edge of Decimate (Q): only the blade heals you and applies Hemorrhage (passive). The handle, in the center, deals less damage.
- All-in at five stacks
Go all-in when your target has five Hemorrhage (passive) stacks: you gain a massive AD bonus, and Noxian Guillotine (R) hits harder with each stack.
- Save Apprehend for runners
Save Apprehend (E) to pull back an enemy who retreats, not to start a trade: it's your only pull, on a 26 to 16 second cooldown.
- Execute to recast your R
Cast Noxian Guillotine (R) on the lowest-health target: its true damage ignores armor, and if it kills, you can recast it right away.
Playing against Jayce
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Watch for the orb behind his gate
When he places Acceleration Gate (E), expect Shock Blast (Q) through it: the orb gains speed, range and damage.
- Back off when he goes hammer
If you have range, back off when he switches to hammer: Mercury Hammer (R) makes him tankier, and he can't go back to cannon for 6 seconds.
- Engage after his Thundering Blow
Engage after Thundering Blow (E): it's his only knockback, and it has a 20 to 10 second cooldown.
- Drag the game out
If you survive the laning phase, play for time: Jayce is strongest early, when his cannon range dominates the lane.
Other Darius matchups
Patch 16.21.1