Karthus vs Viktor
Build vs Viktor
The champion's reference build, for lack of enough games in this matchup
Recommended items for Karthus: Blackfire Torch, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap, Sorcerer's Shoes, Void Staff, Zhonya's Hourglass, Stormsurge, Malignance.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Viktor's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Viktor gains Hex Fragments whenever he kills an enemy. With every 100 Hex Fragments he obtains, Viktor permanently augments an active ability. After upgrading all of his basic abilities, he can gather 100 Hex Fragments to augment his ultimate ability.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9s | 17s | 12s | – |
| 6 | 7s | 17s | 12s | 2m |
| 9 | 5s | 16s | 12s | 2m |
| 11 | 5s | 15s | 12s | 1m40 |
| 16 | 5s | 13s | 10s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 5s | 13s | 8s | 1m20 |
Playing as Karthus
Tips to maximize your impact
- Aim for isolated champions
Aim Lay Waste (Q) at a champion away from their minions: if the blast hits only one enemy, it deals much more damage.
- Wall before your combo
Place Wall of Pain (W) in their path before your combo: anyone who crosses it is slowed and loses magic resist.
- Keep playing after you die
After you die, keep casting your spells: Death Defied (passive) keeps you in spirit form for a while, and you can still cast Lay Waste (Q) and Requiem (R).
- Requiem for the finish
Save Requiem (R) to finish off wounded enemies, often right after a teamfight: it hits every enemy champion wherever they are, after a 3-second channel.
Playing against Viktor
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Leave his field before 1.25 seconds
Get out of Gravity Field (W) right away: the zone slows, and an enemy who stays in it for 1.25 seconds is stunned.
- Engage after his Gravity Field
If you can engage, go in after Gravity Field (W): it's his only stun, on a 17 to 13 second cooldown, and he has no dash.
- Play hard before his upgrades
Get ahead early: for every 100 Hex Fragments he gets from kills, Glorious Evolution (passive) permanently upgrades one of his spells. His staff's glow shows how far along he is.
- Leave his storm fast
Get out of Arcane Storm (R) fast: it hits every second and follows the champions it just damaged on its own.
Other Karthus matchups
Patch 16.21.1