Lucian vs Karthus
Skill matchup
Build vs Karthus
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Lucian: Essence Reaver, Navori Flickerblade, Infinity Edge, Gluttonous Greaves, Lord Dominik's Regards, B. F. Sword, The Collector, Bloodthirster.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Anti CC
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Karthus's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Upon dying, Karthus enters a spirit form that allows him to continue casting spells.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0s | 15s | 0.5s | – |
| 6 | 0s | 15s | 0.5s | 3m20 |
| 9 | 0s | 15s | 0.5s | 3m20 |
| 11 | 0s | 15s | 0.5s | 3m |
| 16 | 0s | 15s | 0.5s | 2m40 |
| 18 | 0s | 15s | 0.5s | 2m40 |
Playing as Lucian
Tips to maximize your impact
- Weave an auto between spells
Weave an auto between each spell: Lightslinger (passive) turns it into a double shot, and each shot that hits lowers the cooldown of Relentless Pursuit (E).
- Attack after your support helps
Attack right after an ally's heal or shield, or a nearby enemy getting immobilized: Lightslinger (passive) then empowers your next 2 autos.
- R on an immobilized target
Cast The Culling (R) on a target your team has immobilized: each shot hits the first enemy in its path, and you can use Relentless Pursuit (E) while firing.
- Get ahead early
Look for trades and kills early on: Lucian is strongest early, and his impact drops once the other marksmen have their items.
Playing against Karthus
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Stay near your minions
Stay near your minions or your allies: Lay Waste (Q) deals much more damage when the blast hits only one enemy.
- Jump on him if you can
If you can engage, jump on him: Karthus has no dash or leap to escape.
- Don't stay low once he hits 6
Once he hits level 6, back instead of staying at low health: Requiem (R) hits every enemy champion wherever they are, 3 seconds after he starts channeling.
- Save your protection for Requiem
If you have a shield, a heal or invulnerability, save it for Requiem (R): it hits every enemy champion 3 seconds after he starts channeling.
- Move away after he dies
Once Karthus is dead, move away: Death Defied (passive) keeps him in spirit form for a while, and he can still cast his spells.
Other Lucian matchups
Patch 16.21.1