Nautilus vs Vel'Koz
Skill matchup
Build vs Vel'Koz
Build adapted to this matchup
Recommended items for Nautilus: Locket of the Iron Solari, Knight's Vow, Bandlepipes, Mercury's Treads, Celestial Opposition, Solstice Sleigh, Thornmail, Bramble Vest.
Starting items
Core build
Standard
Summoner spells
Other options
Power Spikes
Strength by game phase
Vel'Koz's abilities
Passive, spells and ultimate
Vel'Koz's abilities apply Organic Deconstruction to enemies on hit. If 3 stacks are accumulated, the enemy will take a burst of true damage.
Cooldowns
Cooldowns by spell rank
| Level | Q | W | E | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7s | 1.5s | 12s | – |
| 6 | 7s | 1.5s | 12s | 1m40 |
| 9 | 7s | 1.5s | 12s | 1m40 |
| 11 | 7s | 1.5s | 12s | 1m30 |
| 16 | 7s | 1.5s | 11s | 1m20 |
| 18 | 7s | 1.5s | 10s | 1m20 |
Playing as Nautilus
Tips to maximize your impact
- Hook their carry
Aim Dredge Line (Q) at their carry: you and your target are pulled toward each other, and they're briefly stunned.
- Auto right after your Dredge Line
After Dredge Line (Q), land an auto right away: Staggering Blow (passive) roots the target after the stun, giving your ADC time to arrive.
- Switch targets to root
In teamfights, hit a new target whenever you can: your first auto on each target triggers Staggering Blow (passive) and briefly roots them.
- Depth Charge on their backline carry
Cast Depth Charge (R) on their backline carry: every enemy the shockwave crosses along the way also takes a knock-up and a stun.
Playing against Vel'Koz
How to counter and exploit weaknesses
- Watch both branches of his plasma
Get out of the line of Plasma Fission (Q) and watch its sides too: the bolt splits into two branches at 90 degrees when it hits a target or he recasts it.
- Back off before the third stack
Back off after taking two of his spells: at the third Organic Deconstruction (passive) stack, you take a burst of true damage.
- Engage after Tectonic Disruption
If you can engage, go in after Tectonic Disruption (E): it's his only spell to push back someone charging him, and he has no dash to escape.
- Interrupt his ray
If you have a stun, a silence or a knock-up, save it for Life Form Disintegration Ray (R): any of them interrupts the ray.
Other Nautilus matchups
Patch 16.21.1