Max order
Q›
E›
WStart
Core
Max orderQ›E›WStart
Core
Runes, masteries, skill order and items on this page mirror what is actually being played in Classic on patch 26.19, not a reconstruction of a 2013 patch.
Jungle Karthus, still dealing damage after he dies, and pressuring the whole map with one ultimate.
+0.87 magic penetration×9
+1.41 armor×9
+1.34 magic resist×9
+2.01 magic penetration×3Skill Leveling Order
Max order Q → E → WQQQQQWWWWWEEEEE
RRRMax in the order Q → E → W.
Item Build
Off-meta buildBuild path · Hunter's Machete → Health Potion → Sorcerer's Shoes → Spirit of the Spectral Wraith → Rabadon's Deathcap → Void Staff
An off-meta build people actually run in Classic. Stat sites do not track it, so this one is curated from how the abilities scale in this patch — treat it as a starting point, not measured data.
Sorcerer's Shoes››
Masteries
Open in simulator →
1/1
0/4
4/4
0/2
0/4
4/4
0/1
2/3
0/1
1/1
0/2
0/2
3/3
1/1
0/1
0/3
4/4
1/1
0/1
0/3
0/4
0/2
0/3
0/3
0/1
0/2
0/2
0/1
0/1
0/1
0/3
0/3
0/1
0/3
0/1
0/1
0/1
1/1
0/3
3/3
1/1
0/1
3/3
0/3
0/2
0/4
1/1
0/3
0/1
0/2
0/4
0/3
0/1
0/1
0/3
0/121/0/9 split, shaped around the ability this build actually scales.
Playstyle
Q (Lay Waste) deals double to a single target, which clears camps fast. With E (Defile) running a camp melts outright, so the route only breaks when mana does. His ganks are weak, but R (Requiem) ignores lanes entirely and converts any low-health enemy anywhere into a kill. His passive (Death Defied) keeps him casting for seven seconds after dying, so dying first in a fight is not the loss it looks like.
+0.87 magic penetration×9+1.41 armor×9+1.34 magic resist×9
+4.95 ability power×3
Skill Leveling Order
Max order Q → E → WQQQQQWWWWWEEEEERRRMax in the order Q → E → W, taking R at 6, 11 and 16.
Item Build
Live Classic, patch 26.19Data collected 2026-10-01Build path · Doran's Ring → Health Potion → Sorcerer's Shoes → Rabadon's Deathcap → Archangel's Staff → Rod of Ages
Open with Doran's Ring + Health Potion.Sorcerer's Shoes››
Masteries
Open in simulator →1/10/43/40/20/44/40/13/30/11/10/20/23/31/10/10/34/41/10/10/30/40/20/30/30/10/20/20/10/10/10/30/30/10/30/10/10/11/10/33/31/10/13/30/30/20/41/10/30/10/20/40/30/10/10/30/121 points into Offense to push early damage share.
Base Stats
Lv1 · growth · Lv18Skills
Passive · Q · W · E · R
Upon dying, Karthus enters a spirit form that allows him to continue casting spells while dead for 7 seconds.
Karthus unleashes a delayed blast at a location, dealing damage to nearby enemies.
Karthus creates a passable screen of leeching energy. Any enemy units that walk through the screen have their Movement Speed and Magic Resist reduced for a period.
Karthus passively steals energy from his victims, gaining Mana on each kill. Alternatively, Karthus can surround himself in the souls of his prey, dealing damage to nearby enemies, but quickly draining his own mana.
After channeling for 3 seconds, Karthus deals damage to all enemy champions.
Champion Tips
Riot officialPlaying as
- Ask your allies to help point out when you should use Requiem to get kills in different lanes.
- Lay Waste is very strong at farming minions and harassing enemy champions.
Playing against
- Karthus can cast spells for a short duration after he is killed. Move away from his corpse to be safe.
- Make sure you always have enough health to survive Requiem, even if you have to go back to the base more frequently to heal.
Frequently Asked
The quick answers, straight from this buildWhat runes for Karthus?
Marks Greater Mark of Magic Penetration 9, Seals Greater Seal of Armor 9, Glyphs Greater Glyph of Magic Resist 9, Quints Greater Quintessence of Ability Power 3
What mastery setup for Karthus?
21/0/9 split. 21 points into Offense to push early damage share.
What is Karthus’s skill order?
Max in the order Q → E → W, taking R whenever available. Max in the order Q → E → W, taking R at 6, 11 and 16.
What is Karthus’s item build?
Start: Doran's Ring + Health Potion → Boots: Sorcerer's Shoes → Core: Rabadon's Deathcap · Archangel's Staff · Rod of Ages
How do you build Jungle Karthus?
Jungle Jungle — Hunter's Machete → Health Potion → Sorcerer's Shoes → Spirit of the Spectral Wraith → Rabadon's Deathcap → Void Staff. Jungle Karthus, still dealing damage after he dies, and pressuring the whole map with one ultimate.
Who is Karthus weak against?
Kassadin / Nidalee
Lore
Karthus is a terrible creature who was once a mortal so obsessed with death that he eagerly embraced the gift of undeath. Now in his unlife as a lich, Karthus is closer to his beloved grave than he ever imagined. He commands magic with oblivion as its ...
