Champion Guide

Varus Guide

By LoLSuggest

ADC

Varus is flexible — poke, burst or sustained front-to-back damage depending on the build — and Chain of Corruption gives him game-changing crowd control, but he has no mobility and is very punishable when misplaced.

Recommended Setup

Our recommended Varus build

Our recommended runes, summoner spells and items. Compare build win rates on the stats page.

Items

Starting Items

Core Items

Situational Items

The recommended on-hit build is Statikk Shiv, Guinsoo's Rageblade and Terminus, in that order, with Gluttonous Greaves, then Jak'Sho, The Protean, Guardian Angel and Zhonya's Hourglass; Statikk Shiv's chain lightning gives lane control and instant wave clear, and the ideal path is Pickaxe, Dagger, Aether Wisp and Scout's Slingshot. For your first component, buy Phage against lanes where you trade and space a lot, or Tunneler against longer-range lanes. An alternative core is Experimental Hexplate, whose ultimate haste and attack speed burst let you fish for Chain of Corruption, into Guinsoo's Rageblade and Terminus with Plated Steelcaps, Jak'Sho, Death's Dance and Guardian Angel. Lethality Varus buys Tear of the Goddess or a Serrated Dirk first, then Youmuu's Ghostblade, Boots of Swiftness and Manamune, followed by Serylda's Grudge, Serpent's Fang or Edge of Night, plus Executioner's Calling against heavy healing. Run Lethal Tempo with Triumph, Legend: Bloodline and Cut Down, plus Cash Back and Triple Tonic; lethality uses Arcane Comet with Manaflow Band, Transcendence and Scorch, or Gathering Storm against enchanters, plus Magical Footwear and Cosmic Insight. Start Doran's Bow for an aggressive lane or Doran's Helm against an oppressive one. Take Flash with Barrier, Ghost when the post-lane game is your win condition, Exhaust against all-in lanes, or Cleanse against heavy crowd control. Max Q, then E, then W.

Runes

Primary Tree

Secondary Tree

Summoner Spells

Skill Max Order

Strengths

Flexible builds for any team composition.
On-hit builds shred tanks; lethality gives long-range poke and burst.
Strong laning with Piercing Arrow and game-changing CC from Chain of Corruption.

Weaknesses

No mobility and very punishable early if misplaced.
Missing Piercing Arrow means losing lane pressure.
Hard to play into dive comps; Braum, Janna, Sivir or Morgana can block his key spells.

Laning Phase

Lethality Varus pokes with Piercing Arrow, controls the wave and chips enemies down. On-hit builds take short burst trades — two autos, then Hail of Arrows to pop Blight. Keep safe spacing at all times since you have no dash. Against shield supports like Janna, track their cooldowns before committing your Q.

Mid & Late Game

With lethality, poke with Q before every objective. On-hit builds should group and melt the frontline in extended fights. Late game, peel for yourself and look for picks with Chain of Corruption — every build can carry if it's allowed to hit freely.