Varus Build Guide by aSavior

Introduction

This guide is currently a work in progress, although the build and a lot of information is currently on here. It will look a little better once it is done but for now here is my mostly finished Varus guide!

Pros/Cons

Pros + Poke/Harass Range:925 + Usefull Passive + built in and slow + Anti-Tank + AOE CC

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Cons - Squishy - Difficult Get-aways - Slow Move/Attack Speed - Long CD's - Difficult to Play/Master

Runes

In this build damage and armor penetration is the key to taking down your enemy. These were pretty easy decisions. I commonly use this rune set up on many other champions including Pantheon, Talon, and many others.
Although I chose these as my runes, doesn’t mean that other’s aren’t viable options. You can go armor, magic resist, replace the CD runes with AD, blah, blah, the list goes on. Below you will find a little more information as to why I pick certain runes and which ones I believe would be just as effective.
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Q U I N T S

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While both Greater Quintessence of Desolation and Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage are very viable rune choices, I prefer the armor penetration over the attack damage. My philosophy on this is simple. Buy your attack damage in game because your quints, and later on your marks, will give you enough armor pen to hold you over until you get further in your build and buy other sources of armor pen.

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Q U I N T S

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M A R K S

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As stated above in the quintessence section of the runes, you can go either Greater Mark of Desolation or Greater Mark of Attack Damage. Either one of these marks work, it just depends on how you are playing Varus! But remember, your build is easier to create if you have armor pen in the beginning, it will also give you a slight edge on your opponents, and any enemy Varus

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M A R K S

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S E A L S

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You have a couple viable choices here. Greater Seal of Attack Damage will work with your armor pen, and make your poke a little bit harder early in the game. I recommend this for a more skilled, or experienced Varus that knows how to keep distance and escape. Greater Seal of Armor is also just as good, giving you a little more durability to help you escape from your foes. Varus is a very squishy champion so these seals are pretty useful.

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S E A L S

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G L Y P H S

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I recommend using either Greater Glyph of Magic Resist or Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist for a new, or even experianced Varus. Whether you're in a 3v3, or 5v5 there is always gonna be an ap facing you, these glyphs will help you negate some of their damage, while the other runes help you destroy them and get back to killing minions. I personally use Greater Glyph of Cooldown Reduction because I can usually keep my distance from ap, poking them with Piercing Arrow at a distance which will give me time to build MR if I so decide I need it. This glyph will also help with the longer cool downs, making your Piercing Arrow CD only seconds long after being maxed.

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G L Y P H S

Summoner Spells

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Flash is one of the most useful summoner spells in League of Legends. Since Varus' only means of escape is his Hail of Arrows and his ultimate Chain of Corruption. it helps to have a little extra to get away from ganks and escaping the team fights you will be focused in.

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Exhaust is also an extremely useful summoner spell for Varus to have in his arsenal. Exhaust can be used in two ways. The first way is to negate a significant amount of incoming damage, helping you get out. The second use is to secure kills. Either of these can happen when getting rushed by your opponent... Be prepared.

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Ignite can be a very useful summoner spell for Varus, but I feel like his Hail of Arrows covers it's uses. However, Ignite can definitely be useful to Varus. Varus can use this summoner spell to both finish his enemies off and to reduce the target champions healing and regen after Hail of Arrows has worn off.

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Heal is a pretty powerful summoner spell for any champion. This spell can seal the first gank deal, and ganks in general as it gives you a significant amount of your health back to you. The only reason it isn't a primary summoner spell is because I don't believe it is as useful to Varus as Exhaust/ Flash

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Ghost is another escape in the summoner's arsenal. it increases your champions movement speed allowing you to escape from some pretty sticky situations. If you so choose this summoner spell over one of the primary spells replace Flash since they are both used to escape. While Ghost is a very useful summoner spell, I personally think Flash is considerably more viable in the fact that you have more options.

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Abilities

Living Vengeance - On kill or assist, Varus temporarily gains Attack Speed. This bonus is larger if the enemy is a champion.

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Piercing Arrow - Varus readies and then fires a powerful shot that gains extra range and damage the longer he spends preparing to fire. First Cast: Varus starts drawing back his next shot, gradually increasing its range and damage. Second Cast: Varus fires, dealing 10/43/77/110/143 (+) to 15/65/115/165/215 (+) physical damage, reduced by 15% per enemy hit (minimum 33%). While preparing to shoot Varus' Movement Speed is slowed by 20%. After 4 seconds, Piercing Arrow fails but refunds half its mana cost. Cost 70/75/80/85/90 Mana Range 925

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Blighted Quiver - Varus' basic attacks deal bonus magic damage and apply Blight. Varus' other abilities detonate Blight, dealing magic damage based on the target's maximum health. Passive: Varus' basic attacks deal 10/14/18/22/26 (+0.25) bonus magic damage and apply Blight for 6 seconds (stacks 3 times). Varus' other abilities detonate Blight, dealing magic damage equal to 2/2.75/3.5/4.25/5% (+0.01%) of the target's maximum Health per stack (Max: 360 total damage vs Monsters).

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Hail of Arrows - Varus fires a hail of arrows that deal physical damage and desecrate the ground. Desecrated ground slows enemies' Movement Speed and reduces their healing and regeneration. Varus fires a hail of arrows that deals 65/105/145/185/225 (+) physical damage and desecrates the ground for 4 seconds. Desecrated Ground slows enemy Movement Speed by 25/30/35/40/45% and reduces healing effects by 50%. Cost 80 Mana Range 925

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Chain of Corruption - Varus flings out a tendril of corruption that immobilizes the first enemy champion hit and then spreads towards nearby uninfected champions, immobilizing them too on contact. Varus flings out a tendril of corruption that deals 150/250/350 (+1) magic damage and immobilizes the first enemy champion hit for 2 seconds. The corruption then spreads towards nearby uninfected enemy champions, applying the same damage and immobilize if it reaches them. Cost 120 Mana Range 1200

Items

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: Berserker's Greaves are very useful to Varus. Giving him 25 attack speed and increased movement speed. This item will work with your passive Living Vengeance and help you out with harrassing/killing your enemies. This item can/should be replaced with Murcury's Treads
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: Phantom Dancer is also a very useful item, giving you 55 attack speed and 15 movement speed. The attack speed will, as stated above, combine with the Berserker's Greaves as well as your passive Living Vengeance. This item will also give you movement speed to chase down/get away from your enemies and crit chance/damage to decimate them.
: Infinity Edge is a high damage output with critical strike chance and damage. All three of these attributes will work together with the items above, but mainly the Phantom Dancer. The Phantom Dancer's crit and attack speed will work with the Infinity Edge. Very fast, very deadly.
: Guardian Angel is one of the most useful items in this build. It gives you a substantial amount of health, armor, and magic resist while also giving you a revive that can be used once every 5 minutes. Varus is a very squishy, high damage output champion. This item will help you when you are getting focused while also giving you a second chance to help your team.
: The Bloodthirster is a great item for surviving while also providing you with a decent amount of damage. This item mixed with the Guardian Angel will make you considerably less squishy. Beware though, The Bloodthirster is a snow ball item which means it loses it's effectiveness with each death but increases when you kill an enemy champion.
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: The Brutalizer is a pretty efficient, low cost item that has armor pen, damage, and cool down reduction all built it. It's one of the very first things you should build when going against a tank or anyone building defense. When you get a little more attack speed from other various items this item's cool down reduction and your runes will work together to make an unhappy tank. Three stacks of Blighted Quiver+ Piercing Arrow is kind of annoying.
: Last Whisper gives you 40 attack damage and 40% armor pen which is a pretty decent amount of both. This will make up for the damage you lose early-mid game when your saving up for your B. F. Sword. But if it means anything, you to do more damage to tanks than you would with just a B. F. Sword... Just sayin.
: The Black Cleaver gives both you and your team the boost they need to decimate that enemy tank. Giving you 55 damage, 30 attack speed, and the ability to lower your opponents armor by 15(stacks 3 times). This will allow your team members to considerably more damage thus, killing the tanks a lot faster.