I bought karthus around my 3rd week of playing thought he looked cool and never played him. but recently playing now level 30 playing for months i wanted to play him again, and i fell in love with him, dominates my ranked games currently undefeated 16-0 in ranked with him and play normal every now and then i really hope this guide can make you what karthus has made me.

Pros:
Ultimate that does damage across map.
Good farming.
Slow that can catch someone off gaurd.
after he dies...he can still do damage, epic right?


Cons:
Focused.
Squishy.
No defense but a slowing wall.
Easy to predict his Q
Some mana problems

These can be avoided if played right ^^

Runes are pretty standard.

Greater Mark of Magic Penetration Nearly every ap nuke needs these makes your spells hurt :))

Greater Seal Of Vitality Makes you hard to kill, need survivability pretty nice.Some people may ask why i do not pick mana regeneration runes, well after you get tears of goddess and get blue often and you last hit with Your Lay Waste you wont have mana problems.

Greater Glyph of Scaling Ability Power: Love the extra ap late game, but these are sometimes overated i choose Greater Glyph of Magic Resist Sometimes due to the fact you fight an AP carry and it helps early game.

Greater Quintessence of Ability Power Flat ap helps you early game and last hitting with Q.

I role a standarrd 9/0/21 for the magic penetration in offense and the spell reduction in utility and all that mana regen and buffs do wonders for you. Not much else to say here :((

Now i build my karthus pretty odd as you may see, i snowball my way up to be top and such. Early game your damage will be bad, im sorry but it gets SOO good mid-late game,


Boots: And Health Potionx3 good way to start you avoid ganks move around and avoid their stuff like cass and brands poke. just best imho plus you cant beat that 600 HP gain to sustain ;]

Tear of the Goddess: Early game while your last htting with your Lay Waste your tears will give you so much mana for late game and help with the ap that builds up.

Hextech Revolver Good sustain and AP and then build into a Will of the Ancients helps team, you and epic spell vamp :))

Spirit Visage Many people overlook this item, but i love it with a Will of the Ancients keeps you alive so much mid game and you get some free HP and MR Good deal, sell this later in late game i find it atad bit useless then.

Archangel's Staff you should have around 700-800 mana built into the tears and when you buy this item your ap boosts into a good 200-250 or so and is just nice. mana and many ap :)

Rabadon's Deathcap Sweet jesus after all that ap from archangles your want more! this is just where all your dfamage comes from totalling around 450-500ap. just destroy.

Void Staff 70+ AP and 40% magic pene. just destroys those tanks that build MR and any1 else, because after they see the damage you do...boy they will try to counter you with it. So helpful on karthus.

Zhonya's Hourglass- 100 AP And this free state in which you can pop Defile and not get hurt omg i love this item saves you in sticky situations can initiate and just pop it while you laugh. so useful if you find like i do that Spirit Visage Aint cutting itt.

Death Defied- Passive. Just epic in a teamfight to keep putting out damage and to place a Requiem so they can't interuppt it. Just sexy ulti.

Lay Waste- Good damage to harass,good to farm regenerate mana.

Wall of Pain good to help sequre that gank slow their entire team down and just plain good defense spell.

Defile- Good damage AoE on all team and good to farm. with can put out so much damage with this ability. this is what regenerates mana if its off.

Requiem you telling me i can take half their hp from across the map?!?!?! steal kills and get fed like nothing??? and dont even have to face the enemy? just too good of an ultimate to pass up...jesus this is what makes karthus karthus...try to time it right and help people in teamfights.

I choose to enter a teamfight two diffrent ways. be the man and initate and get all in their face. of stand back and poke.


To be the man is to run in slow, defile > and spam as much lay waste as you can and die. keeping up your defile and using Requiem put out good sexy damage. you will end with lots of deaths like this but many kills as well.


To play passive and let your tank initate is what i do mostly. poke with your lay waste and try to pick one off with wall of pain and jump on him. and put out lot's of damage and get in their face with defile...Alwaays ultimate when you die in a teamfight! you do not want it to be intruppted and you dont want to waste time when you could be q'ing around.

Ignite I love it to finish off that ap nuke mid just to counter it. helps get fb early game when you can't put out too much damage.

Flash Epic spell used defensively or offensively all around good spell.




OPTIONAL:

Teleport-good for lane and good for getting back into fight i use every now and then.

Revive- i only recommend this with Teleport because it is so good in teamfigths you die you just stay dead for seconds and do damage. revive, teleport and your back in the teamfight for a while and another death if you die for 7 seconds. just really ncie people underestimate it alot.


Smite Jungle karthus is good but not how i swing.

Early game and mid game all you want to do is FARM FARM FARM your too squishy to fight head on usually just harass with Lay Waste and last hit minions with it. dont put it in the middle of minion waves put it on the corner or around the minion you target to ensure you last hit it. since all you do is ulti other lanes at 6 and getting a few kills there last hitting and preserving your mana to sustain are importanat. if you dont farm you are not a karthus >:(

[Call MIA! when your lan goes missing or died.

Ward your area and help ward, wards win games.

Always signal team when your ulti is up, give them confidence to dive that ashe.

In ranked games if you are first pick do not pick karthus try to get a trade if you can or you will be countered...hard.


COUNTER CHAMPIONS

Nocturne- lawlawlawlawlawl look at that ultimate. Poof Shrund of Darkness 'Fail Karthus'' =DDD

Master Yi His Meditate Will surely be used when he sees the Red line.

Sivir- Again another shield Spell Shield

Morgana- nother shield helps her. Black Shield

Kayle Heals herself...and she can help her and another teamate with Intervention

Garen DOnt underestimate the Courage Decreases alot of damage.

Zilean-.....****tard... Chronoshift


Tryndamere- ulti can save him =/ Undying Rage

Shen Helps a friend in need Stand United and Feint can protect him a bit.

Kassadin his passive Void StoneHelps him sooo much!!!

As youcan see many people counter him a nasus can ulti a renek can ulti a rammus can put up hias ball and live choose right when you ultimate any of these champions you will be dissapointed if you dont get the kill :(

I hope you all like my guide/build on karthus and dont just look at the items but read it, he gets some taking used to being squiah and all but he is really fun...PENTAKILL!!! :] love him so much and i hope you win some games and have fun....it is just a game after all ^_^