What to Expect in this Guide

A bad use of capital letters in sub-headers ;)

Also I will try to explain everything (runes, skills etc) in detail. For example, rather than just explaining that Armour will protect you - I will explain my reasoning behind it, and what exactly it will protect you from, and why it is a necessity.

Learning

Hopefully after reading this you will learn:

-How to play Varus to his full potential
-How to land his Piercing Arrow effectively
-Understand his skill Blighted Quiver
-Ultimately carry the game


I hope you enjoy this guide, and you take something new out of it.
Please feel free to constructively criticize this guide to help me improve it.
(If I miss out on any BBCode, please let me know)

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Thanks

I wish to say thanks to jhoijhoi for her fantastic Guide to make a Guide

Thank you jhoijhoi!


Revision

14.09.2012 - Corrected herpaderp mistake
14.09.2012 - Added reasoning why not to go for Veteran's Scars
14.09.2012 - Added reasoning behind choosing DPS/ Tank supports
14.09.2012 - Added Lulu for reccommended support

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Pros + Great Harasser + Great Farmer + Great Poker + Awesome Burst Damage early game + Good CC + Take turrets down like a boss

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Cons - Little Mobility - Squishy (veeery squishy) - No Escape (Ultimate can be used though - explained later) - Vulnerable to CC - Charging Piercing Arrow can leave you Vulnerable - Requires Steady Hands

Why go for Summoner's Wrath ?

Simply for the bonus to the Ignite Cooldown.
As a Carry, any additional Attack Damage early game will help you win your lane and finish off opponents.
It also removes the need to go for Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage, leaving those quintessence slots available for something else.

Resistance and Hardiness ... why?

Varus is a good laner, and can find himself bot, mid or even top in some rare cases.
And the thing is... he can perform well in all 3 lanes.
Having both Magic Resist and Armour, will not only help in any lane... but also will tie in to the runes that have been chosen.

Why no Veteran's Scars ?

An extra +30 health some feel is beneficial to their early game. An extra +30 health doesn't really help that much late game, as most attacks will do 3x or more that amount.
I feel for Varus, having Armour and Magic Resist is more important, as it would be beneficial for the entire game.

• greater mark of desolation: Flat Armour Penetration. Simple reasoning is that as the game progresses, so will your AD... having additional armour penetration will help you all game rather than just early game if you went with flat AD.
  And with this build, we are not including Last Whisper so armour pen is really a necessity.
  
• Greater Seal of Armor: Flat Armour. Again, very simple... You need protection from the enemy AD carry. This will help you farm the lane by giving you survivability against the enemy carry or enemy AD Jungler, as they might pop into your lane trying to catch you off guard.
  
• Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist: MR per level will protect you from their AP damage dealer and/ or support. The reason for not going flat out MR, is for scaling. As MR per level scales well with the amount of MR you desirably want in a match.
  
• Greater Quintessence of Attack Speed: Flat out attack speed will help you dominate your lane until you finish Phantom Dancer. An extra 10.2% in attack speed is over a third of the AS you get from Berserker's Greaves but at no cost to your gold.

Ignite: This is a fantastic finisher spell. Although note that this can be quite tricky to land with Varus. Since you are at range, this is to be used only IF and WHEN the enemy is in range... don't put yourself in harms way, unless you are certain that you can make the exchange without risk.

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Flash: This spell is a neccessity for any summoner. No matter how careful you place yourself in a team fight, there will be times when the enemy overwhelms your team. And when they do they will focus you. Using Flash to get over walls will save you more times than you can imagine.

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Heal: Speaking of saving lives... this is a god send at times. Early game in the laning phase, you may find yourself being focused or you may be getting CC'd too much... You know how it goes, sometimes you just get unlucky in the laning phase. Just use it wisely, as late game it falls off. NOTE: If you use this to replace Ignite, make sure to adjust your masteries accordingly and get rid of Summoner's Wrath .

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Teleport: Now this spell is a specific team-based spell. I would only go for this if you are certain your team can communicate well. Blind Pick PUG's are not good times to select this spell. Use Teleport to gank the enemy with the help of your team. Note that using it jsut to get back into the lane quicker is a waste of a summoner spell - Use it for gankage mid/ late game.

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• Living Vengeance (~):
  (Innate): On champion kill or assist, Varus gains 40% attack speed for 6 seconds.
  On minion kill, Varus gains 20% attack speed for 3 seconds.
  

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  This passive helps you farm like a boss. Not only that, but it also helps you help your team take down enemy champions in team fights quicker.
  Since this also applies to assists, you will find team fights ending rather quickly in your teams' favour if you are involved. That is because of this passive.
  
  
  
• Piercing Arrow (Q):
  (First Cast): Varus starts drawing back his next shot, gradually increasing its range and damage.
  (Second Cast): Varus fires, dealing physical damage, reduced by 15% per enemy hit (minimum 33%).
  While preparing to shoot, Varus cannot autoattack or use abilities, and his movement speed is slowed by 20%. After 4 seconds, Piercing Arrow fails but refunds half its mana cost.
  
  Details
  
  Range: 850 - 1475
  Projectile Speed: 1900
  
  Leveling Up
  
  Cooldown: 16 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 8 seconds
  Cost: 70 / 75 / 80 / 85 / 90 mana
  
  Minimum Damage: 10 / 43 / 77 / 110 / 143 (+1.0 per attack damage)
  Maximum Damage: 15 / 65 / 115 / 165 / 215 (+1.6 per attack damage)
  Minimum Diminished: 3.3 / 14.3 / 25.7 / 36.7 / 47.7 (+0.33 per attack damage)
  Maximum Diminished: 5 / 21.7 / 38.3 / 55 / 71.7 (+0.53 per attack damage)
  

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  This skill is Varus's niche.
  The majority of your ability damage will be coming from this skill, and you really need to use it carefully as early/ mid game it can eat up your mana. (Scroll down in this guide to learn how and when to use this skill efficiently).
  Remember to Max this skill first for the best amount of damage at an incredibly long range.
  
  
• Blighted Quiver (W):
  (Passive): Varus' basic attacks deal bonus magic damage and apply Blight for 6 seconds (stacks 3 times).
  Varus' other abilities detonate Blight, dealing magic damage equal to a percentage of the target's maximum health per stack. This damage is capped against monsters.
  
  Leveling Up
  
  On-hit Damage: 10 / 14 / 18 / 22 / 26 (+0.25 per ability power)
  Blight Damage per Stack: 2 / 2.75 / 3.5 / 4.25 / 5% (+1% per 50 ability power)
  

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  This passive skill seems to confuse a lot of people.
  To make it easy to understand, know that this skill works with Piercing Arrow.
  With this passive enabled, land 3 auto attacks on your target, and then blast them with Piercing Arrow.
  This will burst the stacked passive that you landed earlier in your auto attacks and do TONS OF DAMAGE!
  Max this second for higher single target damage output.
  
  
  
• Hail of Arrows (E):
  (Active): Varus fires a hail of arrows that deals physical damage and desecrates the ground for 4 seconds.
  Desecrated Ground reduces healing effects by 50% and slows enemy movement speed.
  
  Details
  
  Cost: 80 mana
  Range: 925
  
  Leveling Up
  
  Cooldown: 18 / 16 / 14 / 12 / 10 seconds
  Physical Damage: 65 / 105 / 145 / 185 / 225 (+0.6 per bonus attack damage)
  Slow Percentage: 25 / 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 %
  

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  This ability is another awesome harassing tool.
  Note that it will only slow enemies while they are standing on the area... once they leave the area they lose the slow.
  So if you are chasing with it, aim in front of the target for the most efficient way of slowing them.
  Get the skill early, but level it last as it is not a DPS tool.
  
  
• Chain of Corruption (R):
  (Active): Varus flings out a tendril of corruption that deals 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 after 2 seconds. The corruption will continue to spread until there are no further unaffected targets in range.
  
  Details
  
  Cost: 120 mana
  Range: 1075
  Projectile Speed: 2000
  Spread range: 550
  Tendril break range: 600
  
  Leveling Up
  
  Cooldown: 120 / 105 / 90 seconds
  Magic Damage: 150 / 250 / 350 (+1.0 per ability power)
  

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  This ultimate is under-estimated...
  The problem with this is that you need to warn your team mates when you are going to use it.
  When you fire at a target, this will CC them for a couple of seconds... and if they are near others, then it will attach to them too.
  Though try not to save it for multiple target capture... simply because it is hard to pull of if done correctly.
  Use this skill as and when your team needs it for initiation in team fights. But remember to communicate it with your team, otherwise you might find it going to waste.

= Auto Attack

If target is running away

> > > >

If target is laning against you (not running away)

> > > (REPEAT)
(Use Hail of Arrows only if needed to slow)

Teamfights (If targets are all together)

!!!TARGET CARRY!!!
> > > > >


Quite simple ability sequences, but you just need to know a few main points...

• Only use Chain of Corruption for Team fights or to positively secure a kill
• Don't waste your Hail of Arrows. Since it has a longer cooldown than Piercing Arrow you should save it for when you need to use it for slowing enemies. (In other words, don't use it to DPS)
• Try to always max charge your Piercing Arrow so it is Super Effective. Though don't leave yourself in a vulnerable state.
• Try to always use your Piercing Arrow on targets that are afflicted by Blighted Quiver.

Start of Game

• : Varus has little mobility, so Boots at the start will help you move around your lane a bit quicker and provide you with a better laning than if you went without boots.
  
• x 3: Since Varus is fairly squishy, we need to have a bit of survivability in the lane. Health Potion's will help with that. (If you find that you are taking no damage in the lane, then sell them and buy a couple of Mana Potion's).

Early Game

• x2: Doran's Blade is cheap and very effective when you have two of them. They will help you farm better, and give you a fair amount of Life Steal early on in the game. Again improving sustain and also improving your damage output. (If you can get these both fairly early on, then you can really take control of your lane).
• : Berserker's Greaves is pretty standard for any AD carry. Although in some cases situational. Remember, although boots can be different depending on the circumstances... Varus is nothing without attack speed and attack damage... so make sure you make up for the loss of attack speed in another item if you choose to go for other boots.

Early / Mid

• : Pickaxe is building your way to Infinity Edge. The reason for this item instead of the other two in the build is because of the damage output. Pure AD is always nice when in the lane, and at this stage in the game, Varus needs some more AD.
• : A cheap way to keep your health up. You will eventually be building Bloodthirster so having Vampiric Scepter this early on will help you keep your life steal relatively high and keep your sustain at a decent level.

Mid Game

• : So why rush Infinity Edge instead of Bloodthirster?
  The critical damage output and the extra AD will put you way ahead of your game. Plus with the fact that you should be standing at a decent range from the enemy, you shouldn't really be needing that high amount of Life Steal just yet. Rushing Bloodthirster is more for closer range carries. Just remember to keep your distance, so you can go for Infinity Edge first.
• : Moving from pure AD to AS and Critical Chance... Why is that?
  That is because Phantom Dancer works extraordinarily well with Infinity Edge.
  With this two items alone, you will be mowing down turrets in seconds. Not only that, your critical hits from auto attacks will be hitting for +500 damage alone (remember that you will be getting a lot of these +500 hits with your auto attack).
  At this point in the game, you are starting to become pretty unstoppable.
  It's understandable that Phantom Dancer might not be affordable straight away, but just concentrate the build towards it. Get Zeal first then progress your way up.
  This item is essential.

Mid/ Late

• : By this stage in the game your team should be at least on the enemy's inhibitors. And you should be taking them there. Your team are cowering behind you as you stand on the field of justice with your Bow of a Thousand Truths ripping apart every enemy that stands in your line of sight. That's why Bloodthirster is the next pick. People will try to attack you and focus you, but with your current attack speed and additional damage from Bloodthirster, you will regain your health faster than the enemy can damage it.
• : Situational. I usually go for Banshee's Veil because there is usually an AP caster that is dealing quite a hefty amount of burst damage. At least with this you can block the first attack without having to worry too much. If their caster is not a threat and their AD carry is, then go for either Thornmail or Guardian Angel. (note that Guardian Angel is a FIRST CHOICE for a team game. - i.e. A team that you are communicating with, not a PUG).
  For PUG's I would suggest the other two items before considering this Guardian Angel.

Late Game

• : If for some bizarre reason your team hasn't managed to succeed in winning yet, and you have enough gold, then pick up Madred's Bloodrazor. Imagine it as the icing on the cake for a game. With everything this item gives you, you will be mowing down not only their carries and casters, but their tanks too. After this item you are basically guaranteed that Victory screen.

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Other Items of Interest

Note that the items above are for the most optimal Varus, the rest of the items here are items that he can use and will still be viable

• : Frozen Mallet is a great item if your team is lacking CC.
  Although Varus does have his Chain of Corruption, it is an ultimate and does have a long cooldown.
  If the rest of your team is lacking CC, then this works well to compensate, especially for Varus' range.
• : Black Cleaver is an item that seems to attract a lot of people. It's probably because it gives quite a bit of damage and attack speed for a relatively small amount of gold. The problem with this item is that, although it does give you good AD and AS, the passive bonus only gives you a small temporary armour reduction. So I would highly suggest going to Madred's Bloodrazor before considering this item. But I'm not going to ignore it, as it is still viable.
• : Youmuu's Ghostblade An awesome item for a fair amount of gold. Getting The Brutalizer early/ mid is a strategy that I cannot deny. Although if you are farming well and can hold off for Infinity Edge then I don't see the need to go down that route. Though saying that, the Cooldown Reduction makes this a very attractive item if you have good mana regen to sustain your Q spam.
  Saying that though, the Cooldown Reduction and additional Armour Penetration makes this a viable item for people who prefer not to go with greater mark of desolation.
• : Last Whisper is an item again that is in favour of people who prefer not to use greater mark of desolation. It has a fair amount of Attack Damage, and a rather large amount of Armour Penetration.
  I would aim towards this if you are up against a load of tanks, or you are lacking Armour Penetration runes.

Ok, so let's go through this from the beginning.
You've spawned into the game, you have two on top, 1 in mid, and you along with a support on bot lane.
The first question we ask is... is this support good with Varus?

Now personally, I actually prefer having a support that can do DPS. Since early game your damage is pretty minimal as a carry, and having that extra DPS there will certainly help with your lane.

Note: Support roles are always favoured differently between summoners. Some prefer having flat out heals, while others prefer sacrificing a healer for one that can DPS. Others also prefer having a tank in their lane to support them... It really depends on the summoner and what they feel safe with

Let's have a look at a few champions who I feeel work well with Varus:

Support Champions for Varus

• Taric is a fantastic, tanky support role, that can provide a fair amount of DPS as well as giving you front end cover from ranged skill shots.
• Blitzcrank is a champion that - as long as you stay far enough behind - can literally feed the enemies to you. Get over here! - Note that you will want to stay far as behind Blitzcrank as possible, so that when he hooks people in, they won't be able to attack you. (But don't stand too far away otherwise you won't be able to farm)
• Janna can provide some funky tornadoes that will - for a short time - disable the enemy, giving you enough time to throw a few shots in... enough to make the enemy backtrack to their turret. Not to mention the fact she can shield you too!
• Alistar is a front-heavy DPS support who can disable the enemy easily for you to blast at from a decent range. He can also heal you for a small amount, improving your sustain.
• Lulu a great support with some defensive buffs. She also has a great poke which can help you win over your lane quicker.

Other Supports that help

• Sona is a pure healer with some awesome aura's. The problem is that her DPS lacks early game, and you will be required to all of the DPS in that lane. This isn't neccessarily a bad thing for most people, but personally, having a support that can actually do some fair amount of damage for you, while providing a shield of sorts (be it an actual shield, or human shield) is much better for Varus.
• Soraka like Sona she can heal well... she can also give you mana, which is a ma-housive help early game. But, the same reasoning above for Sona applies to Soraka
• Nunu & Willump is a pretty cool support if played well. Bear in mind, I only like him for his AS buff... other than that, he needs a good CS to be viable later on. So he is better off counter-jungling than taking your CS.
• Leona + Shen two tanks that can seriously help you win your lane. But in my experience, they are only good supports if played by good summoners. So be careful on the PUG with these two... as they are also pretty dependent on CS.

Laning Gameplay

So you have your support who is confident to let you farm and provide you the support you need to farm.
The first and foremost thing is to make sure your jungler is happy.
You will need your jungler to help gank your lane if things go bad... not only that, if your jungler also ganks your lane, while knowingly letting you take the kill, then you have a fantastic pug group. Other than that, try to make sure that early game, you get the final blow on any kills that your jungler helps with.

When CS'ing, just try to ensure that the creeps stay in the middle near the brush.
That way your support can stay in the brush and come out when necessary. You also won't have to worry about losing any potential CS because of the turrets.

The important thing to note here is... don't push the lane yet!
You are no where near strong enough to turret dive at this stage in the game, and going under their turret loses you CS and potential ganks. So just keep the creeps at a neutral point in the lane!

Poking

IMPORTANT... SMARTCAST
Make sure you have smartcast enabled for Piercing Arrow so there is no hesitation and that way you can quickly pull off skill shots without the enemy preparing for you to release the shot.

Pokey poke... this is where Varus likes to make himself look epic.
Using your Piercing Arrow you can make the enemy back off away from your creeps.


The problem with Piercing Arrow is that it can eat a lot of mana.
So don't use it every time it cools down!
You have to wait for the moment to use it.
And the best moment is when they cross the half way line between theirs and your turret.
REMEMBER if you can, land a couple to a few auto attacks, then hit your Q.
This is the safest way to ensure they won't return to your half of the lane.

Use Piercing Arrow when they least expect it.
That way, there is a lesser chance of them trying to dodge it.

What to do if enemy is pushing early on

If the enemy in your lane is pushing the creeps to your turret, then take a step back and farm creeps from a safe distance.
By the time they actually push to your turret, you would have hit at least level 3, so you have your QWE skills ready.
Once their creeps are under your turret, they will do either one of two things.

1) They back off back down the lane or into the brush.

Fantastic! This gives you a chance to farm more of their creeps without risk. Just let the turret do a couple of hits, and take the last hit on the creep. Your CS will rise dramatically.

2) They attack your turret

Refer to the ability sequence mentioned earlier. Treat it as they are running away. Use the Hail of Arrows to slow them under the turret, auto attack a few times and finish off with the Piercing Arrow. That will teach them to mess with your turret.
(Also if you're lucky, they will waste a Flash trying to get away from your auto attacks).


Remember to keep this up until you receive your Pickaxe and Vampiric Scepter - at which point you can start to push your lane.

The general idea is not to push until you are confident that both you and your support can handle the turret.

Working with your support and jungler this early on really helps your lane.

Jungler Ganks

Hopefully if you have a good jungler, he will be ready to gank ~lvl 2/3. At which point you don't hesitate to jump on the enemy once your jungler has made that initial attack.
Rengar Is a really good ganker from the jungle, and can keep the enemy's attention immediately after pouncing on them.
At which point, you will follow the standard ability sequence and finish the enemy off with a maxed Piercing Arrow charge.

Early Game Summary

• Don't push the lane
• Keep creeps neutral
• Use your jungler to scare/ finish off enemies
• CS!! (most important)
• Always last hit, including enemy champions. (If your team starts shouting "KS" then they are applauding you for Securing the kill as the carry... there is no need to respond to their thanks)
• Don't leave your lane! *
• Harass the enemy if you must, but don't waste mana

* Why "Don't leave lane"?
You are the carry. At this point in the game, you need to ignore the rest of the map, and concentrate on getting as much farm as possible. Remember that you need a lot of gold to get to the super effective point.

By this point you should have:

Berserker's Greaves, 2x Doran's Blade, Vampiric Scepter, Infinity Edge, Zeal (or if you got the epic farm then Phantom Dancer).

So at this point you need to start concentrating on turrets.

Now a carry isn't just the dude or dudette that goes around deathmatch style and murders everyone.
The carry, carries the team to victory.
And to do that, you need to destroy some turrets.

Turrets

I'm sure by this point in the game, you have probably had a couple of team fights and people are fighting in mid lane mainly.
Regardless of where the team fights are... make sure your turret in your lane is sorted.
Do not prioritize kills over turrets.
If you can easily get kills, then awesome, but if you have a choice to get a kill or get a turret.. then go for the latter.
There are two reasons...
1) A turret will get you closer to the nexus.
2) A turret's gold is worth about 2 kills... so why waste time on one kill, when your whole team could get gold to the equivalent of 2 kills by you dropping a turret within a few seconds.

Once the enemy turret in your lane is sorted, move to mid lane.

If their tier 1 turret in mid lane isn't downed yet, now is the time to take it.

The fact is, teams will always favour mid for pushing to the nexus, so you may as well get their turrets down in that lane for preparation.

Teamfights

Now at this point there will be team fights... or should I say... Team Standoffs.

Until someone makes that initial move to get the teams going at each other, both teams will be relying on minion waves to help them push.

Now here is where you need to analyze the situation and make a decision.

Champions that will cause Varus pain and misery

• Blitzcrank is the worse offender here.
  If there is a team standoff, do NOT make the initial attempt with your Chain of Corruption if Blitzcrank is there. He will just pull you in and you will die in a second.
• Darius also has one of those get over here moves.
  Although the range might not be as much as Blitzcrank there is still a huge risk to getting pulled in.
• Xerath's range is awesome. He will stun you and you will die. It's that simple. Not only that, if you think you are out of Xerath's range... you are not. His Locus of Power will increase his range so much so that you may get stunned even while standing off with your team.
• Vayne will cause a lot of pain to Varus - her auto attacks are way faster, and not only that, her Silver Bolts will do extra damage every third attack - and with the tiny amount of health that you have, you will lose against her... so stay out of her way!
• Ahri her range is long and she can taunt you using Charm into moving towards the enemy team... from which they would all just pounce on to you. So another reason to stay back.

So just be careful and make your decision wisely.
Yes, at this point you can turn team fights into your favour, but if you are dead, you won't be able to.

Remember you are a carry!
Any good player on the other team will focus you and attempt to kill you before anyone else.

So stand back, and only initiate with Chain of Corruption if you are certain you can make the exchange without losing.

Escaping

You are reading this part? Well good luck!
In all seriousness, Varus has no escape.
His mobility is extremely low, and he heavily relies on Flash to escape.

Although saying this you can use Chain of Corruption or Hail of Arrows
But note that this the ulti is only a 2 second CC and your slow is only in the area where you put it. They could easily flash after getting CC'd or Flash over your pool of slowness and get back to where they were before you tried to CC'd them.

Although there are times when you can use it and get the kill.

Sometimes you may get chased beyond your turret.

If you know that you are going to get chased beyond your turret, then save your Chain of Corruption.
Once they are under the turret, hit them with it and start stacking Blighted Quiver and smash them with Piercing Arrow.
Note that you will be able to stack and burst within two seconds if you have the recommended build including Phantom Dancer.
At which point the enemy will either carry on chasing you, or will turn and run.

This is where you need to make a decision... if they carry on chasing (i.e. they are a tank) then block their path with Hail of Arrows and just run back to base.
If they turn and run away then depending on their health levels, either carry on chasing them, or use the time to go back to base and then re-group with the team.

The whole ideal totally depends on the situation, and you, as a summoner (not just playing as Varus) need to use your initiative and figure out whether or not it is wise to chase back or not.

Mid Game Summary

• Focus Turrets, ensure your lane is secure
• After your lane, focus mid to help your team progress
• Be careful in team fights. Let your tank initiate... only initiate if it is safe to do so
• In team fights always focus the enemy carry and use Chain of Corruption to CC multiple targets
• Keep farming! You won't be much of a carry if the enemy carry has more gold than you!
• Carry your team... this means picking towers/ inhibs over single kills.

Wow! This game must be going on pretty long if it's getting this far!
I'm surprised you haven't carried the team to victory already... not to worry - If they have some anti-carry champions then that's totally understandable.

Going up against a tanky team can also cause this...
Here are a few tanks to be careful, especially this late into the game.

Tanks that Varus might struggle against

• Rammus is a champion I love and I hate. I own him, and I play him as an anti carry with Thornmail and as much armour as possible (obviously depending on the situation, but most of the time if the enemy's are AD).
  You have to be careful of Rammus because not only does his Defensive Ball Curl reflect damage, so will Thornmail which he will build if he is up against you. So just make sure that you don't waste yourself on him, when your AP caster can do a better job.
• Cho'Gath is just too huuuuuge! If he is in the enemy team, save him until last.
  Honestly, he may look mean and scary, but don't let his size fool you. His damage is actually rather low compared to everyone else on his team. Just ensure he is CC'd while you deal with the rest. Save him until last, as your damage with feel like it's having no effect against him.
• Garen does the spin to win, and he will win against you. He will spin through your Hail of Arrows and through your Piercing Arrow, right to you and start destroying you. Just make sure you have some support when dealing with Garen
• Volibear is one not to let near you. Seriously do not let him charge you with his Thundering Smash or you will be nuked so hard.
  Ensure he is kept at a distance away from the group.

Pushing the Lanes

By this point in the game you should have at least Bloodthirster and Banshee's Veil. These two items will increase your sustainability, especially this late into the game.

Low on health? Just go into the jungle and farm some camps with a few auto attacks... because you can do that now, especially with your item setup.

At this point in the game, you really need to be aiming towards the enemy inhibitors.
You as Varus can solo the turrets at this stage under 1 creep wave.

If your team is struggling pushing mid lane, then branch off and take the tier 2 turrets from the other lanes.
That way you will cause a distraction for the enemy team, not only pushing your lanes, but also allowing your team to push mid.

By doing this, you will also find the enemy team may separate. This is a perfect time to take them out one by one.
And when you do do, make sure to finish off with a Baron kill when half their team is down.
Although you might not be able to solo the Baron as Varus, with your team, you can finish it off in seconds.

So get that Baron down and push mid.

Remember, your primary job as Varus is to get those turrets and inhibs down.
With your current attack speed and attack damage, you can do it solo, but you need your team there to take the aggro off of you.

Charge mid lane, but make sure you are behind the group.
If the enemy team sees you charging with the Baron buff, they will retreat.
This gives you the perfect opportunity to get your tank to tank the remaining turrets for you to finish them off.

That one last confident charge in mid lane could effectively win you the game.
But you need to convince your team to do so, as it could be risky.

Otherwise you might find yourself picking up Madred's Bloodrazor after all!

If the enemy AD carry is giving you too much grief, then drop Berserker's Greaves and get either Guardian Angel or Thornmail.
At this point in the game, you don't need to worry too much about movement speed, as your Phantom Dancer will provide you enough to move from lane to lane.

Late Game Summary

• You as [{Varus]] must always focus turrets and inhibs, as you will quickly get them down
• Be careful of those tanks, don't attack them 1 on 1, or even in team fights... work the others first and leave the tanks till last.
• Although you can't solo the Baron , make sure your team knows that you can DPS is down in a matter of seconds and that it is worth the diversion from the lane.
• At this stage, communication is most definitely the key! Make sure to let your team know when you are about to use Chain of Corruption
• Scare the enemy team by rushing them guns-a-blazing! If you have the Baron Buff, and the enemy team sees you rushing, then they will just simply crumble.
• Teamwork, Teamwork and more Teamwork. If you are this late into the game, then you need to start getting your team to communicate

Some basic tips and tricks to help you win with Varus

Poke them until they have had enough poking!: Remember, with Varus' range, you don't need to use your Piercing Arrow to poke them. You can simply use your auto attack.
Early game, your auto attack will do enough damage to push the enemy back.

Chain of Corruption does NOT immobilize!: Remember that any ranged champion you CC with Chain of Corruption can still attack you if you are within range. So be careful!

You don't have to play for the kill: Note that although early game you need as many kills as possible... sending the enemy back to base to heal is just as good as it gives you a risk-free CS farm, which can equate to the equivalent of an early kill.

You are not invincible!: Seriously you're not. You may seem it by mid/late game but you are still very vulnerable to CC.

Q stands for Kill Steal!: And when I say Kill Steal I mean buff stealing.
See the enemy attacking your dragon? Well with the ward that your support placed earlier, you can see when it is time to charge that Piercing Arrow and steal that kill!
Not only that... if the enemy is on the baron... you can easily KS that baron if your timing is good.
So get the map warded! Ward the buffs/ dragon at early/mid and be ready for those epic KS moments!

As a carry, it is your job to get kills: so don't be afraid to get last hits on champions. If your team wants to win, they will make sure their carry has the farm needed to carry them. The game is not a deathmatch. It is not "who get's the most kills wins".
What it actually is, is "whoever's team carry has the most kills wins".
And since you are the carry, you can and you will win.

Well that was fun to write :D

I really hope that at least some of you made it through the entirety of this, as it took me a long time to put together lol

But most importantly, I hope some of you learn something about Varus from this, and your gameplay improves with the help of this guide.

Please feel free to send me any screenshots of your scores with Varus, and I will create a new chapter with your name and scores there.

Also feel free to give me advice on my guide to help improve it.
I look forward to hearing from you all!

Take care all and good luck on the Fields of Justice!