You pretty much can't lane against a good Zed. After serrated dirk the amount of damage he deals is too much for your sustain and it's hard to run him down - due to his mobility (shadows). He also blocks your shields (Stoneplate - sterak's gage), if he builds serpents fang. Your only goal against this matchup is to survive no matter what.
Vayne
Laning against Vayne is like every other ranged Toplaner, but she can be seen in mid aswell. The matchup is easy - unless you allow her to hit you 3 auto attacks proccing PTA and her passive. Due to her play-style, Vayne gets ganked easily. Unfortunately, Vayne outscales Nasus after 3 items & Qss, which she will use to remove wither and start kitting you aggressively, unless your team has bigger control on Cc making it easier for you in teamfights.
Akshan
One of the worst matchups. He is usually seen in mid, however it could be picked top aswell. He trades for free because of his swing. Really hard to farm against him because of his passive. It's impossible to all in him - due to his E. Try to survive the laning phase by farming. It will be hard, but try to stall the laning phase as much as possible and teamfight later on.
Camille
It's really hard to lane against Camille, from level 1 to 3 her trades are really strong, if she lands her E. That's not the main problem overall, after her first back lane is a disaster. A good all in with Sheen and Ignite can pretty much kill you. If she engages with her E, you can kill her - if you have between 150-200 stacks it won't be hard to kill her. A good Camille will never do that. If she holds her E there is no way you can run her down. I suggest dodging a Camille above D2, it's not worth taking the flip.
Aatrox
Aatrox is one of the worst matchups. In the early game - laning against Aatrox is a bit harder. Level 3 for Aatrox is a big spike - a good Aatrox will zone you, preventing you from stacking or even getting experience. Farming under tower against Aatrox can be really hard due to his 3 Q charges, once you have bramble vest, sheen and boots of lucidity with 200, the lane is over for him. Once he makes a small mistake you can wither him, open R + Ghost and run him down. Try to close the gap between you and Aatrox so he can't knock you up. Surviving the early game against Aatrox is really hard so give cs if is needed, a good Aatrox can punish your smallest mistake, so be careful.
Ahri
Ahri is a shit matchup overall but it depends on the opponent it can be really hard and sometimes easy but in general the matchup is bad. If she lands her E on first levels you are pretty much almost half Hp due to electrocute W and her Q so your goal is to avoid her E . You can do that by pretending you are going for a minion with your Q and just step back or stand behind minions its hard to farm under tower. Level 7 or after sheen the matchup is easier but u can never run her down unless she used her R on a roam.
Akali
Akali isn't the best matchup for Nasus. On early levels she can't burst you down unless she lands her E. Try not to greed for Cs early on. Farming under tower against Akali is fine. The only trade she can have is poking with Q. At level 6, if she has no flash and she used her W, you can try to run her down and follow up with flash when she uses her second R for escape.
Anivia
Try to stack as much as you can pre 6 against Anivia. Whenever you go for cs try to side step her Q, so she wont burst you down with E + electrocute. Many Anivia players insta-Q when they see Nasus going for a minion. After you purchase sheen and have R, whenever she uses her Q, you can run her down. Later on, if she manages to scale well, she will have big impact in teamfights. Overall not the best matchup depends on the enemy how good he is
Annie
One of the easiest matchups for Nasus. Free stack pre 6, avoid walking up for cs when she has her stun ready. Once you have Sheen, after she uses her stun, you can run her down.
Cassiopeia
The Cassiopeia matchup is one of the hardest. First levels Cassiopeia works like Anivia if she hits her Q, she will start kitting you with her E and the extra MS she gets when she lands her Q. The reason this matchup is hard is because of her R and W. After some levels, if she wastes her W (which has 24 seconds cooldown), you can take advantage of it and all in her. Worst case scenario you get hit by her R and she runs away with phase rush. If she uses Conqueror instead of Phase rush you might have some chances of running her down.
Cho'Gath
The matchup is fair, both of you have sustain, due to the passive. As Nasus try not to walk up for cs on the first levels .His damage is quite underestimated in the early game. He has everything to punish you. If he uses Arcane comet instead of Grasp, the matchup is way easier. You can duel him 150 stacks with Sheen and Boots of lucidity.
Azir
Even tho Azir is not a popular champion, laning against him is just pain. Azir outranges your E making it really hard to farm safe. Try to remain above 60% of your Hp in all times. Farming under tower against Azir is really hard, he can pretty much permanetly poke you for free. First back buy Kindlegem and try to survive the laning phase and fight for objectives. Trying to all in Azir is pointless since he can get away with his dash.
Corki
For Nasus, Corki is free matchup.I suggest going Conqueror against him because Corki is really weak on early levels. He cant prevent you from stacking up. On level 6 buy Sheen and run him down. When he tries to push a wave Wither him open Ghost and run him down. The first thing Corki players do when they see a Nasus chasing them is W away, thats not a problem since your wither is still slowing him keep chasing and stacking your Conqueror. When he Flashes away insta Flash on top of him and finish him off. The only bad thing with Corki is after his Muramana he starts to outscale you unless he is really behind.
Darius
Darius is the matchup every Nasus is afraid of. Start E level 1 and try to last hit the first 3 melee minions. Since you cant walk up to farm against him, make sure to farm from distance using your E. Be careful when you are using your E not to hit other minions except the one you want to kill. You dont want to E the whole wave since it can destroy Darius 's slow push into you. A good Darius will slow push first 3 waves then recall. Keep last hitting the wave under your tower and make sure you get as many Cs as possible. With your experience advantage create a slow push towards him. If he tries to fight you on a huge minion wave open ghost and fight back. Lane is really easy if you havent died once. First back buy Sheen plus long Sword. If you have around 70+ stacks on level 6 wish Sheen and Long sword you are able to kill him. Once he makes a small mistake like wasting his Q or failing his E make sure to take advantage of it and all in him. Getting lead against Darius is really important. The only matchup you dont build Stoneplate second, go for Divine and then Sterak's gage.
Dr. Mundo
Your main goal against Mundo is to stack as much as possible. The matchup is pretty good for Nasus.Try to grab as many Cs as you can on first few waves.On your first recall make sure to buy Boots of lucidity. Focus on farming up and on your second recall if you have enought gold, buy Sheen and Kindlgem. After you have Sheen (and Kindlgem) there is nothing he can do.
Gangplank
Gangplank 's passive really hurts. Early levels try to survive using Doran's shield, Fleet footwork and Second wind. Dodge Gangplank 's barrels by pretending to walk up but then backing away right after to dodge the 2 part barrel. On your first recall buy Sheen so you can heal a good amount of Hp whenever he uses his Q. On your second recall buy boots of lucidity. Once you have 150-200 stacks pretend to all in him by using your W. He will immediately use his W to remove the slow. Whenever your W is ready, instant Wither him and run him down he wont be able to prevent the slow because his W has bigger cooldown than yours.
Gragas
Laning Against Gragas is fine. First 2 levels he cant do much. When Gragas hits level 3 you should not walk up for any Cs because of his full trade. On your first recall buy sheen so you can heal back. Lane gets pretty easy after level 6, he has no kill pressure on you. Bad news are that you cant kill him either. A good Gragas will never die to a Nasus. Try to farm as much as possible and keep your resources for objectives.
Graves
Graves is really good matchup for Nasus. First few waves try to stack as much as you can. He cant really do much to stop you, when you walk up for Cs make sure to stand behind minions so his auto attacks gets blocked. After you buy Sheen with 100 stacks and your R ready you can run him down. The only bad thing about graves is that he outscales you after 30+ minutes due to Lord dominik's regards and Infinity edge.
Diana
Diana is easy for Nasus if you manage to survive the early levels. Start with Q on level 1 and try to stack as much as you can. Diana 's level 2 is dangerous. The amount of damage she can deal with Q E AA E AA + Electrocute is really big. After you buy Sheen, wait for your level 6 and run her down when she jumps on you.
Heimerdinger
Most Nasus players think this matchup is unplayable due to the pressure he applies with his Q. First levels let him push the waves and try to last hit under your tower. Farming under your tower against Heimerdinger is fine since he cant do much. On your first recall buy Sheen and try to recover the amount of damage he does. (YOU WILL BE BEHIND ON FARM EXPERIENCE AND PLATES) but there is not much you can do about it. If you manage to stack well against him, if he makes a mistake like throwing his E, make sure to take advantage of it and run him down.
Irelia
On level 1 Start with E and try to last hit the firstt 3 melee minions. Never walk up for Cs against Irelia. If you get hit by her E the amount of damage she can deal is crazy. A good Irelia will zone you out of lane. Give Cs and experience if needed just dont die no matter what. Nasus outscales Irelia after a certain point. Staying alive against Irelia is really important. After you buy sheen kindlegem with 200 stacks you can kill her after she makes a mistake. Remember not to fight her in a big minion wave since she can use it to heal while you fight. Watch the wave before trying to all in her. This matchup gets way easier after you buy divine.
Jayce
Do not underestimate Jayce 's damage on early levels. Dont let him trade you for free. A good trade from Jayce can drop you to 40% of your Hp . Farm safely on first few levels and do not try to all in him on level 6. Wait till you are level 8 and upgrade your W. Once you have Sheen, if he jumps on you instant Wither him open Ghost and run him down. If he has Phase rush let him use it and then all in him.
Kassadin
You have the ability to free stack on first few waves. When he has his E ready do not walk up and let him use it first. Back on level 6 and buy Sheen with boots. If you have more than 100 stacks, if he uses his Ultimate to trade thats the only chance of you killing him. If he does that, instant Wither him and open Ghost. I suggest dodging above D2. Its not worth taking the flip, a good Kassadin player will never R to trade. Another reason you should dodge, is his roaming ability and snowball potential. You can never outroam a good Kassadin.
Katarina
Free stack pre 6 against Katarina. There is nothing she can do to you unless you stand on her daggers. Overall laning against Katarina is easy and having a lot of Cc against her is another way to shut her down. Be careful when you try to run her down, first look at the wave position so she wont escape.
Kayle
For Nasus, Kayle is the easiest matchup by far. You free stack on every wave till her level 6. On your first back grab Sheen and head back to your Lane. After you have 200stacks you can permanently run her down. Once she wastes R which has 160 seconds cooldown on level 1 while yours has 120 seconds on every stage you can use that advantage to run her down. I suggest buying Boots of lucidity on your second recall. Overall laning against Kayle is really easy but after her Riftmaker and level 16 she can melt you down.
Kennen
Kennen is a better version of Teemo. Try to stack as much as possible on first few levels and try to sidestep some of his Q 's, which is the main poking ability for Kennen. Once you have Boost of lucidity and Sheen, after he oversteps a bit you can all in him. Pretty decent laning phase for Nasus due to Kennen 's W.
Lissandra
Hard lane for Nasus. Against Lissandra try to avoid her Q 's. Take fleet against her and try to survive as long as you can. You never have solo kill pressure against her due to her E and R. First back buy Boots of lucidity and try to stack as much as you can. Its pointless wasting resources for her. Instead keep your resources for teamfights and objectives.
Lucian
One of the hardest lanes for Nasus. Good Lucian players will zone you out of your lane. Give up experience and gold if needed. First back buy Kindlgem and try to survive the laning phase. The only way to kill Lucian pre 6 is with your Jungler, if that doesnt happen keep focusing on farming whenever you can. Once you have Sheen Kindlgem and Boots, you can try to all in him. Overall if you manage to survive the laning phase, he wont stand a chance later on. Just never walk up to him the amount of damage he can deal is amazing plus PTA.
Lux
After the Lux buffs she can be seen in midlane aswell. Against Lux try to survive her early poke using Second wind and Fleet footwork. On level 6 with Sheen after she misses her Q all in her. Overall the lane is really easy for Nasus.
Malzahar
Free stack pre level 6.Early levels he cant do much you outsustain his damage with second with. I suggest going Conqueror against him for the duels. On your first back buy Boots of lucidity and keep stacking. After you buy Sheen you are ready to go. On level 8 use your E to break his passive and then Wither him and open Ghost. Matchup is pretty easy for Nasus. The only problem is that Malza outscales Nasus later on. Your goal is to end the game before 30 minutes.
Orianna
After recent buffs Oriana matchup is way harder. Thats why Oriana can use Phase rush and become really annoying. On early levels try to survive her poke using Fleet and Second wind. On your first recall grab Sheen and try to stall the laning phase as much as you can. After you have sheen and boots of lucidity, let her use her Phase rush and then all in her. She cant out run you without her Phase rush. Lane can be harder if she goes Boots of Swiftness + Her W and E movement speed aswell as her pull back from R.
Pantheon
Laning vs Pantheon is hard. Level 1 and 2 he isnt that big of a threat for. The pain begins after his level 3. A good pantheon player will zone you out of your lane. Give up Cs and experience if needed. Pantheon 's kit is really good for dive so you should stay above 40% of your HP at all times. Your main goal against this matchup is to survive the laning phase with the help of Fleet footwork and Second wind. Trying to solo kill a pantheon is pointless due to his R which he can use to escape. Things are easier if you have a Jungler - Support with atleast 1 Cc ability. Overall focus on farming and surviving the laning phase, keep your resources for teamfights or objectives.
Qiyana
For Nasus, Qiyana is a hard matchup. After her level 2 avoid walking up for Cs, her damage is really insane due to Long sword + Electrocute. On your first back, buy sheen and wait for her mistake. Once she uses her dash to trade Instant Wither Ghost and run her down. On level 8 try to have permanently priority against her. Dont give her a chance to roam and snowball.
Ryze
For Nasus, Ryze is a big threat. Thats why you never have kill pressure against him. Early levels try to survive using Fleet footwork and Second wind. The only kill pressure you have is with your Jungler - Support with Cc. First recall buy Boots of lucidity and try to stack as much as you can. Its pointless trying solo killing him. You wont be able to do that because of his R and Phase rush. Try to save your resources for teamfigts or objectives. Bad news are that he outscales you due to Archangel's staff. I suggest dodging the matchup above D2.
Sylas
You wont have to face him since he will be permabanned ;D
Syndra
Against Syndra all you have to do is pretty much sidestep her Q by pretending to walk up for Cs then backing off. First back buy Boots of lucidity and try to stack as much as you can. If you manage to survive till Sheen and Boots of lucidity the lane is over. Overall the laning phase is easy for Nasus the only bad thing is that after her Void stuff her damage starts to increase a lot.
Talon
Talon is a hard matchup for Nasus. His level 1 is weak and there is nothing he can do. After his level 2 avoid walking up for Cs, the amount of damage he can deal is really big. The only way to kill talon on early game is with your Jungler. After his level 6 there is no kill pressure anymore. Once you hit level 8 try to have permanently priority against him so he cant roam and snowball. Do not follow Talon 's early roams, most attempts will be fail. Focus on farming and build an experience lead against him. Keep your resources for teamfights - objectives. If you manage to get a lead against Talon there is not much he can do.
Twisted Fate
Vs Twisted Fate, take armor runes instead of Magic resist. Thats because Twisted fate only uses auto attacks on lane. There is only 1 ability which does Magic damage and that is his Q but it is easy to dodge. Try to get a lead against him so he wont be able to roam without getting punished.
Veigar
Free stack pre level 6 against him . First recall buy sheen and Boots of lucidity. Wait for your level 8 so you have some points on W aswell. You can easily run him down, the moment he walks in range for your W, instant wither him and run him down with Ghost and R. Your main goal against Veigar is to finish the game before 30 minutes otherwise you are pretty much doomed.
Vel'Koz
Vel'koz is an easy matchup for Nasus. Try to survive his poke using Fleet footwork, Second wind and 3 beads. First recall buy Sheen and heal his poke. After level 6 there is notching he can do. Overall pretty easy laning phase for Nasus. The only tool he has to make a gap between you and him is his E, if you manage to dodge that you are able to run him down using W and Ghost.
Vex
Similar matchup as Vel'koz. Use your Fleet footwork and Second wind to survive against Vex. Wait for your level 8 so you have some points to your W, making it really hard for her to run. First back buy Sheen and boots and look for a solo kill. You have kill pressure against her after she uses her fear. Overall a fine laning phase for Nasus.
Viktor
After pre season12 started, the matchup got a lot harder for Nasus due to the new rune First strike, which is extremely good on Viktor. First back buy sheen and try to heal back as much as you can. Once you hit level 8, this is your only chance to solo kill him before he buys his Mythic item. After his Void staff and Shadowflame the amount of damage he deals is crazy. If you manage to take a lead against Viktor, your main goal should be to end the game Asap.
Vladimir
Start with 3 beads against him. On your first recall buy Sheen and Doran's shield. This way whenever he Q's you, recovering isnt a problem anymore. After Boots of lucidity and sheen, wait for him to use his Phase rush, then run him down.
Xerath
Similar matchup as Vel'koz. On early levels use your Fleet footwork, Second wind and Doran's shield to heal his poke. On your first back buy Sheen plus Boots of lucidity and look for a solo kill. You can pretty much dive Xerath with 200+ stacks. Be careful when you dive a Xerath since most of them use Flash and Barrier for summoner spells.
Yasuo
Against Yasuo, for starting items buy Cloth armor and 4 potions. On your first recall buy Plated steelcaps and survive as much as you can. Take your second recall once you have gold for Sheen. After you have those 2 items with 100+ stacks you can run him down. Be careful when you all in a Yasuo. Make sure your minion wave isnt that big so he wont be able to dash many times. Bad news are after his Lord dominik's regards and Infinity edge he outscales you. Make sure to finish the game before 30 minutes.
Yone
Against Yone, for starting items buy Cloth armor and 4 potions. On your first recall buy Plated steelcaps and survive as much as you can. Take your second recall once you have gold for Sheen. Once he uses his E Wither him and walk up his shadow, when he returns back stand on top of him so he cant escape with his R. Bad news are after his Lord dominik's regards and Infinity edge he outscales you. Make sure to finish the game before 30 minutes. The matchup similar to Yasuo.
Zoe
Zoe is a good opponent for Nasus. Use your Fleet footwork and Second wind to survive the laning phase. Take your first recall when you have Sheen and Boots. after you have 100+ stacks you are able to run her down. Try baiting her E so you can kill her for sure. If they have Ap Jungler aswell, buy Mercury's treads.
Karma
Karma is pretty strong with Nasus aswell. Gives you everything that you need, speed and shield. Overall a great champion to have while you play Nasus. The only reason why Karma isnt at the same level as Zilean is because of Zilean 's R.
Zilean
Zilean has by far the best synergy with Nasus. Nasus struggles with mobility and Zilean is a great champ to boost up your speed. You can pretty much run into them as fast as you can with Ghost and Wither the enemy carry while you cover your backline at the same time.
Yuumi
Yuumi is great too. Not as good as Karma and Zilean. Thats why as Nasus you dont want someone to be with you, instead you prefer to tank alone and let your backline finish them.
Lulu
Lulu is good for Nasus. Shield and speed is everything that you need from her.
Ivern
Ivern is strong with Nasus. There are cases where you would prefer a more aggressive Jungler with you. That usually happens when you have a hard matchup and you need a duelist with you instead of Ivern. In the other hand if you manage to win the lane Ivern will be really helpful.
Renata Glasc
Probably one of the best combinations with Nasus. Thats because of her W. It is even better if you use Lethal Tempo for runes.
Synergies
IdealStrongOkLowNone
Karma
Karma is pretty strong with Nasus aswell. Gives you everything that you need, speed and shield. Overall a great champion to have while you play Nasus. The only reason why Karma isnt at the same level as Zilean is because of Zilean 's R.
Zilean
Zilean has by far the best synergy with Nasus. Nasus struggles with mobility and Zilean is a great champ to boost up your speed. You can pretty much run into them as fast as you can with Ghost and Wither the enemy carry while you cover your backline at the same time.
Yuumi
Yuumi is great too. Not as good as Karma and Zilean. Thats why as Nasus you dont want someone to be with you, instead you prefer to tank alone and let your backline finish them.
Lulu
Lulu is good for Nasus. Shield and speed is everything that you need from her.
Ivern
Ivern is strong with Nasus. There are cases where you would prefer a more aggressive Jungler with you. That usually happens when you have a hard matchup and you need a duelist with you instead of Ivern. In the other hand if you manage to win the lane Ivern will be really helpful.
Renata Glasc
Probably one of the best combinations with Nasus. Thats because of her W. It is even better if you use Lethal Tempo for runes.
Hello my dear Nasus enjoyers and welcome to my Nasus mid guide. My name Is John or Giannis (my Greek name) I am working as a COACH both personal and team coach and im currently 18 years old . Most people know me as Desperate Nasus(AKA the most hated Nasus).I will also be streaming on twitch.tv/DesperateNasus I started playing Nasus back in season 9 and ended Platinum4. In season 10 I started taking Nasus more seriously as a champion and finished Platinum1 with over 800 games. Sadly the Lp gains werent that good (+12,-18) so I was forced to make a new account and handlevel it. On season 11 i made a promise to myself that I would hit Diamond+.
I've played in every Elo through multiple accounts of mine. I've smurfed from fresh level 30 to Grandmaster-Challenger. I want to share this passion I have for Nasus through this guide and hope you can start enjoying the dog as much as i do!
Before i start talking about why i prefer to play Nasus mid, I wanna say something to all new Nasus players. If you are below Diamond4 i suggest playing Nasus Toplane since most people dont really know how to punish a Nasus well. If you are above Diamond4 you should swap to Midlane because people are more skilled and they often zone you out of your Lane. First of all if your wave gets frozen in Toplane there is nothing you can do, losing 2-3 waves as Nasus can be really painful. Another reason why i swaped to Nasus mid, is because of the matchups. Toplaners such as , , , , etc, are really hard to deal with. Since most of the Midlaners are mages, you have everything you need to deal with them. Your passive which is LifestaI, you also have which is another tool for sustain. Last but not least you have for your sustain items. In Midlane, as Nasus you have access to the enemy minion wave way easier than you have in Toplane. Another advantage of Nasus Midlane is the stacking numbers. Stacking as Nasus mid is way easier than Nasus Top. You will always have more stacks as Nasus Mid than Toplane. There are matchups where you will struggle, but i can surely say they are way easier. Nasus 's W is one of the strongest slows making it really easy to setup a gank for your Jungler. As Nasus mid, you should ask your Jungler to pick something good for early game such as , , etc, so you can abuse the enemy Midlaner with your slow. Overall Nasus mid is way more viable than Nasus top in higher elos. If your goal is to climb to Masters or above, Nasus mid is the way to go.
Pros / Cons
Pros – What are the benefits of playing this champion?
·Easy mechanically ·You improve as a player by playing Nasus ·You learn Macro since Nasus is all about Macro ·His mid game is really strong if played correctly ·Really good duelist after ·Good pressure around the map ·Punishing champion ·Really good 1v2 potential
Cons – What are the drawbacks of playing this champion?
·Immobile champion ·Really weak early game ·First 10-15 minutes decide how the game will go ·Gets kited easily ·Nowdays there are a lot of items that counter Nasus ·Bad in early skirmishes ·Falls off after 35 minute mark
What should i ban?
For me is what you should always ban. You cant lane against a good sylas. Its even worse later on he outstats you during the whole game
When To Dodge?
Playing Nasus in high elo is way different than in lower elos. You should always pay attention to the enemy comp, if it looks doomed just dodge its worth taking the -3 than -13. There are some combinations you should always dodge in high elo.
+ + + + + + + +
For me, these are the combinations you should always dodge. Fed or not fed it doesnt really matter. There is nothing you can do since they can kite you away with , which is one of the best items for Ad carries to kite you away. After the release of , and , Nasus has a harder time dealing with Adcs.
WHY DO THESE ITEMS COUNTER YOU?
Quicksilver Sash is a better version of and it is one of the strongest items against Nasus. That is why as Nasus, your only close gap ability is your and this item pretty much removes your slow, making it really hard to chase them.
Kraken slayer is an Anti Tank item which is often used by Adcs. Basic attacks grant a stack for 3 seconds, up to 2 stacks. At 2 stacks, the next basic attack consumes all stacks to deal 60 (+ 45% bonus AD) bonus true damage.
Immortal Shieldbow is by far the best option as an Adc against Nasus. If you would take damage that would reduce you below 30% of your maximum health, you firstly gain a shield that absorbs 300 − 800 (based on level) damage for 3 seconds and 15 − 35 (based on level) bonus attack damage for 8 seconds. A lot of times you wont be able to finish the enemy because of it. Overall really painful dealing with and at the same time.
Galeforce Dashes to the target location, though not through terrain, and fire three homing missiles at the most wounded enemy within 750 units of you at the end of the dash, prioritizing enemy champions. Each missile deals 60 − 105 (based on level) (+ 15% bonus AD) magic damage, for a total of 180 − 315 (based on level) (+ 45% bonus AD), increased by 0% − 50% (based on target's missing health). It is not as dangerous as and but it could provide a lot of value for the enemy if played corectlly.
Summoner Spells
The reason why i take and in almost every single game is simple. Nasus outside laning phase without is trash. This is why Nasus struggles with mobility and is the only resource he has for that problem. Even if you are fed it doesnt really matter, enemies will just kite you away and there is nothing you can do about that. For me cant be given up. There are only 2 matchups you could take instead of . Never remove from Nasus 's kit no matter what. The only other reason some Nasus players take instead of is for the tower dives but in Midlane there is almost 0 chance you get dove. In toplane things are different so i can understand some Nasus players still picking it up.
Main Rune Page
Precision is one of the strongest trees if not the strongest. It has really good scaling into Mid game and it is the most used tree for Bruisers - Damage Dealers
Conqueror allows Nasus to take duels he isnt supposed to take. In other words you push Nasus to his limits.
Triumph is the best for Nasus. A Triumph heal can be game changing.
Legend: Alacrity Allows you to have extra attack speed on duels - 3v3's etc and it also helps you push waves incase your enemy laner roams. It also helps on farming under tower and maybe 1v1ing weak enemy midlaners on early levels such as ,
Last Stand Provides Nasus with extra damage in all ins as he gets low. It deals 1.5-2k in avg per game.
Resolve It is by far the best secondary Rune setup for Nasus. Great tree to survive Laning phase and reduce Crowd control.
Second Wind Is overall really good. It helps you sustain. Second wind is extremely crucial against poking matchups.
Unflinching is the only Tenacity rune you will have on this setup so make sure you take it.
Reason for running is because this allows Nasus to become a bruiser in the earlier stage of the game. The lower your Hp the stronger you are. Nasus is strongest when his Hp is below 25%. When you are low, deals extra 100 damage per Q with 250+ stacks plus healing. That means you have to go all in no matter what and fight to the DEATH. Dont be afraid to take 1v2 's with this rune setup.
People dont respect Nasus 's healing in 15-20 minutes mark. By using you shouldnt be afraid to look for fights. The healing provides is already enough . So you can imagine stacked and . After the Nerfs it did hurt a litle bit but i can surely say that it is still viable on Nasus. I suggest going instead of since you already have for Tenacity. If the enemy team have a lot of Crowd Control and you want double Tenacity i would suggest go instead of . Thats why in my opinion going without is not worth it so you should go with and .
Overall this is the setup i used to climb that far. I used to play in mid season11 and i couldnt get above 350Lp. I feel is the way to go since the 1v9 potential is way higher than 's.
Other Runes Options
Lethal Tempo Provides you with Attack speed and synergizes well with Nasus passive . Fully stacked Lethal Tempo during Nasus R = 320/325 range on q, which is pretty much a mid range auto and there are less chances to get kited.
Fleet Footwork Is the Rune you should go for if are a begginer Nasus player or if you feel you cant handle some laning phases. When Fleet Footwork is at 100 stacks, once you Auto Attack or Q it will provide you with some healing and movement speed making it easier to walk up for a minion. The intention of this rune is to help you survive the Laning Phase but it wont help you that much on duels.
For me the main Keystone you should always take is tree. It scales really well into the Mid game thanks to and . I prefer playing with and because the chances of carrying games with these 2 Runes are way higher.
Runes You Should Not Take
Unsealed Spellbook Is the best option from tree. This setup is often seen in Toplane. However you dont need to run in Midlane, thats because the Lane is short and you dont need . Since Toplane matchups are way harder, you need tools to work with and thats where shines. You can have a 1 time use while you have and as your main Summoner spells. The use of is also a great tool to work with. Most Toplaners are Bruisers so is the most powerful combat spell in these situations. There is another reason why is a good setup. You have which is basically 300 gold for free. This allows you to finish your as soon as possible. Another advantage of tree, is , it provides you with 3 biscuits at minute 2:00 , 4:00 and 6:00. Consuming a biscuit grants you 50 Mana and increases your maximum Mana by 50. Selling a biscuit gives you 5 gold and increases your maximum Mana by 50. Last but not least you have , this Rune provides you with 18 summoner spell haste, 10 item haste and that is a really good combination with , , and plus your Summoner Spells + . Overall this Rune setup is the best from the ones below and I highly recommend playing in Toplane but as i said it is pointless playing it in Midlane.
Grasp of the Undying Is one of the most used Runes on Nasus. It is not worth going for since you dont really trade in lane. As Nasus you want to farm up and avoid trading with your enemy. One of the reasons some people still play is because of . It is one of the strongest trees for Nasus because of and . You should always take as your secondary Runes.
Phase Rush Is the best option you can take if you want to go tree. Although this Rune setup is not as good as it seems. The only good Runes from tree is which helps you run down your enemy with the extra movement speed you gain by it. Last but not least, is your last useful tool from tree. This setup is not good in Midlane that is why it is usually seen in the Jungle.
Predator is the only "viable" option from tree, it only helps you chase your enemy faster and do some extra damage other than that it is useless. The only "good tools" from this tree are to heal back some HP by using your so you dont need to walk up to activate . Another decent tool is but after the nerfs it is not worth going for it. Instead go for so you can fight more often by using your Ultimate. Either way it doesnt matter since tree is not good on Nasus.
Core Items
Divine sunderer is the item you shoud always go. Its by far 10x better than Trinity Force because of Divine 's components. provides more value than since you dont need Attackspeed on Nasus anymore. Another reason you should always go for Divine Sunderer is the Mythic passive which empowers each of your other Legendary items with 5% armor penetration, and 5% magic penetration. Last but not least Divine Sunderer perfectly fits Nasus 's auto attack resets. For example after you purchase Divine Sunderer you should be able to AA Q AA Q AA Q. Finally it really helps against Tanks due to his passive.
Gargoyle Stoneplate is what you should rush as a second item, thats because Gargoyle Stoneplte gives you everything you need. It contains 15 ability haste which is good for your cooldowns in general, it also gives you 60 armor and 60 magic resist to help you deal with hybrid damage and a decaying shield which stacks with Hp. It is a really good combination with Nasus 's R which gives 500Hp.
Ionian Boots Of Lucidity is what you should always go for. There are some cases you should buy or but most of the time you should go for Ionian boots of lucidity. They provide you with 20 ability haste, which is really good on Nasus and gives you 12 summoner spell haste. Having and 30 seconds earlier can be the difference between losing or winning a game.
Situational Items
Spirit Visage is one of the best situational items. Thats why Spirit Visage 's passive increases all healings and shieldings by 25%. Its a really good combination with and since they are both shielding items. Overall really good item into heavy ability power comps.
Thornmail is the only Anti healing item you should always go on Nasus. You dont need to buy as your Anti heal item since you dont need the Attack damage. Once you buy , do not upgrade it into Thornmail. You should always buy it as your last item because is already doing its job and its not worth spending more gold for nothing. As Nasus you want to finish your Core Items as fast as you can.
Randuin's Omen is a better option than . First of all if they have 2 or more Critical Strike Champions, you could consider going for it. As Nasus you wont have Mana problems thanks to which is one of your Core Items. As Nasus, you prefer Randuin's Omen instead of because of the extra Hp Randuin's Omen gives you. It is a really good combination with because its shield scales with Hp.
Death's Dance is now a situational item on Nasus. Death's Dance is a really good item if they pick atleast 3 AD champs into you. It is a really good combination with the healing of and your passive
Anathema's Chains is now a situational item for Nasus. Both and are really good items on Nasus. They provide you with flat Hp and cooldown which are really important on Nasus. Anathema's Chains designate the target enemy champion as your Nemesis and gain 1 stack of Vendetta every 2 seconds over 60 seconds, up to 30 stacks and take 1% reduced damage per stack of Vendetta from your Nemesis, up to 30% reduced damage. You should target either your laner or the enemy fed champion.
Force Of Nature Is one of the best Magic resist items for Nasus. You should build Force Of Nature when they have a lof of Ap damage. Taking magic damage from champions grants a stack of Steadfast for 7 seconds, up to a maximum of 6. Becoming immobilized by an enemy champion grants 2 additional stacks. Spells can only grant 1 stack of Steadfast every 1 second. While at 6 stacks of Steadfast, gain 10% bonus movement speed and reduce all incoming magic damage by 25%.
Frozen Heart Is a really good item against a lot of AD champs and On-Hit damage. First of all it reduces the attack speed of nearby enemies by 20%. Frozen Heart 's components are and . This item provides you with 20 ability haste 400 mana and 80 armor. Not the best situational item for Nasus but sometimes you may need it.
Serylda's grudge is buildable but most cases you wont need it. There rae situations that you wanna buy this item. Mainly it is your second anti tank item after . You should build it after your Core items but there are cases that you wanna buy it second or third against a lot of tankiness. Against , you can always build it second.
Early Game
Early game is Nasus's most important aspect of the game. For Nasus, the first 10 minutes decide how well the game goes. Respecting your opponent and controlling the wave is what tells a good and a bad Nasus apart. Champions such as , , , etc, are really dangerous into the Early game. Against Champions like them, you want to start as your first ability. Since you play without , there is no point wasting a for 3 stacks. As Nasus you should prioritize surviving the Laning phase than stacking. In higher elos, 1 death can pretty much end your laning phase or even the game. Try make as less mistakes as possible and wait for your item spikes such as and . There are matchups where you want to stay above 50% of your HP. In these cases you want to buy instead of so you wont get dove. At the first minutes, as Nasus you will never have priority against your enemy and that means your wave is always shoved in. Since there is no point going for fights like these, focus on stacking - farming and building XP difference against your opponent unless your support roams for a fight and in my opinion a 3v2 or 4v3 should never be lost no matter what you play.
Mid Game
If you managed to win lane or go even congratulations you passed the hardest 10-15 minutes of your life. If you didnt manage to stay alive in laning phase there is not much you can do since the first 10-15 mintes ptetty much decide your fate. Mid game is Nasus's biggest spike. While having and there are situations you should sidelane on the opposite side of the current objective. Since you can handle 2 or more people, the objective fight is automatically 4 v 3 making it a lot easier for your team to fight for it. Without summoner spells avoid grouping up. It is pointless to force a fight without your Core engage spells such as and . You should participate on drake fights only if you have Summoner spells ready or its a drake soul fight. After you have your 3 core items which are and , you are ready to group up. Your main target in a teamfight should be their easy targets. For example if the enemy team has a and a , you should always go for the . Your Wither is one of the strongest slows in the game, so an immobile champion has no way out. Overall your main goal should be to finish the game as fast as possible.
Late Game
Late game Nasus is not what you want. For most people, Nasus is one of the strongest late game champions. I hardly disagree with that. The reason is because Nasus is an immobile champion and gets kited easily. Late game items such as , , etc makes it really hard for Nasus to deal with them. In lower elos you can still get away with Late game nasus, but as you climb it gets harder. In late game its pointless sidelaning since 50 more stacks wont matter. Your best option is to group up with your teammates and wait for their mistake or play for an important objectives such as Drake souls , Elder Dragon and Baron Nashor. Overall Nasus's late game is not that good and its overrated.
Stacks
Nasus is a well known Champion for his Stacking ability. Stacking is a way of Nasus getting AD while building Tank. For example stacking a Cannon minion gives you 12 extra damage on your while a gives you 10AD. Each game Stacks will be different. It depends on the matchup and the ELO you are playing on. I want to point out that sometimes Stacks mean nothing. There are times where you will find yourself having 800+ stacks and not ba able to do anything. There are comps where fed Nasus or not fed Nasus doesnt matter. Although that doesnt mean you should not focus on Stacking. If you manage to win your lane its a big advantage for you and your team. Since Nasus is a scaling champion, you will recieve a lot of pressure and your team will have an easier time.
I know there are some people that want to know how many stacks on avarage they should have.
Try to have around 500 stacks at 20 minute mark against free matchups
Try to have around 460 stacks at 20 minute mark against easy matchups
Try to have around 400 stacks at 20 minute mark against even matchups
Try to have around 355 stacks at 20 minute mark against hard matchups
Try to have around 320 stacks at 20 minute mark against extreme matchups
Tips
CS DIFFERENCE
As Nasus against lane bullies you will be behind on Cs, try not to greed for Cs out of your frustration. Make sure you get as many Cs as possible while you farm under your tower
XP DIFFERENCE
Against most of the machups, try to be even or ahead in XP. You want to max your and as soon as possible so keep a track on your wave and try to recall after you push the wave or if it is even unless you need to back
ROAMS
People think just because you play Nasus you cant roam and that is false. I agree that roaming as Nasus is a bit harder but that doesnt mean its impossible. You just have to be extra careful when roaming as Nasus. It takes many games to understand when to roam or not.
JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE NASUS IT DOESNT MEAN YOU CANT TAKE DUELS EARLY ON
Everyone thinks Nasus is one of the weaksest early game Champions and i agree with that. Although that doesnt mean your oppenent should get a free pass on the Lane. Since I have played thousands of games around every elo, I have noticed lower elo players disrespect Nasus a lot. If you find yourself in a situation that your enemy is trading you inside your wave dont be afraid to open and start dueling him. If you use or which are the suggested runes, you have a lot easier time in duels. Overall you can solo kill someone but in most cases it depends on what champion your opponent plays. Since Midlane is a short lane, if they dash in and you think you can fight go for it. You wont learn if you dont try.
Conclusion
Playing Nasus in high Elo is like a strategy game with your opponent having the upper hand.
However dont start complaning about the Champion not being in a good spot. I managed to peak 1209Lp with him, so i can say giving up is a sign of weakness. Reading this guide wont instantly improve you as a player. It takes hundreds of games to improve. Day by day start learning the matchups and macro. Take 1 step at a time and i promise you, you will become a better player.
If you have any further questions add me on Discord (Desperate Nasus#8176)
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