Darius Build Guide by Joxuu

Introduction

Hello guys!
It's my third build and it's about Darius The Hand of Noxus.
Just bought him a while ago and I played couple games and damn. He's good.
This guide will mostly go for aggressive build as the last 2 builds of mine, but I will also explain how to make him more tanky.


Champion spotlight

Background

There is no greater symbol of Noxian might than Darius, the nation's most feared and battle-hardened warrior. Orphaned at a young age, Darius had to fight to keep himself and his younger brother alive. By the time he joined the military, he had already developed the strength and discipline of a veteran soldier. The first true test of Darius's resolve occurred in a crucial battle against Demacia, where the Noxian forces were exhausted and outnumbered. Darius's captain called for his troops to retreat, but Darius refused to accept such an act of cowardice. Breaking formation, Darius strode towards the captain and decapitated him with one sweep of his gigantic axe. Both terrified and inspired, the soldiers followed Darius into battle and fought with incredible strength and fervor. After a long and grueling battle, they ultimately emerged victorious.

Seizing momentum from this victory, Darius led his now fiercely loyal troops in a devastating campaign against Demacia. After proving his power on the battlefield, Darius turned his gaze homeward. He saw a Noxus riddled with weakness, where greedy, complacent nobles drained the nation's strength. Seeking to restore his country to greatness, Darius took it upon himself to reshape the Noxian leadership. He identified weak figureheads and violently removed them from their positions of power. Many in Noxus saw Darius's cull as an attempt to seize power, but he had a different plan for the throne. He had been watching the rise of Swain with keen interest. In Swain, Darius saw a leader with the mind and determination to bring Noxus to glory. Now allied with the Master Tactician, Darius works to unite the nation behind his vision of true Noxian strength.

Pro's & Con's

spaaaaaaace

Pros + // Really fun to play + // Good Tank-Dps + // One of the best ultimates + // Great overall as the game goes on

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Cons - // Needs quite a bit mana - // Silence destroys - // No escape abilities - // Somehow item independant

Masteries

The masteries are for damage for early game and some defensive
for some early-game defense, not much of it, but they do help.
Those will relief the early-game damage from possible long-range attacks for example.



Almost the same as above, it's for damage and some defense, but you can spot few differences. Butcher , Tough Skin , Bladed Armor with hp regeneration, are more useful in jungle, than in normal mastery build.

Runes

• Greater Quintessence of Attack Damage: // This will give you a lot of damage kinda self explaining.
  
• Greater Mark of Attack Damage: // Pick this simply, because it gives much more damage early game.
  
• Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist: // Same as below. Will give you sustain, especially against team with a lots of AP carries and it helps against those minions also.
  
  
• Greater Seal of Armor: // This will help you lane and get those minion kills, also helps later on, at late game.

Summoner Spells

-Well I guess it's not even needed to explain this spell, certainly must have for a jungling build. It's the bread and butter of jungling.

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-This really blackouts enemies during duels and helps chasing enemies a lot and lets you stack Hemorrhage on your opponent, for your ultimate finish off.

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-Really good choice for Darius, because he doesn't have any escape abilities, so this will save your life several times

Abilities

• PASSIVE: // Darius' basic attacks and damaging abilities cause enemies to bleed for 12 / 15 / 18 / 21 / 24 / 27 / 30 / 33 / 36 (+0.4 per bonus attack damage) magic damage over 5 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.
  Darius gains 5% movement speed for each bleeding enemy champion.
  
  
  This is one heck of a passive! You can also consider it as extra attack damage making hes base attack over 100 early-game!
  Amazing passive, that reduces cooldown on Apprehend and it's the bread and butter of your ultimate Noxian Guillotine. Try to always keep your enemies bleeding, just by landing your Decimate activates this passive
  
  
  
  
• Decimate (Q): // Darius deals physical damage to all nearby enemies in a circle around him. Champions in the outer half of the ability are struck by the blade, taking 50% additional damage.
  
  
  Again really good ability. This is your main damaging ability early and late game. Try to stack your passive by landing this ability as often as possible early-game, because they will not only take the damage, but also get damaged by Hemorrhage. It's Also excellent ability to farm minions with your passive of course.
  
  
  
  
• Crippling Strike (W): Darius' next basic attack deals additional damage and slows the target's movement and attack speed for 2 seconds.
  Crippling Strike's base cooldown is reduced by 1 second for each stack of Hemorrhage on the target.
  
  
  Yet again ability that's awesome! This will slow your enemies, making your chase much more easier and efficient. The damage is also really nice later on, since this is quite aggressive build. Try to land this ability, when you have many stacks of your passive and after landing a basic attack, because with this ability, it's like hitting twice in a row quickly.
  
  
  
  
• Apprehend (E): (Passive): Darius gains armor penetration. (Active): Darius pulls in all enemies in front of him.
  
  
  Well, not much to say here really. It's really good ability, to stop the enemy from escaping or several opponents, because this drags all the enemies in a cone. Really useful while chasing enemies or just saving your teammate. Unfortunately, it doesn't do any damage, but this gives you a nice passive armour penetration.
  
  
  
  
• Noxian Guillotine (R): Darius leaps to target enemy champion and strikes a lethal blow, dealing true damage. For each stack of Hemorrhage on the target, Noxian Guillotine deals an additional 20% damage.
  The cooldown is refreshed if Noxian Guillotine kills the target.
  
  
  This is so far, in my opinion, the best ultimate in the game for several reasons! It does true damage up to over 800, if you have AD build. Try to have as many stacks of passive as possible, before you use this ability, because it's just waste to use it without the stacks. Each stacks gives 20% more damage, so up to 100% more damage! This is really awesome to finish off and against tanks and remember, that the cooldown refreshes, if you land the killing blow with this ability. Imagine 5x800 dmg.
  
  

Ability Sequence

Core Items (Jungle & Lane)

• : Best boots for Darius, because hes vialable to CC. These boots also give the early magic resistance, which lacks a bit mid game.
  
• : (JUNGLE) I prefer this item over Wriggle's Lantern, because it gives the attack speed, which makes it easier to stack your passive, but it's really just the matter of opinion, some may find wriggle's better. This item is also better, if you are facing again health stacking team.
  
• : Excellent item, which you can choose over or under Trinity Force, again it's matter of your own opinion. Frozen Mallet gives you sustain and some attack damage, but I pick this for it's movement speed reduction while you attack on enemies. This again helps you stack those passives. Trinity Force is more like a offensive item and you can choose it over this item, if you prefer it more.
  
• : If you decide to choose this, also go for Atma's Impaler, no question about that. These will not only give you sustain, but also the attack damage, which atma's gives. 1.5 % is 38 attack damage from 3700 hp, which is almost just as good as B. F. Sword

Situational Items

• : Really awesome counter against AD focusing team, who are stacking attack speed. Champions like Tryndamere, Xin Zhao, Vayne etc. really hate this item, because it debuffs their attack speed quite a lot. Really useful item on Darius
  
• : If you really want to charge in the fights and you're facing AD-AP team, without lot's of sustain. The passive which can save your life many times is very useful and if enemy team is targetting you, the better it is for your team, because this gives your team bunch of time to kill your opponents while they're smacking you without grabbing a kill.
  
• Maw of Maltimourus: Awesome item against ap carries, just like Force of Nature, but this item also gives you attack damage and a shield that takes up to 400 damage magic damage. This will really save your life!
  
• : Awesome early-game item, buy this really early, for the nice armor penetration and cooldown reduction. Also consider, if you're facing tank in your lane.
  NOTE: This is a laning item, I don't see it useful for jungler.
  
• : Really nice item, which gives you some lifesteal that helps you stay longer in fights, but it's mostly for it's damage.

• : If you prefer this over Madred's Bloodrazor, choose this instead. It's cheaper and gives you passive to set wards.
  
• : Really good item against AD carry team, they will find themselves taking lot's of damage from it's passive.
  
• : Same reason as Randuin's Omen, but you don't need to activate it. It will also give you mana and 99 armor.
  
• : Nice item which gives you attack speed, which is effective against AP carries and nice amount of damage.
  
• : You can buy these boots instead of [[Mercury's Treads, if you are facing AD focusing team, but not otherwise. They're just not worth it.
  
• : Really awesome defensive item against AP focusing team. Deffinately a item you want to have, if you're facing heavy AP carries who deal a lot damage like Veigar, LeBlanc.
  It's movement speed bonus is not bad either, it really is helpful and that health regeneration

Jungling

I usually go for

-Wolves ( Do first hit so minions don't start running with Decimate right after basic attack. Try to get pull )
-Blue ( Get a pull, use your Smite, level up Crippling Strike)
-Wraiths( Possibly gank before or after, in that case pick Apprehend, but you can go for lvl 2 Decimate.
-Tiny Golems
-Red
-You can gank when you get your Apprehend and after finishing all the camps, either go for second round or start ganking.
-Try to spread the damage around the camps evenly, causing every minion to bleed and clearing the camps faster.

Laning

Darius Is able to go solo top, 2vs1 or 2vs2. I don't see him as well mid champion, but why not. Basically you can go quite aggressive or wait until you get your level 3 and get all abilities. You can pull the enemy towards you, land your slow followed by Decimate and you can start chasing them with / without your teammate. Health Potions will allow you to stay long in the lane. Try to harass your enemy as often as you can with your Decimate.
Since you have Apprehend, feel free to gank often.

Team Fights

Since you are not a full tank, you're not really supposed to take the focus, but you will more likely be focused anyways, but try to get your teams real tank dive in first.
Try to land as many Decimates as possible on the squishiest targets and slow escaping enemies with Crippling Strike and finish off with Noxian Guillotine or simply just pull the enemies back with Apprehend and let your team do the rest, while you seek second opponent and start damaging him. You are easily able to do 2vs1 with some feeds.

Summary

Thanks to jhoihoi's templates once again.

Please give it a try and I hope you will vote & leave constructive comments.
I wish not to see votes without something in return, for example: How to improve this guide. Also I hope you will not judge by 1 item choice you're not happy about, because it's quite original build after all, read situational items for the items, which may fit for you the best, but really It's just up to you :)

There are many Darius guides over there, because he's new champion, so I already appreciate if you have bothered to read this guide.

Thank you.