Hello and welcome to my first guide here on MobaFire, featuring Nautilus, The Titan of the Depths. Since this is my first guide, please leave feedback down below about how well this guide helps out.

Nautilus is a very strong tank, specializing in disrupting groups of enemies. Played correctly, Nautilus can disrupt the entire team, giving you a significant advantage in team fights. All of his abilities focus on messing with the enemy. I'll go over each skill individually later in the guide.

Once, Nautilus was a sailor commissioned by the Institute of War to explore the uncharted reaches of the Guardian’s Sea. This expedition took him deep into unknown waters where he and his crew found a vast section of the ocean’s rich blue waves were replaced by a black, oozing liquid that none of the crew could identify. Though their job was to investigate anything new that they found, no man aboard was willing to brave the murk except Nautilus. Only moments after he donned the hulking diver’s suit and climbed over the ship’s rail, something lurking in the muck grabbed hold of him. He clung to the side of the ship, but the thing below pulled him fiercely, rocking the entire ship. The other sailors grew afraid and made a terrible decision. As he stared and pled for help, they wrenched his grip free of the rail. He tumbled to the ink, grabbing the anchor in futile desperation. As he sank, he could do nothing but watch as the dark outline of his ship faded away. Then everything went black.
When Nautilus awoke, he was something different. The great iron suit was now somehow part of him, he could not tell where it ended and he began. All the details of his memory were fuzzy and indistinct but one fact remained clear: he was left here, alone in the sunless depths, to die. In his hands he still clutched the anchor that belonged to the men who had condemned him. Having no other purpose, he took this clue and trudged - too heavy to swim or run – in search of answers. He wandered without direction or sense of passing time in what felt like an eternal dream. By the time he stumbled upon the shores of Bilgewater, he could find no traces of the man he was. No house, no family, no life to which he could return. Terrified sailors who’d heard his tale directed Nautilus back to the Institute, but the summoners refused to relinquish the names of the others they commissioned. By then Nautilus had learned about the League of Legends and there he saw an opportunity to discover and punish those responsible for the time and life he lost.

"When lost in utter darkness, there is nothing left but forward."
Nautilus

Pros

+ Strong Tank
+ Excellent Disruption
+ Good Escape Mechanic
+ Can cause lots of damage to single targets


Cons

- Weak Early Game
- Item Dependent
- Missing Skillshot can result in death

Summoner Spells are important in League of Legends. Picking the right spells can make and break teams sometimes, so be sure to take what best fits your role and champion. Here are my picks to use for this build of Nautilus.

Excellent for getting back into lane quickly or jumping into a team fight.

Throw this onto the enemy carry and it'll make your job as a tank that much easier.

Another good spell in replace of Exhaust if you want to go through walls.

A good substitute to Flash.

Nautilus is a tank, so it deems appropriate to take the correct skills at the correct time to help tank. First, lets explain what exactly Nautilus' skills are and how to use them.

Staggering Blow [PASSIVE]
Nautilus' basic attacks deal bonus physical damage and immobilize his target for 0.5/.75/1 second. This effect cannot trigger on the same target more than once every 12 seconds.

This passive is amazing. Its perfect to suit your role as a tank as you can use it to lock up those pesky carries or stop wannabe pursuers from taking down your own. Don't be afraid to step up and taking a whack at the enemy.

Dredge Line
Nautilus hurls his anchor forward. If it hits an enemy unit, Nautilus drags himself and the target together dealing magic damage and stunning them briefly. If the anchor hits terrain, Nautilus will drag himself forward and the cooldown is reduced by 50%.

This is Nautilus' signature skill. This is an excellent initiation move, as well as a means of closing a gap or escape if your nearby terrain. -WARNING- This skill can end up putting you out of position if you miss your intended target and latch on to the terrain or a turret by mistake.

Titan's Wrath
Nautilus surrounds himself with dark energies, shielding him from damage for up to 10 seconds. While the shield persists, Nautilus' basic attacks apply a damage over time effect to all units around his target, dealing damage over 2 seconds.

In short, this is your tanking tool. This shield gives out 80/130/180/230/280 plus 10% of your max health. It also comes with a nifty AoE DoT added to your basic attacks, along with resetting your attack swing, meaning your can get 2 really quick hits in really quick. For only 80 mana, its a good shield to turn on nearly every team fight.

Riptide
Nautilus slams the ground, causing the earth to explode around him in 3 waves. Each explosion deals magic damage to units in the area and slows them for 2 seconds. This slow diminishes over time. A unit can be hit by more than one explosion, but they take 50% less damage from additional explosions.

A wonderful AoE slow that makes Nautilus so useful in team fights. Just into the middle of the fight and set this off. Also use this ability to catch a running opponent and slow somebody down before they reach your carries.

Depth Charge [ULTIMATE]
Nautilus fires a shockwave that chases an enemy champion. This deals magic damage to enemies it passes through and knocks them into the air. The shockwave explodes upon hitting its target dealing magic damage, launching them into the air and stunning them.

One of the top CC abilities in my opinion. Select a target in the area and it will track them down no matter what. Plus, any enemies in its way to its target will be knocked into the air. Get in close, target the back row, and watch them fly.

Early Game

Early game is focused on farming and building up your starting items. Its not always advice to go for kills, but if it deems it necessary, do it. You have the skills to do it.

Boots of Speed
Nautilus is one of (if not) the slowest champion in the game. Movement is important to a tank, so grabbing Boots of Speed early will come in handy during the laning phase.

Health Potion
Self explanatory. Grab them with your Boots and get on the field.

Philosopher's Stone Philosopher's Stone
Your first Gold/5 item, giving you some nice Health and Mana regen, plus the starting item toward the Shurelya's Battlesong.

Heart of Gold
Your second Gold/5 item, building into the Randuin's Omen. Try to hold onto this item as long as you can to help getting as much gold as possible.

Mid Game

Mid game is where alot of the fighting happens. Defending Dragon, pushing towers, and securing the buffs to get as much of an advantage. Keep an eye out for the enemy carries so you can disable them, but don't forget about your own team as well. You are the team's tank.

Rod of Ages
Health, Mana, and Ability Power. All good things for Nautilus to have. The faster you build this, the better.

Mercury's Treads
As a tank, these are invaluable. Magic Resist protects you from incoming spell damage, while Tenacity means you don't stay locked up in various stuns trying to protect your team. Never a bad buy.

Shurelya's Reverie
A lot of Health, Health Regen, and its amazing Active ability is great with Nautilus. Use it to team initiate or to flee when your team is low on health. With a 60 second cooldown, don't be afraid to use it more often.

Rylai's Crystal Scepter
+500 Health is VERY nice to have on Nautilus, along with 80 Ability Power and a slow. Combined with Dredge Line and Riptide, the Rylai's Crystal Scepter makes it near impossible for Champions to run away.

Late Game

Almost everyone is level 18, Base turrets are all thats left, multiple Baron and Dragon fights are breaking out. Late game is where it all matters. Building the last of your powerful items will seal the deal on your victory.

Abyssal Scepter
A lot of Ability Power and Magic Resist are great on Nautilus, and the Aura is great if you have a strong AP team. Your AP Carries will thank you.

Randuin's Omen
Time to finish off that Heart of Gold you picked up in the first 10 min. Randuin's Omen gives Health, Armor, Cooldown Reduction, and an Active that lowers the Attack Speed of nearby enemy champions, similar to Frozen Heart.

This build is aimed at surviving alot of harassment while keeping enough power for your abilities to damage surrounding enemies that decide to get too close. Please leave comments and feedback about my build. If you have any suggestions, please let me know and I will address them. This guide is still technically a work-in-progress, so i'll be updating it as much as I can over the next week or two.

2/24/2012 11:05 PM = Guide Added!