Nasus Build Guide by Jovoo

Introduction

// This is my first guide on MobaFira ladies and gentlemen, I would love to hear your feedback on it. Oh, and do not worry, there are many more guides to come.

// If you are confused by any item/mastery/rune/ability choice, just scroll down to the suitable location. I tried to explain everything in great detail.

// The guide will go threw future iterations. Changes will be made, as well as additions will be set in place. Any future metagame change will be undoubtedly introduced to the guide, which will try and stay up to date as often as possible.

// Keep in mind that this is my way of playing Nasus this is not a general guide. Jungle Nasus and other builds like that, will not be covered. This guide is focused on solo top 1v1 play, and nothing more.

// The guide also covers basic principles, tips and tricks, for new Nasus players, as well as new League of Legends players. So if you're new, don't worry, the guide tries to be as detailed as possible.

// And lastly. please vote and comment, I try to answer any question. And supportive criticism is welcomed.

// Don't be confused, 'Pharaoh Nasus', is without a doubt the best Nasus skin out there, period.

Summary

Nasus is a mele, off-tank, fighter champion. He is most potent in the top lane, where he can handle just about any enemy.
His skills are many, and there are a few ways to play him, and this guide is yet another (the most efficient way, IMO).
Nasus is very popular because of his many uses in a team. He can push the lane very efficiently, and he can Teleport and defend another lane in a manor of seconds.
This build is centered around Siphoning Strike. The build in general makes Nasus an amazing tank that can kill virtually anybody, and I do mean anybody. From the shielded Annie to the popular armor rich Rammus, this build covers it all.
In addition the guide tries to follow every aspect of the build as closely as possible, and will try to explain it as best as possible.
For Nasus's official League of Legends page, click here

Pros / Cons

Summoner Spells

The Summoner Spells that I most often use are Ghost and Teleport. I find these to be essential when playing Nasus.
Ghost is just an all around great Summoner Spell, it helps yuo chase, helps you escape, but the reason that it's perfect for Nasus is because of Siphoning Strike. Nasus needs to hit with Siphoning Strike as often as possible, and Ghost gives you that extra edge.
Teleport is the essential Summoner Spell for any solo top champion. It helps in all kinds of crazy ways. For instance you can gank, you can defend, you can arrive in team fights and so on.



These Summoner Spells can be used dependent on playing style. They can be mixed and matched, but are not the ideal setup for this build in particular.
Flash is just amazing for escaping out of a tight spots. It can keep you alive, hence giving you more time to farm up Siphoning Strike, and of course not feed the enemy.
Exhaust is a great Summoner Spell for Nasus. But you don't need it that much because of Wither. Wither is like a mini Exhaust but with a way smaller CD, and combined with this build the CD of Wither is about 6 seconds.
Ignite is great for those pesky champions that think will get away on 10 HP, it can also be useful to deny the possible healing that that champion might get, and hence turn around a seemingly won fight.
Cleanse is another one of those Summoner Spells that I just love. It's a nice fit for Nasus because if Nasus gets CCed, he will be nothing more than a land post, just absorbing DMG.



If you want to go jungle Nasus (which is quite applicable) I recoment taking Smite and Exhaust. However this guide will not focus on jungle Nasus in any way. So if you are looking for a jungle Nasus guide, you won't find it here. :)

Abilities

-Nasus strikes his foe, dealing damage and increasing the power of his future Siphoning Strike if he slays his target.
Active: Nasus's next basic attack will deal 30/50/70/90/110 (+) (+ ) physical damage.
Passive: Siphoning Strike permanently gains 3 damage if it kills an enemy unit.
Cost: 20/25/30/35/40 Mana
Range: 300
-An amazing ability, and the focus of most Nasus builds. Siphoning Strike if farmed correctly can deal an enormous DMG amount. We max Siphoning Strike as soon as possible, which will give us more DMG and a reduced CD. With this build the CD of Siphoning Strike is just above 2 seconds. If you've done your farming correctly, you'll be dealing around 500 DMG every 2 seconds...which is quite good if you didn't notice.

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-Nasus ages his target, decelerating their Movement and Attack Speeds over time.
Nasus ages his target over 5 seconds, initially slowing their Movement and Attack Speeds by 35% and increasing to 47/59/71/83/95% over the duration.
Cost: 80 Mana
Range: 700
-I just love it. This ability is like a mini Exhaust and I'm not over exaggerating. Wither might as well be the best slow in the game. And with this build it will have a CD of about 6.5 seconds. I max Wither second, right after Siphoning Strike.

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-Nasus unleashes a spirit flame at a location, dealing damage and reducing the Armor of enemies who stand on it.
Nasus unleashes a spirit flame at a target location, dealing an initial 55/95/135/175/215 (+0.6) magic damage. For the next 5 seconds, enemies in the area have their Armor reduced by 20/25/30/35/40 and are dealt an additional 11/19/27/35/43 (+0.12) magic damage each second.
Cost: 70/85/100/115/130 Mana
Range: 650
-This is a great ability, it makes Nasus a great pusher/defender. It is also very useful in a full on team fight, especially for your AD carry. So why do i max it last? Well my rational is this. In the early game I urge you to try and farm Siphoning Strike as much as possible, if you start taking points in Spirit Fire the CD of Siphoning Strike will not be reduced, hence minions will get away from your Siphoning Strike last hit. And I priorities Wither over it because of early to mid-game ganks. If a gank comes, you will be much more effective if you have ranked up Wither instead of Spirit Fire. The ability is great for mid-game, and if you are doing your job correctly, then Spirit Fire will come in handy just at the right time. Also try using it right after abilities like Curse of the Sad Mummy or Idol of Durand or any other great AE slow or stun that would make the DMG nicely magnificent. Not to mention that the ability makes your AD carry that much stronger, if used correctly of course.

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-Nasus unleashes a mighty sandstorm that batters nearby enemies. While the storm rages, he gains additional Health and drains nearby enemies' max Health and converts it into bonus damage for the duration of the skill.
Nasus becomes empowered in the sandstorm for 15 seconds, gaining 300/450/600 Health. While the storm rages, he deals 3/4/5 (+0.01)% of nearby enemies' maximum Health each second (240 damage max per second) as magic damage and converts it into bonus Attack Damage.
Cost: 150 Mana
Range: 20
-A decent enough ultimate. It can save your hide because of the HP it gives, it also gives you some lifesteal, combined with the added bonus from Soul Eater you'll have good lifesteal without needing any items. Plus this ability will drain your enemy's tank HP like water in a sink. It's great that it deals magic damage as well. Cuz if your opponents goes for massive physical resistment items, Fury of the Sands will still do good damage. I max it as soon as I can.

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-Nasus drains his foe's spiritual energy, giving him bonus Lifesteal.
-A nice passive. It gives you the power to stay in the lane, where otherwise you would have to go back. It's usefulness in a team fight comes in when you activate Fury of the Sands. It's a dissent enough passive, and it give Nasus even more depth.

Masteries

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SPACEI use the following mastery set:

As I'm sure you've already noticed this build is focused on being a tank, while at the same time dealing massive DPS. This is the best setup that allows you to do just that.

Take Summoner's Wrath for improved Ghost. The reason why we are not taking Summoner's Insight for improved Teleport is because that second doesn't count for much, and if we do take a point in Summoner's Insight we will have to leave out Weapon Expertise , and I don't recommend that.
Brute Force is useful for farming early game, and seeing that Siphoning Strike is the key to this build, you would want to take any advantage that you can get.
You might be curious as to why we don't take points in Sorcery . Well the items that beeing suggested in this build, will get you over the CD cap, so getting more CD reduction is pointless.
We take 4 point in Alacrity so we can get Weapon Expertise . Both compliment this build very well, especially Weapon Expertise which will come in very handy.
On the defensive tree we take Resistance , Hardiness , Evasion , Honor Guard and Indomitable for greater durability.
We max Vigor for that early game lane sustainability, this comes especially in handy combined with the Regrowth Pendant, which will give you enough HP regeneration for you to be able to stay in a hard lane.
Initiator is perfect for Nasus. The added MS will help you hunt down your fleeing targets. Since this build makes Nasus a great tank as well, most of the time you will have that speed bonus, and MS with Nasus is critical.
The last mastery that we will cover is Juggernaut . The ultimate defensive mastery is the key for any tank, and Naus is no exception. Juggernaut is perfect cuz it fits great with Initiator , it is not much, but that little bit of HP can help you survive, or in this case even catch someone. The other reason why Juggernaut is so great is because of the CC reduction, and as I've said, a CCed Nasus is nearly useless.

As with the Summoner Spells other reiterations can be made, but they won't be nearly as good as this set is. I highly recommend you use these Masteries for your Nasus.

Runes

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Recommendations Greater Mark of Desolation Greater Quintessence of Desolation

For Mark: The best solution are the Greater Mark of Desolation. The armor pen plays a big part in this build, and the more you have, the better. Other acceptable marks are the Greater Mark of Attack Damage and the Greater Mark of Scaling Attack Damage. These can help with your farming, but other then that, they are virtually useless, and while this build circulates around the idea of good farming, all that farm will amount to nothing without any armor penetration backing it up.

For Seals: The standard Greater Seal of Armor are always a safe bet. These are always there if a tank rune page needs to be build. The fact that they are one of the cheapest also helps. Greater Seal of Health can also be taken, but without any Greater Quintessence of Health they leave much to be desired. And if you go with this combo, your armor penetration will rely only on items, and this goes astray of the build.

For Glyphs: Greater Glyph of Magic Resist will do just fine. The magic resist will come in handy against certain foes. You might think that some Greater Glyph of Cooldown Reduction would fit the build perfectly, and you would be right, they do. And if you wish, you can use them instead of the Greater Glyph of Magic Resist ones. I just prefer Greater Glyph of Magic Resist becouse I found them more applicable. That and because there is enough CD reduction items to begin with, and with these runes you will go over the 40% cap. Take them if you plan on taking a different item build. (keep in mind that this may change, as the metagame changes!)

For Quintessence: I recommend the Greater Quintessence of Desolation. As I said you can go for other Quintessences, but if you do, you will diminish his fighting power. Other applicable ones can be: Greater Quintessence of Health, Greater Quintessence of Armor, Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed and Greater Quintessence of Cooldown Reduction. But what I said above still stands.


Note that almost all of the runes that have been mentioned above can be used, I really do not advise you to take any other. Pick your poison from each kind, or you can just follow my build. In any case the recommendations are there, and suitable info as well. So if you wanna mix and match a bit, that is totally understandable.

PLAY-BY-PLAY Walkthrough

Ok, so now that you know how to setup Nasus. It's time to go into the game for a hand-held walkthrough of how this build needs to be played. Remember that this is the core build, you might need to change things up just a bit depending on the type of game you are playing. ;)





Recommended Skill Sequence:

You might be curious about my Skill Sequence. It is a very arbitrary skill set, mostly seen in DOTA. But I find that it works better on Nasus then the standard Skill Sequence that most people use. Which goes something like:


I don't agree with this model, because in practice the extra Spirit Fire shares no use what so ever. It can only make you Siphoning Strike weaker then it needs to be. But I already explained this in the Abilities section of the guide.

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Please keep in mind that this is not written in stone, and it should not be treated like it is. various items and mechanics can be shifted around because of various reasons. So please keep this mind while reading the following paragraphs.

Early Game

So we start the game with a Regrowth Pendant and one Health Potion. *This is the perfect start for Nasus. And that's because of two reasons. Firstly it give you more lane sustainability, and secondly it will allow you to get that quick Philosopher's Stone

Then we go solo top. *If you're not playing with a fixed team, or if your team is just bad, then go in any lane, but you will be quite handicapped. You need your last hits, and a solo lane is ideal for that. But if you are playing with a fixed team, then the top lane will be reserved for you.

Now that we're in lane, we will keep on the defensive side, and try to farm up Siphoning Strike as much as possible, combined with Soul Eater and your starting items, you should be able to go to base only when you want to. *The reason why we stay on the defensive is because of the low sustainability in a fight that would take place from lvl-1 to lvl-5, once you get your ultimate you should try and be more relaxed and more cocky, as it were.

So as your farming up Siphoning Strike you need to be aware of incoming ganks, and the most important thing is to last hit minions with Siphoning Strike as much as possible. (I cannot stress this enough) *Nasus must stay alive in the early stages of the game, getting killed in these stages will set you on a serious backtrack.

Once you have enough gold for a Philosopher's Stone and some Boots of Speed push the lane and go back to base. Then when you are done with your shopping get back to lane with your Teleport. *If the lane is going hard then go as soon as you have enough for the Philosopher's Stone, the extra gold from this item will help you a bit. And when wanting to go back to your lane, first check the other lanes, and the state that they are in. If there is nothing of concern, then you can go back to the lane using Teleport. Or if the lane is still pushed, for any reason, it might be better to just walk back, and by the time you have arrived, the minions should be ripe for the picking.

You now continue to farm Siphoning Strike, all the while not giving your opponent any room. If possible try to go in for the kill. *Most solo top champions will lake to duel with you, it's common practice, use Fury of the Sands as a smart advantage. However in a competitive environment, the enemy won't engage you unless they are sure they can win, or if their is an enemy ganker nearby, so keep that in mind. Once more, try to take advantage of any gank that would come on your behalf, as much as possible.

When you have the necessary gold, go back and buy your Heart of Gold, and right after get the Glacial Shroud. *Another gold per 5 item that will make you even more tanky, it's perfect for us. Not to mention that Glacial Shroud will reduce your CDs even more, and will make you quite tanky in the early game.

*If the lane is empty take caution, and try not to push the enemy turret. If you are certain that enemy will not interfere, then go for it. Nasus can bring down an enemy turret in no time. If you succeed, the added gold will do you great good, not to mention the loss of map control that your enemy's will have.

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Mid Game

It would be preferable to get your Mercury's Treads as soon as possible at this point, and right after that, you must get the Shurelya's Reverie. *As the Mid Game starts, you will be more involved in fights, and the reduced CC from the Mercury's Treads is essential, Further more the CD reduction and the MS boost from Shurelya's Reverie only works in your favor.

* Teleport should always be free at this stage of the game, for obvious reasons.

Once you get back in a lane, the farm fest continues. Your Siphoning Strike should have a CD of 2.6 seconds, which will make last hitting much easier. It also makes you a force to be reckoned with in the Mid Game. *Keep last hitting in mind, but if an opportunity arives for a kill, don't be afraid to take it.

The next item that we buy would have to be Sheen. Sheen is a perfect complimentary to Siphoning Strike because of it's active effect.

Once you are back in a lane you continue to farm up Siphoning Strike. *But once you feel like it's enough, you should start joining your team. A good benchmark for your Siphoning Strike is about 160 to 180 creeps slain (with your Siphoning Strike) that will give you around 500 added DMG, plus the already existing DMG component of the spell, you're looking at about 650 to 700 DMG from your Siphoning Strike.

Randuin's Omen is next, and this item adds up quire nicely to out build. Not only does it make you more durable, it's active will fit very well with your shurelya's reverie.

Instead of Randuin's Omen, if you want to switch it up a bit, you can also try out the Youmuu's Ghostblade go back and buy it, now you are set for domination. * Youmuu's Ghostblade Is a perfect fir for Nasus in many perspectives. The passive component is well suited for this build, and the crit chance can make you a very lucky dogie. The Active component is just perfect, the added MS and AS will suite you very well. As with everything try and use it wisely.

You then start building your Trinity Force.

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Late Game

So here is where things get interesting.
*Your style of play, in this stage of the game (see what I did there?) should be that off a tank, that excels at the opportunity for a fast kill. Most AP and AD squishy champions will die from 2 or 3 hits from your farmed up Siphoning Strike. With its CD reduced even more, by the effect of Youmuu's Ghostblade, your DPS is very high, and it will continue to get even higher.

So once you have managed to get your Trinity Force, the real battle begins. * Trinity Force is the final peace of the puzzle, and is the centralized item in almost every Nasus build. But where in other places you need to get it in the Mid Game, for this build a Late Game Trinity Forceis completely rational. The DMG you can do once getting it is amazing.

After the Trinity Force you should turn your Glacial Shroud into a Frozen Heart and an additional Giant's Belt will make you as big as a tank as any. *At this stage your DPS is unmatched, and I do mean that literally. And even though you have so much DPS, you are amazingly tanky. You can survive most encounters with ease, and you can kill most targets with an even greater ease. (if the opponent is more AP heavy, get some other item, for more on that check the 'item elaborations' section)
Guardian Angel will make you a real pain for the enemy team. Get it near the end of your build. If you are playing against an AP heavy team, then even better.

The Bloodthirster is just there at the end to finish the job off if you so want it. If you manage to get it, then the game is truly over. *Keep in mind that it stack with your Soul Eater

If the game drags on any longer, you can get something like an Atma's Impaler or Frozen Mallet, both can help in those final stages of the game.

*In these stages Ghost should be used only when in dire need of it. You have enough MS to last you a lifetime, and Ghost should be activated wisely.

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Team Fights

Team fight in the early stages (excluding first blood attempts) rarely happen, but if for some unknown reason there is such a fight, I don't recommend you entering it. Your DMG will not do, you have no CC whatsoever, and you would lose quite some farm. Not forgetting the fact that you might die a horrible death, which is naturally bad.

In the Mid stages of the game your Siphoning Strike is not at its full potential, but it can hurt the less fortunate lot. Still no over-committing, you are not yet a fully grown tank, and as such you still might die a painful horrible death, as it were. But if you are confident that you can contribute in any way, shape or form, then go for it. In these fight focus on the targets that are a threat to your AD carry, for instance Annie, you don't yet have the fire power to take on a full HP Amumu without something going array. If there is a fleeing target, then it's your job to catch it. Wither is very strong at this stage, and with it you can catch even the fastest Master Yi. Also try using your Wither on AS champions, you will lower their value substantially. Use Spirit Fire wisely, if used correctly it can insure your team a bunch of kills.

Once the Late Game is upon you. You are both the tank, and the carry for your team, and you must be involved in any and all team fights that happen. The squishy targets are nothing, you should go for the CC makers, as it were. Try and kill anyone that has the power to do you great wrong. For instance a high farmed Siphoning Strike could kill Zilean in two hits, Zilean does not have the time to cast his ultimate, which will mean a huge loss for their team. If enemies flee, cast Wither on them and chase if needed. Use Ghost only in certain situations, your already acquired MS, and Wither,is enough to catch any enemy. Also cast Spirit Fire whenever the opportunity presents itself, your AD carries will love you. An often safe bet for Spirit Fire are a few enemies that are CCed, this is when it's most potent.

Item Elaborations

So the only item from the recommendations, that is in this build, is Trinity Force, obviously me and Riot have different opinions on how Nasus should be played. If you're playing Nasus for the first time, then following these items might not be a bad idea, they will make you tanky, and your DMG will be dissent, but Nasus can be so much more then that.



Please do not take these items for granted, same with the PLAY-BY-PLAY Walkthrough. Some games will demand other items, and you must be capable to meet those demands. For instance if a game asks you to build your Frozen Heart earlier, then do it. Or if your farm is not going as planned (for any and all reasons) don't take the crit items, just skip them. You must know your situation in the game.

Philosopher's Stone It's important because of the lane sustainability it gives, second it's a nice gold per 5 item, and thirdly we need it to get the Shurelya's Reverie. So getting a Philosopher's stone as early as possible is key.

Why Mercury's Treads? The CC reduction of these boots is perfect for us. In some cases you might be forced to go down an other way, but primarily I would urge you to take Mercury's Treads.

Shurelya's Reverie The extra MS is a very nice addition to your stats, not to mention that it makes you tankier. All in all the item is a perfect suite for this build.

It's seen in mostly every Nasus build out there. And that's because of it's proxy. The extra DMG is nobody's complain, plus it's on a 2 second CD, while our Siphoning Strike is on a 2.6 second CD (without counting in Randuin's Omen or Youmuu's Ghostblade). Not to mention that it's a part of the Trinity Force, which you will get with Nasus, regardless of stage in the game, or champion build, so it's an essential pick up.

Youmuu's Ghostblade is an optional item, but if you get it, keep in mind the 40% CD red cap. Youmuu's Ghostblade is one of those items that you can get if you are doing well in the game, and you have extra gold to spend. There's no question that it fits the build perfectly, it's a great pick up in any case.

is known to be a great item, and it fits the spot here as well. Getting it will make you more durable, more helpful in the team, and it will improve your game all around.

The most common item in any Nasus build, and for good reason. Everything that Trinity Force gives you is a perfect fir for Nasus. Depending on how well your game is going, will depend on when you get this item. It's also a smart idea if you prolong the buying of Trinity Force if possible. In this build it's part is greatly diminished from others. While it is still a vital component, for our Nasus, it is more useful in the Late Game.

Another nice fit. Don't forget that you will buy the Glacial Shroud in the early stages of the game. And you most probably won't puck up the Frozen Heart until the late stages, so by that time it would be substantially cheaper, and easier to get. In any case it's a deal because it makes Nasus even more tankier, not to mention the CD reduction component, which works perfectly for this build.

If the team you are up against is very AP dependable, take something like Force of Nature or Guardian Angel. Guardian Angel will also make you a great hassle for people all around, because once they use everything to kill you, you will be back to do some more heavy DMG. Force of Nature is also really great, nothing wrong with that item. And yes these are some additional choices, but keep in mind that they are only meant to substitute Frozen Heart if the opponent is leaning more towards magic DMG and AP.

The Bloodthirster is a real late game item. When you get it, you won't die, it's as simple as that. The LS is great, the DMG is great, and since you're already a tank, the extra DMG will not hinder that part at all. Since you are pretty good at defending lanes and so forth, by this stage of the game, you will be able to max it up at a quite quick pace, using your Spirit Fire and such.

Atma's Impaler and the Frozen Mallet are the definition of late game items for this build. Sure they fit (in some ways) but you don't necessarily need them. I still recommend these, because they work surprisingly well on Nasus. If you do manage to get them though, it's game over.

Remember about the other consumables, likes sight wards and Mana Potions. You will be required to buy these at some time in the game, you need to get the habit, of knowing when. More about the sight ward in the section below.

An Elixir of Fortitude is not a bad side-way pick up. If you don't have enough for your next item, and the situation forbids you from coming back o base in a while, then by all means take one, even if your item slots a re full, you can still buy one, and it will use its self immediately.

Keep in mind, that if you take all the CD reduction items that I've suggested above, you'll be over the 40% max CD reduction cap. So again, depending on the game, and your style of play, choose your choices wisely.

If you're wondering why all the supportive items, it's simple. Those items will keep you alive in the early to mid game, while you farm up. They will also make you more viable if a fight erupts. Later in the game, you'll see that this progression really works out. It's like making a house, and the supporting items, are the supporting beams. You can go for all the late game items earlier, but I would not recommend it.

Warding

Warding is an essential part in League of Legends, it can help you, and your team, in ways you cannot even imagine until you'd seen it.

sight wards are the focus of this section of the guide, and how Nasus needs to use them.

Q: why do I need to ward with Nasus?

A: yes, you might ask this, genuinely the support player buys the wards, yes, but your role makes you dependent to buy sight wards. Let me explain. As Nasus, you will be playing solo top, and as a solo champion in the top lane, you will get ganked, sooner or later, and you need to stay alive, for obvious reasons. The best way to do this is through wards. Because if you die, you lose minion kills, and you lose xp, and your opponent gains both of those things. In this guide It's essential to keep farming in the early to mid game, as I have already explained.


You need to be on the lookout for the enemy junglers, before the game begins, see the enemy jungler, observe his/her skills, and be wary of what they can do. Put it in you head somewhere, stick it in there, that the enemy jungle champion will come, and you need to be ready.

This is why I recommend when the lane is pushed, to go back to base, for ganks and such. And this is why I recommend to not use Teleport in the middle of a lane, just go back on foot if need be.

I have not added sight wards in the item build, for obvious reasons. And I've said this, and I'll say it again. If the game makes you buy them, you will buy them. You need to be aware of that little fact.

Now then, this will only cover how to ward as Nasus, you do not need to ward all the other places on the map, you are not a support. I'll cover how to be more careful with your warding, and some additional wards, that can be placed in the late game.

So let's start with some essential wards.

The first thing you must remember is to ward the brush, or baron, or the tri-brush to the right. These are frequent paths that the enemy jungler wants to take, and you need to be aware if he's nearby.

The first brush is a common place where junglers tend to stand until you're in position for them to strike. This is a key place to ward, and try and ward it as soon as humanly possible. The next one, baron, is not used to see when baron will spawn. It is used because it covers a large area around the mid-to-top lane rover, where the enemy jungler is most likely to come from. This ward does not cover any brushes, which is a shame, but I still recommend the placing. The tri-brush is also a great place to put a sight ward in. This is also a frequent jungle path that enemies like to take.

The ganks will come, and when they do, you need to back-off, and these three locations will show you when someone is trying to be sneaky. All three spots are acceptable, depends on where you fancy your wards. I personally drop them in the baron area, but that's just me, any of the other places would do.

Like I said, observe the enemy jungler, and what he can do. If the enemy has a Rammus the drop the ward in the baron area for sure. You might even consider dropping wards in the top brushes, but again, this all is situation dependable.

This is a safe bet, if you're new to warding. If you're playing with the team that has their base in the bottom-left corner of the map, then place a sight ward in the first brush. And if you're playing on the other team, that has their base on the top-right side of the map, then place your sight ward in the tri-brush.

As the game reaches it's inevitable conclusion, each team will try and take either dragon or baron, in order to take a slight lead, it's a good idea to ward these epic mobs.




If the support is not doing his/her job properly, or if for some inexplicable reason the wards are not where they're suppose to be, be a team player and put some where they need to be, it might change the entire game.

If you for some reason have an extra sight ward or anything of the sort, it's a good idea to ward the buffs as well.




But don't make it your job to do that, only if you can.


And do not worry, you'll get the gold back from your philosopher's stone and Heart of Gold in no time. And don't be lazy and don't get em, always buy sight wards and protect your lane, cuz if you don't, that laziness might cost you the game. Just keep that in mind,

Friends and Foes

You need to know who's on your side and who's not. This section will be most useful to you in a rank game, where you know, who and how, can help/harm you. And whether or nor picking Nasus is the right choice.
The first thing to keep in mind is your solo top match-up. (this guide in particular only focuses on a ranked 1v1 solo top situation, 1v2s and unprofessional 1v1s are not taken in account.)

Risky Match-Ups

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Against most of these, Nasus will have a hard time. Keep in mind that this is based of the parameters of this build only. circumstances might change if you were to play Nasus differently.
Her Twilight Shroud will keep you guessing, not to mention that she can harass you very well. All in all you'll get fewer Siphoning Strike hits and thus the build will be less efficient.
Same as , his Barrel Roll can really prevent you from getting your last hits. Plus he can just charge away from your Wither which will make him hard to kill. Not the most dangerous opponent if you are careful though.
This one is not s terrible as the ones before. Jarvan can kill you easily, especially if a gank comes, if a ganks comes, and your lane opponent is Jarvan, then you're dead. Not to mention that he is hard to kill, because he is a bigger tank then you in the early to mid stages of the game. Plus the harassment will really put you at a disadvantage.
Just a bad match-up in general. You will get more farm against him, compered to the ones above, but he can kill you really easily. Not to mention his Counter Strike is a direct counter to your Siphoning Strike.
He can kill you, he can harass you. Very bad match-up.
Is not all that life threatening. He can harass you, but if he's cocky you can kill him. However against a skilled player, it's a very tough lane, especially if you're not careful.
Not much a threat since her nerf. She can still harass like nobodies business, but is not considered a huge threat by any stretch of the imagination.
Great at harassing if you're not careful. By lvl-6 you can kill her one on one, but take caution against a high skilled player.
One of the best solo tops in my opinion. He can harass you, while not giving up his farm, he is hard to kill. Early and Mid game, avoid him as much as possible.

He can take control of most other match-ups no problem.

In a team based environment, you gotta know who on your team can help you, and who on your enemy's team can harm you.

These are just a few of the enemies that Nasus is bad with. He is generally a hard solo top if up against a good player. For instance a good gankplank can demolish you. So always be on the guard when playing Nasus, and be ready for anything.

CC Will Make you Useless

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CC champs will turn your big DMG output, and your amazing slow, and your only AE help to your team into nothing. Nasus despises these champions with all his might...I didn't go to far did I?

In any case I'll cover some of the more annoying ones.

He's too good, he can knock you up, and whats worse, he can push you straight out of the battle, and you never want that. A very good counter, not to mention he's hard like hell to be killed when he has Unbreakable Will on.
The Curse of the Sad Mummy is one of the most OP abilities in the game, and as with every other champion, it will stop Nasus in his tracks. Not to mention that Despair eats tanks alive.
The fear is really bad. Get feared by Fiddlesticks and you're in big trouble.
Speedy little devil. Not to mention hard to kill. But your armor penetration should take care of him.
Too much slows, too much of a distraction.
The thing that annoys me the most about him, is his Fling. Not to mention the slow from Mega Adhesive. Yeah, he can bother you a bit.

Mid to Late Game Helpers

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This list contains basic supports that fit Nasus, and most champions that are laid out above
are fair of obvious reasons. I'll go over some of them so you get the basic idea.

She is a perfect fit because of her Charm. If a target is caught with Charm, and you are near, that poor fellow will be six feet under before he knows it.
Her slow, plus your Siphoning Strike equals death. Same with .
He can speed you up, and he can CC the opponent, all in all a great combo for Nasus, like .
When the blind monk is jungling, you can fell safe. Kills will ramp up, in addition they are a great combo in the Late Game.
If there was ever a perfect match, this would be it. He can slow them down, he can speed you up, this build needs nothing more. ;)
Infinite Duress + Siphoning Strike = DEATH

Tips & Tricks

So as I said, Nasus is a champion that has many trades. Two of them are explained in this guide, and those are; DPS and Tank. But he can also be a jungler and a pusher.

I know this guide only covers one style of play, but if the demand is great, I will cover all of them ;)

So lets get into some tips for you guys :D



+ Siphoning Strike resets your attack timer. (just like Jax's Empower) So the best idea is to auto-attack, and then instantly active Siphoning Strike for maximum autput DMG);
+ Teleport into a brush if the lane gives you the chance. (so if for example, the bottom lane, needs some help, if they placed a sight ward in the side brushes, you can just Teleport in there and surprise your opponents);
+ Fury of the Sands's AE combined with Spirit Fire and a nice positioning, will deal -more DMG then you think. (I have actually gotten a double-kill with this xD);



More Tips & Tricks will be added in the list. I just need to find the better ones, so in order not to spam the list.

Conclusion and some Credits