(Guide is updated for 13.10 item changes and will be updated in future as well)

Hey guys, I'm Turtle. I've been masters for 2 seasons in a row now while playing at 300 ping on NA servers (due to being in India for the time being). I have also been a Nautilus main for a year or two and have a very good understanding of his potential. I've been able to climb to masters consistently now due to having better macro knowledge and match ups understanding. I have also been rank 9 Nautilus during season 11 in NA and have finally decided to make a guide to help others climb the ladder as well with this very easy to play champion because of his simple kit. He is one engage support everyone should know how to play.

I hope you find this helpful and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask in comments or come watch me stream and ask there and I will try my best to answer all questions.

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Nautilus is one of the best Engage Supports in the game. Nautilus has so much CC in his kit and he is super simple to play as well. Nautilus has 4 different forms of CC in his kit. His laning is also one of the strongest in the entire game.

Pros

- Lots of CC in the kit
- Very simple champion to play and learn
- Strong lane pressence
- Good roams
- Hard to avoid his engage

Cons

- Falls off late game
- If you get behind, you won't be that tanky
- Big hitbox, making it easy to get hit by skillshots
- One dimensional mostly, he is played as an engage support playstyle

Passive - Staggering Blow

Nautilus' basic attacks deal an additional 2 + (6 × level) physical damage and immobilize his target for 0.75 / 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 seconds. The duration increases every 5 levels. This effect cannot trigger on the same target more than once every 6 seconds.


Q - Dredge Line

Nautilus throws his anchor forward. If he hits an enemy, he'll drag himself to his target and his target to him dealing 70 / 115 / 160 / 205 / 250 (+90% of ability power). If he hits terrain, he'll drag himself to the terrain and, refunding half the cooldown and mana cost.


W - Titan's Wrath

Nautilus surrounds himself with dark energies shielding himself from the next 45 / 55 / 65 / 75 / 85 + (9/10/11/12/13% of his maximum health) damage for up to 6 seconds.

While the shield persists, Nautilus' basic attacks apply a damage over time effect to all units around his target. The effect deals 30 / 40 / 50 / 60 / 70 (+40% of ability power) magic damage over 2 seconds.


E - Riptide

Nautilus creates 3 waves of explosions that radiate from him to the surrounding area over 0.561 seconds, each dealing 55 / 85 / 115 / 145 / 175 (+30% of ability power) magic damage to all enemies within and slowing them by 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50% that decays over 1.5 seconds. Riptide deals 150% damage against monsters.

Enemies hit by subsequent waves beyond the first are dealt 50% damage.


R - Depth Charge

Nautilus fires a shockwave that chases an enemy champion. This deals 125 / 175 / 225 (+40% of ability power) magic damage to enemies it passes through and 150 / 275 / 400 (+80% of ability power) magic damage to its target, knocking each enemy hit into the air for 1 second before stunning them for 1 / 1.5 / 2 seconds.

Flash is 100% always needed. It will help you get out of bad situations and also be able to set up more picks.

Ignite is more common to take because it allows you to play very aggressively and secure kills early which can help lead to snowballs.

You always want to be playing to snowball, so aggressive summoner spells are the only thing that make sense.

Glacial Augment procs when immobilizing an enemy champion slowing them with 3 glacial rays by 30% and reducing their damage by 15% against allies excluding yourself for 3 seconds.

This is most common in the current meta for Nautilus due to it being great in all situations. It is very good to get picks, while also being able to peel and in teamfights the aoe of the rays can help you win due to the damage reduction.

Can run this almost always, but make sure to take this against enchanters to punish their lack of tankiness and mobility.


Aftershock makes you tanky giving 35+ armor , 35+ magic resist and 80% of your bonus resists for 2.5s.

This rune is taken more into engage supports because it will allow you to be tanky enough to fight or get out of bad situations if caught out. It also helps you engage teamfights because you will get more resistance to survive in the frontline.

Locket of the Iron Solari
Standard purchase in most games. Always try to look at what you will be shielding in teamfights, don't just press it to press it.

Evenshroud
In rare cases where there is completely 0 AoE that could be shielded by Locket of the Iron Solari, take this item. Generally a very good item that will add around 4k damage in the span of the game. Excellent choice for making sure that the priority target dies.

Radiant Virtue
This is a really strong s13 item. It's a bit more expensive than locket and evenshroud but when you aren't behind in games, I would reccommend Radiant because of how tanky you get from it and is a lot more useful in teamfights for all your allies.

Most of the time you will just want to get Locket of the Iron Solari or Evenshroud because it is cheaper but Radiant Virtue is a very strong item when you are even/ahead in the game.

Invade Potential:
At the start of the game, make sure to know if your team has enough damage to be able to invade the enemy jungle, but also make sure to check that the enemies don't have a better level 1 comp. Good invades can lead to strong starts which can help you snowball and close out your games faster. YOU DO NOT NEED TO INVADE EVERY GAME

Laning Phase
Nautilus has a very strong level 2 power spike which almost always guarantees a kill or a lot of summoner spells will be used. Try to prioritize getting the push in lane first to reach level 2 before the enemy bot which can get you a very strong lane prio. Remember to not force level 2 too fast otherwise the wave will be too close to their tower and they are allowed to play safely.

Sometimes the lane phase is not the best so you will have to play it a bit more passive and wait till the enemy makes a mistake. Once any mistake is noticed, then you want to punish it and take over that lane.

You can also try to look for good picks at level 1 due to the cc lock up you have just with your passive and hook combined, but ideally level 2 is where you try to get the picks.

Nautilus has a lot of lane presence because of his pick potential so make sure you are always a threat in lane and not being passive in situations when you shouldn't be. Play to get leads, you want to be aggressive. If you can't get the lead in the lane much, then look to roam.

Roaming
This champion was made to be able to roam and help teammates easily due to the kit being so good. You have options to help teammates get kills in other lanes, or help them away from danger, while also helping the jungler secure obejectives.

When to roam?

1. When you have just recalled and have time to help other lanes before going back bot
2. When the wave is pushed under tower or it is frozen near your tower
3. If going bot lane will not help you win 2v2, then you want to help others get a lead
4. Helping the jungler secure objectives or invade

Nautilus is always looking to engage due to being pretty one dimensional. You want to be using your ultimate on the most fed enemy in most cases so they are not able to carry their team. Having good vision will help lead you to getting the picks you need to win the fights.

The main concept for Nautilus is knowing who the main threat is so you can use your ultimate on them, and also looking for picks on anyone because of the massive amount of cc that you have in your kit.

- AA > W(AA) > E > AA

In this combo you use the AA reset from your W and the fact that your E can clip the animation of your W attacks when they land. This combo lets you burst a bit faster than AA > E > AA > W and you spend less time stuck in animation. This combo can be used after Q and after R.

- Use Q to get behind your Enemy

Especially useful vs Alistar and other supports with knockbacks since they will most likely knock you into their team.

- Every ability can be used during your Q dash

This way you can get a better position for your R to knock up multiple enemies if they are not in the best position to just use R.

- You can hook terrains to close distance faster

- Try to use your ultimate in clumped fights because it will knock up/cc multiple enemies.

- In the laning phase, save your ultimate to shut down any gank attempt. Anyone who attempts to gank you or your ADC can be shut down (and often-times killed) by using R-Q-AA while your ADC focuses on them.

I hope this guide helps you learn Nautilus easier and really makes you feel like adding this champion to your champion pool. A very simple champion to pick up and also very impactful throughout the early and mid game.

I will be keeping this guide updated as any buffs/nerfs happen to him, or if there are any changes in the meta.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or you can reach me on my streams. Come check me it out if you get the chance!

The lore is not my own, it is taken from Riot Games in case anyone was interested in reading more about him.

My twitch:
https://www.twitch.tv/turtleepic

My youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCypfw0-IW2wwDcphiTcDlwA

Thank you for reading this guide!

To understand the legend of Nautilus, one must first know the man—for even the tallest of tavern tales agree, he was indeed a man.

Though the waves have washed away the name he was born with, most remember Nautilus as no mere sailor, but as a salvage diver. Just beyond the southernmost reach of the Blue Flame Isles lies a graveyard of ships, rumored lost while searching for a blessed land, looking to trade wealth for immortality. On a fair day, their glittering holds beckon from beneath the surface. Many crews sought divers to collect the lost fortune, and none could match the skill of the quick-sinking hulk of solid muscle that was Nautilus.

With lungs that could steal the air from a galleon’s sails, Nautilus preferred to freedive. Always bringing up plenty of gold or jewels for the crew, the man demanded no special wages—he asked only that the captain toss a coin overboard as they set out, honoring and appeasing the vast ocean. A sailor’s superstition to be sure, but many a sea-fearing crew made such offerings to ensure a safe return.

Years of salvage depleted the easy treasure, each haul becoming less and less, until one day Nautilus’s crew learned that their ship and working papers had been bought out from under them.

The dawn was scarlet the morning the new captain came aboard. Hailing from a foreign port, he brought with him a giant suit of brass and iron. He zeroed in on Nautilus; indeed, he had purchased the command because of Nautilus. It was clear the captain was obsessed with a specific wreck, one shrouded in darkness even on a fair day. The diving armor could withstand the pressures of the ocean floor far longer than any man, long enough to collect what was hidden in the abnormal murk.

The crew agreed working was better than starving, and Nautilus found himself being bolted into the suit, the wooden deck groaning under the load. Panic rose in his throat when he realized that they had nothing to pay the tithe. The foreign captain laughed as Nautilus was lowered into the water. He assured the crew that whatever the Bearded Lady was protecting would make them all rich beyond their wildest dreams. When Nautilus returned to the surface, they would make their silly sacrifice.

As Nautilus sank, the light above dimmed, and all grew quiet, the man’s own breath the only sound echoing in the iron suit. Then something reached out from the depths. He was being pulled down, and for the first time Nautilus felt liquid fear wrap itself around his heart. It was not treasure his captain sought, but some slumbering, eldritch power.

Nautilus grabbed the anchor chain, his last connection to the world above, and hauled himself up even as the thing below sought to drag him down. But the weight was too much. Just as his giant metal fingers were about to breach the surface, the chain snapped. Nautilus screamed within the suit, but none could hear him. He tumbled back into the inky maelstrom, clutching the sinking anchor in desperation. Dark tendrils enveloped him, and he could only watch as the dimming outline of his ship faded away. Then everything went black.

When Nautilus awoke on the ocean floor, he was something… different. The darkness could no longer hurt him. The great metal suit had become a seamless shell around him, concealing the bond that the primordial power had made with his spirit. Trapped in the sunless depths, he could remember only one thing—the new captain’s broken promise.

Nautilus vowed, there and then, that all would pay the ocean’s tithe. He would see to it himself.

Driven ever forward by this thought, he trudged toward the shore. But by the time he reached Bilgewater, years had passed, and he could find no traces of his captain or crew. There was no life to which he could return, no revenge he could take. Instead he returned to the sea, allowing his anger to surface on the greedy, gutting their ships with his mighty anchor.

Sometimes, in the tumble of waves, distant memories of who he was push up above the waterline… but always the man who is Nautilus stays drowned just below the surface.