INTRODUCTION

PROS/CONS

ABILITIES

RUNES

ITEMS

THANKS!

CHANGELOG

This is my in-depth Varus guide, but many of the concepts here can be translated to other champions as well!

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AD: Piercing Arrow -> Hail of Arrows -> Blighted Quiver

AP: Blighted Quiver -> Hail of Arrows -> Piercing Arrow

This is the standard ability sequence for Varus. Starting off with a point in Hail of Arrows for the easy-to-land Grievous Wounds and slow effect is typically the best choice. At level 2, a point in either Piercing Arrow or Blighted Quiver should be taken depending on whether building AD or AP, respectively. The third and final ability should be taken at level 3.

If building AD, Piercing Arrow should be maxed first; if building AP, Blighted Quiver should be maxed first for the increased %max Health damage. Hail of Arrows should be the second ability maxed regardless of whether building AD or AP because the damage and slow increases and the cooldown decreases. Blighted Quiver should be maxed last if building AD, otherwise Piercing Arrow should be maxed last if building AP. A point in Chain of Corruption should always be taken at levels 6, 11, and 16.

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RUNE STATS

OFFENSE +10% Attack Speed FLEX +9 Adaptive (5.4 AD) DEFENSE +10-180 Health Most of the time, Attack Speed and Adaptive Force should be taken on Varus, even if building AP burst. However, really any of the defense options are viable. Flat bonus Health can be beneficial when dealing with very weak early levels, Tenacity and Slow Resist can be useful against champions like Ashe, and level-scaling bonus Health can be a great option for late-game survivability.

Lethal Tempo Both Lethal Tempo and Press the Attack are generally the best options for on-hit Varus. Lethal Tempo is a powerful DPS tool (especially later in the game) because it simply makes it easier to deal damage. That said, Press the Attack can be highly useful (especially early-game) as a single-target DPS steroid; its requirement of three separate attacks also complements Blighted Quiver quite well. Generally, Fleet Footwork is not very useful on many marksmen because its healing from minions is dramatically reduced; it is best taken by poke champions like Caitlyn who can frequently attack enemy Champions. Lastly, Conqueror can be viable on some marksmen, but Varus simply isn't one of them.

Presence of Mind is a must-have for an ability-heavy marksman like Varus; it makes a huge difference especially in early levels. Triumph can be a good option sometimes as well, but Presence of Mind is more consistent. Overheal is generally underwhelming and should not be taken. Triumph

When running the on-hit build, Varus will benefit most from Legend: Alacrity. Its bonus Attack Speed is quite impactful after reaching max stacks, and Attack Speed is generally more useful than the bonus Life Steal that would come from Legend: Bloodline. That said, Legend: Bloodline may be useful in some cases like when facing heavy poke lanes and team compositions. Legend: Tenacity is generally sub-optimal for any marksman. Legend: Alacrity

Coup de Grace is a very consistent rune that will be useful every game, as enemy champions will frequently be below 40% Health. Alternatively, Cut Down is a great option when facing tank-heavy compositions. Last Stand, however, is generally a poor option because marksmen should not rely on being low Health to deal more damage. Coup de Grace

All three options in the middle row of the secondary Resolve tree are viable in different situations. That said, Second Wind is often the best option when facing poke-heavy lanes. On the other hand, Bone Plating is a useful survival tool in lane against heavy burst or all-in enemies. Conditioning can also be a good option, but note that it does nothing pre-10 minutes before the bonus Armor and Magic Resist activate. Second Wind

Unlike the middle row, the bottom row has only one (maybe two) decent options for Vayne. The best option is typically Overgrowth; it has little effect very early in the game, but grants quite a bit of bonus Health as the game progresses. That said, Unflinching can situationally be useful when facing heavy-CC lanes and compositions. Revitalize is rarely a viable option, as it is best equipped on Champions that provide healing. Overgrowth

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Blade of the Ruined King is a staple in any on-hit build. WIP

WIP

WIP

WIP

WIP

Attack-based builds like on-hit should almost always build Berserker's Greaves. They're incredibly cost efficient at 35% Attack Speed and 45 bonus Movement Speed for only 1100g (800g with Magical Footwear). However, there are some rare situations where defensive boots are a better option. For instance, Plated Steelcaps can be a great option when facing full-AD teams with champions like Yasuo and Lucian. Mercury's Treads may also occasionally be a good choice when facing heavy-Magic Damage teams with a lot of CC. That said, Berserker's Greaves are usually the best option.

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I'm extremely greatful for jhoijhoi's Making A Guide, because without it, I wouldn't have been able to create this guide.

If you liked the guide, feel free to vote and/or leave a comment or suggestion!

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November 27, 2020 (Patch 10.24)

November 11, 2020 (Patch 10.23)

September 30, 2020

July 13, 2020

April 30, 2020

April 15, 2020

November 20, 2019

August 20, 2019

June 4, 2019

February 6, 2019

January 24, 2019

January 9, 2019

December 9, 2018

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