In this guide, we will take a look at our new hero Varus. After playing about a dozen games with Varus, I noticed some deficiencies with different builds available and with the character himself that need to be addressed. I hope that we address these issues in this guide.

You will not find character backstory in this guide, nor will you find cutsy pictures, etc. The goal of this guide is to break down this hero and draw out all of his potential. Please contact me/comment and help me improve this guide over time.

We have a typical 21/9 build for AD's here. This helps offset some of the initial weakness at low levels when laning. The 9 in defense attempts to address this weakness:

- Squishy

Another viable option would be to go 21/0/9 and take mana/movement speed to address:

- Slow as anything, and no escape options
- Low mana

Furthermore, I would not judge you if you took cooldowns in the offense tree in place of lifesteal and worked from a lowering cooldowns/mana regen angle!

Flash: I use Flash to try to give Varus offensive and defensive mobility. It is not perfect, and will not help you unless you have map awareness at his speed. Ultimately this is the best option, because it gives you (1) option for escape with this character.

Clarity: I use Clarity to extend Varus' time within a lane if you enjoy harassing with abilities. Almost every time I use this ability, I mana up to full. Mana is a major weakness with Varus, especially early game. This ability helps fix that.

I also believe that Heal and Ignite have a place depending on your gameplay style. The damage bonus from Ignite alone is awesome, along with the ability to save yourself with Heal.

I believe that summoner spells benefit different playstyles in different ways. They should vary from game to game and player to player.

This build set will vary from game to game, as orders should for every player. The second Doran's Blade is optional, and I will only definitely take it if I get an early kill and want to press my advantage. Most people will take a Doran's Blade first instead of the boots. I have found that if you are harassed, the modest life and lifegain will not help you against a skilled attack. Boots and pots are a better approach, especially against skillshot/AoE opponents.

The choice that I have found myself with after the first few minutes of the game is AD vs. attack speed. I choose AD. The sword is a great first option that synergizes with Varus' abilities. Berserker's Greaves is enough in terms of attack speed early game. Infinity Edge is the next choice to increase AD and critical chance.

The only other item that I float within my build order is the Last Whisper. If we are playing against a less squishy team, I will move this item up on my build order to help combat that.

If you farm well, you should be able to get Bloodthirster in your games. The Bloodrazor is wishful thinking and overkill...

The rune set is built to address the need for armor penetration against enemies, and armor for Varus. The glyphs of Malice are for additional DPS. I could also take Greater Seals of Vitality as an option in place of the armor. Both will help in the early game. Taking glyphs for attack speed or damage are also viable options.

The skill sequence places Piercing Arrow as the most important skill for harass/pk for this hero. Hail of Arrows is important only for its slow, so we only need a point in that. Blighted Quiver offers a good passive, and will be our secondary skill that we choose.

Late in the game, Hail of Arrows becomes a nasty farming tool.

OK.... so here is the one opportunity for improvement that I see with Varus players, including myself. Varus can detonate the blight attached to his opponents when they are struck by one of his abilities. Ensure that you are leading off with normal attacks and following up with your abilities. This will guarantee maximum damage output with Varus. I rarely see this done at this early point in his career.

Working with detonating blight will also help you dominate in early harass; this is something that Varus can dominate at with a good player.

Varus is awesome. If you can work a skill shot, and maximize his damage through effectively using blight, you will dominate. Counteract his weaknesses through your ability and rune choices, and you will maximize the time between going back to base, whether it is because you are dead or need mana or health.

Please comment and let me know how I did on this build. Thank you for your time!