How to beat Nasus

Common role: Top

A late-game juggernaut who stacks his Q infinitely and becomes unkillable.

What makes Nasus dangerous

Nasus permanently increases his Q damage every time he last-hits with it. Early he is weak, but if left to farm he outscales almost everyone, becoming a tanky bruiser who one-shots with an empowered Q and slows you to a crawl with his W.

How to play against Nasus

• 1Deny his stacks — this is the whole game. Freeze or push the wave, zone him off cannon minions, and have your jungler pressure him so he can't farm freely.
• 2Beat him early. Nasus is one of the weakest laners for the first 6 levels — trade aggressively and build a lead before he comes online.
• 3His W (Wither) cripples your movement and attack speed. Save your dash/flash or buy tenacity to escape it, and don't fight when it's up.
• 4In the late game, kite him — he has no gap-closer. Don't let him W your carry; peel and reposition instead of trading autos with his stacked Q.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓Very weak early game before he stacks.
• ✓No mobility or gap-closer — pure kiting target.
• ✓Wither is his only pick tool; bait or cleanse it.
• ✓If you deny stacks, he never comes online.

Abilities & how to counter them

What each of Nasus's abilities does — and how to play around it.

• P
  Seelenschlinger

  Nasus entzieht seinen Gegnern Seelenenergie, wodurch er zusätzlichen Lebensraub erhält.

• Q
  Aussaugender Schlag

  Nasus schlägt auf seinen Gegner ein, verursacht Schaden und erhöht die Kraft seiner folgenden „Aussaugenden Schläge“, wenn er sein Ziel tötet.

  Strong: permanently stacks damage on every last-hit — late-game one-shots. Weak: deny stacks by zoning him off minions and he never comes online.

• W
  Verdorren

  Nasus lässt einen gegnerischen Champion altern, wodurch dessen Lauf- und Angriffstempo über eine bestimmte Zeit verringert werden.

  Strong: Wither cripples your move and attack speed — his only pick tool. Weak: on cooldown he can't stick — save your dash/tenacity for it and don't fight while it's active.

• E
  Geisterfeuer

  Nasus entfesselt an einem Ort eine Geisterflamme, die Schaden verursacht und die Rüstung der Gegner verringert, die in ihr stehen.

• R
  Zorn des Sandes

  Nasus entfesselt einen mächtigen Sandsturm, der nahe Gegner beeinträchtigt. Solange der Sturm wütet, erhält Nasus zusätzliches Leben und Angriffsreichweite, fügt nahen Gegnern Schaden zu, verringert die Abklingzeit von „Aussaugender Schlag“ und erhält für die Dauer zusätzliche Rüstung und Magieresistenz.

  Strong: bonus health and Q range make him a late-game monster. Weak: he has no gap-closer — kite him and never trade autos with his stacked Q.

Itemization

Nasus is AD with sustain. Grievous Wounds and armor (Randuin's, Frozen Heart to cut his attack speed and Q spam) are core. Tenacity boots and any slow-resist help you escape his Wither.

This guide covers Nasus's core kit and playstyle — advice that holds up across patches.