How to beat Varus

Common role: ADC

A long-range marksman who pokes you out and chains your team in a root.

What makes Varus dangerous

Varus charges a piercing arrow (Q) for long-range burst, stacks Blight on you (W) for bonus damage, zones with a decaying poison field (E), and fires a chain root (R) that spreads from the first target hit to everyone nearby. His ult can lock down a grouped team from a screen away.

How to play against Varus

• 1Don't clump: his ult root spreads from the first hit to nearby allies.
• 2Dodge his charged Q — it is his main poke and burst.
• 3He is immobile with no dash; engage on him once his R is used.
• 4Cleanse or QSS his root to break his engage combo.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓No mobility or escape at all.
• ✓His ult roots only spread if you're grouped — spread out.
• ✓Charged Q is telegraphed and dodgeable.
• ✓Vulnerable to hard engage once R is down.

Abilities & how to counter them

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

• P
  Vengeance incarnée

  Quand il tue un ennemi ou quand il réussit une assistance, Varus gagne temporairement des dégâts d'attaque et de la puissance. Ce bonus est plus important si l'ennemi tué est un champion.

  Strong: gains attack speed on a takedown to snowball fights. Weak: deny him kills and the tempo never starts.

• Q
  Flèche perforante

  Varus effectue un tir puissant dont les dégâts et la portée augmentent avec la durée de la charge.

  Strong: a charged arrow that pierces for long-range burst. Weak: telegraphed and slow — sidestep it, especially through minions.

• W
  Carquois meurtri

  Passive : les attaques de base de Varus infligent des dégâts magiques supplémentaires ainsi que Meurtrissure. Les autres compétences de Varus déclenchent Meurtrissure, infligeant des dégâts magiques en fonction des PV max de la cible. Active : Varus renforce sa prochaine Flèche perforante.

  Strong: stacks Blight for bonus magic damage on his hits. Weak: the stacks fall off — deny his autos and the payoff never lands.

• E
  Pluie de flèches

  Varus tire une pluie de flèches qui inflige des dégâts physiques et souille le sol. Le sol souillé réduit la vitesse de déplacement des ennemis et réduit les soins qu'ils reçoivent et leur régénération.

  Strong: a poison field that zones objectives and applies grievous wounds. Weak: fixed area — just don't stand in it.

• R
  Chaîne corruptrice

  Varus lance une vrille de corruption qui blesse et immobilise le premier champion ennemi touché et qui se propage ensuite vers les champions non infectés proches, les immobilisant eux aussi en les touchant.

  Strong: a root that spreads from the first target to every nearby ally. Weak: it only chains if you're grouped — spread out, and Cleanse/QSS breaks it.

Itemization

Spread against his ult and dodge his Q. Hard engage or a dive punishes his immobility; Cleanse/QSS breaks the chain root.

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