How to beat Karthus

Common role: Jungle / Mid

A scaling mage whose global ultimate executes low targets anywhere on the map.

What makes Karthus dangerous

Karthus spams Q for poke and farm, slows and shreds resists in his E aura, and his global ultimate hits your entire team after a channel — every low-HP member dies wherever they are. Even dead, he keeps casting for several seconds. He outscales almost everything if left alone.

How to play against Karthus

• 1Back before you're low: recall at 40%+ HP when his ult is up, or you die crossing the map.
• 2His Q hits harder on isolated targets — stand near minions/allies to halve it.
• 3Walk away from his corpse: the passive keeps casting for 7 seconds after death.
• 4Invade and end early — he's a weak early jungler and needs farm.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓Very weak early game, especially in the jungle.
• ✓No mobility and almost no CC — dives kill him for free.
• ✓His ult is countered by heals, shields and Zhonya's timed on the channel.
• ✓Needs items and levels — deny farm and he's a minion.

Abilities & how to counter them

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

• P
  怨嗟の叫び

  カーサスは死亡すると同時に霊体化し、その場でスキルを発動できるようになる。

  Strong: after dying he keeps casting free spells for 7 seconds. Weak: just walk out of his corpse's range — don't stand in the death zone.

• Q
  根絶やし

  指定地点を時間差で爆発させ、周囲の敵にダメージを与える。命中した敵が1体の場合は与えるダメージが増加する。

  Strong: spammable poke that deals double damage to an isolated target. Weak: halve it by standing near minions or allies.

• W
  嘆きの壁

  エネルギーを搾取する霊的な壁を出現させ、そこを通り抜けた敵の移動速度と魔法防御を一定時間低下させる。

  Strong: a wide slow-and-shred wall that sets up his kite. Weak: pure utility, no damage — dash through or around it.

• E
  冒涜

  自動効果として、カーサスが倒した敵から生気を奪いマナを回復する。発動すると自身の周囲に倒した獲物の魂を召喚し、範囲内の敵にダメージを与えるがマナを著しく消耗する。

  Strong: an AoE aura that melts melee attackers standing on him. Weak: it drains his mana fast — poke him while it's toggled.

• R
  鎮魂歌

  3秒間の詠唱後、すべての敵チャンピオンにダメージを与える。

  Strong: a global nuke on your ENTIRE team after a 3s channel. Weak: fully counterable — heals, shields, Zhonya's on the channel; don't walk around low.

Itemization

Track his ult timer and don't walk around low. Heals/shields/Zhonya's answer the ultimate. Dive him — he has no escape.

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