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Varus
the Arrow of Retribution

Varus

Passive · Living Vengeance

On takedowns, Varus gains a large burst of attack speed.

DamageDurabilityMagicDifficultyMobilityCC
Champion profile (Riot)
  • Damage7
  • Durability3
  • Magic4
  • Difficulty2
  • Mobility3
  • CC8
Counters by laneEach lane has counters + tips
Top

How to play as Varus

Top: hold CS, run TP or Ghost depending on the matchup.

How to beat Varus

Top: punish wave-states and ward river/jungle to dodge ganks.

Jungle

How to play as Varus

Jungle: track Scuttle, gank weak lanes, scale to objectives.

How to beat Varus

Jungle: ward objectives, never walk blind into brush.

Mid

How to play as Varus

Mid: shove wave fast and roam to side lanes.

How to beat Varus

Mid: watch for roams and save Flash for the next gank.

ADC
Primary

How to play as Varus

ADC: kite the frontline, hit the closest tank then the carries.

How to beat Varus

ADC: stay behind minions and focus the enemy ADC in fights.

Support

How to play as Varus

Support: keep vision + peel for ADC, build Locket Enchant + Knight's Vow.

How to beat Varus

Support: dodge hooks/engages, buy Mikael's into heavy CC.

Abilities

Piercing Arrow

PC
Q

Active: Varus channel while being slow by 20% for up to 4 seconds to increase Piercing Arrow's range over the first 1.5 seconds and its effects over the first 1.25 seconds of the channel.

Piercing Arrow can be recast within the duration. If the charge completes without reactivation, Piercing Arrow is cancelled and refunds 50% of the mana cost.

Recast: Varus fires a piercing arrow in the target direction that deals physical damage to enemies hit. The damage of the arrow as well as any detonated Blighted Quiver stacks are both increased by type=channel time%, and the arrow's damage is reduced by type=number of enemies hit%.

Cooldown16 to 12Rangetype=channel time%70(116.66 per 0.25 seconds). This is capped at 1.5 seconds.}}

Blighted Quiver

PC
W

Passive: Varus' basic attacks are empowered to deal bonus magic damage and apply a stack of Blight on-hit for 6 seconds, refreshing on subsequent applications and stacking up to 3 times. Varus' abilities detonate all Blight stacks on enemies hit, consuming them to apply new effects.

Blight: For each stack consumed, the target is dealt bonus magic damage. If the stacks were consumed with Piercing Arrow, this damage is increased by . This damage is capped at 360/3 per stack against monsters, for a total cap of 360 at maximum stacks. Additionally, each stack consumed against a champion or epic monster reduces the remaining cooldowns of Varus' basic abilities by % of each of their total cooldowns, up to a % cooldown reduction per target. If the stacks were consumed with Piercing Arrow, the cooldown reduction is increased by , up to a cooldown reduction per target from consuming maximum stacks against them.

Active: Varus' next Piercing Arrow within 5.5 seconds is empowered to deal additional bonus magic damage. This damage is further increased by . This damage is capped at 360 against monsters.

Cooldown40

Hail of Arrows

PC
E

Active: Varus fires a hail of arrows at the target location that land after 0.5 seconds, dealing physical damage to enemies hit.

The area then becomes desecrated for 4 seconds, slow enemies within and inflicting them with Grievous Wounds.

Hail of Arrows will cast at max range if cast beyond that.

Cooldown18

Chain of Corruption

PC
Ultimate

Active: Varus unleashes a tendril of corruption in the target direction that infects the first enemy champion hit, dealing magic damage and root them for 2 seconds, during which they are standard sight. Over the first 1.5 seconds of the root, they are also inflicted with maximum stacks of Blighted Quiver.

Upon impact, the tendril roots into the ground from which it seeks out nearby enemy champions. If a target does not leave the area within 2 seconds, they subsequently become infected as well, taking the same damage and effects. A new tendril is then spread out from the infected target that is closest to a nearby uninfected enemy champion. The infection can spread repeatedly until there are no new targets.

The target does not have to be sight to be caught by the tendril.

Cooldown100 to 60Range1370