Who counters Varus in League of Legends?

Public counter sites agree on Zeri, Samira and Aphelios against Varus (patch 16.22). Each one is listed on this page with the reason from the two kits. This is community consensus, not a win rate.

How do you play against Varus in League of Legends?

Riot's own tip: If you are affected by Blight, Varus' abilities will deal extra damage to you. The counter picks on this page add the champions whose abilities answer Varus, each with its reason.

Who is Varus good against in League of Legends?

Read the other way round, the same rules over Riot's ability text find Varus strong into Kassadin, Locke and Rumble. The reason for each is on this page. This is Analysis, not a win rate.

Which lanes does Varus play?

Data Dragon has no lane data. As a Marksman and Mage champion, Varus typically plays Mid and Bot. This is a class-based filter, not a play rate.

How hard is Varus to play?

Riot rates the difficulty of Varus as Low (2 out of 10).

Varus Counter LoL: Best Picks & Why

Tactical identity

Varus, Marksman / Mage

Varus, the Arrow of Retribution, is a Marksman and Mage champion in League of Legends. Everything below comes from Riot's Data Dragon for patch 16.21.1: ability text, base stats and Riot's tips. Counters and matchups by class are worked out from that text, and each one shows its reason.

Riot's ratings, out of 10

Attack: 7
Defense: 3
Magic: 4
Difficulty: 2

Typical lanes (class-based)Mid, Bot

ResourceMana

Playing as Varus

Riot's own tips

An early point in Blighted Quiver helps harass enemy champions and get killing blows on minions.
During short range fights it's sometimes best to fire Piercing Arrow quickly, rather than charging it to full power.
Try to take advantage of Piercing Arrow's very long range to snipe at enemy champions before a fight or as they're trying to flee.

Playing against Varus

Riot's own tips

If you are affected by Blight, Varus' abilities will deal extra damage to you.
When he gets a kill or assist, Varus temporarily gains Attack Speed and is much more dangerous.
You'll get bound in place if a tendril from Varus' ultimate, Chain of Corruption, reaches you. You can cause the tendril to die however by running far enough away from it.

What the kit does

Analysis read from Riot's ability text. Each line shows the words it rests on.

Hard crowd control
Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first"
Soft crowd control (slow, silence, blind)
Hail of Arrows: "Desecrated ground slows enemies' Move"
Healing or life steal
Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration"
Damage based on the target health
Blighted Quiver: "on the target's maximum Health"
Area damage
Blighted Quiver: "his next Piercing Arrow"

Varus in recent patches

Every official patch that changed Varus, newest first. Numbers from Riot's official notes (before and after).

Patch 26.21adjusted2026-10-20
- Q Piercing Arrow: Damage Calculation: Max Damage scaling, 53.33 - 240 (+80% bonus AD) to 80 - 360 (+120% bonus AD) → Min Damage scaling, 50 - 230 (+80% bonus AD) to 85 - 391 (+136% bonus AD)
- Q Piercing Arrow: Damage Increase over Channel Time: Up to 50% → Up to 70%
- W Blighted Quiver: On-Hit Damage: 4 / 13 / 22 / 31 / 40 (+15% bonus AD) (+25% AP) → 4 / 10 / 16 / 22 / 28 (+20% bonus AD) (+30% AP)
- W Blighted Quiver: Per Stack Damage: 3 - 5% (+1.3% per 100 AP) Target Maximum Health → 2.5 - 4.5% (+1.4% per 100 AP) Target Maximum Health
More changes in the patch notes.

Varus's abilities

Riot's own text and preview clip for each ability, from Riot's Data Dragon, patch 16.21.1. Pick an ability and its clip plays here, muted.

PPassive

Living Vengeance

On kill or assist, Varus temporarily gains Attack Damage and Ability Power. This bonus is larger if the enemy is a champion.

QQ

Piercing Arrow

Cooldown: 16/15/14/13/12 s
Cost (Mana): 50/55/60/65/70
Range: 925

Varus readies and then fires a powerful shot that gains extra range and damage the longer he spends preparing to fire.

Effects in the text

Ranged poke

WW

Blighted Quiver

Cooldown: 40 s
Range: 750

Passive: Varus' basic attacks deal bonus magic damage and apply Blight. Varus' other abilities detonate Blight, dealing magic damage based on the target's maximum Health. Active: Varus empowers his next Piercing Arrow.

Effects in the text

Damage based on the target health
Magic damage
Relies on basic attacks
Area damage

EE

Hail of Arrows

Cooldown: 18/16/14/12/10 s
Cost (Mana): 90
Range: 925

Varus fires a hail of arrows that deal physical damage and desecrate the ground. Desecrated ground slows enemies' Move Speed and reduces their self healing and regeneration.

Effects in the text

Soft crowd control (slow, silence, blind)
Healing or life steal
Physical damage
Ranged poke

RR

Chain of Corruption

Cooldown: 100/80/60 s
Cost (Mana): 100
Range: 1300

Varus flings out a damaging tendril of corruption that immobilizes the first enemy champion hit and then spreads towards nearby uninfected champions, immobilizing them too on contact.

Effects in the text

Hard crowd control

Build direction, Analysis

Items and runes that fit Varus

Riot publishes no builds and this page invents none. Below: completed items ranked by how many of the stats Varus's kit uses they give (attack damage (AD) first), the runes whose official text matches the kit, and picks for each enemy type. A fit, not a strength ranking. No win rates.

Closest stat fit

Editorial estimate

Completed items ranked by how many of the stats Varus's kit uses they give. A fit, not a verdict: Riot publishes no builds and no win rates.

Lord Dominik's Regards3,300
- +35 Attack DamageVarus scales with it
- +35% Armor Penetrationits damage is physical
- +25% Critical Strike Chanceits kit leans on basic attacks
Mortal Reminder3,000
- +35 Attack DamageVarus scales with it
- +30% Armor Penetrationits damage is physical
- +25% Critical Strike Chanceits kit leans on basic attacks
Stormrazor3,200
- +50 Attack DamageVarus scales with it
- +25% Attack Speedits kit leans on basic attacks
- +25% Critical Strike Chanceits kit leans on basic attacks
Yun Tal Wildarrows3,000
- +50 Attack DamageVarus scales with it
- +45% Attack Speedits kit leans on basic attacks
- +0% Critical Strike Chanceits kit leans on basic attacks
Blade of The Ruined King3,200
- +40 Attack DamageVarus scales with it
- +25% Attack Speedits kit leans on basic attacks
Experimental Hexplate3,000
- +40 Attack DamageVarus scales with it
- +20% Attack Speedits kit leans on basic attacks

More items with the same stat 38

Guinsoo's Rageblade3,000

Kraken Slayer3,000

Serylda's Grudge3,000

Immortal Shieldbow3,000

Chempunk Chainsword3,000

Hextech Gunblade3,000

Hubris2,800

Hullbreaker3,000

Manamune2,900

Maw of Malmortius3,100

Mercurial Scimitar3,200

Overlord's Bloodmail3,300

Voltaic Cyclosword3,000

Youmuu's Ghostblade2,800

Boots

Armored Advance1,200

Chainlaced Crushers1,250

Crimson Lucidity900

Immortal Path1,100

Spellslinger's Shoes1,100

Swiftmarch1,000

Rune fits

Editorial estimate

Runes whose official text matches the most things Varus's kit does. Each line shows the words it rests on.

Stormraider's SurgeSorcery, Keystone · Matches: 2
- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first"
- It heals or restores health in the kit: Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration"
AftershockResolve, Keystone · Matches: 1
- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first"
Arcane CometSorcery, Keystone · Matches: 1
- It deals damage with abilities: Piercing Arrow: "and then fires a powerful"
Manaflow BandSorcery · Matches: 4
- Its kit leans on basic attacks: Marksman role
- It deals damage with abilities: Piercing Arrow: "and then fires a powerful"
- It heals or restores health in the kit: Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration"
- It uses mana: Mana
Font of LifeResolve · Matches: 2
- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first"
- It heals or restores health in the kit: Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration"
Presence of MindPrecision · Matches: 2
- It heals or restores health in the kit: Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration"
- It uses mana: Mana

Against each enemy type

Editorial estimate

Situational picks, counted from what the champions of each class do in Riot's Data Dragon. Swap a slot when the enemy team has several of that class.

Tanks
Anti-heal 25 of 46 heal or sustain
Executioner's Calling Morellonomicon
Cleanse or tenacity 20 of 46 have two or more hard CC abilities
Chainlaced Crushers Endless Hunger
To cut through them Tanks stack armor and magic resist; these items give armor penetration.
Axiom Arc Bastionbreaker Edge of Night Hubris
Fighters
Anti-heal 40 of 60 heal or sustain
Executioner's Calling Morellonomicon
Armor 38 of 60 deal physical damage only
Chain Vest Dead Man's Plate
Assassins
Anti-heal 24 of 46 heal or sustain
Executioner's Calling Morellonomicon
Armor 23 of 46 deal physical damage only
Chain Vest Dead Man's Plate
Mages
Magic resist 53 of 74 deal magic damage only
Abyssal Mask Banshee's Veil
Anti-heal 29 of 74 heal or sustain
Executioner's Calling Morellonomicon
Marksmen
Armor 14 of 32 deal physical damage only
Chain Vest Dead Man's Plate
Supports
Magic resist 36 of 43 deal magic damage only
Abyssal Mask Banshee's Veil
Anti-heal 19 of 43 heal or sustain
Executioner's Calling Morellonomicon

Counted from the official ability text, League of Legends patch 16.21.1. These are counts of champions, not win rates.

Rune trees

Lit runes: their official text matches something Varus's kit does (Analysis). Select a rune to read why.

Precision12 lit

Domination6 lit

Sorcery9 lit

Resolve8 lit

Inspiration5 lit

Who counters Varus: community consensus

Each pick is listed against Varus by at least two independent public counter sites, patch 16.22. The reason is ours, read from the two kits. Not win rates.

Zeri

Counters you

The Spark Surge dashes dodge Piercing Arrow, and Lightning Crash wins the long fights.

Samira

Counters you

Blade Whirl destroys Varus's arrows, and Wild Rush dashes Samira in for Inferno Trigger.

Aphelios

Counters you

Aphelios trades back with his weapons from range, and Moonlight Vigil wins the team fights Varus cannot leave.

Sources: counterstats.net, lolalytics.com. Reviewed 2026-11-06.

Matchups by class

Varus against each class of champion, counted from the official ability text. Choose a class or a lane to narrow it down.

Against all 172 champions: 39 ahead, 75 even, 58 behind. Each class is read against that, so check the best and toughest tags too.

Class

Lane

Patch

16.21.1Older patches: not available yet

Against Tanks

Even

10 ahead · 21 even · 15 behind of 46

Ahead of

Struggles against

True or percent-health damage cuts through their armor and magic resist.
They cut your attack speed, which weakens auto-attack builds.

What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over tanks. Execution and the team around you decide it.

Against Fighters

Even

15 ahead · 23 even · 22 behind of 60

Ahead of

Struggles against

True or percent-health damage cuts through their armor and magic resist.
Their healing or shields outlast your poke.

What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over fighters. Execution and the team around you decide it.

Against Assassins

Even

Best class

13 ahead · 20 even · 13 behind of 46

Ahead of

Struggles against

Your hard crowd control stops their dashes.
Their burst kills before your healing matters.

What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over assassins. Execution and the team around you decide it.

Against Mages

Even

14 ahead · 36 even · 24 behind of 74

Ahead of

Struggles against

You can lock down squishy targets that have few escapes.
They cut your attack speed, which weakens auto-attack builds.

What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over mages. Execution and the team around you decide it.

Against Marksmen

Even

11 ahead · 8 even · 13 behind of 32

Ahead of

Struggles against

You can lock down squishy targets that have few escapes.
Their burst kills before your healing matters.

What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over marksmen. Execution and the team around you decide it.

Against Supports

Weak

Toughest class

1 ahead · 25 even · 17 behind of 43

Ahead of

Struggles against

They can lock you down: you have few ways out.
They clear waves faster and can push the lane.

What to do: A risky pick into supports. Wait for the enemy draft before you lock it, or pick it with a team that covers the gap.

Source: Nexus Lab rules over the official ability text, League of Legends patch 16.21.1. Each champion of the class is compared with Varus one by one; the counts come from those rules, not from match results, so they are not win rates. Strong, even and weak compare the number of champions ahead and behind. Lanes are the lanes each class usually plays (Riot ships no lane data per champion), not play rates.

Building against Varus

Analysis: answers to what Varus's own kit does.

Varus heals or has life steal in the kit, so anti-heal is worth a slot. Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration"

Executioner's CallingIt carries anti-heal (stated in its text).

MorellonomiconIt carries anti-heal (stated in its text).

Mortal ReminderIt carries anti-heal (stated in its text).

Picks that can punish Varus

Analysis: rules over Riot's ability text.

Jhin

Counters you

Jhin has hard CC (Deadly Flourish: "they are rooted") to catch Varus, a squishy champion with few escapes (Marksman role).

2 more reasons

Jhin has burst or execute damage (Whisper: "deal bonus execute damage") that can kill before Varus's healing (Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration") matters.

Varus needs time to scale (Marksman role) and Jhin has early pressure (Whisper: "deal bonus execute damage") to punish that.

Aurelion Sol

Counters you

Aurelion Sol has hard CC (Singularity: "and slowly pulling them toward its") to catch Varus, a squishy champion with few escapes (Marksman role).

2 more reasons

Aurelion Sol has burst or execute damage (Singularity: "black hole executes enemies who") that can kill before Varus's healing (Hail of Arrows: "their self healing and regeneration") matters.

Varus needs time to scale (Marksman role) and Aurelion Sol has early pressure (Singularity: "black hole executes enemies who") to punish that.

Watch out: Varus has hard CC (Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first") to catch Aurelion Sol, a squishy champion with few escapes (Mage role).

Jarvan IV

Counters you

Jarvan IV has hard CC (Dragon Strike: "knocking up enemies") to catch Varus, a squishy champion with few escapes (Marksman role).

2 more reasons

Jarvan IV can outlast poke with healing or shields (Golden Aegis: "Demacia to shield him from") against Varus's ranged skillshots (Piercing Arrow: "and then fires a powerful").

Varus needs time to scale (Marksman role) and Jarvan IV has early pressure (Dragon Strike: "knocking up enemies") to punish that.

Watch out: Varus is ranged (Marksman role) and can poke Jarvan IV, a melee champion (Fighter role) with no sustain to recover.

Lissandra

Counters you

Lissandra has hard CC (Ring of Frost: "damage and rooting them") to catch Varus, a squishy champion with few escapes (Marksman role).

1 more reason

Lissandra clears waves more easily (Iceborn Subjugation: "Thralls slow nearby enemies and then") and can push the lane against Varus.

Xayah

Counters you

Xayah has hard CC (Bladecaller: "damage and rooting enemies") to catch Varus, a squishy champion with few escapes (Marksman role).

1 more reason

Varus needs time to scale (Marksman role) and Xayah has early pressure (Bladecaller: "damage and rooting enemies") to punish that.

Xin Zhao

Counters you

Xin Zhao has hard CC (Three Talon Strike: "third attack knocking an opponent") to catch Varus, a squishy champion with few escapes (Marksman role).

2 more reasons

Xin Zhao can outlast poke with healing or shields (Determination: "damage and heals Xin Zhao") against Varus's ranged skillshots (Piercing Arrow: "and then fires a powerful").

Varus needs time to scale (Marksman role) and Xin Zhao has early pressure (Three Talon Strike: "third attack knocking an opponent") to punish that.

Watch out: Varus deals damage based on the target's health (Blighted Quiver: "on the target's maximum Health"), which scales against a tough champion like Xin Zhao (Fighter role).

Who Varus is good against

The same rules, read the other way.

Kassadin

You pressure

Varus has hard CC (Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first") that can stop Kassadin's dashes (Riftwalk: "Kassadin teleports to a").

Locke

You pressure

Varus has hard CC (Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first") that can stop Locke's dashes (Ashen Pursuit: "location before dashing to attack").

Rumble

You pressure

Varus is ranged (Marksman role) and can poke Rumble, a melee champion (Fighter role) with no sustain to recover.

Akali

You pressure

Varus has hard CC (Chain of Corruption: "corruption that immobilizes the first") that can stop Akali's dashes (Shuriken Flip: "Re-cast to dash to the").

Cho'Gath

You pressure

Varus is ranged (Marksman role) and can poke Cho'Gath, a melee champion (Tank role).

Counter picks under the consensus list are Analysis: rules over Riot's ability text, each with the words it rests on. They are not win rates.

Official story

Varus's official story on Riot UniverseA link to the official source (in English). We do not copy its text.

Champion video guide

Video by 3 Minute League of Legends · Watch on YouTube The player loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only after you press play.

Measured numbers

Numbers published or counted by a named source. Each row names the source and the patch.

Attack7

Defense3

Magic4

Difficulty2

Riot data Riot's ratings out of 10, Riot's Data Dragon, patch 16.21.1

Base stats
Stat	Level 1	Per level	Level 18
Health	600	+105	2385
Mana	320	+40	1000
Armor	24	+4	92
Magic resist	33	+1.1	51.7
Attack damage	59	-	59
Attack speed	0.658	+3.5%	1.05
Attack range	575	-	575
Move speed	330	-	330
Health regen per 5 seconds	3.5	+0.55	12.85
Mana regen per 5 seconds	8	+0.8	21.6

Riot data Riot's Data Dragon, patch 16.21.1. Level 18 is calculated from Riot's growth formula on the same numbers.

Editorial estimates

Our reading of the data. These are not measured rates and they change when the rules or the data change.

Counter picks: 6 Editorial estimateNexus Lab rules over Riot's ability text, patch 16.21.1
Good against: 5 Editorial estimateNexus Lab rules over Riot's ability text, patch 16.21.1
Typical lanes: Mid, Bot Editorial estimateLanes of the class; Riot ships no lane data per champion
Best class (relative): Assassins Editorial estimateWins minus losses over the class, compared with the other classes; counts of champions, patch 16.21.1
Toughest class (relative): Supports Editorial estimateWins minus losses over the class, compared with the other classes; counts of champions, patch 16.21.1

What no source gives us

Win rate, pick rate and ban rate. Riot publishes none we may print (the Riot API cards are switched off) and no third-party statistics site is read, so none is shown.
Popular builds. Riot publishes no builds: the items and runes in Build & Runes are a fit to the kit, not a popularity ranking.

Sources

Riot Games Data Dragon
Names, ratings, base stats, ability text, cooldowns, costs, range, items, runes and art.
Patch 16.21.1, file generated 2026-10-26
Open
Riot ability preview clips
Played from Riot's own server when you press play; never copied here.
Each clip checked with a request before it is offered
League of Legends Wiki
Release dates and skin prices in RP (CC BY-SA).
Committed data, see the skins page
Open
Nexus Lab rules
Counters, matchups by class, item and rune fit: rules over Riot's ability text, each with the words it rests on.
Patch 16.21.1
Riot Universe
The official story of Varus (a link, nothing copied).
Open

Varus League of Legends champion guide

Varus, Marksman / Mage

Playing as Varus

Playing against Varus

What the kit does

Varus in recent patches

Living Vengeance

Piercing Arrow

Blighted Quiver

Hail of Arrows

Chain of Corruption

Items and runes that fit Varus

More items with the same stat 38

Boots

Tanks

Fighters

Assassins

Mages

Marksmen

Supports

Rune trees

Precision12 lit

Domination6 lit

Sorcery9 lit

Resolve8 lit

Inspiration5 lit

Who counters Varus: community consensus

Building against Varus

Picks that can punish Varus

Who Varus is good against

Official story

Get new stories and champion updates

Champion video guide

Varus skins

Quick answers

Who counters Varus in League of Legends?

How do you play against Varus in League of Legends?

Who is Varus good against in League of Legends?

Which lanes does Varus play?

How hard is Varus to play?

Related champions

Next steps

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