Best Karthus Jungle Build Guide - 52.6% Win Rate in LoL
Starting with jungle optimization in patch 15.6, Karthus performs best with a specific combination of runes and items.
Most Popular Build (52.6% Win Rate - 194 matches)
- Summoner Spells: Exhaust, Smite
- Runes: Dark Harvest, Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, Treasure Hunter
- Secondary: Coup de Grace, Presence of Mind
- Shards: Adaptive Force (x2), Health Scaling
- Core Items: Blackfire Torch → Sorcerer's Shoes → Liandry's Torment
- Final Items: Shadowflame → Void Staff → Zhonya's Hourglass
- Skill Order: Q > E > W
Alternative Build (45.1% Win Rate - 71 matches)
- Summoner Spells: Exhaust, Smite
- Runes: Dark Harvest, Cheap Shot, Grisly Mementos, Ultimate Hunter
- Secondary: Axiom Arcanist, Gathering Storm
- Core Items: Blackfire Torch → Sorcerer's Shoes → Shadowflame
- Final Items: Zhonya's Hourglass → Void Staff → Rabadon's Deathcap
Key Matchups:
- Strong Against: Maokai, Tryndamere, Sejuani, Evelynn (80% WR), Zyra (71.4% WR)
- Weak Against: Ivern, Garen, Qiyana, Talon, Dr. Mundo
Essential Tips:
- Target overextended lanes when ganking due to limited gank potential
- Toggle E on/off while farming jungle camps to optimize mana usage
- Monitor minimap constantly for ultimate (R) opportunities on low-health enemies
- Adjust defensive rune shards based on enemy damage type
- Consider matchup-specific situational items based on game state
This build focuses on maximizing Karthus's AP scaling while maintaining sufficient mana sustain for extended jungle clearing and teamfight presence.