Combos · Jungle

Karthus combos

the Deathsinger

3 Karthus combos explained key by key: in which order to cast the abilities, when to use them and what each step does. The main combo is Q › Q › W. Further down: every ability's cooldown, cost and range, and the skill max order measured over ranked games.

Karthus combos

Written guide · based on the official ability texts

Harassment

When: An enemy is isolated.

Lay Waste explodes on a delay with more damage on an isolated target; Wall of Pain reduces the speed and magic resistance of those who cross it.

The long-range ultimate

When: Enemies are weakened everywhere.

Requiem channels for 3 seconds then deals damage to all enemy champions: use it to finish several targets from a distance.

Spirit form

When: You die in the middle of a fight.

Death Defied gives you a spirit form that lets you keep casting spells: take advantage of it to cast Requiem or Lay Waste.

Common mistakes

Casting Requiem when the enemies are not within killing range.
Using Defile out of need: it costs a lot of mana.
Forgetting your spirit form.

Cooldowns, costs and ranges

A combo only comes back once its abilities are off cooldown: these values (rank 1 to max rank, in seconds) tell how long to wait between two combos. Source: Data Dragon 16.19.1.

Ability	Cooldown (s)	Cost	Range
Q · Lay Waste	0	20/25/30/35/40 Mana	875
W · Wall of Pain	15	70 Mana	1000
E · Defile	0.5	30/42/54/66/78 Mana per Second	550
R · Requiem	200/180/160	100 Mana	10000

Official ability descriptions

PassiveDeath Defied

Upon dying, Karthus enters a spirit form that allows him to continue casting spells.

QLay Waste

Karthus unleashes a delayed blast at a location, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Deals increased damage to isolated enemies.

WWall of Pain

Karthus creates a passable screen of leeching energy. Any enemy units that walk through the screen have their Move Speed and Magic Resist reduced for a period.

EDefile

Karthus passively steals energy from his victims, gaining Mana on each kill. Alternatively, Karthus can surround himself in the souls of his prey, dealing damage to nearby enemies, but quickly draining his own Mana.

RRequiem

After channeling for 3 seconds, Karthus deals damage to all enemy champions.

Skill order

Max order: Q > E > W49.0% · 49 games

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Q	●		●		●		●		●
W				●										●	●
E		●						●		●		●	●
R						●					●

The order shows which abilities reach rank 5 first; the grid shows the most-played level-up sequence with that order (measured over 53 games).

Riot's official tips for playing Karthus

Ask your allies to help point out when you should use Requiem to get kills in different lanes.
Lay Waste is very strong at farming minions and harassing enemy champions.

How to play around Karthus's combos

Karthus can cast spells for a short duration after he is killed. Move away from his corpse to be safe.
Make sure you always have enough health to survive Requiem, even if you have to go back to the base more frequently to heal.

Frequently asked questions

What is Karthus's main combo?

Harassment: Q › Q › W. An enemy is isolated. Lay Waste explodes on a delay with more damage on an isolated target; Wall of Pain reduces the speed and magic resistance of those who cross it.

Which ability should I max first on Karthus?

The most-played max order is Q > E > W (49 games, 49.0% win rate).

What is the cooldown of Karthus's ultimate?

Requiem has a 200/180/160 second cooldown depending on its rank.

Build, runes and counters: full Karthus guide · every champion's combos · tier list