Combos · Support

Nautilus combos

the Titan of the Depths

3 Nautilus 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 › AA › E. Further down: every ability's cooldown, cost and range, and the skill max order measured over ranked games.

Nautilus combos

Written guide · based on the official ability texts

The basic hook

Q AA AA

When: An enemy is within hook range.

Dredge Line pulls you together; your first attack deals bonus damage and briefly roots. Riptide slows and damages to finish.

The team-fight engage

When: The enemy carry is visible.

Depth Charge chases an enemy and knocks them up with a stun, letting your team attack them. Activate Titan's Wrath to withstand the enemy damage.

Protecting an ally

When: An enemy dives your carry.

Dredge Line catches the aggressor and cuts them off from their target; Titan's Wrath shields you and damages those who come close.

Common mistakes

Casting Dredge Line without a clear path: a minion can stop it.
Using the ultimate on a non-priority target: warn your team first.
Forgetting the shield from Titan's Wrath before a trade.

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 · Dredge Line	14/13/12/11/10	60 Mana	1150
W · Titan's Wrath	12	60 Mana	350
E · Riptide	7/6.5/6/5.5/5	50/60/70/80/90 Mana	600
R · Depth Charge	120/100/80	100 Mana	825

Official ability descriptions

PassiveStaggering Blow

Nautilus' first Attack against a target deals increased physical damage and roots them briefly.

QDredge Line

Nautilus hurls his anchor forward. Colliding with an enemy pulls them and Nautilus together, dealing magic damage. Colliding with terrain pulls Nautilus towards it.

WTitan's Wrath

Nautilus gains a temporary Shield. While it persists, his Attacks deal damage over time to his target and surrounding enemies.

ERiptide

Nautilus creates three exploding waves around himself. Each explosion damages and slows enemies.

RDepth Charge

Nautilus fires a shockwave into the earth that chases an opponent. This shockwave rips up the earth above it, knocking enemies into the air. When it reaches the opponent, the shockwave erupts, knocking his target into the air and stunning them.

Skill order

Max order: Q > W > E61.0% · 82 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 185 games).

Riot's official tips for playing Nautilus

While ganking, consider aiming Dredge Line at nearby terrain and following it up with Riptide for a higher hit rate.
Riptide has a delayed blast timing on activation - you can use this while running away or when enemies are incoming to serve as a deterrent.

How to play around Nautilus's combos

If Nautilus uses Riptide right next to you, hold in place until the ripple effect finishes before running. Running early will run straight into the secondary explosions, causing you to take additional damage and slow.
While Nautilus is shielded, he is capable of dealing large amounts of area of effect damage with his basic attacks - consider taking down the shield if you have time.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nautilus's main combo?

The basic hook: Q › AA › E. An enemy is within hook range. Dredge Line pulls you together; your first attack deals bonus damage and briefly roots. Riptide slows and damages to finish.

Which ability should I max first on Nautilus?

The most-played max order is Q > W > E (82 games, 61.0% win rate).

What is the cooldown of Nautilus's ultimate?

Depth Charge has a 120/100/80 second cooldown depending on its rank.

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