Varus - the Arrow of Retribution

Varus

the Arrow of Retribution

BOTTOM

One of the ancient darkin, Varus was a deadly killer who loved to torment his foes, driving them almost to insanity before delivering the killing arrow. He was imprisoned at the end of the Great Darkin War, but escaped centuries later in the remade flesh of two Ionian hunters—they had unwittingly released him, cursed to bear the bow containing his bound essence. Varus now seeks out those who trapped him, in order to enact his brutal vengeance, but the mortal souls within still resist him every step of the way.

Varus Stats

Varus Matchups

Varus's Best Matchups

  1. Kalista
  2. Mel
  3. Ashe
  4. Kai'Sa
  5. Xayah
  6. Corki

Varus's Worst Matchups

  1. Ziggs
  2. Yasuo
  3. Sivir
  4. Miss Fortune
  5. Jhin
  6. Tristana
View all of Varus's Matchups

Varus Build Guide

Overview

Varus is one of the uncommon champions that has, for a long time, been able to flex between separate builds and find success on both. One build favors his ability to poke and pierce through enemies while the other is tied more to his attack speed and on-hit capabilities. Varus is a champion with a lot of damage output while still being a playmaker thanks to his ultimate. Click here for the latest data on his best builds, including Runes, Items, Summoner Spells, and more. 

Top 3 Things to Remember About Varus

  1. You’ll want to decide your build in the champion select phase depending on whether you think poke or auto-attacking is going to find more success. A good rule of thumb is if they are tanky or have sustain, you want to go on-hit, and if they are squishy, you can lean towards lethality. 

  2. Hail of Arrows has built in Grevious Wounds, so be sure to aim it towards champions with high sustain.  

  3. Between Hail of Arrows and Chain of Corruption, Varus can still control the space around him even if he’s otherwise immobile -- you’ll want to use these abilities more defensively if the enemy team has a lot of ways to jump onto you. 

Strengths

Having versatile builds means he’s a flexible pick for your team. He brings a lot of damage to the table and offers good utility thanks to Hail of Arrows and Chain of Corruption -- the latter meaning that even if he falls behind, he can still contribute to fights in a meaningful way. The poke and pick potential means he has a lot of playmaking capacity and can help you win a fight before it even begins. 

Weaknesses

He’s an immobile carry, which means he’s very reliant on positioning properly and getting support from his teammates. If he’s caught too far forward without his Flash, it can be extremely easy to jump on him and lock him down before he’s able to ramp up with his Living Vengeance passive. 

Game Plan 

  1. Early Game: You can gain a lot of priority in lane thanks to the power and range of your abilities, but be more careful against engage-type supports, as you are very susceptible to being jumped on. 

  2. Mid Game: Landing Piercing Arrows on enemies can help create a lot of space for your team. Your goal is to chunk them out and then look for chances to use Chains of Corruption to secure picks. 

  3. Late Game: He has a ton of damage output at this point and should prioritize playing safely and in a manner where his team can support him. Chain of Corruption is still going to be a great tool to start a fight, so be on the lookout for squishy opponents who step too far forward.