Matchups › Graves › vs Karthus

Graves vs Karthus

YOU · TOP

ENEMY · TOP

Favors youPre-6 EasyPost-6 EasyTake Ignite

How to play it

✓

Dodge his Q

Lay Waste is his only real damage: with Fleet and your E dash you sidestep most of them, and he's harmless once they miss.

✓

Free to all-in

He has no damage after his Q: dodge it, dash on top of him with E, and there's nothing he can do back.

✓

Weave your dashes

Use your E to break his line and dodge ~60% of his Qs on reaction: landing zero Qs means he can't contest scuttle or skirmishes.

Never stand still in his Q line: dodging Lay Waste is the entire matchup.

Runes

PRECISION

INSPIRATION

SHARDS

Spells

FLASH

IGNITE

Items

Start

Core

→

Graves flexes lethality and crit every game, but the constant is Bloodthirster first for the lifesteal and shield that keep him healthy in lane, then Youmuu's Ghostblade to snowball. Rush an early Cloth Armor or Hexdrinker into heavy AD/AP bursts, and grab Boots of Swiftness when you need to stick to a target.

Skill order

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Q			Q	Q		Q	Q
		W											W	W		W	W
	E							E	E		E	E
					R					R					R

MAX

Q→

E→

Graves · Top · Patch 26.17 · Ranked Solo · Updated Sep 5, 2026

Graves vs Karthus in Top lane is a favourable lane on patch 26.17. The one thing to respect: his Q (Lay Waste) is his only damage, dodge it and he has nothing left.