Is Karthus good in Patch 26.21?

Karthus is S tier Bot in Patch 26.21 with a 55.4% win rate, 0.6% pick rate, and 1.2% ban rate over merged Emerald+ data from u.gg and op.gg. MOBA Trainer rescored Karthus Bot after Patch 26.21 using win rate, pick rate, and ban rate within the Bot role.

What is the best build for Karthus Bot?

The best Karthus Bot build in Patch 26.21 uses Blackfire Torch, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap with the Deathfire Touch keystone from op.gg build data merged into MOBA Trainer. Karthus Bot is S tier with 55.4% win rate this patch.

Who counters Karthus?

No recorded opponent wins the matchup against Karthus in Patch 26.21 over merged Emerald+ data. See the counters section for full matchup stats.

BOT · EMERALD+ · RANKED SOLO

How to Play KarthusBot Build, Emerald+Patch 26.21

The recommended Karthus Bot build for LoL Patch 26.21, from rune set to skill order to item path, based on MOBA Trainer's merged Emerald+ data.

Last updated Oct 21, 2026

Patch 26.21 · Emerald+ · Ranked Solo

TierNo tier changeS#3of 37 Bot champions

Win rate55.4%vs 51.5% role avg

Pick rate0.6%37th most picked Bot

Ban rate1.2%

Karthus puzzle

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Karthus Bot Build (Patch 26.21)

Highest win rate build path (0.6% pick rate, 55.4% win rate). Stats aggregated from Emerald+ ranked.

Runes

55.4% WR

SorceryPRIMARY

Deathfire TouchKEYSTONE

Axiom Arcanist

Transcendence

Scorch

PrecisionSECONDARY

Presence of Mind

Last Stand

SHARDS

Summoner spells

Exhaust

Flash

Skill order

WMax Q first

13579

41415

28101213

611

Item build

0.6% pick

Starting

Doran's Ring + Health Potion + Health Potion

Core build

Blackfire Torch

Shadowflame

Rabadon's Deathcap

Boots

Sorcerer's Shoes

Situational

Blackfire Torch

Shadowflame

Rabadon's Deathcap

Dark Seal

Liandry's Torment

Stormsurge

Karthus Bot meta analysis (Patch 26.21)

Karthus holds a 55.4% win rate in the Bot role on Patch 26.21, 3.8 points above the Bot role average of 51.5%. That is the 3rd highest win rate of 37 Bot champions tracked at Emerald+ this patch. With a 0.6% pick rate (37th most played in the role) and a 1.2% ban rate, Karthus rarely gets banned, so the pick is almost always available in champion select.

Karthus Bot held steady at S tier through Patch 26.21, with no tier movement since the previous data merge. Stable ratings are a good sign for one-tricks: the play patterns you practice now should keep working next patch. At S tier, Karthus is a pick you can blind in most drafts and climb with confidently.

Champion select decides a lot of Karthus Bot games. The hardest matchups this patch are Jinx (50.4% win rate for Karthus) and Yunara (51.7% win rate for Karthus): consider banning one or holding your pick until the opponent locks in. On the other side, Kaisa (60.8%) and Ezreal (54.7%) are the matchups to look for, where Karthus wins the lane more often than not at Emerald+.

Other Bot champions at a similar power level in Patch 26.21:

Frequently asked questions

Is Karthus good in Patch 26.21?: Karthus is S tier Bot in Patch 26.21 with a 55.4% win rate, 0.6% pick rate, and 1.2% ban rate over merged Emerald+ data from u.gg and op.gg. MOBA Trainer rescored Karthus Bot after Patch 26.21 using win rate, pick rate, and ban rate within the Bot role.
What is the best build for Karthus Bot?: The best Karthus Bot build in Patch 26.21 uses Blackfire Torch, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap with the Deathfire Touch keystone from op.gg build data merged into MOBA Trainer. Karthus Bot is S tier with 55.4% win rate this patch.
Who counters Karthus?: No recorded opponent wins the matchup against Karthus in Patch 26.21 over merged Emerald+ data. See the counters section for full matchup stats.