7 Best Supports to Pair With Karthus in League of Legends

Karthus has held the title of the highest win-rate ADC in League of Legends for an impressive amount of time, and for good reason. Despite being known as a midlaner or jungler, his kit is surprisingly perfect for the ADC role. With unmatched poke, exceptional wave clear, consistent DPS, and arguably the best ultimate in the game, Karthus dominates the bot lane. He’s particularly effective in the current meta, where AD champions like bruisers and assassins are highly favored, making an AP-focused ADC like Karthus a hidden gem.

In this article, we’ll reveal the 7 best support champions to pair with Karthus ADC, highlighting synergies that maximize his unique playstyle and carry potential. Let’s dive in!

#7: Leona

Leona is an excellent support choice for Karthus, as her kit perfectly complements his high-damage, poke-heavy playstyle. With her crowd control abilities like Zenith Blade and Shield of Daybreak, Leona can lock down enemies, giving Karthus the opportunity to land his Lay Waste (Q) and chip away at the enemy’s health. Her Solar Flare (R) provides strong engage or disengage potential, enabling Karthus to control the tempo of fights and deal consistent AoE damage.

Leona’s tankiness also ensures that she can soak up damage for Karthus during skirmishes, allowing him to focus on dishing out his relentless DPS. The duo thrives in aggressive lanes, punishing enemies who dare overextend.

#6: Nautilus

Nautilus pairs exceptionally well with Karthus, thanks to his unparalleled crowd control and ability to initiate fights. His Dredge Line (Q) and Depth Charge (R) are perfect tools for locking down priority targets, allowing Karthus to follow up with his devastating Lay Waste (Q) and Defile (E). This synergy ensures that Karthus can capitalize on Nautilus’ engages, amplifying his poke and sustained damage.

Nautilus also provides excellent peel for Karthus, protecting him from enemy assassins and divers who may try to exploit his lack of mobility. The sheer utility and zone control Nautilus brings make him a strong choice, enabling Karthus to play aggressively and dominate laning phases while setting up for powerful team fights later on. Together, they form a lane duo that balances offensive and defensive capabilities.

#5: Rell

Rell is a fantastic support to pair with Karthus, offering a potent mix of crowd control and durability that synergizes perfectly with his high-damage, area-of-effect abilities. Her ability to engage with Crash Down (E) and lock down multiple enemies using Magnet Storm (R) creates the ideal setup for Karthus to unleash his Lay Waste (Q) and Defile (E) on grouped targets.

In the laning phase, Rell’s ability to absorb damage and disrupt enemies allows Karthus to safely poke and farm, taking advantage of her peeling capabilities to protect him from aggressive enemy duos. Her Attract and Repel (E) also ensures she can stay close to Karthus while providing additional utility to kite or re-engage as needed.

This duo thrives in team fights, where Rell’s ability to control enemy positioning maximizes the value of Karthus’ abilities, including his game-changing Requiem (R), making them a powerful and oppressive combination.

#4: Nami

Nami is an exceptional support for Karthus, offering a blend of healing, crowd control, and utility that complements his poke-heavy and damage-over-time playstyle. Her Ebb and Flow (W) provides sustain in the laning phase, keeping Karthus healthy while he applies consistent pressure with Lay Waste (Q). This sustain also helps mitigate the damage he might take while aggressively farming or trading.

Her Tidecaller’s Blessing (E) further boosts Karthus’ poke potential, enhancing his auto-attacks and abilities with bonus magic damage and a slow, making it harder for enemies to escape his barrage of abilities. This synergy makes trades more effective and helps Karthus land his critical skill shots.

Nami’s Aqua Prison (Q) offers excellent crowd control for setting up Karthus’ abilities, while Tidal Wave (R) provides a game-changing tool for disengaging or initiating fights. In team fights, her ability to amplify Karthus’ damage output while controlling the flow of battle ensures they dominate skirmishes and objectives. Together, Nami and Karthus create a lethal combination of sustain, control, and overwhelming damage.

#3: Janna

Janna is an outstanding support choice for Karthus, as her defensive and utility-focused kit perfectly complements Karthus’ high-damage, immobile playstyle. Her Eye of the Storm (E) provides a shield that not only absorbs damage but also grants Karthus additional attack damage, making his auto-attacks and Lay Waste (Q) poke more threatening in trades.

Her Zephyr (W) offers a slow, making it easier for Karthus to land his skill shots and maintain pressure on enemies. Additionally, Janna’s Howling Gale (Q) serves as an excellent peel tool, knocking up enemies who try to engage on the fragile Karthus, giving him space to freely deal damage from a safe distance.

Janna truly shines in team fights with Monsoon (R), which can completely reset unfavorable engagements, healing Karthus and his allies while knocking away divers or assassins aiming to take him down. This allows Karthus to stay alive longer and deal devastating damage both in and out of combat.

With her ability to protect and enhance Karthus while disrupting enemies, Janna ensures he has the safety and tools needed to maximize his damage potential throughout the game. Together, they form a duo that combines relentless poke and unshakable survivability.

#2: Zilean

Zilean is one of the most synergistic supports to pair with Karthus, offering a blend of utility, damage amplification, and unmatched survivability. His Time Bomb (Q) serves as a fantastic zoning tool, complementing Karthus’ Lay Waste (Q) to pressure opponents and control the laning phase. When stacked, Zilean’s double Time Bomb provides significant burst damage and crowd control, which aligns well with Karthus’ area-of-effect damage playstyle.

Zilean’s Time Warp (E) allows him to enhance Karthus’ mobility, mitigating his immobility issues and giving him the opportunity to kite more effectively or reposition during fights. It also serves as a way to slow enemies, setting them up for Karthus’ skill shots to land more reliably.

The highlight of Zilean’s synergy with Karthus lies in his Chronoshift (R), which revives Karthus upon death, ensuring his Defile (W) and Requiem (R) continue to wreak havoc even after he’s been focused down. This ultimate gives Karthus unparalleled freedom to play aggressively in fights without fear of being eliminated too early.

Zilean’s unique ability to amplify Karthus’ strengths while covering his weaknesses makes him a perfect support for Karthus, creating a duo that excels in both laning and team fights, ensuring sustained damage and tactical control.

#1: Milio

Milio stands out as the ultimate support to pair with Karthus, offering an exceptional mix of utility, sustain, and teamwide crowd control cleansing. His Cozy Campfire (W) synergizes perfectly with Karthus’ DPS-focused playstyle, granting a significant attack range and healing boost. This not only helps Karthus poke from a safer distance but also allows him to dominate skirmishes with sustained presence.

Milio’s Ultra Mega Fire Kick (Q) provides valuable peel by knocking back and slowing enemies, making it harder for assassins or bruisers to dive onto Karthus. Additionally, it sets up kills by creating space for Karthus’ Lay Waste (Q) to land accurately.

The highlight of this duo lies in Milio’s game-changing ultimate, Breath of Life (R). It cleanses crowd control effects and provides a significant heal to Karthus and his teammates. This is invaluable for ensuring Karthus survives long enough to maximize his damage during critical moments of team fights.

Milio’s kit also includes Warm Hugs (E), which shields Karthus and provides a burst of movement speed. This ability compensates for Karthus’ inherent lack of mobility, allowing him to reposition effectively during fights and stay alive in dangerous scenarios.

Milio’s unparalleled ability to amplify Karthus’ offensive and defensive capabilities makes them an unstoppable duo, enabling Karthus to shine as the dominant carry he was meant to be.

Conclusion

Karthus as an ADC is a hidden powerhouse in League of Legends, boasting unparalleled wave-clear, poke, DPS, and a global ultimate that turns fights across the map. Pairing him with the right support can unlock his full potential, enabling him to dominate the bot lane and contribute massively to team fights. From tanky engagers like Leona and Nautilus to enchanters like Nami and Milio, each support on this list brings unique strengths that synergize exceptionally well with Karthus’ playstyle. Whether it’s through peel, sustain, or crowd control, these supports amplify Karthus’ strengths while mitigating his weaknesses, ensuring he thrives in any game. Choose the right partner for your Karthus, and you’ll find yourself wielding one of the highest win-rate ADCs in the game to great success.