League of Legends Nasus Guide: Best Build, Runes, Items, Combos

Nasus is one of the most iconic late-game scaling champions in League of Legends, known for his ability to become an unstoppable tanky bruiser with massive damage. If you’re looking for a top laner who gets stronger the longer the game goes, Nasus is your guy. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build, runes, items, and combos to help you maximize his potential and dominate the Rift with ease.

Nasus Abilities Overview In League of Legends

• Passive – Soul Eater: Nasus gains bonus Life Steal, which increases as he levels up. This helps him sustain in lane without needing early lifesteal items.
• Q – Siphoning Strike: Empowers his next basic attack to deal bonus damage. If he kills a unit with it, the ability permanently gains damage, making this the core of his scaling.
• W – Wither: Slows a target’s movement and attack speed heavily over time. Great for locking down carries or escaping ganks.
• E – Spirit Fire: Creates a zone that reduces enemies’ Armor and deals magic damage over time. Useful for wave clear and softening targets before engaging.
• R – Fury of the Sands: Nasus grows in size, gains bonus health, deals magic damage to nearby enemies, and gets bonus resistances. This makes him extremely tanky and dangerous in teamfights.

How To Play Nasus In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells for Nasus in League of Legends

The most reliable summoner spells for Nasus are Teleport and Flash. Flash gives him essential mobility for escaping or chasing, while Teleport helps him manage side lanes and scale safely. If you’re up against heavy poke or need stronger lane presence, you can also swap Teleport for Ghost to help you stick to enemies more easily during fights.

Best Runes for Nasus in League of Legends

The best rune setup for Nasus in League of Legends is Grasp of the Undying from the Resolve tree. It gives him bonus sustain and damage in trades, helping him survive early while stacking. Pair it with Demolish for turret pressure, Second Wind or Conditioning for durability, and Overgrowth for scaling tankiness. In the secondary tree, go Domination with Taste of Blood and Ravenous Hunter (or Treasure Hunter) for extra healing. Always take Attack Speed, Adaptive Force, and either Armor or Magic Resist depending on your matchup.

Best Build for Nasus in League of Legends

Start with Doran’s Shield and a Health Potion for early sustain. Rush Divine Sunderer as your mythic—it gives healing, damage, and armor penetration which perfectly suits Nasus. Follow it with Frozen Heart or Thornmail if facing heavy AD or healing champs, or go for Spirit Visage against AP teams to boost your healing. Sterak’s Gage adds survivability and burst resistance, and Dead Man’s Plate helps with mobility. For boots, take Plated Steelcaps vs AD or Mercury’s Treads vs CC and AP. This build makes Nasus tanky, strong in trades, and deadly in the late game.

Best Combos to Learn for Nasus in League of Legends

Nasus is a straightforward champion, but mastering his combos can maximize your lane dominance and late-game threat. The most important combo is W (Wither) → E (Spirit Fire) → Q (Siphoning Strike). Use Wither first to slow your target and make landing E and Q easier. Drop E under the enemy to reduce their armor and then immediately follow up with an empowered Q for maximum damage. In extended trades or all-ins, activate your R (Fury of the Sands) before or during the combo to increase survivability and damage output. Always Q after an auto-attack reset and prioritize stacking Q on minions for late-game power. This simple but effective combo chain lets you win trades, secure kills, and farm efficiently while scaling into a late-game monster.

Conclusion

Nasus is a late-game powerhouse who becomes nearly unstoppable with the right setup. By focusing on the best build, optimal runes, and learning how to combo your abilities efficiently, you can dominate your lane and scale into a true raid boss. Whether you’re split-pushing or diving into teamfights, mastering Nasus will make you a serious threat that enemies must respect.