League of Legends Nautilus Guide: Best Build, Runes & Combos

Nautilus is one of the most reliable tank supports in League of Legends, known for his powerful crowd control and ability to lock down enemies with ease. Whether you’re engaging in lane or starting a teamfight, his hook and ultimate make him a top-tier pick for setting up plays. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build, runes, items, and combos to help you play Nautilus effectively and make a huge impact every game.

Nautilus Abilities Overview In League of Legends

Here’s a breakdown of Nautilus’s abilities in League of Legends:

Passive – Staggering Blow: Nautilus’s basic attacks deal bonus physical damage and briefly root the target. This effect has a cooldown per target, making him strong for locking down enemies one at a time in fights.

Q – Dredge Line: Nautilus throws his anchor forward. If it hits an enemy, he pulls himself to them and stuns them briefly while also dealing magic damage. If it hits terrain, he pulls himself to it and the cooldown is reduced. It’s his main engage and gap-closer.

W – Titan’s Wrath: Nautilus shields himself and his basic attacks deal bonus damage over time. This ability gives him great lane sustain and trade potential, especially when looking to soak up early aggression.

E – Riptide: Nautilus sends out three waves of explosions around him, slowing and damaging all enemies hit. It’s great for waveclear, zoning, and disrupting enemies in close combat.

R – Depth Charge: Nautilus targets a champion and sends a shockwave through the ground that knocks up and stuns the first champion hit along the path. It’s ideal for engaging teamfights, disrupting backlines, or securing picks.

Nautilus’s entire kit is built around hard engage and crowd control, making him perfect for initiating fights and peeling for allies.

How To Play Nautilus In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Nautilus

The best summoner spells for Nautilus are Flash and Ignite when playing as a support. Flash gives him instant engage potential with Dredge Line (Q) or a quick escape, while Ignite helps secure kills during early skirmishes. If your team lacks frontline or you’re focusing more on defense, you can swap Ignite for Exhaust to reduce enemy damage output in fights.

Best Runes For Nautilus

The best runes for Nautilus as a support are from the Resolve tree with Aftershock as the keystone. Aftershock gives bonus resistances and a small AoE burst after hitting crowd control—perfect for Nautilus’ engage-heavy kit. Pair it with Font of Life for team healing, Bone Plating for better trades, and Unflinching for tenacity and slow resistance. For your secondary tree, go Inspiration with Hextech Flashtraption (for surprise engages when Flash is down) and Cosmic Insight for shorter cooldowns. Use Armor, Health, and Magic Resist for your stat shards.

Best Build For Nautilus

The best build for Nautilus support in League of Legends focuses on tankiness and utility. Start with Relic Shield and Health Potions, then rush Locket of the Iron Solari for team shielding and resistances. Follow up with Zeke’s Convergence to boost damage with your CC, and Knight’s Vow to protect your ADC or carry. Next, grab Thornmail if facing heavy healing or auto-attackers, or Force of Nature for magic-heavy teams. Round out your build with Gargoyle Stoneplate for survivability in team fights. Always adjust your items based on the enemy comp and game state.

Best Combos To Learn For Nautilus

The best combos to learn for Nautilus revolve around his crowd control chain. A basic and reliable combo is Q (Dredge Line) → Auto Attack → Passive Root → E (Riptide), which lets you engage, root, and slow the enemy all in one smooth chain. For more all-in power, start with R (Depth Charge) to knock up your target, then immediately Q to close the gap as the ult travels, auto for the root, and finish with E to deal AoE damage. Another strong combo when flanking or engaging under pressure is Flash → Q, catching enemies off guard with a surprise hook. Mastering these combos helps you lock down targets and control fights effectively.

Conclusion

Nautilus is a powerful support with unmatched crowd control, making him a game-changing pick in any team composition. When you use the right build, optimal runes, and master his simple yet effective combos, you can dominate team fights, protect your carries, and set up easy kills for your teammates. Whether you’re engaging, peeling, or zoning, Nautilus gives you the tools to take control of the game and carry from the support role.