League of Legends Varus Guide: Best Build, Combos

Varus is a powerful and flexible ADC in League of Legends, known for his long-range poke, powerful burst, and surprising crowd control. Whether you prefer playing him as a lethality-heavy poke champion or a high-attack-speed on-hit carry, Varus can adapt to many team comps and playstyles. Mastering his abilities and itemization gives you the tools to pressure lanes, control objectives, and punish positioning mistakes. In this guide, we’ll break down the best build paths, optimal runes, recommended items, and key combos you need to climb with Varus in any meta.

Varus Abilities Overview in League Of Legends

Varus has a versatile kit that blends poke, burst, and crowd control, making him a threat from both long range and in all-ins. His passive, Living Vengeance, grants bonus attack speed after killing a unit, with a bigger boost for champion takedowns. Q – Piercing Arrow is his signature poke tool, a long-range skillshot that can be charged to increase damage and range. W – Blighted Quiver passively adds bonus magic damage and applies Blight stacks, which detonate for extra damage when triggered by his other abilities. E – Hail of Arrows slows enemies and reduces healing in an area, ideal for zoning or chasing. His ultimate, R – Chain of Corruption, is a long-range root that spreads to nearby enemies, setting up kills or initiating fights. Together, his kit offers high damage, strong lane control, and excellent utility in teamfights.

How To Play Varus In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells For Varus

The best summoner spells for Varus are Flash and Heal. Flash gives you a crucial mobility option to escape danger or reposition during fights, which is especially important for a squishy marksman like Varus. Heal offers sustain and a speed boost in clutch moments, helping you survive all-ins or aggressive trades. If you’re playing Varus in the mid lane or as a poke-heavy build, you can also consider Barrier or Cleanse depending on the enemy crowd control threats.

Best Runes For Varus

The best runes for Varus depend on his build path, but for the most common Lethality (poke) Varus, go with Domination as the primary tree and Sorcery as secondary. Take Hail of Blades, Taste of Blood, Eyeball Collection, and Ultimate Hunter for burst and sustain. In Sorcery, go with Manaflow Band and Scorch to maximize poke potential in lane. For AP Varus, take Arcane Comet instead, and if you’re running on-hit Varus, swap to Precision with Lethal Tempo. Always adapt based on your build and team comp.

Best Build For Varus

The best build for Varus depends on the playstyle you’re going for. For Lethality (poke) Varus, start with Youmuu’s Ghostblade, followed by Duskblade of Draktharr, Manamune, Serylda’s Grudge, Edge of Night, and Ionian Boots of Lucidity. For on-hit (attack speed) Varus, go with Kraken Slayer or Guinsoo’s Rageblade, followed by Blade of the Ruined King, Wit’s End, Runaan’s Hurricane, Immortal Shieldbow, and Berserker’s Greaves. For AP Varus, which is less common, use Liandry’s Torment, Nashor’s Tooth, Riftmaker, Zhonya’s Hourglass, and Sorcerer’s Shoes. Adapt your build based on the enemy comp and your team’s needs.

Best Varus Combos To Learn

The best Varus combos depend on which build you’re using, but these are key combos to master across different styles:

1. Lethality Poke Combo:
→ E → Q (charged) → Auto Attack
Start with your E to slow the enemy, then charge and fire Q while they’re slowed for max damage. Follow with an auto if possible.

2. Basic Trade Combo (On-Hit Varus):
→ Auto → W Active → Q
Auto once to stack your passive, activate W and use Q to trigger bonus damage from the blight stacks.

3. All-In Combo:
→ R → Auto → W Active → Q → E
Use your R to root them, auto to apply a blight stack, then activate W and follow up with Q and E to detonate multiple stacks quickly.

4. Max Damage Poke:
→ W Active → Q (fully charged) from fog of war
Use your W’s active before a charged Q for massive poke, especially with Lethality.

These combos will help you chunk enemies down or burst them depending on your build. Practice timing your abilities between auto attacks for smooth blight procs.

Conclusion

Varus is a versatile marksman who can adapt to multiple playstyles in League of Legends, whether you prefer poking from a distance, shredding enemies with on-hit attacks, or surprising them with AP burst. Mastering his combos, choosing the right build based on your matchup, and understanding how to use his crowd control effectively will make you a deadly force in any lane. With the right setup and timing, Varus can carry games and dominate teamfights with ease.