Karthus is a powerful AP mage known for his global presence and sustained damage output. His unique passive allows him to continue casting spells after death, making him a constant threat in teamfights.

Core Abilities and Usage:

Q - Lay Waste

• Primary damage and farming tool
• Deals double damage to isolated targets
• 0.5-second delay before explosion
• Excellent for level 1 all-ins

W - Wall of Pain

• Creates a 5-second wall that grants vision
• Slows enemies and reduces magic resistance by 15%
• Slow decays over duration
• Costs significant mana (70)

E - Defile

• Passive: Restores mana on unit kills
• Active: Deals continuous magic damage to nearby enemies
• Toggle ability with 0.25-second damage ticks
• Essential for wave clear

R - Requiem

• Global ultimate that damages all enemy champions
• Key for securing kills and applying map pressure

Optimal Skill Order:

1. Q > E > Q > W (standard)
2. Q > E > E > W (mana-focused variation)
3. Max order: R > Q > E > W

Build Path Focus:

• Ability Power
• Damage over time effects
• Ability Haste
• Magic Penetration

Lane Strategy:

• Focus on farming with Q
• Conserve mana early game
• Wait for Lost Chapter power spike
• Coordinate all-ins with CC-heavy supports

Team Role:

• Excellent AP damage source
• Strong in AD-heavy team compositions
• Provides consistent AoE damage
• Global map presence with ultimate

Karthus excels as a bot lane mage, particularly when paired with crowd control supports. His ability to deal sustained damage and influence fights globally makes him a valuable pick in many team compositions.

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