How to Counter Darius – League of Legends

I took a trip down to the League of Legends’ General Discussion and found at least 10 pages on the front page with the same topic: “Darius is OP”. However, Darius isn’t strong at all! There is a way to counter him, and that requires thinking away from normal League of Legends tradition.

Don’t send Melee Top

I like to think of Darius like Garen but flip-flopped. He has a much stronger Ultimate than Garen, EXCEPT his early game is complete crap. Pre-level 6 it is extremely easy to shut him down. All it requires is the right champion.

What kind of Champions Counter Darius?

There are a few champions that I think counter Darius extremely well:

Miss Fortune. She completely bullies Darius out of lane. If you can afford lending your top to  a bully-type carry you can definitely win the lane.

Yorick. His ghouls eat Darius up.

Kayle. Combined with her slow, range, and ult, she is the perfect counter to Darius.

Basically do NOT choose any melee champions. Darius will rule against you.

What kind of items work against Darius?

Slow items. Items like Rylai’s Crystal Scepter and Frozen Mallet, combined with range can keep Darius at bay. Just make sure you keep in mind his distance since his pull can get you if you’re not careful.

Health Items. Don’t bother building armor against Darius. Health works extremely well against his True Damage.

Lifesteal. If you can regain your HP while you’re fighting Darius, he will have no chance to use his Ultimate against you.

How do you Lane against Darius?

Harass as much as you can before level 6. Darius has a weak early game, so keeping him from getting levels for as long as you can can seriously gimp him mid and late game.

Stay away from Grass/Maintain wards. Wards are EXTREMELY important. A Jungler + Darius synchronizes very well and he can feed off you. Keep a ward in the grass at all times when you are fighting against Darius.

What Spells Work Great Against Darius?

Heal. Wait for your healthy to drop below a certain amount, and then right before he uses his ultimate use Heal. You should be able to win the rest of the fight.

Exhaust. Same thing with heal, except use it a few seconds before he ults. It will significantly reduce his damage.

Good luck!