Nasus is a late bloomer in League of Legends. The champion can be one of the most powerful tanks in the game if players use him correctly. Gamers need to take a conservative approach in the first five to ten minutes of every match.
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Once Nasus has a few stacks and gets powered up, he is an unstoppable force. A late-game Nasus can 1v1 any champion. In some circumstances, the melee tank can fight two champions at once and survive to tell the tale. This guide will cover the best ways to play as Nasus at every stage in the game.
Nasus' abilities all revolve around Siphoning Strike. The melee ability deals a lot of damage once Nasus accumulates enough stacks. It is a slow attack, but the damage values later in the game will make attack speed irrelevant.
Gamers can use Wither to slow enemies for five seconds. This will give Nasus time to attack with deadly Siphoning blows. Over the five seconds, the effects of Wither will become more and more effective.
Soul Eater will steal health from enemies while active. At higher levels, Nasus can steal 24% of enemy champion health. The ability will make Nasus even more overpowered in the late stages of the game.
Nasus can use the Spirit Fire ability to burn enemies with magic energy for five seconds. While it does not do a lot of damage per tick, it can be the deciding factor in close 1V1s.
Fury Of The Sands provides several key buffs when activated. Each of the abilities, which are active for 15 seconds, are listed below.
- 300-600 bonus health
- 40-70 added resistance
- 2-5% magic damage
- 50% reduction in Siphoning Strike's cooldown
A fully kitted Nasus with Fury of the Sands cooled-down is a tough opponent to deal with. Nasus will siphon opponents' health while attacking two times faster with a ton of additional health. Gamers can easily kill three enemies in the fifteen seconds the ability is active.
Nasus is very vulnerable in the first few minutes of the game, which can be difficult for new players. He will not deal enough damage with Siphoning Strike until players can collect a fair amount of stacks. Players will want to keep their distance from other champions and accumulate as many coins and stacks as possible. With each Siphoning Strike kill, Nasus will gain three stacks. If Nasus defeats a champion, large monster, or large minion, players will receive 12 stacks.
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Once Nasus gets to around 100 stacks, opposing early game champions will be in trouble. Siphoning Strike deals a ton of damage once Nasus is upgraded, and players will be able to move from one opposing champion to the next. Gamers should stay in their lane to begin the game, and use minions for cover from enemy ranged attacks. If he is nurtured early in the match, gamers will have a lot of fun using him.
After Nasus has 100 or more stacks, players can feel confident taking on opposing champions. His health and supporting abilities will make fighting champions one on one a breeze. This is especially true if gamers have their ultimate ready. Players will want to take control of the first lane and take down any champions that are near. Gamers can then assess where their teammates are and begin to drain enemy resources. Beginners often make the mistake of letting Nasus gather stacks for five to ten minutes, which spells trouble. He will two-hit kill almost any champion with around 500 stacks.
At this point, gamers should be looking for split push opportunities on enemy objectives. For example, players can rotate to the Drake for free XP and buffs, or push topside to defeat the Baron. Rotating to the top of the map later in the game will help teams group closer together and begin to put more pressure on opposing players. Nasus should be forcing opposing teams to stretch their resources thin.
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If there are any early game legends roaming out in the open, gamers can go all-in with Nasus and take them down. Even in the mid to late game, players will still want to keep some distance from their teammates so that they can continue to increase their stacks for the final fight. Nasus will be an immovable force, two hitting opposing players and taking down turret after turret.
Once players have a few kills and they are beginning to control the map, they should spend some of their RP on a couple of useful builds. Spirit Visage is a great armor build for Nasus. The armor provides 450 health, faster health regen, and a permanent 25% buff to both heals and shields. If Nasus players can acquire enough RP with 500+ stacks, teams will have a huge advantage. In the endgame, players should try to get Dead Man's Plate for even more tank benefits.