Nasus
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Good (6/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Nasus is widely considered a champion that requires massive investment to feel powerful. While his rework and Burst-speed Siphoning Strike made him much more enjoyable, his slow early game and reliance on specific Epic relics keep him from top-tier status.
The Bonk Master
Allows Nasus to hit the board early by sacrificing your own units, which instantly feeds his slay condition.
Generates a 0-cost Siphoning Strike upon leveling up.- Stacks to provide a second 0-cost Siphoning Strike.
Strategy
This is widely considered Nasus's optimal setup. Disciple of Shadows allows you to play him as early as turn 2 by sacrificing your own board, which instantly feeds his slay condition. Because Nasus levels up twice, equipping two copies of The Deceiver's Crest generates four 0-cost Siphoning Strikes. This provides an immediate, massive power spike that clears the enemy board and scales Nasus to lethal damage.
Infinite Scaling
- Accelerates Nasus's deployment and jumpstarts his scaling.
Ensures you draw Nasus consistently and reduces the cost of his champion spell.
Guarantees a Siphoning Strike every round.
Strategy
A more sustained approach to scaling. Echoing Spirit ensures you draw Nasus consistently and reduces the cost of his champion spell, while The Grand General's Counterplan guarantees a Siphoning Strike every round. This build excels in longer, grindy encounters where you need continuous removal and steady stat growth.
Signature Cheese
Provides a powerful 'Strike on Play' effect for all champions.
Shuffles leveled champions into your deck with doubled stats.
Reduces the cost of the generated champions.
Strategy
This build leverages Nasus's signature relic, Scales of Judgment, alongside the classic Oath of the Guardians package. Scales of Judgment provides a powerful 'Strike on Play' effect for all champions, while Oath and Star Gem flood your deck with cheap, massive champions. It is a fun, alternative way to play that shifts the focus away from purely buffing Nasus.
Rare Relic Setup
Provides immediate board impact and a slay trigger upon summoning.- Stacks for a second immediate strike.
- Provides a steady supply of Siphoning Strikes for ongoing scaling.
Strategy
For newer accounts without Epic relics, double Stalker's Blade provides immediate board impact and slay triggers the moment Nasus is summoned. The Grand General's Counterplan ensures you have a steady supply of Siphoning Strikes to continue scaling his stats on subsequent turns.
Other Relic Options
Provides Overwhelm, which Nasus desperately needs to push his massive stats through chump blockers.
Highly effective in slower adventures where you can stall until you have 6 mana to double your Siphoning Strikes.
Doubles the stat buffs from Siphoning Strike, allowing Nasus to reach his level-up threshold much faster.
A solid defensive option to protect Nasus from hard removal, as his entire game plan revolves around staying on the board.
Nasus is highly reliant on Overwhelm to close out games, making The Beast Within a premium flex option if you find yourself getting chump-blocked too often.
Constellation
Nasus received a significant rework that improved his viability, but he remains a champion that requires heavy investment to truly shine. His playstyle revolves around scaling through slays, which can make his early game feel slow and vulnerable to aggression. The addition of Burst speed to his Siphoning Strike is universally praised as his most critical upgrade.
Boon of the Ascended
Round End: Grant your strongest ally +1|+1 for each unit you've slain this round. Once you've slain 10+ units, Restore the Sun Disc.
Shuriman Preservation
+1 Starting Mana. Enemies have -1|-0. Vulnerable enemies have -3|-0 instead.Review
The addition of Immortal to support champions helps stabilize the board against early aggression, though some players find it counterintuitive to his desire to slay his own units.
Boon of the Ascended II
Round End: Grant your strongest ally +2|+2 for each unit you've slain this round. Once you've slain 8+ units, Restore the Sun Disc.Review
The upgrade that grants Stopwatch (Burst speed) to Siphoning Strike is considered the absolute best node in his entire constellation. It prevents the AI from responding with combat tricks and allows for guaranteed slays.
In My Sights
Round Start: Grant the weakest enemy Vulnerable.Review
Widely criticized as underwhelming. Granting Vulnerable to the weakest enemy at Round Start often targets units that are already easy to kill, leading many to wish it functioned as a permanent aura instead.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
The extra mana gem is crucial for Nasus, as his high base cost makes him notoriously slow to get on the board.
Soul Reclamation
When you slay a unit, reduce the cost of every card in your hand by 1 (to a minimum cost of 1). When you Restore the Sun Disc, grant allies everywhere +5|+5.Review
Provides massive cost reduction and a +5/+5 stat boost upon restoring the Sun Disc. While incredibly powerful for closing out games, some players feel the cost reduction comes too late to solve his early-game issues.
Gameplay Tips
- Self-Slaying for Stats
Do not hesitate to use Siphoning Strike on your own weaker units if the enemy board is too large. This guarantees a slay trigger and helps Nasus scale safely.
- Countering Deadly
Nasus's attack reduction effects apply before the Deadly modifier calculates its stat buffs. This makes him exceptionally strong against adventures with scaling or high-attack enemies, as he can reduce their base power to zero.
- Beware the Sun Disc Bug
There is a known interaction where restoring the Sun Disc with a full board (especially if another landmark is present) can cause the Sun Disc to obliterate itself. Try to manage your board space carefully when approaching 8 slays.
- Drafting Strategy
Prioritize cheap units and token generators in your drafts. These serve as excellent early-game blockers and provide easy targets for Disciple of Shadows or your own Siphoning Strikes.
- Titanic Synergy
Nasus has 12 base Health, meaning he naturally qualifies as a Titanic unit. This allows him to utilize Starforged Gauntlets if you need additional mana acceleration.