Nasus
View on Wiki
Good (7/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Nasus requires significant investment to reach his full potential. While his rework and the addition of Burst-speed Siphoning Strike made him highly effective, his slow early game and reliance on specific Epic relics keep him from absolute 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 the definitive setup for Nasus. Disciple of Shadows allows for deployment as early as turn 2 by sacrificing the board, which instantly feeds the slay condition and accelerates scaling.
Because Nasus levels up twice in rapid succession, 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.
High-Star Board Clear
Provides immediate area-of-effect damage upon play, synergizing with inherent scaling from dying units.
Ensures Nasus absorbs keywords from all dying units on both sides of the board.- Acts as an additional board clear and cost reduction tool.
Strategy
Designed for high-star adventures, this build focuses on rapid board clear and keyword accumulation. Wicked Harvest provides immediate area-of-effect damage upon play, synergizing with inherent scaling from dying units.
Voidborne Carapace ensures Nasus absorbs keywords from all dying units on both sides of the board. Disciple of Shadows acts as an additional board clear and cost reduction tool, turning Nasus into a versatile and unstoppable threat.
Monthly Control
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
This setup is tailored for monthly challenges, focusing on immediate board control and sustained champion presence. Double Stalker's Blade allows Nasus to strike the weakest enemies immediately upon summon, neutralizing early threats.
The Grand General's Counterplan provides a fleeting copy of Nasus each round, ensuring continuous access to Siphoning Strike. This is particularly effective in encounters with spell mana refill rules, allowing for constant board clearing.
Zoe Specialized
Zoe Specialized
Provides the necessary Overwhelm and Regeneration to push lethal damage and sustain.- Clears the board of small threats, instantly feeding scaling mechanics.
- Provides additional area-of-effect damage to clear low-health units.
Strategy
Specifically designed for the 10-star Zoe adventure. This build leverages the abundance of low-health enemy units to rapidly accumulate slays.
Wicked Harvest and Disciple of Shadows clear the board of small threats, instantly feeding Nasus's scaling mechanics. Chosen by the Stars provides the necessary Overwhelm and Regeneration to push lethal damage and sustain through the encounter.
Signature Scaling
Provides a powerful 'Strike on Play' effect for all champions.
Transforms Siphoning Strike into a massive +9/+9 buff, significantly accelerating stat growth.- Ensures a steady supply of Siphoning Strikes.
Strategy
This build utilizes Nasus's signature relic, Scales of Judgment, to provide a powerful 'Strike on Play' effect. Protectors of Demacia transforms Siphoning Strike into a massive +9/+9 buff, significantly accelerating stat growth.
The Grand General's Counterplan ensures a steady supply of Siphoning Strikes. This combination excels in longer encounters where continuous removal and steady stat growth are required to outpace the opponent.
Other Relic Options
Ensures consistent champion draw and reduces the cost of Siphoning Strike.
Highly effective in slower adventures where stalling until 6 mana allows for doubled Siphoning Strikes.
Provides Overwhelm, which is essential for pushing massive stats through chump blockers.
A solid defensive option to protect against hard removal, ensuring board presence is maintained.
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. Note that Secret Technique is no longer recommended, as a mechanical change removed its ability to double 'everywhere' buffs like Siphoning Strike.
Constellation
Nasus received a comprehensive rework that drastically improved his viability. 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, allowing him to bypass enemy responses.
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
Provides a permanent attack reduction aura to enemies, which is crucial for survivability against aggressive or Deadly encounters.
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
Reduces the Buried Sun Disc summon condition to 8 slays, making the Ascended payoff much more consistent.
In My Sights
Round Start: Grant the weakest enemy Vulnerable.Review
Grants Vulnerable and reduces enemy attack. Opinions are divided on this power; some find it underwhelming, while others appreciate the synergy with his deck's debuff focus.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
Provides an extra mana gem, which is essential for smoothing out the curve of this expensive champion.
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
Grants a massive +5/+5 stat boost to allies and significant cost reduction to cards in hand after 8 slays. This enables explosive turns, though it requires careful early-game setup.
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 scale safely.
- Countering Deadly
Attack reduction effects apply before the Deadly modifier calculates its stat buffs. This makes the champion exceptionally strong against adventures with scaling or high-attack enemies, reducing 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. Manage board space carefully when approaching 8 slays.
- Drafting Strategy
Prioritize cheap units and token generators in drafts. These serve as excellent early-game blockers and provide easy targets for Disciple of Shadows or Siphoning Strikes.