Nautilus
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Good (6.5/10)
High Investment Required
Epic Relics
Paid Relics
Nautilus is a polarizing champion. At maximum investment, he is a consistent, tanky powerhouse capable of crushing high-difficulty content. However, his early game is painfully slow, and he relies heavily on specific Epic relics (specifically Starforged Gauntlets) and high constellation levels (C5+) to function smoothly. Without these, he feels clunky and struggles to stabilize before reaching 'Deep'.
Titanic Acceleration
The best-in-slot relic for Nautilus. The extra mana gem is crucial for playing him and his expensive spells earlier, and he easily meets the Titanic requirement.
Strategy
This build addresses Nautilus's core weakness: speed. By ramping mana and discounting his cost, you aim to drop Nautilus as soon as you hit 'Deep' (usually Turn 2-3 with proper drafting). Once he hits the board, The Beast Within ensures your massive Sea Monsters trample over chump blockers for a quick victory.
Signature Synergy
- Provides essential ramp and stats.
Strategy
While 'Treasures of the Deep' is controversial due to anti-synergy with cost-reduction (it tosses fewer cards if Nautilus is cheaper), the value of gaining the 'Sea Monster' subtype cannot be overstated. It allows your 'Lure of the Depths' spells to reduce Nautilus's cost, often letting you play him for 0 mana in the mid-game.
F2P Control
A budget alternative to 'The Beast Within'. Essential for giving your massive units Overwhelm to actually end the game.
Strategy
This build focuses on controlling the board with Riptide spam while building up to a lethal swing with Overwhelm. It is slower than the Epic builds but offers robust control tools.
Other Relic Options
A safer alternative to Disciple of Shadows. It summons a Frozen Thrall of Nautilus, providing a blocker and eventually a 0-cost copy of him.
Highly debated. It offers massive stats if you buy many cards, but diluting your deck makes hitting 'Deep' significantly harder and less consistent. Use with caution.
Excellent defensive option to prevent Nautilus from being recalled or obliterated, which is devastating for a 7-cost champion.
Surprisingly effective for 'Turbo Deep' strategies as it draws cards and refunds mana on summon, though often considered a 'meme' choice compared to consistent stats.
Constellation
Nautilus's constellation is heavily back-loaded. His early stars (1-3) feel weak because they are conditional on being 'Deep', meaning you have no powers for the first few turns. His power spike comes at C4 and C5, which provide survivability and speed. His C6 is a nice tempo boost but not a game-changer like other champions.
Echoes from the Deep
Deep gives an additional +1|+1 for every 10 cards you've drawn or Tossed.
The Endless March
+1 Starting Mana. Until you're Deep, when you draw a card, Toss 1. Game Start: Toss until your deck has 40 cards.Review
Crucial for his game plan. The 'Toss 1 on Draw' mechanic is his primary engine for reaching Deep quickly.
Echoes from the Deep II
Deep gives an additional +1|+1 for every 5 cards you've drawn or Tossed.
Fortifications
Your Nexus is Tough.Review
Grants 'Tough' to your Nexus. While defensive, this is a massive quality-of-life upgrade that allows you to face-tank early aggression while setting up your Deep engine. It trivializes burn-heavy adventures like Swain.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
The turning point for the champion. Gaining a Mana Gem allows you to play your toss/draw cards immediately, and the 'Support Champions have Deep' node creates massive stats across your whole board.
Rising Tides
Each Round, the first time you draw or Toss a unit with cost less than or equal to your mana gems, create a copy in play.Review
Summons a copy of a tossed unit each round. This provides excellent chump blockers and board presence for free, allowing you to focus your mana on removal or drawing. It improves consistency but doesn't radically change his playstyle.
Gameplay Tips
Drafting for Deep
Nautilus plays differently than almost any other champion. You must aggressively cut cards at healers to keep your deck thin. Avoid adding random cards from rewards unless they explicitly say "Draw" or "Toss". A smaller deck means hitting Deep (15 cards remaining) happens by Turn 2 or 3.
The Mulligan Priority
Hard mulligan for Dreg Dredgers and Salvage. These are your primary engines. Tossing cards is more valuable than playing units in the first two turns. Do not keep high-cost Sea Monsters in your opening hand; you will draw them later when they are cheap and huge.
Managing the Signature Relic
If you use Treasures of the Deep, be aware that it tosses cards based on Nautilus's current cost. If you reduce his cost to 0 via Lure of the Depths, he will toss 0 cards. This anti-synergy is why many experts prefer Starforged Gauntlets or Disciple of Shadows for consistency.
Stabilizing Early
Use your C4 'Tough Nexus' to take calculated hits early game. Don't chump block with your engine units (like Dredgers) unless necessary; you might need to bounce them or replay them. Once you hit Deep, your stats will naturally outclass almost anything the AI plays.
Adventure Specifics
- Fizz Adventure: Nautilus dominates here because of the free spell mana and draw boons.
- Volibear Adventure: Chemtech Duplicator is incredible here due to the mana ramp, allowing you to double-cast toss spells early.
- Fiddlesticks / Lissandra: Be careful of self-milling. Against Fiddlesticks specifically, you can accidentally deck yourself out instantly due to his doubling of draw/toss effects.