Karthus ARAM Build
Items, runes and skill order from ARAM games, patch 26.20. What players build on Karthus in ARAM, read from real games on the Howling Abyss: items, runes, spells, starting items and skill order, with Karthus's ARAM balance changes and how the build differs from Summoner's Rift.
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Updated October 14, 2026 · By LOLValue Team
Best Karthus ARAM Build in 26.20
The most built Karthus ARAM build in patch 26.20 is Malignance, Shadowflame and Liandry's Torment, with Dark Harvest and Flash and Mark: it wins 25.0% of its 8 games. Most Karthus players start with Lost Chapter and max Q > E > W. Over all 36 ARAM games we read this patch, Karthus wins 47.2%.
| Items | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malignance + Shadowflame + Liandry's Torment | 22.2% | 25.0% | 8 |
| Blackfire Torch + Malignance + Shadowflame | 5.6% | 100.0% | 2 |
| Blackfire Torch + Malignance + Liandry's Torment | 5.6% | 50.0% | 2 |
| Item | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadowflame | 80.6% | 37.9% | 29 |
| Malignance | 72.2% | 50.0% | 26 |
| Liandry's Torment | 66.7% | 45.8% | 24 |
| Rabadon's Deathcap | 41.7% | 33.3% | 15 |
| Blackfire Torch | 38.9% | 42.9% | 14 |
| Void Staff | 30.6% | 45.5% | 11 |
| Stormsurge | 11.1% | 50.0% | 4 |
| Zhonya's Hourglass | 8.3% | 66.7% | 3 |
| Item | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sorcerer's Shoes | 69.4% | 36.0% | 25 |
| Ionian Boots of Lucidity | 2.8% | 100.0% | 1 |
| Items | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Chapter | 63.9% | 43.5% | 23 |
| Haunting Guise | 5.6% | 100.0% | 2 |
| Boots + Lost Chapter | 2.8% | 100.0% | 1 |
| Skill max order | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q > E > W | 75.0% | 44.4% | 27 |
| E > Q > W | 11.1% | 100.0% | 4 |
| Keystone | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Harvest | 83.3% | 46.7% | 30 |
| First Strike | 8.3% | 33.3% | 3 |
| Deathfire Touch | 5.6% | 50.0% | 2 |
| Runes | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Harvest · Cheap Shot · Grisly Mementos · Ultimate Hunter · Coup de Grace · Presence of Mind | 30.6% | 63.6% | 11 |
| Summoner spells | Pick rate | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash + Mark | 72.2% | 46.2% | 26 |
| Exhaust + Flash | 8.3% | 100.0% | 3 |
More on Karthus: Karthus build · Karthus counters · Karthus skins
Karthus ARAM Balance Changes
Karthus's ARAM balance changes: -7% damage dealt and +5% damage taken. Riot adjusts some champions for ARAM only, to balance them for the mode's single lane; the changes don't apply on Summoner's Rift.
| Change | Value |
|---|---|
| Damage dealt | -7% |
| Damage taken | +5% |
Is Karthus Good in ARAM?
Karthus is B tier in ARAM in patch 26.20, 107 of the 167 champions with enough ARAM games for a tier. The ARAM tier list ranks champions by win rate, pulled toward 50% when they have few games, and a little by how often they are picked.
Karthus ARAM Build vs Summoner's Rift
The items Karthus players build more and less in ARAM than in ranked Summoner's Rift games (Master+), by the share of games each item is finished in. Only differences of 10 points or more are listed.
| Item | Built in ARAM | Built on Summoner's Rift |
|---|---|---|
| Malignance | 72% | 12% |
| Liandry's Torment | 67% | 38% |
| Item | Built in ARAM | Built on Summoner's Rift |
|---|---|---|
| Blackfire Torch | 39% | 90% |
| Zhonya's Hourglass | 8% | 38% |
Where the Karthus ARAM Data Comes From
The build comes from real ARAM games read through the Riot Games API. For every Karthus player we keep the final items, runes and summoner spells and, from the game's timeline, the items bought in the first 90 seconds and the order the abilities were leveled; games under 5 minutes are left out. A build is shown from 15 games. The full method is on the LoL ARAM builds page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Karthus ARAM build?
The build at the top of this page: the items, runes and summoner spells most Karthus players use in ARAM games of patch 26.20, with the win rate and games of each choice.
Does Karthus have ARAM balance changes?
In ARAM Karthus has: -7% damage dealt and +5% damage taken. The changes only apply on the Howling Abyss.
Is Karthus good in ARAM?
The ARAM tier list ranks Karthus against every champion with enough ARAM games this patch, by win rate and pick rate. The tier and its place are in the section above once Karthus has enough games.
What does Karthus start with in ARAM?
The starting items table above lists what Karthus players buy in the first 90 seconds of their ARAM games, potions left out, with how often each start is bought.
LoL ARAM builds for every champion · LoL champion builds · LoL counters · All LoL champions
LOLValue isn't endorsed by Riot Games and doesn't reflect the views or opinions of Riot Games or anyone officially involved in producing or managing Riot Games properties. Riot Games and all associated properties are trademarks or registered trademarks of Riot Games, Inc. Builds are counted from ARAM games read through the Riot Games API; ARAM balance changes come from lolstaticdata, built from the League of Legends Wiki.