How to compete and win with Darius
Darius is the skull-splitting fighter that is one of the strongest champions in the Top Lane of League of Legends. If you are a player that wants to dominate the top lane and kill enemies in a cold, swift fashion, Darius is the champion for you.
As overwhelming as Darius’s reputation has been as a champion, he isn’t as difficult to learn as you might think.
Who is Darius
In League of Legends esports news, Darius is a champion often banned due to his bleeding stacks and high damage output. According to League of Legends lore, Darius is considered one of the most feared warriors in Noxus.
There is no greater symbol of Noxian might than Darius, the nation’s most feared and battle-hardened leader. Rising from humble origins to become the Hand of Noxus, he cleaves through the empire’s enemies—many of them Noxians themselves. Knowing that he never doubts his cause is just and never hesitates once his axe is raised, those who stand against the commander of the Trifarian Legion can expect no mercy.
Not only is Darius feared in the lore, but he is an intimidating champion in Summoner’s Rift.
How Darius Abilities Work
Darius has simple abilities, but it is important to understand his kit to get the most out of him. Darius’s passive key is one of the best in the game, and it is pivotal to killing your opponent. When Darius hits an opponent with his auto-attack, it applies a bleeding stack that consistently drops a percentage of the enemy’s health over time. Once an opponent gets five stacks of bleeding, you can rain carnage against your enemy.
Darius’s primary tools in his kit are his Q decimate and W crippling strike. Decimate (Q) allows Darius to swing his axe, dealing damage and applying a stack to enemies hit. It is important to note that Darius is key to gaining stack on enemy players because the stack will not activate without his axe making contact.
Darius’s W Crippling Strike slows the enemy while also adding another stack of bleeding. The champion's E Apprehend is best when the enemy is getting out of range, and you need to pull them back in. His ultimate is Noxian Guillotine, one of the most dominating finishing moves in League of Legends.
Unlike other Ultimates, when Darius’s Noxian Guillotine kills an enemy champion, it automatically resets and can lead to a pentakill if used correctly.
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Win Rate
Darius is a champion that most players choose not to compete against. Darius has a high ban rate of 23.3% which is actually 2.6% lower than usual. When playing the top lane against Darius it is important to make sure you have a champion that matches up well against him because with a 50% win rate proves the menace he can be in the game.
This Champion has been nerfed a few times throughout updates in order to balance him as a champion but even with all the patch updates Darius is still popular amongst players still having a 6.77% pick rate.
Darius Combos and Mechanics
A basic combo to consider using is Auto Attack > W > Q. Darius’s W, Crippling Strike, is what we call an Auto Attack Reset, we’ll want to use it directly after Auto Attacking because it will allow you to get to 5 stacks of bleeding faster.
If an enemy is getting away from you, Darius has a combo to get you back into range. This is where the pull-in ability, Apprehend (E), comes into play. After using our basic combo to start a fight, follow it up with E > Auto Attack > W > Q to keep the enemy.
Darius is a character that has the potential to snowball really fast if used well in the early game. When using your E be mindful that there are champions that excel in close range, so timing and situation are important.
Darius should be equipped with the summoner spell Ghost because it grants the champion the speed advantage. Ghost is a great spell to combo with Noxian Guillotine. Usually, your ultimate will finish the job, as you will have accumulated five bleeding stacks over time. Full Combo (with Ghost): Auto > W > Auto > Auto > E > Q > R.
Overview - How to Play Darius
The biggest key to playing Darius is using spells efficiently and never wasting a single one of them. Although Darius has a skill set that is not that hard to grasp, we suggest watching good Darius players to get an idea of his abilities. Some players get excited to go in headfirst, and Darius does meet that play style.
However, it is important to note that all champions take knowledge to learn. Be patient and have fun. Darius is an elite champion that could really help you climb in solo queue.
