Darius is known for his damage and snowball potential so he can be a challenge for many top laners. He can feel oppressive at times especially in the early game but there are many ways to deal with him and prevent him from becoming a monster on the rift. This guide will cover general concepts to specific tips on how to counter Darius from experienced coaches and high elo players.
Some champions are just better against Darius due to their kit. Here’s a list of picks that destroy Darius in lane along with how each one counters him.
Note: That champions we mention here are always the best counters to Darius regardless of meta. They might suffer more or less depending on the state of their items however if piloted well they will always beat him. We have added a Skill Level in each matchup to show you how often you can make mistakes and what skill is required to win it with 10 being the most skill required and 1 the least.
Dr. Mundo is a strong pick into Darius due to his immense sustain and ability to absorb damage. With his passive, Goes Where He Pleases, Mundo can shrug off Darius's Apprehend (E), making it difficult for Darius to lock him down. Additionally, Infected Bonesaw (Q) provides Mundo with consistent poke and health cost refund upon hit, allowing him to sustain through trades while wearing down Darius from a distance.
Mundo's natural tankiness and scaling make it difficult for Darius to burst him down, even in extended fights. As the game progresses, Mundo becomes more durable with his Maximum Dosage (R), which grants massive healing and increased movement speed, helping him survive Darius’s Noxian Guillotine (R) and turn fights in his favor. Mundo's resilience and sustain allow him to withstand Darius’s damage and eventually outlast him in lane.
Right now the itemization also works in Mundo's favor
Win Rate against Darius: 51.97%
Skill Required: 2/10
Quinn is one of the best ranged Darius counters. With her long range and high mobility she can harass Darius without letting him get close enough to engage. Her Harrier (Passive) gives Quinn consistent ranged damage so Darius has to take unfavorable trades when he tries to farm or engage. Blinding Assault (Q) allows her to poke him down and deny him CS and any chance to hit her with Apprehend (E).
Quinn’s mobility comes from Vault (E) which allows her to disengage immediately after dealing damage. This is especially good against Darius because she can build distance after his Apprehend (E) or avoid his Decimate (Q) inner ring healing range if timed right.
Also Quinn’s global pressure with Behind Enemy Lines (R) gives her a huge map control advantage as she can easily roam to her team once she gets a lead on Darius. She's also one of the few champions who can run ignite into him instead of Teleport because of the bonus movement speed she gets post level 6.
Win Rate against Darius: 53%
Skill Required: 3/10
Kennen is a strong Darius counter because of his range and mobility. As a ranged champion Kennen can poke Darius in the laning phase with Thundering Shuriken (Q) and Electrical Surge (W) and keep him at bay while building up a health advantage. Kennen’s Lightning Rush (E) gives him a big mobility tool so he can quickly escape if Darius tries to engage with Apprehend (E).
Kennen’s biggest advantage is to poke Darius and then all in with Slicing Maelstrom (R). This ultimate is a strong crowd control tool to lock down Darius in teamfights or skirmishes especially when combined with Kennen’s damage from Mark of the Storm (Passive). With proper kiting and burst damage Kennen can prevent Darius from ever getting in range to use his abilities on you or your allies.
Win Rate against Darius: 52.5%
Skill Required: 4/10
Renekton can trade into Darius with his burst damage and sustain. His Cull the Meek (Q) allows him to heal and do AoE damage so he can sustain through Darius’s poke and harass. Renekton’s Ruthless Predator (W) allows him to stun Darius and avoid extended trades where Darius is strong.
With Slice and Dice (E) Renekton can engage, apply his combo and disengage before Darius can stack his Hemorrhage (Passive). This ability to enter and exit fights at will gives Renekton the advantage, he can trade without being locked into Darius’s extended fights where Darius is strong.
Win Rate against Darius: 49.41%
Skill Required: 7/10
Fiora is one of the best Darius counter because she can parry his abilities with Riposte (W). She can block his crowd control from Apprehend (E) and even the damage from Crippling Strike (W). In lower ELOs it might look like a mind game who uses his key ability but you can react to it if your ping is good enough. Fiora is good at short trades and by using Lunge (Q) she can poke Darius and back off before he can use his full combo.
Also Fiora’s scaling is very strong in duels and once she gets her core 2-3 items she can out sustain and out damage Darius especially with her true damage from Duelist’s Dance (Passive). Being able to win short trades and parry Darius’s engage tools makes Fiora a strong lane counter.
Win Rate against Darius: 48.31%
Skill Required: 9/10
Kayle is a champion that scales very well especially in the late game and can outscale Darius with her ranged attacks and damage at higher levels. Early in the lane phase Kayle struggles due to her weak early game but by playing safe and farming she can hit her power spikes and become much stronger.
By level 6 Kayle can transform into a full ranged champion and harass Darius from a distance, avoiding his engage and punishing him for every trade. Her Divine Judgment (R) can cancel Darius’s Noxian Guillotine (R) and turn what would be a killing blow into a counter engage. Once Kayle has items and levels her teamfight presence and scaling is unmatched making her a strong pick against Darius.
Win Rate against Darius: 46.56%
Skill Required: 9.5/10
These champions all bring something unique to the table to counter Darius’s aggressive playstyle. Whether it’s strong disengage, ranged poke or scaling they have the answer to Darius’s kit and can help you win the lane and the game.
Remember that the fact a selected top champions sometimes has negative win ratio is not a good indicator whether a champion is a good counter or not. If you do not play Fiora and pick him into Darius you are unlikely to win. However if you are a great Fiora player and you are experienced in the matchup your champion has natural advantage. What we are trying to say is do NOT first time champions that have high skill required into Darius and then come here to complain. You have been warned.
Before we get into the counter strategies let’s understand why Darius is considered a tough opponent:
Given these strengths Darius does well in extended skirmishes where he can get multiple stacks of his passive, heal up with his Q and then execute with R.
You don’t have to fight Darius head on to win the lane. Picking champions that scale well into late game or provide utility in teamfights can turn the game around without having to dominate Darius in lane. Champions like Kayle or Dr. Mundo can outscale Darius and become more useful in teamfights if played patiently.
Points to Remember:
Darius needs kills to be relevant, especially in this meta. His kit loves to get ahead and snowball out of control. So the most important tip is to not give him any unnecessary kills. Darius can feel unbeatable in 1v1 situations but if you play defensively and deny him the opportunity to get kills he will lose momentum.
Points to Remember:
Darius has no mobility so he’s very gankable. If you’re losing in lane a well timed gank can easily turn the matchup around. Coordinate with your jungler to set up ganks especially when Darius overextends to shove the wave or uses his abilities aggressively. Most Darius players play with ghost instead of teleport so every time you force him out of lane will hurt him twice as much.
Remember if you want your jungler to help you, you have to be on the lookout for him too. Darius invades quite often yo if you see him missing early ping it!
Points to Remember:
Darius struggles against champions that can kite him and poke from a distance. Champions like Jayce, Vayne, Kennen and Quinn excel in this role, using their range to chip Darius down without letting him get in melee range. Even if he takes ghost Darius can be outrun and kited if you use your abilities wisely.
Points to Remember:
Darius loves long trades where he can stack his passive and heal with Q. To counter this you should look for short, quick trades that allow you to poke him and then back off before he can full combo you. Champions with dash abilities like Riven, Renekton and Fiora can do this by engaging, bursting and then disengaging.
Points to Remember:
Knowing when Darius’s abilities are on cooldown is key to this matchup. If he uses his Apprehend (E) and misses you can punish him by engaging or trading. If you can bait out his Decimate (Q) you can get a window to strike when he’s vulnerable.
Points to Remember:
In teamfights Darius’s lack of mobility and reliance on his passive makes him vulnerable to crowd control (CC). If Darius is hard engaged in a teamfight he can get locked down and killed before he can stack his passive or ult. Tanks with good crowd control like Ornn and Sion can shut down Darius in teamfights.
Points to Remember:
Darius relies on his Decimate (Q) healing especially when he’s low on health. Taking Ignite as a summoner spell can reduce his healing and make it easier to kill him when he’s low. (But in some metas when TP is strong it can put you behind) Timing Ignite with your engage can prevent Darius from getting the heal that would otherwise save him in clutch situations.
Points to Remember:
Darius can be very oppressive especially in lower ranks where players don’t know how to counter him. But by playing smart, avoiding long trades and using ranged poke or jungle help you can turn the matchup in your favor. Play patiently, take advantage of Darius’s lack of mobility and never give him free kills. Once you know how to counter him Darius is much more manageable in any game.
Let us know what champs work against him in your elo!
