Guide Sections (15)
- Champion Stats
- The Hook Anchor
- Which Nautilus Skin to Use
- When They Ban Nautilus
- Optimal Runes for Nautilus
- Nautilus's Ability Priority
- Mastering Nautilus's Kit
- Nautilus's Lane Opponents
- Hook Everything Syndrome
- When Your Engage Gets Peeled
- The Engage Timing
- The Depth Charge Build
- Timing Nautilus's All-Ins
- The CC Chain
- Recent Patch History
Champion Stats
Low elo players don't respect Nautilus's hook (Q) hitbox. It's much larger than it looks, and a 'lollypopping' anchor can catch them even if they think they've dodged it. They also fail to respect his passive (Staggering Blow), allowing him to walk up and root them for an easy follow-up. His R (Depth Charge) is also impossible to miss, ensuring a kill if used correctly.
The Hook Anchor
Nautilus has a strong level 1 bush cheese. Start Q (Dredge Line). If you can land a hook on a squishy target, your passive root and a few AAs will often secure an early Flash or kill. Level 2 with W (Titan's Wrath) gives you the shield needed to survive the return trade.
Your Q hitbox is slightly wider than the visual. Use this to catch people 'around' a minion wave. It's a bit of a trick, but once you master the 'fat hook', you'll never miss again.
Which Nautilus Skin to Use
'Astronautilus' is the classic smurf skin—the 'moon-walk' animations and the aesthetic are top-tier. 'Shan Hai Scrolls Nautilus' offers amazing modern visual effects. 'Worldbreaker Nautilus' is a great 'big-and-scary' choice. Avoid 'Abyssal Nautilus' as it lacks modern flair.
'Astronaut' is the legendary smurf choice. The low-gravity walk makes it harder for enemies to judge your movement speed and exact position. Plus, the moon-walk is the ultimate BM.
'Astronautilus' is the classic; the walk cycle is weightless and funny. 'Shan Hai Scrolls' is gorgeous. 'Fright Night' is unique. Astronaut remains the fan favorite.
When They Ban Nautilus
If Nautilus is banned, Leona offers a similar 'reliable engage' profile. Blitzcrank for a more pick-focused hook. Alistar for a more dive-heavy tank role.
Leona is the best point-and-click stun alternative. Blitzcrank if you want a more punishing hook. Alistar if you want the dive and tankiness. Nautilus is the anchor of the team—if he's gone, be the shield or the grab.
Leona for the solar stun. Blitzcrank for the hook. Alistar for the cowbell. Leona is the most similar 'go in and don't die' tank.
Optimal Runes for Nautilus
Aftershock is the best choice for maximizing your tankiness when you engage. Glacial Augment is an alternative for even more disruption. Secondary Inspiration with Hextech Flashtraption and Cosmic Insight to have more creative engage angles from terrain.
Nautilus's Ability Priority
Max Q first—it's your primary damage and gap-closer, and the cooldown reduction is vital. Max W second for the increased shield strength. Max E last as the primary use is the slow, and the damage scale isn't as high.
Mastering Nautilus's Kit
Dredge Line. Nautilus hurls his anchor forward. If it hits an enemy, he pulls himself and the enemy together. If it hits terrain, he pulls himself to the terrain and the cooldown is halved. Master the terrain jumps.
Titan's Wrath. Nautilus gains a shield that scales with his max HP. While the shield is active, his basic attacks deal bonus magic damage over time to the target and nearby enemies.
Riptide. Nautilus creates waves around him, dealing magic damage and slowing enemies. Enemies hit by multiple waves take reduced damage from subsequent waves. Use this after a hook and root.
Depth Charge. Nautilus fires a shockwave that chases an enemy champion, knocking up and stunning all enemies it passes through and the primary target. It's point-and-click—use it wisely.
Nautilus's Lane Opponents
Skill Matchup. He can E out of your hook, but he can't E out of your R. Wait for your R to land before you try to hook him, or bait his E out first.
Hard Counter. Her Black Shield (E) completely invalidates your Q and R stuns. Charge your W and walk at her to bait the shield before you use your cooldowns.
Skill Matchup. He can flay you out of your hook dash, but you out-tank him and your R is more reliable. Focus on the ADC or use your R to start the fight.
Hook Everything Syndrome
Stop missing your hooks on terrain when you want to hit a champion! Your Q pulls you to walls. If you miss a hook in an open area, you are useless for 15 seconds. Also, space out your CC—land the hook, then the passive root, then the R once they start to run. Don't blow everything instantly.
Don't hook every wall! If you're out of range, you're a target. Space your CC—Anchor, then Passive Root, then E-slow, then R. Keeping them locked down for 4 seconds is better than 1 second of everything. Use your W to reset your auto for the root.
When Your Engage Gets Peeled
Dodge if facing heavy 'black shield' or 'spell shield' comps with Morgana, Sivir, or Malzahar if you don't have a way to pop them. Also dodge into Vayne who can tumble out of your hook easily.
Morgana and Sivir are your nightmares. Black Shield and Spell Shield ignore your whole kit. If you see them, wait for the ability to be burned before you commit. Or just hook the other person. Nautilus is about the priority—pick the weak link.
Dodge Morgana. Black Shield makes you a minion. Dodge Sivir. Spell shield blocks your hook or R. Play something else.
The Engage Timing
In teamfights, you are the primary lock-down engine. Use your R (Depth Charge) on the most dangerous enemy carry—it will knock up everyone it passes through. Once the R lands, follow up with a hook or a passive root. Use your W to soak up damage and your E to slow down anyone trying to escape. You are the anchor that holds the enemy team in place.
R first from distance! It knocks up everyone in the path. Then hook the target it lands on. Use your W to tank the tower shots or the burst. You're the initiator—if the fight starts and you aren't in the middle, you're doing it wrong.
The Depth Charge Build
Full AP 'Anchor-Assassin' Nautilus. Everfrost (if available, else Luden's) -> Lich Bane -> Shadowflame. With this build, your Q-AA-R-E combo will literally one-shot squishies. It's high-risk but purely 'titan-tier' BM to see a tank champion delete people like an assassin.
Full AP Nautilus is hilarious for smurfing. Q-Auto-R-E will delete an ADC. Luden's into Lich Bane. It's troll in high elo but in low elo, no one expects the tank to one-shot them. Show them the weight of the sea.
Timing Nautilus's All-Ins
Level 1 is your strongest hook-pick point. Level 6 is your unconditional lock-down spike. Your biggest item spike is reaching Zeke's Convergence, which adds a massive amount of burst to your carry's damage when you CC someone.
Level 1 with Q is a guaranteed First Blood if your ADC has hands. Level 6 is the free kill spike. Zeke's completion makes your ADC a god while you're hooking. Don't let the game go late where you become just a body.
The CC Chain
Spam the 'laugh' emote while pulling yourself towards a wall to escape a 3-man gank. Type 'Beware the depths' in all-chat after a successful R-Q kill. The sight of a giant anchor traveling towards you while you are already rooted is purely terrifying.
Type 'Depth Charge incoming' after you R. Spam the laugh while you moonwalk (Astronaut skin). Pinging your hook cooldown after you hit a max-range pick is the ultimate flex. You're the heaviest thing in the rift—remind them.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14.12 | Jun 12, 2024 | BUFF | W adjusted |
| V13.17 | Aug 30, 2023 | ADJUST | P nerfed, Base stats adjusted |
| V13.3 | Feb 8, 2023 | BUFF | P buffed, W buffed, E buffed |
| V12.22 | Nov 16, 2022 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
| V12.10 | May 25, 2022 | BUFF | Base stats buffed |
