Darius Build and Runes for Season 11 (April 2021)
As of April 2021 (Season 11), Darius builds Stridebreaker, Black Cleaver, Spirit Visage, Dead Man's Plate and Sterak's Gage with Precision runes, and his passive now deals 500% damage to jungle…
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In brief
AI summaryIn April 2021 (Season 11), Riot buffed Darius so his passive deals 500% damage to jungle monsters instead of 175%, letting him clear the jungle in 2:50.
Darius's Season 11 build is Stridebreaker, Black Cleaver, Spirit Visage, Dead Man's Plate and Sterak's Gage.
Darius's Season 11 runes are Precision (Conqueror, Triumph, Legend, Coup de Grace) with Sorcery (Nimbus Cloak, Celerity) and +9 Adaptive Force, +8 Magic Resist shards.
Contents12 sections
If we had to name a single champion who dominates the top lane in League of Legends, most of us would say Darius. Every top laner has felt some fear and shown respect toward a Darius in the matchup. Because the mighty warrior of the Noxian armies is so easy to play, he will help you climb the ladder easily in Ranked games and be the key to victory in normal games. You can also play Darius in the jungle now, because Riot gave him a great buff to clear jungle camps. On top of that, with the right route, you can clear the jungle in only 2:50!
Darius Jungle Buff
- Darius's passive deals 500% damage to jungle monsters instead of 175%!
What Is Darius's Story?
Orphaned at a young age, Darius had to struggle to keep himself and his little brother alive, and for that reason he joined the Noxian army. As soon as he joined, he quickly gained the discipline and strength of a veteran warrior and proved himself in the campaign against Demacia. In that campaign he defied the Captain who, frightened, ordered the soldiers to retreat. Darius's fearlessness inspired the other soldiers, the Noxian armies were deeply impressed by his courage, and after a long and bloody battle they emerged victorious.
Having proved himself on the battlefield, Darius set his sights on the puppet rulers in his own country after the campaign, and decided to join forces with Swain, whom he saw as the leader who could restore Noxus to its former power. In pursuit of this goal, he took the heads of many rulers without a second thought and succeeded in restoring Noxus to its former glory.
”A united Noxus can control the world, and it deserves to.”
-Darius
Darius's Abilities
Passive: Hemorrhage
Darius makes strategic hits on his opponents that cause them to bleed. When the maximum Hemorrhage has stacked on an opponent, Darius gains Noxian Might and his damage increases greatly.
Q Ability: Decimate
- Darius swings his axe in a wide circle. Opponents hit by the blade take more damage than opponents hit by the handle. Darius heals based on the number of enemy champions hit by the blade.
- After a short delay, Darius swings his axe in a circle and hits the opponents in front of him. Opponents in the outer area take 40/70/100/130/160 (+105% bonus Attack Damage) physical damage. Opponents in the inner area take 50% of that damage (and do not receive the Hemorrhage effect).
- For each champion hit in the outer area, Darius restores 12% of his missing Health (maximum: 36%).
W Ability: Crippling Strike
- Darius's next attack hits the opponent's artery. The more the opponent bleeds, the slower they move.
- Darius's next basic attack deals physical damage and slows the target by 90% for 1 second. If Crippling Strike kills the target, it refunds 50% of its cooldown and its mana cost.
E Ability: Apprehend
- Darius sharpens his axe, dealing physical damage that ignores a certain percentage of the target's Armor. When activated, Darius sweeps opponents with the hook of his axe and pulls them toward himself.
- Passive: Darius gains 5/10/15/20/25% armor penetration.
- Active: Darius pulls in all opponents in front of him and slows them by 40% for 1 second.
Ultimate: Noxian Guillotine
- Darius leaps toward an enemy champion and delivers a lethal blow that deals true damage. This damage increases based on the number of Hemorrhage stacks accumulated on the target. If Darius scores a killing blow with Noxian Guillotine, the ability's cooldown is briefly reset.
- Leaping to the target enemy champion and delivering a lethal strike, he deals 100/200/300 (+75% bonus Attack Damage) true damage. Noxian Guillotine deals 20% additional damage for each Hemorrhage stack on the target.
- Maximum: 100/200/300 damage If Noxian Guillotine kills the target, it can be recast for free within 20 seconds. At level 3, Noxian Guillotine is unleashed and, when the opponent is killed, its cooldown is fully reset and it is cast without spending Mana.
How Do You Play Darius?
Darius can easily beat every opponent he faces in the early game. The first thing to watch for when playing Darius is to use the bleed damage your passive provides effectively and to make sure you reach 5 Hemorrhage stacks when you use your ultimate. Your E pulls your opponent toward you and shreds their armor, so a W used after a basic attack will both deal a lot of damage to your opponent and slow their movement speed so they cannot escape. You can animation-cancel with auto attack + W + auto, which lets you use your entire passive effectively in the shortest time. Besides being this strong, Darius has only one weakness: you may fall a bit behind your opponents in mobility. However, that is the last thing you need to worry about, because with the build and runes we give below, you can turn Darius into a fairly mobile champion.
Season 11 Darius Build and Runes
Season 11 Darius Build
If you ask who benefited most from the items that came with the new season, we can put Darius at the very top of the list. Darius gains tremendous power from Stridebreaker, and thanks to the item's active he can cover a short distance and slow opponents, getting everything he needs from a single item.
- Stridebreaker
You can gain movement speed by buying Black Cleaver. After you deal damage to your opponent, Black Cleaver's passive makes it very hard for your opponent to run away from you.
- Black Cleaver
Another item you should build when playing Darius is Spirit Visage. Whether or not the enemy team has an AP champion, this item will give you tremendous power. With Spirit Visage boosting your Q, you can steal a higher percentage of health and survive in team fights.
- Spirit Visage
With Dead Man's Plate, you can increase your movement speed even further. The Health and Armor you gain also let you tank a bit and take your place at the front in team fights.
- Dead Man's Plate
Your last item will be Sterak's Gage. Your attack damage will increase, and if you take burst damage, the item's passive will keep your opponents from scoring the kill.
- Sterak's Gage
Season 11 Darius Runes
Primary Rune: Precision
- Conqueror
- Triumph
- Legend: Tenacity or Bloodline
- Coup de Grace
Secondary Rune: Sorcery
- Nimbus Cloak
- Celerity
Tertiary Runes:
- 10% Attack Speed
- +9 Adaptive Force
- +8 Magic Resist
Frequently asked questions
Questions answered in this article
What Is Darius's Story?
Orphaned at a young age, Darius had to struggle to keep himself and his little brother alive, and for that reason he joined the Noxian army. As soon as he joined, he quickly gained the discipline and strength of a veteran warrior and proved himself in the campaign against Demacia. In that campaign he defied the Captain who, frightened, ordered the soldiers to retreat. Darius's fearlessness inspired the other soldiers, the Noxian armies were deeply impressed by his courage, and after a long and bloody battle they emerged victorious. Having proved himself on the battlefield, Darius set his sights on the puppet rulers in his own country after the campaign, and decided to join forces with…
Go to sectionHow Do You Play Darius?
Darius can easily beat every opponent he faces in the early game. The first thing to watch for when playing Darius is to use the bleed damage your passive provides effectively and to make sure you reach 5 Hemorrhage stacks when you use your ultimate. Your E pulls your opponent toward you and shreds their armor, so a W used after a basic attack will both deal a lot of damage to your opponent and slow their movement speed so they cannot escape. You can animation-cancel with auto attack + W + auto, which lets you use your entire passive effectively in the shortest time. Besides being this strong, Darius has only one weakness: you may fall a bit behind your opponents in mobility. However,…
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