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Nasus Items: What to Buy and When
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
This guide explains every item in Nasus's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are level 6, when Fury of the Sands comes online, and each completed item: Black Cleaver first, then Trinity Force.
Strengths
- Fury of the Sands hits several enemies: a strong team fight tool.
- Clear job in the team: win a long one-on-one lane, pressure the side and matter in team fights.
- Fury of the Sands gives it a decisive moment in fights.
Weaknesses
- No dash or blink in the kit: vulnerable to ganks without vision.
- Isolated lane: vulnerable to ganks when you push.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Standard buildBalancedRecommendedThe default path: Black Cleaver, Trinity Force and Spear of Shojin give the health, attack damage and on-hit effects this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.
- Lethality buildOffensiveAdvancedAll-in on damage: Terminus, Lord Dominik's Regards and Blade of The Ruined King stack attack damage, attack speed and on-hit effects. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
- Defensive buildDefensiveSituationalKeeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Jak'Sho, The Protean, Bandlepipes and Zeke's Convergence. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Builds
Standard build
When to use it
The default path: Black Cleaver, Trinity Force and Spear of Shojin give the health, attack damage and on-hit effects this class relies on. Pick it when you have no reason to adapt. Built from Riot's item tags and the champion's class; Riot publishes no build statistics.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
1100%- TopMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Black CleaverHealth, attack damage and on-hit effects.
- 2Trinity ForceHealth, attack damage and attack speed.
- 3Spear of ShojinHealth, attack damage and ability haste.
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Precision
Secondary· Resolve
Shards
Summoner spells
Flash
Teleport
Lethality build
When to use it
All-in on damage: Terminus, Lord Dominik's Regards and Blade of The Ruined King stack attack damage, attack speed and on-hit effects. Choose it when you're ahead or the enemy team is fragile — it gives up safety for kill pressure.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
1100%- TopMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1TerminusAttack damage, attack speed and on-hit effects.
- 2Lord Dominik's RegardsAttack damage, critical strike and armor penetration.
- 3Blade of The Ruined KingAttack damage, attack speed and life steal.
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Precision
Secondary· Domination
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
Ignite
Defensive build
When to use it
Keeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Jak'Sho, The Protean, Bandlepipes and Zeke's Convergence. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
1100%- TopMain100% of matches
Starting items
Core items
- 1Jak'Sho, The ProteanHealth, magic resist and armor.
- 2BandlepipesHealth, magic resist and armor.
- 3Zeke's ConvergenceHealth, magic resist and armor.
Boots
Situational
Runes
Primary· Resolve
Secondary· Precision
Shards
Summoner spells
- Flash
- Teleport
Abilities
Soul EaterPassiveNasus drains his foe's spiritual energy, giving him bonus Life Steal.
QSiphoning Strike7.5/6.5/5.5/4.5/3.5s20 mpNasus strikes his foe, dealing damage and increasing the power of his future Siphoning Strikes if he slays his target.- Cooldown
- 7.5·6.5·5.5·4.5·3.5
- Cost
- 20
- Range
- 255
WWither15/14/13/12/11s80 mpNasus ages an enemy champion, decelerating their Move Speed and Attack Speed over time.- Cooldown
- 15·14·13·12·11
- Cost
- 80
- Range
- 700
ESpirit Fire12s60/70/80/90/100 mpNasus unleashes a spirit flame at a location, dealing damage and reducing the Armor of enemies who stand on it.- Cooldown
- 12
- Cost
- 60·70·80·90·100
- Range
- 650
RFury of the SandsUltimate120/100/80s100 mpNasus unleashes a mighty sandstorm that batters nearby enemies. While the storm rages, he gains increased Health, Attack Range, damages nearby enemies, has a reduced cooldown on Siphoning Strike, and gains bonus Armor and Magic Resistance.- Cooldown
- 120·100·80
- Cost
- 100
- Range
- 400
Strategy
1Starting items
What to buy before leaving the base, and what each item gives:
- Doran's Blade — Health, attack damage and life steal.
- Health Potion — Health regeneration.
2Core items
Your spikes are level 6, when Fury of the Sands comes online, and each completed item: Black Cleaver first, then Trinity Force. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:
- Plated Steelcaps — Armor.
- Black Cleaver — Health, attack damage and on-hit effects.
- Trinity Force — Health, attack damage and attack speed.
- Spear of Shojin — Health, attack damage and ability haste.
3Situational items
Swap these in depending on the enemy team:
- Death's Dance — Against heavy physical damage.
- Mercurial Scimitar — Against heavy magic damage.
- Guardian Angel — Against burst and assassins.
- Chempunk Chainsword — Cuts the enemy's healing.
- Lord Dominik's Regards — Against tanky teams.
4Adapting to the game
The damage build moves the offensive items forward when you're ahead; the defensive one adds survival when the enemy focuses you. The situational builds in the matchups guide answer specific threats.
Tips
- Buy Black Cleaver as early as you can: it's your first real spike.
- Complete one item before starting the next: half-built items give less than one finished one.
- Look at the enemy team at every back and adjust the situational items.
- Don't sit on gold: spend it when you go back.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 16.19.1.
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