Nautilus ARAM Build and Guide

Updated for patch 26.22. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch; ARAM balance numbers come from the League of Legends Wiki’s champion data.

A Nautilus ARAM build is a tank build that leans on Health and area damage, since the Howling Abyss trims him at both ends. On this map his damage output sits at 95% and the damage he receives at 110%. His crowd control stays untouched: a pull, a root on every first hit, three slowing waves and an ultimate that knocks up a whole line of enemies.

Everything below was picked by setting his patch 26.22 kit beside the item shop, with zero win-rate data in the mix.

How is Nautilus changed in ARAM?

Neither number helps. His damage drops by 5%, and he takes 10% more from everything. For a tank, the second one stings. His job is to stand in front of five enemies and absorb the burst meant for his carry, and on a single lane he does that from the first minute to the last (there is no quiet farming phase on the Abyss). Why nerf a support tank at all? Because Dredge Line into Depth Charge lands far more often when the whole enemy team is walking in one corridor, and Riot balances the mode around what’s strong there, not on the Rift.

Why does Nautilus fit the Howling Abyss?

Every enemy stands within reach of his anchor, all game. Riot’s patch 26.22 ability text:

• Staggering Blow (passive): the first Attack against each target hits harder and roots it briefly.
• Dredge Line (Q): the anchor pulls him and an enemy together for magic damage, or pulls him to terrain. Cooldown 14/13/12/11/10.
• Titan’s Wrath (W): a temporary Shield; while it holds, his attacks deal damage over time to the target and surrounding enemies. Cooldown 12.
• Riptide (E): three exploding waves around him that damage and slow. Cooldown 7/6.5/6/5.5/5.
• Depth Charge (R): a shockwave chasing one opponent, knocking up every enemy above it before erupting into a knock-up and stun on the target. Cooldown 120/100/80.

The ultimate is the reason to pick him. On the Rift, Depth Charge usually hits its target and maybe one person beside it; in a lane where enemies stand in a line, the shockwave rips through the frontline on its way to the carry and knocks up everyone it passes. The passive also scales with crowds, since it roots the first time he attacks each new target. In a five-on-five brawl that’s five separate roots. Honestly, that’s a ridiculous amount of control to hand one champion, especially one who also gets a fresh shield every twelve seconds.

What should a Nautilus ARAM build focus on?

Health first, then damage that works without aiming. Riptide and Titan’s Wrath already hit everything around him, so items that burn the area add up quickly. Mixed resistances matter more than usual because random teams rarely lean on one damage type.

Sunfire Aegis comes first. Immolate deals magic damage per second to nearby enemies for 3 seconds after he takes or deals damage, which in ARAM is almost always, and it stacks neatly with the damage over time from Titan’s Wrath. The 350 Health and 50 Armor go a long way toward cancelling that 110% damage-taken penalty. Look, a tank who burns the frontline while standing in it is the whole plan.

Unending Despair is second. Every 4 seconds of fighting champions, Anguish pulses magic damage at the ones nearby, and he heals for 250% of the damage it deals. With no recall, that self-healing is worth more than it would be on the Rift, where he could just walk home.

Third, Jak’Sho, The Protean. Voidborn Resilience raises his bonus Armor and Magic Resist by 30% after 5 seconds of champion combat, and ARAM fights last that long nearly every time. That’s the item for the moment when the enemy team stops hitting the carry and turns on him instead.

Abyssal Mask rounds out the four if your team has magic damage: Unmake makes nearby enemy champions take 12% more magic damage, and a tank who has just pulled the carry into his team is, by definition, nearby. Against a heavy physical team, Thornmail fits better (75 Armor plus Wounds on attackers). For boots, Plated Steelcaps handle attackers and Mercury’s Treads handle mages, so pick by whoever is hitting harder once you have the gold to spare.

How do you play Nautilus on the Howling Abyss?

• Hook the backline, not the tank. Dredge Line pulls you together, and a pull on the frontline tank wastes a 14 second cooldown at rank 1.
• Use the anchor on walls to reach flank angles. It pulls him to terrain too, and the Abyss has walls on both sides.
• Aim Depth Charge at the carry behind the line. The shockwave knocks up everyone on the way, so the frontline gets hit for free.
• Tag as many champions as you can with basic attacks in a fight. Staggering Blow roots each new target once.
• Press Titan’s Wrath before you walk in, not after. The shield is what lets you survive the 110% damage taken while the combo lands.

How does Nautilus handle no-recall shopping and Mark?

Shopping is fountain-only. Between respawns, the health relics on the lane are the only top-up, and a tank who soaks damage all game burns through his Health faster than anyone. That’s the case for Unending Despair. It also means a dying Nautilus should spend everything on his way back out (usually a full component at least).

Then there’s Mark. Land its snowball on an enemy champion and you can reactivate it to dash over. Spells are fixed once the game starts loading. On Nautilus, the snowball is a second engage. Throw it at the carry, dash, and the first attack roots them through Staggering Blow before Dredge Line has even been used. In practice, the anchor is then free to drag a second target in. Is that two engage tools on one champion? Yes, and to be fair, that’s exactly why he’s annoying to play against here.

Is Nautilus good in ARAM?

He’s solid, with the nerfs priced in. The 95% damage dealt and 110% damage taken modifiers make him squishier and less threatening on his own, but nothing in ARAM balance touches his crowd control, and a single lane makes Depth Charge and Staggering Blow hit more targets than on any other map. He needs a team with damage to follow up. Sure, without it he’s a loud knock-up and not much else.

The supports who blunt his engage best are covered in our list of who beats Nautilus. Not sure how a support tank fits into a normal team? Our overview of LoL roles explains it. The numbers behind every item named here live in the LoL items catalogue, and you’ll find his cosmetics on the Nautilus skins page.

Put simply, the Nautilus ARAM build is Sunfire Aegis, Unending Despair, Jak’Sho and Abyssal Mask, and the plan is to hook the back line and let Depth Charge flatten everyone standing between.

FAQ

Is Nautilus nerfed in ARAM?

Yes, at both ends. Per the League of Legends Wiki for patch 26.22, his ARAM numbers are 95% damage dealt and 110% damage taken, while every stun, root and knock-up works exactly as on the Rift.

What is the best first item for Nautilus in ARAM?

Sunfire Aegis. Its Immolate burn hits everything near him, which suits a tank who spends every fight in the middle of the enemy team.

Does Depth Charge hit more than one enemy?

Yes. The shockwave knocks up every enemy along its path, and the target is knocked up and stunned when it erupts.

Is Mark worth taking on him?

It suits him. A snowball hit gives him a dash to a target, so he can engage without using Dredge Line and keep the anchor for a second pick.

Why these items and not others?

They match what his patch 26.22 abilities do: area damage, Health and resistances for a tank who takes extra damage in ARAM. Win rates were not used.