When To Pick Varus

You know when to pick Varus when your team needs a flexible marksman who can dish out consistent damage from a safe distance while setting up picks for the whole squad.
 
Varus is a fantastic choice when the enemy team is full of front-line tanks and beefy bruisers that other ADCs struggle to shred through.
 
If you are wondering when to pick Varus, the short answer is that he thrives in compositions that value poke, sustained team fighting, and high attack speed synergy.
 
He is not the hyper-mobile carry that dashes around like a madman, so you want to lock him in when your team can protect you and when the enemy lacks heavy dive threats.
 
In this post, we will break down the best scenarios for when to pick Varus, the team comps he fits into, and the situations where you should probably look for another champion.
 
Let’s dive into the world of the Arrow of Retribution and figure out if he’s your guy for the next ranked game.
 

When To Pick Varus Based On Team Composition

The absolute most important factor for when to pick Varus is understanding what your team and the enemy team look like.
 
Varus brings a unique mix of magic and physical damage, which makes him a great blind pick in certain drafts.
 
When to pick Varus becomes clear when you have a support like Thresh, Nautilus, or Leona who can lock down enemies so you can stack your blight.
 
These engage supports set up perfect scenarios for your ultimate, Chain of Corruption, to spread through the entire enemy team like wildfire.
 

1. Pick Varus When You Need Strong Lane Presence

When to pick Varus is often dictated by the laning phase, because he is one of the most oppressive laners in the bottom lane.
 
His Piercing Arrow (Q) allows you to poke down enemies from a range that most ADCs simply cannot match in the early game.
 
If you are against squishy enchanters like Soraka or Sona, you can punish them every time they step up to harass.
 
When you pick Varus against a weak early lane, you can secure first turret plates and gain a massive gold lead before the mid-game team fights even start.
 
He also has a strong level six all-in with his ultimate, so when to pick Varus can be right when your support hits level two and goes for an aggressive engage.
 

2. Choose Varus When Facing Heavy Tanks

A massive reason for when to pick Varus is his incredible tank-shredding potential that scales beautifully into the late game.
 
His Blighted Quiver (W) deals bonus magic damage on hit that scales with the target’s maximum health, making him a nightmare for Cho’Gath or Sion.
 
When to pick Varus against triple tank compositions is an easy yes because he can melt through armor-stacking monsters that would make a Jinx cry.
 
The magic damage from his blight procs ensures that enemies stacking heavy armor won’t ignore your damage output entirely.
 
So if you see the enemy top, jungle, and support all locking in tanks, that is your biggest signal for when to pick Varus.
 

3. Lock In Varus When You Lack Engage

You should heavily consider when to pick Varus if your composition is missing reliable hard engage or pick potential.
 
His ultimate, Chain of Corruption, is a long-range root that can snare multiple enemies if they are standing close together.
 
This makes Varus a pseudo-initiation tool because one good ultimate can start a team fight and win the game off a single catch.
 
When to pick Varus becomes obvious when your jungle is a farming champion like Karthus or Master Yi who doesn’t offer crowd control.
 
You can use your ultimate to set up engages for your team even when your support is a passive healer.
 
So if your team lacks a way to start fights, that’s a massive indicator for when to pick Varus.
 

When To Pick Varus Based On Enemy Champions

The enemy team composition matters just as much as your own when deciding when to pick Varus.
 
He is not the best choice against every champion, so you need to read the enemy draft carefully before you lock him in.
 
When to pick Varus hinges on whether the enemy has skill-shot reliant champions that you can punish from range.
 

1. Varus Works Great Against Immobile Mid Laners

If the enemy mid laner is something like Anivia, Xerath, or Lux, that is a perfect scenario for when to pick Varus.
 
These champions lack dashes and rely on positioning, which means your long-range poke can force them out of lane easily.
 
When to pick Varus against these artillery mages happens because you outrange most of them with your fully charged Q.
 
Your ultimate can also catch them off guard from a screen away, setting up easy kills for your own mid or jungle.
 
So when you see immobile mages on the enemy team, take that as a clear sign for when to pick Varus.
 

2. Avoid Varus Against Hard Dive Champions

Now let’s talk about when NOT to lock him in, because when to pick Varus has clear limits against aggressive assassins.
 
If the enemy has a Zed, Talon, or Katarina that can jump on your face, Varus is an easy target without any escape tool.
 
When to pick Varus is not when the enemy team has multiple point-and-click lockdown abilities like Malzahar or Skarner.
 
You lack dash mobility, so you need your team to peel for you or else you will get blown up before you can even auto-attack.
 
If the enemy jungle is a Rengar or Khazix that thrives on deleting squishy carries, it’s usually better to pick something safer.
 
So when you see too much dive threat on the enemy team, that’s a big sign for when not to pick Varus.
 

3. Great Counter To Short-Range ADCs

When to pick Varus against other ADCs is easiest when they have much shorter range than you do.
 
If the enemy bot lane is Lucian or Kai’Sa, you can use your superior reach to poke them out of lane without taking return damage.
 
When to pick Varus into these short-range carries works because they need to get close to trade, and you won’t let them.
 
Your Q poke will eventually force them under their tower where they can’t farm freely.
 
The key when to pick Varus is to abuse your range advantage whenever the enemy ADC has auto-attack range under 550.
 
This allows you to farm safely while constantly threatening them from a distance.
 

When To Pick Varus Based On Game Meta

The current meta can also heavily influence when to pick Varus because certain items and patches make him stronger.
 
When to pick Varus is often tied to the strength of attack speed items like Guinsoo’s Rageblade or on-hit effects.
 
If the meta favors tanky top laners and extended team fights, then that is a perfect time for when to pick Varus.
 

1. When On-Hit Builds Are Strong

Varus has two main playstyles: the poke build and the on-hit attack speed build.
 
When to pick Varus with the on-hit build happens when games are expected to last long and enemies will stack health.
 
This build focuses on auto-attacking with Blighted Quiver and dealing massive mixed damage thanks to Rageblade and Nashor’s Tooth.
 
You want to pick Varus when you know your team will protect you and allow you to free-fire in the back line.
 
So if the meta favors extended skirmishes over quick picks, then that tells you when to pick Varus.
 

2. When Your Team Needs Mixed Damage

Many full AD compositions struggle against a single armor-stacking tank like Rammus or Malphite.
 
When to pick Varus solves that problem because his magic damage from blight keeps the enemy honest.
 
If your top laner is a pure AD champion like Renekton and your jungle is a Lee Sin, adding Varus gives you that AP threat.
 
This balance is key for when to pick Varus because it diversifies your team’s damage profile.
 
The enemy can’t just build armor and ignore you because your W procs will hurt them with magic damage.
 
So if your team is lacking magic damage sources, that is a practical reason for when to pick Varus.
 

3. When You Have A Peeling Support

A final piece of when to pick Varus is having a support champion that can keep you alive against divers.
 
If your support picks something like Lulu, Janna, or Braum, they have tools to shield you and peel off enemies.
 
When to pick Varus with these protectors is easy because they cover his main weakness of no mobility.
 
With a Lulu speeding you up or a Braum blocking damage, you can stand your ground and output consistent DPS.
 
So if you communicate with your support and they lock in a peeling champion, that confirms when to pick Varus.
 

So, When To Pick Varus?

You know when to pick Varus when your team has a peel-heavy support and you are against immobile, tanky champions.
 
He is a fantastic pick when your team needs engage tools, poke damage, and mixed damage to confuse the enemy’s itemization.
 
When to pick Varus is also a great decision when the current meta favors attack speed on-hit builds and longer team fights.
 
However, you should avoid picking Varus when the enemy has multiple mobile assassins that can jump on you.
 
In those situations, you are better off choosing a safer ADC with a dash or self-peel ability.
 
We hope this guide has cleared up the confusion around when to pick Varus so you can climb the ranks with confidence.
 
Just remember to communicate with your team and adjust your playstyle based on the draft from the loading screen.
 
So go ahead and lock in Varus when you see the perfect scenario, and watch your win rate soar.