Darius
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Good (7/10)
Low Investment
Rare Relics OK
Darius is a polarizing figure: mechanically effective but arguably uninspiring. He excels as a speedrunning tool for monthly challenges and high-tier adventures due to his raw aggressive power, yet many players find his 'optimal' playstyle—which often involves never playing Darius himself—to be a design flaw. He is a reliable workhorse for Noxus, though generally overshadowed by Swain and Ambessa in terms of depth and spectacle.
The Relic Rack (Passive Carry)
Buffs your followers immediately, leaning into the strategy of winning via board presence rather than the champion.
Crucial for fishing for specific powers like 'Titanic Wake' or 'Trifarian Might,' which turn his deck into an auto-pilot machine.
Provides SpellShield to summoned allies, protecting your buffed units (and Darius, if he ever hits the board) from removal.
Strategy
This is widely considered the most efficient way to play Darius. You treat the champion slot as a vessel for passive buffs that accelerate your support champion and followers. The goal is to draft aggressive powers and units that can end the game before Darius is even needed.
Dunkmaster (Rally Chain)
Darius's signature relic. Grants Challenger and casts Apprehend on play, providing an immediate Stun and potential Rally.
Rallies upon level up. Combined with his 2-star power and Apprehend, this can lead to 3+ attacks in a single turn.
Ensures all units have Overwhelm to push lethal damage through chump blockers during your multiple attack steps.
Strategy
This build focuses on actually playing Darius as a finisher. It sets up a devastating turn where playing him triggers multiple rallies (via Apprehend, Level Up, and his 2-star power) to wipe the enemy nexus in one go.
Titanic General
Provides +1 Starting Mana. Requires Darius to be Titanic (8+ Health and Power), which usually requires a secondary stat relic or high champion levels.
Allows you to cheat Darius out early by killing your own cheap units, dealing 3 damage to allies to reduce his cost.
Grants Overwhelm to the entire deck and buffs units with subtypes, ensuring your early drops remain threatening.
Strategy
Leverages the extra mana gem to curve out larger threats earlier. Disciple of Shadows mitigates Darius's high cost, allowing him to impact the board sooner than turn 5 or 6.
Other Relic Options
Can be used to create an attacking copy of a supported ally, effectively doubling your output and helping trigger the 15-power Rally condition.
Provides cost reduction and stats via Plunder, helping Darius hit the board earlier with better stats.
Generates high-cost units with cost reduction, giving you late-game insurance if the aggro plan stalls.
Darius is extremely flexible with relics because his base kit is so simple. If you lack the specific Epics above, any relic that grants global buffs (like The Beast Within) or board consistency (like Z-Drive Prototype) is effective.
Constellation
Darius has a constellation that reinforces his identity as a stat-check champion. The upgrades are functional and make him significantly more consistent, particularly the defense offered by his 4-star power. However, the higher-tier upgrades (C6) are frequently cited as underwhelming compared to other Noxian options like Swain or Ambessa.
Noxian Might
Each round, the first time you play an ally, grant it +2|+0.
Carve a Path
+1 Starting Mana. Each round, the first time you attack with 15+ total Power, Rally.
Noxian Might II
Each round, the first time you play an ally, grant it +4|+0 and Overwhelm.
Hold It!
Round Start: Stun the strongest enemy.Review
Hold It: This is arguably his most impactful upgrade. Round Start Stuns provide critical defensive utility that Darius's deck otherwise lacks, allowing you to stall big threats while your aggro plan comes online. It essentially solves his weakness to being rushed down.
Manaflow
Game Start: Get a mana gem.Review
Manaflow: Standard +1 Starting Mana. While always strong, some players argue Darius's curve doesn't benefit from 4 mana as much as other champions, as his 4-drops can be awkward. Still, it accelerates his gameplan significantly.
The Hand of Noxus
When allies attack, summon a random Noxian ally with cost equal to your mana gems.Review
The Hounds of Noxus: Summons a unit from your deck based on mana gems when you attack. While useful for generating blockers or extra attackers, it is often criticized for being boring or 'win-more.' The summoned unit does not inherently attack or gain buffs, making it feel like a glorified chump blocker generator rather than a game-ending power.
Gameplay Tips
- Draft for Passives
Darius's deck is often secondary to his powers. Prioritize powers like Trifarian Might (Strike on 5+ Power) and Titanic Wake (Stats). These specific powers synergize so perfectly with his kit that they can single-handedly win runs.
- Support Carry
Because Darius is expensive and offers little utility until he rallies, your Support Champion is often the MVP. Pick aggressive, low-cost champions (like LeBlanc, Samira, or Zed) who can utilize the attack token effectively while you wait for Darius mana.
- Calculated Aggression
Darius's 2-star power grants a free Rally the first time you attack with 15+ total power. Do not attack blindly with weak units if you are close to this threshold; it is often better to wait one turn, drop a unit to hit 15 power, and then swing multiple times in a single round.
- Leverage the Stun
If you have the 4-star power (Hold It), use the free Round Start stun to bypass the enemy's strongest blocker. This often clears the way for an Overwhelm lethal without needing to engage in unfavorable trades.