MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Caitlyn vs Karthus
What is Caitlyn's win rate vs Karthus?
In ADC, Caitlyn wins 42% against Karthus across 468 observed ranked games.
Global ranked sample: games from every region and every rank pooled together, not one server's stats. Data runs through patch 26.12; curves updated 2026-08-07.
By 15 minutes the median game has Caitlyn behind by 67 gold.
Caitlyn at 15:00
- Gold: -67
- CS: +1
- XP: -381
Typical gap to Karthus, from 465 games that reached 15:00.
Does Caitlyn counter Karthus?
No, it runs the other way. Karthus takes 58% of 468 ranked ADC games. Caitlyn can still win it. The rows below show the spots that flip it, so plan your first recall and your trades around them, and play the lane for one of those spots rather than for kills.
How to beat Karthus as Caitlyn
When Caitlyn is ahead in gold at 10:00, this matchup runs 51% over 230 games; behind, it drops to 34% over 238.
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 51% | 230 |
| Behind in gold at 10:00 | 34% | 238 |
| First blood | 49% | 237 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 48% | 170 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 51% | 247 |
| 0 deaths at 10:00 | 59% | 75 |
The median first death in this lane comes at 3:56; the level 6 spike lands around 7:19. Respect the all-in window until your spike is online.
What does Caitlyn build in ADC?
Into Karthus specifically, Caitlyn finishes Hexoptics C44 first most often: 40.2% over 127 games of this matchup.
The most-finished Caitlyn core is The Collector, Infinity Edge, Lord Dominik's Regards: 54.3% across 14,626 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Doran's Blade + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Hexoptics C44 (47,375 games).
Skill plan: Caitlyn players max Q first and take Q at level 1.