MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Karthus vs Ambessa
Karthus vs Ambessa in Jungle: who wins more often?
Across 323 ranked games in Jungle, Karthus beats Ambessa in 48% of them.
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 Karthus behind by 27 gold.
Karthus at 15:00
- Gold: -27
- CS: +9
- XP: +264
Typical gap to Ambessa, from 319 games that reached 15:00.
Does Karthus counter Ambessa?
Even on the count: Karthus lands at 48% over 323 games. Neither pick wins the lane alone, so take the side you play better and use the rows below to see which early spots swing this one, then play your first ten minutes around them.
Your Karthus game plan against Ambessa
With a gold lead at 10:00, Karthus wins 57% of 182 games in this matchup. Behind at the same mark, the rate drops to 37% over 141.
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 57% | 182 |
| Behind in gold at 10:00 | 37% | 141 |
| First blood | 58% | 148 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 61% | 119 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 54% | 204 |
| 0 deaths at 10:00 | 63% | 59 |
In the median game here, the first death comes near 5:44 and level 6 lands around 6:35. Until your spike is online, treat the all-in window with respect.
Karthus in Jungle: the items that actually get built
Into Ambessa specifically, Karthus finishes Blackfire Torch first most often: 45.6% over 169 games of this matchup.
The most-finished Karthus core is Blackfire Torch, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap: 53.6% across 1,882 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Scorchclaw Pup + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Blackfire Torch (8,818 games).
Skill plan: Karthus players max Q first and take Q at level 1.