MacroMind matchup data: real ranked games, not opinions
Karthus vs Aphelios
How often does Karthus beat Aphelios in ADC?
Karthus into Aphelios in ADC: 59% observed win rate across 227 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 Karthus ahead by 312 gold.
Karthus at 15:00
- Gold: +312
- CS: +7
- XP: +534
Typical gap to Aphelios, from 225 games that reached 15:00.
Does Karthus counter Aphelios?
The count says yes: across 227 ranked ADC games into Aphelios, Karthus takes 59%. That edge is worth playing for. Check the rows below to see how much a gold lead at 10:00 adds, and what a bad start costs Karthus.
Beating Aphelios: the Karthus game plan
A gold lead at 10:00 puts Karthus at 71% across 130 games. Flip the lead and Karthus falls to 43% across 97.
| The spot | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Ahead in gold at 10:00 | 71% | 130 |
| Behind in gold at 10:00 | 43% | 97 |
| First blood | 64% | 98 |
| +kills at 10:00 | 72% | 108 |
| +CS at 10:00 | 66% | 131 |
Someone usually dies here around 3:46 in the median game, and level 6 lands near 7:15. Until your spike is online, respect the all-in.
Karthus's ADC build, with receipts
Into Aphelios specifically, Karthus finishes Blackfire Torch first most often: 57.3% over 117 games of this matchup.
The most-finished Karthus core is Blackfire Torch, Shadowflame, Rabadon's Deathcap: 58.3% across 949 games when all three got done. All matchups, patches 26.1-26.12.
Most games start Doran's Ring + Health Potion + Health Potion; the first finished item is usually Blackfire Torch (3,479 games).
Skill plan: Karthus players max Q first and take Q at level 1.