Matchup of the Day

The crucial defensive strategy for levels three to five is hard spacing. Levels one and two are usually more manageable, especially if you take W second. You must avoid walking up to attempt simple auto-Q combos early, as he will punish your health bar severely. If you anticipate Darius using his pull (E), you can buffer your own E (Death's Grasp).

This counterplay results in both champions being pulled concurrently, neutralizing the effect of his initial CC. Once Rylai's is secured, the lane becomes significantly easier. Combining Rylai's with Approach Velocity makes it much harder for Darius to successfully line up and land the edge of hisQ.

You should also consider building Penetration Boots due to the high amount of raw damage they provide, which feels particularly strong against Darius. Ultimate timing is key: you can use your ultimate after he acquires his five passive stacks to steal 10% of the bonus Attack Damage he gains from the passive. In team fights, your ultimate should be used to deny him his five stacks or his ultimate reset, such as by ulting him when he has four stacks on an ally, preventing him from reaching the lethal fifth stack.