Whenever you see Nautilus on the enemy team, you know that it’s going to be a challenging game. This champion is obnoxious to play against, and he crushes every lane with ease. As a support, he can win the 2v2 with ease and roam everywhere he likes. But in the mid lane, Nautilus becomes the scariest champion in League of Legends! And if you’ve ever wondered how to execute just that – here is a complete guide to Nautilus mid!
Nautilus in the Mid Lane
What makes Nautilus really powerful in the mid lane is his ability to never fall behind. Champions like Syndra, Orianna, or even Twisted Fate can bully him in the early levels, but that means nothing when Nautilus lands his Q – Dredge Line on them! The rest of his kit scales exceptionally well with an excellent rounded AP/defensive build, so he is never really at risk of losing too hard!
And all of Nautilus’s abilities are useful in one way or another. His passive – Staggering Blow is a free auto-attack root, and his W – Titan’s Wrath is a massive shield to help him survive every fight. Then, his E – Riptide provides him with one of the fastest wave clears in the game, and his R – Depth Charge is just great for both team fights and 1v1 duels.
All of this gives Nautilus a considerable advantage in today’s meta, where the junglers heavily prioritize the objectives like the Dragon and the Rift Herald. And in these skirmishes, Nautilus can lock down multiple targets, and with enough AP, even burst them down.
Nautilus’s potential to carry a solo queue game is pretty high, especially in skilled and experienced hands. He is an easy champion to master, and if you’ve never played him – don’t worry! You can quickly get the hang of Nautilus’s kit in just a few games if you dedicate yourself. But you’re also going to need the right rune page, and correct item build. So here they are!
Best runes for Nautilus mid
Aftershock
- Aftershock is a keystone specifically made for Nautilus! It gives him a bunch of Magic Resist and Armor every time he hits an enemy champion with one of his CC abilities. The rune has a relatively short cooldown of 20 seconds, and its defensive stats are really essential for surviving fights since you’ll be building more AP than Armor or MR in the mid lane.
Shield Bash
- Shield Bash is the right choice in the second row of the Resolve tree. It works wonders with Nautilus’s W because whenever he uses the ability, Shield Bash provides him with even more Armor and Magic Resist! Plus, the rune also buffs his next auto-attack to deal a Bonus Health damage, so it’s a must to take!
Bone Plating
- Bone Plating is the next obvious choice. It removes the danger of being suddenly one-shotted, and it is a great defensive option for Nautilus during the laning phase when he is at his most vulnerable of being pressured.
Unflinching
- Unflinching is the first step you take to becoming unstoppable with Nautilus! It increases your Tenacity and Slow Resist, which becomes necessary as the game goes on. Nautilus’s most vital point is catching enemies and locking them down, so he must not be slowed or left out of range!
Biscuit Delivery
- As a melee champion, Nautilus is susceptible to a lot of poke in the lane. So, Biscuit Delivery gives you enough sustain to get to level 6 safely and not recall too frequently. However, if you feel like you need to rush
Cosmic Insight
- Cosmic Insight is a straight-up buff to Nautilus’s kit because he benefits a lot from cooldown reduction. With enough of it, you can spam your stuns every few seconds!
Bonuses
- For the Bonuses, Nautilus’s best combination in the mid lane is one Attack Speed, one Adaptive Force, and depending on the matchup, one Armor or Magic Resist.
Best items for Nautilus mid
Hextech Rocketbelt
- If it wasn’t for his Q, Nautilus would be a very immobile champion. Hextech Rockbelt helps a lot with his slow movement and helps him get in range. Plus, the item has an excellent damaging active and enough AP for the early game.
Zhonya’s Hourglass
- Since you’ll be going in a lot as Nautilus, you will need a Zhonya’s Hourglass to help you survive those fights. Because you aren’t as tanky as usual, the active is almost mandatory for staying alive.
Morellonomicon
- Morellonomicon transforms Nautilus into a deadly weapon because of the Grevious Wounds! Giving enemies no options to heal while they’re chained in CC is just too OP, so make sure to get it every time!
Demonic Embrace
- Demonic Embrace buffs you with additional HP, Armor, Magic Resist, and Ability Power – the four most important stats for Nautilus. Also, it burns your enemies for 1.2% of your maximum health as magic damage just by being in a fight, making it a truly valuable item!
Rabadon’s Deathcap
- As a fifth item, Nautilus can go for anything, really. Our personal choice is Rabadon’s Deathcap for its raw stats, but if you find it hard to survive, you should go for more defensive options. Gargoyle Stoneplate, Frozen Heart, or Banshee’s Veil are all viable items for Nautilus.
Mercury’s Treads
- Mercury’s Treads are the best boots upgrades for Nautilus, simply because of the bonus Tenacity. But you should prioritize Ninja Tabi if the enemy team is full AD.
Summoner’s Spells
In the mid lane, Nautilus is the best with Flash and Ignite. However, if you feel like your team will need you more, Teleport is the best option.
I have personally seen a lot of players that managed to climb out of their elo (Silver-Gold-Platinum) just by spamming AP Nautilus in the mid lane. You’ll shock your opponents when you one-shot them with your full combo.
