How to win lane as Varus against Aphelios · 51.38% win rate over 2,145 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Varus | You outrange Aphelios at level 1 with Piercing Arrow while he has no escape. |
| Level 2 | Varus | Level 2 Blighted Quiver stacking amplifies your poke faster than his gun swaps punish. |
| Level 3 | Varus | At level 3 your full kit out-trades whatever short-range gun he is forced onto. |
| Levels 4-5 | Varus | Through 4-5 you keep the poke lead as he lacks the items to burst you. |
| Level 6 | Varus | Your level 6 Chain of Corruption gives a lockdown all-in Aphelios cannot dash out of. |
| First item | Varus | Your first-item Blighted spike lets you three-Q him before Infernum comes online. |
| Two+ items | Varus | With two items your positioning and R engage keep the teamfight duel in your favour. |
At level 1-2 you win the range war: Piercing Arrow outranges every gun except Calibrum, and Aphelios has no built-in escape, so land Q and stack Blighted Quiver on him before he can retaliate.
The full Varus vs Aphelios report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
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Playing the other side? Aphelios vs Varus guide →
All Varus bot lane (adc) matchups →