How to win lane as Nasus against Nautilus · 52.66% win rate over 1,595 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Nautilus | Nautilus's Q hook into his passive auto-root can lock you down before you have Wither — at level 1 he owns the all-in. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | He can still chain hook into root for a gank setup, but with no ult and shallow stacks you're just farming evenly — respect the hook. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Wither is online now and neuters his hook follow-through, but his base tankiness means trades stay roughly even until you spike. |
| Levels 4-5 | Nasus | Wither plus Spirit Fire's armor shred lets you win extended trades — he's too immobile to disengage once you slow him. |
| Level 6 | Nasus | Fury of the Sands plus Wither wins any all-in he commits — he walks to you and you kite him with a point-and-click slow. |
| First item | Nasus | Sheen-empowered Q and your lifesteal out-grind his tank stats — you can stand on an immobile target and out-sustain him. |
| Two+ items | Nasus | Your stacked Q one-shots through his HP and he has no percent-damage or escape — you own the 1v1 and the splitpush all game. |
Nautilus is one of the few melee tanks who can actually punish your weak early — his Q hook plus the passive root on his first auto can chain enough CC to set up a gank before you have Wither to break it. Don't last-hit from behind your caster minions or step into hook range over open ground; soak Q farm at max range and accept you concede levels 1-2. The good news is his poke is nonexistent and once you respect the hook there's nothing here he can do to you alone.
The full Nasus vs Nautilus 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? Nautilus vs Nasus guide →
All Nasus top lane matchups →