How to win lane as Nautilus against Nasus · 66.67% win rate over 15 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Nautilus | Your Q hook into the passive auto-root chains enough CC to lock a pre-Wither Nasus for a kill or gank — you own the level 1 all-in. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | You can still hook into root for a gank setup, but with no R yet and his stacks shallow it's roughly even farming — respect his ramp. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | Wither isn't online until his next point, so trades stay even, but your hook follow-up can't safely commit a full all-in here. |
| Levels 4-5 | Nasus | His Wither comes online and slows your hook follow-through to a crawl — his base tankiness turns extended trades against you. |
| Level 6 | Nasus | Even with your R pick, his Wither plus Spirit Fire armor shred and lifesteal out-grind your low base damage in any committed fight. |
| First item | Nasus | His Sheen-empowered Q and lifesteal let him stand on you and out-sustain — your tank stats can't punish him anymore. |
| Two+ items | Nasus | His stacked Q one-shots through your HP and you have no escape from his slow — he owns the 1v1 and splitpushes away from you. |
You are one of the few melee who can actually punish a pre-Wither Nasus, so the first three levels are your whole game. Lead with a Q hook over open ground — never let him sit safely behind his caster minions — and your first auto roots him, so you chain pull-into-root-into-E-slow before he can crawl away. At level 1 your passive auto-trade already favors you; force him off his Q last-hits and look to convert any hook into a kill or a jungle gank. Once he hits 3 this window is gone, so spend it.
The full Nautilus vs Nasus 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.
Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.
Playing the other side? Nasus vs Nautilus guide →
All Nautilus top lane matchups →