How to win lane as Sion against Nautilus · 53.15% win rate over 1,319 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Nautilus level 1 is pure auto-poke with no engage — trade minimally, track his passive-root range, and deny CS at Q tip so he gets nothing for free. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | His Dredge Line is off cooldown so respect the hook angle, but your W-shield already negates his auto damage; probe with a short Q to set him up for level 3. |
| Level 3 | Sion | Full Q-E-W kit: E-shred his armor first, then charge Q from brush — he has no dash or mobility to escape the knockup and you detonate W for massive trade damage. |
| Levels 4-5 | Sion | His Dredge Line controls whether you all-in; use this window to freeze near your tower and deny him CS, banking the HP lead for a clean Heartsteel spike. |
| Level 6 | Sion | Unstoppable Onslaught closes any gap Nautilus tries to create — R into range then charge Q; your zombie passive means he cannot safely trade kills even at 6. |
| First item | Sion | Heartsteel stacks meet your Passive's max-HP bonus — your W-shield is enormous and your zombie is a genuine threat; force fights immediately on his Dredge Line cooldown. |
| Two+ items | Sion | Two-item Sion cannot be outdamaged by Nautilus's kit; side-lane, absorb his R in teamfights, and let your zombie passive punish any overzealous engage he attempts. |
Nautilus level 1 has nothing but auto-attack poke — his passive roots on every auto but you have the HP to eat it and retaliate. Do not charge a Q into his face when he can root you mid-charge; instead last-hit with tip of Q and let him commit first. At level 2 the moment his Dredge Line is on cooldown you can walk up and begin charging from brush: he has zero mobility to escape a full-charge knockup and the stun duration lets you land E armor-shred plus W detonation for a massive first-blood-level trade.
The full Sion 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 Sion guide →
All Sion top lane matchups →