How to win lane as Trundle against Nautilus · 50.78% win rate over 642 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Level 1 is a true coin flip — your Chomp bites his AD on the first exchange but his passive root on the return auto means neither side gets a free win; play the minion wave, not the all-in. |
| Level 2 | Nautilus | Nautilus hits level 2 first when the wave bounces in and immediately has hook plus a damaging spell — the passive root sticks to you every auto and he controls the tempo from here. |
| Level 3 | Nautilus | With Q hook, E AOE slow, and passive root all online at level 3, Nautilus can chain displacement into you and root you inside his E puddle; you cannot freely run your Frozen Domain pattern until the hook is down. |
| Levels 4-5 | Nautilus | Through levels 4-5 his hook defines the lane: when it lands he brings himself onto you on his terms, applying roots and trades with full kit; you are reactively waiting for the cooldown window to start your pattern. |
| Level 6 | Nautilus | Level 6 gives him Depth Charge (R) — a single-target knockup that pins you long enough for him to auto-root you again; Subjugate is online but you need a clear HP lead or his hook must be burned before you commit to the all-in. |
| First item | Nautilus | First item Sunfire or Heartsteel gives Nautilus the durability threshold where he can absorb your Chomp trades and W zone without his HP collapsing — he remains firmly in control of the pace of the lane. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | At 2+ items both players have their win conditions: your Subjugate drain is increasingly punishing against a fully stacked tank Nautilus, and team fights favor you, but in the pure 1v1 his hook and root chain still let him fight on his terms — genuine skill matchup late. |
At level 1 both kits are roughly equivalent in threat — your Chomp does bite his AD and the first auto-trade is in your favor, but Nautilus's passive root procs on his first auto back, meaning you rarely get a free exchange. Play footsies along the wave and take the Chomp proc whenever he steps for a last-hit, but do not walk into a position where he can land Dredge Line from fog or off an angle. His hook range at level 1 is dangerous the moment he hits level 2 and you should track when he hits it first. Keep the wave slightly pushed toward your side — forcing him to walk up exposes him to your Q bites, and every proc of King's Tribute off dying minions chips away at the HP gap.
The full Trundle 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 Trundle guide →
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