How to win lane as Zaahen against Nautilus · 54.09% win rate over 3,727 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Level 1 is an even farm start with Nautilus's threat gated behind landing a hook. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | Level 2 stays skill-based as trades hinge on whether Dredge Line connects. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | At level 3 it's still a coin-flip decided by who lands their engage, not raw damage. |
| Levels 4-5 | Even / skill | Through levels 4-5 the lane remains even with both sides trading only on landed CC. |
| Level 6 | Even / skill | Level 6 is even because his R Depth Charge threat is offset by your ability to hold E and dodge. |
| First item | Nautilus | By first item Nautilus's tankiness and chain CC make extended fights favour him. |
| Two+ items | Nautilus | Late, Nautilus outscales as a full-CC lockdown tank you can't duel through. |
Levels 1-2 are a cagey farm lane; Nautilus wants to fish for a Dredge Line hook while you space with Q Darkin Glaive and deny him free engages. Neither side has a clean kill without a landed hook, so it stays skill-based.
The full Zaahen 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 Zaahen guide →
All Zaahen top lane matchups →