Varus is a unique AD carry in League of Legends due to the fact that he has multiple viable build paths, each resulting in very different approaches to the game.
Whether you’re looking to become an attack speed machine or a one-shot nightmare, it’ll be imperative to pair the Arrow of Retribution with the right support to maximize his effectiveness in the opening minutes of a match, along with transitioning into the mid-to-late game teamfights.
Here are a few champions that pair well with Varus and what build they work best with.
Best Varus supports in LoL
The best support champions to play with Varus are Lulu, Braum, Xerath, Lux, Thresh, Milio, Senna, and Rakan.
Varus is in a unique position where his two differentiating builds vastly change his playstyle, and as a result, his support must understand which path he is planning to go from champion select onward. Although these champions can slot into multiple team compositions, their synergy with Varus will shift based on which build he has decided to take.
Lulu
Lulu is one of the top-tier supports to play with attack speed Varus. Both Lulu and Varus are able to bully opposing lanes out in the first few levels with their superior range, particularly if you’re facing a melee support.
She also has multiple forms of peel with her Whimsy, Polymorph, and Help, Pix! that can help when facing off against heavy crowd control on the opposing team. And as a heavy-engage enjoyer, I would know first hand how Lulu is one of the most-annoying supports to deal with in general.
She can boost her AD carry’s attack speed, save him with a well-timed Wild Growth, and is overall a great choice when Varus is looking to get a bit closer to his opponents to chop them down with a hail of auto-attacks.
Enemies may often focus Lulu at the beginning of a fight, so she’s not allowed to use Wild Growth. Keep that in mind and don’t hold it for too long.
Braum
Braum is a perfect pick if you know you’re going to struggle in the laning phase. His kit, especially Stand Behind Me, allows you to play the first minutes of a game relatively safe. But don’t be mistaken, Braum’s doesn’t shine in safe strategy only. His Q and ultimate allow him to start a perfect engage, with the former also working brilliantly in skirmishes. With Varus, Braum has a lot of diversity and can adapt to every situation on the Rift.
Xerath/Lux
Putting two champions in one heading is kind of cheating, but they fulfill a very similar role as supports. They want to keep the enemy bot lane at a distance, whittle them down with their long-range poke spells, and then leverage that pressure into securing tower plates and dragons.
It’s a higher-risk lane combo compared to Karma because Xerath and Lux don’t have great escape tools, especially when they’re pushed far up in the lane.
You almost exclusively want to play these two with the lethality poke Varus build, since your one-shot potential is absolutely devastating when timed correctly.
Thresh
Thresh is a fun option—and my personal favorite pick for this duo—because he is just as versatile as Varus himself. In a good matchup, Thresh can play aggressively and look for picks with his hooks. When getting ganked, on the other hand, his lantern is one of the strongest escape tools in League, while his Flay can cancel many different forms of jumps and dashes that an enemy could use to close the gap.
The Chain Warden is especially potent with attack speed Varus because he has three abilities that can keep opponents in auto-attack range, which means he’ll get even more value from Lethal Tempo and Guinsoo’s Rageblade. Overall, Thresh is a perfect playmaker that can lead to a boatload of kills at the hands of the Darkin marksman.
Milio
The Gentle Flame is one of the best supports in the game right now due to his simple design and effective skill set, and pairing him alongside Varus can be a deadly combination. If Varus is building on-hit, for example, Milio can boost his attack speed, movement speed, and range so that they are almost guaranteed to win any trade during the laning phase.
For lethality Varus players, Milio’s Fired Up passive is a great damage boost that should push enemies out of lane with the extra burn effect that Varus’ arrows will deal. Milio can also save Varus with his ultimate ability since they both lack mobility spells to get away from any crowd control thrown their way.
Senna
Senna and Varus are really tough to deal with in the laning phase, thanks to the immense pressure they apply with their relatively long-range abilities. Senna can continuously auto-attack the opposing bottom lane duo and has a root to easily set up a well-placed ultimate ability from Varus to combo into a free kill. With a plethora of slows at their disposal, both champions can layer their crowd control until finishing the wombo combo with Varus’ Chain of Corruption.
Picking Senna leaves Varus without much strong protection in the late game, so watch out for enemy assassins, as you’re likely going to be targeted.
Rakan
Rakan is one of the strongest supports in the game at the moment, and pairing him with Varus is no exception. The Charmer is a perfect addition for a team that needs a straightforward form of engagement, and can easily set up an enemy team for a devastating Chain of Corruption that locks down every player that was charmed by The Quickness. Although the early levels can be a bit tough in certain matchups, their combined level six power cannot be underestimated.
Best Varus supports in LoL, summarized
Here are the best Varus supports in League of Legends:
- Lulu: Lulu is one of the best Varus supports. She can boost her AD carry’s attack speed, save him with a well-timed Wild Growth, and is overall a great choice for close combat and auto attacks
- Braum: Braum is perfect for Varus since he can adapt to multiple situations. This duo allows you to be picky when it comes to your playstyle, though, it’s not the strongest pick if you’re aiming for early game dominance.
- Xerath/Lux: Xerath and Lux are a high-risk and high-reward combo to keep the enemy bot lane at a distance, wear them down with their long-range poke spells, and then leverage that into securing tower plates and dragons.
- Thresh: Thresh is the best Varus support because he is very versatile. Thresh can look for picks with his hook, his lantern is one of the strongest escape tools in League, and his Flay can cancel many different forms of jumps and dashes that an enemy could use to close the gap.
- Milio: Milio is one of the best Varus supports because Milio can boost attack speed, movement speed, and range so that they are almost guaranteed to win any trade during the laning phase.
- Senna: Senna is a great Varus support because of her long-range abilities and her continuous auto-attack
- Rakan: Rakan is a high-damage potential Varus support with a devastating Chain of Corruption that locks down every player that was charmed by The Quickness.
Finding the best Varus support is completely dependent on the type of play style you prefer, but there are no bad options with the Varus supports we’ve listed.
