Zaahen vs Varus Counter Pick

With only 105 games logged on patch 16.13.1, the sample is thin, so treat 44.8% as a trend rather than an exact number. The cause is easy to spot: Varus fires from 575 range while Zaahen operates at 175, and Piercing Arrow reaches farther the longer it is charged. Putting a marksman in the top lane preserves that gap on purpose.

Varus is fragile. He begins with 600 health and 24 armor, reaching only 92 armor at level 18 compared with Zaahen’s 121. Both champions carry a difficulty rating of 2, so neither demands unusual mechanics. The reach advantage holds because of Blighted Quiver. His basic attacks inflict Blight, and his other spells set it off for magic damage based on the target’s health, which works against Zaahen given his 2,578 health at level 18. Hail of Arrows slows enemies and cuts their self-healing while they stand on desecrated ground, which directly weakens The Darkin Glaive and Grim Deliverance. The most practical approach is to flank with Aureate Rush and follow with Dreaded Return before Chain of Corruption comes off cooldown, since that ultimate immobilises a target and then spreads to nearby champions. Movement speed sits at 345 against 330 once contact begins, and Living Vengeance grants Varus temporary attack damage and ability power for each kill or assist, so keeping him off early takedowns matters more than winning any single trade. Full details are on the Varus entry.