Nautilus is a S tier Support champion in League of Legends Patch 16.5 with a 48.8% win rate in Emerald+ ranked games, according to OP.GG data. The optimal Nautilus build starts with Relic Shield and Health Potion, with core items being Locket of the Iron Solari, Knight's Vow, Zeke's Convergence and Plated Steelcaps. For runes, run Guardian from Resolve with Inspiration as the secondary tree. Skill priority is Q > W > E. Nautilus is best played with Flash and Ignite as summoner spells. The most challenging matchup in Support is Nami (S+ tier, 51.8% win rate).
Source: OP.GG Emerald+ ranked data, Patch 16.5 · Last updated: March 2026 · Meridian Zero Analytics
Best Build — Patch 16.5
Start
Relic ShieldHealth Potion
Core
Locket of the Iron SolariKnight's VowZeke's Convergence
Boots
Plated Steelcaps
Spells
FlashIgnite
Priority
Q > W > E
Expert Tips
- Dredge Line (Q) range is your primary engage. Miss it and you have no engage — aim around minions.
- Depth Charge (R) is a tracking missile. Lock it onto the carry as soon as a fight starts.
- Your CC chain is Q hook → passive slow → W shield → E knockup → R. Land Q, then chain everything.
Support Matchups — Difficulty by Opponent
| Opponent | Tier | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
|
|
S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
|
|
S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
|
|
S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
|
|
S+ | Hard | Analyze → |
|
|
S | Medium | Analyze → |
|
|
S | Medium | Analyze → |
|
|
S | Medium | Analyze → |
|
|
S | Medium | Analyze → |
|
|
S | Medium | Analyze → |
|
|
S | Medium | Analyze → |
|
|
S | Medium | Analyze → |
Runes — Patch 16.5
KeystoneGuardian
Primary TreeResolve
Slot 1Font of Life
Slot 2Conditioning
Slot 3Revitalize
Secondary TreeInspiration
Secondary 1Biscuit Delivery
Secondary 2Cosmic Insight