To some, he’s the most obnoxious support in the game, offering insane amounts of engage potential and a solid amount of bulk to boot. To others, he’s a midlaner that simply never loses priority, always ready to roam and ruin someone else’s day. Since his release, Nautilus has been known as a nearly unstoppable juggernaut – but just how can players of League of Legends’ most popular support stand out from the crowd?
The Build
Part of what makes Nautilus’ trading patterns so obnoxious is the fact that he has such an easy time proccing Aftershock. The additional tankiness granted by such a rune cannot be understated, and taking it is an integral part of his kit, to the point where it is the go-to rune on him regardless of which lane he may be found in.
Bulkiness is the name of the game for Nautilus, and therefore going into a straight utility-focused, tanky support build is the way to go. Rushing Gargoyle’s Stoneplate is the Season 10 meta for most tank supports, and Nautilus is the trendsetter here, often finding himself in the enemy team – ready to take full advantage of the bonus health the item grants.
The Abilities
Nautilus’ Q – Dredge Line is his primary engage and disengage tool. As such, consider skilling this as a priority – it’s such an important part of what he has to offer, and oftentimes the instigator of his full combos, that choosing it is a near necessity. After Q, most supports go for W, in order to benefit from some additional tankiness.
Tips and Tricks
Something that is truly effective for supports–and melee engage supports like Nautilus in particular–is applying pressure by sitting out of vision and threatening an engage. Starting with an unconventional Oracle’s Lens at level 1 allows you to deny vision from the enemy and pick fights at your leisure, securing lane priority almost immediately.
The Titan of the Depths has more than a few utility focused skills in his kit. Access to a snare, a pull, a knock-up, and more than his fair share of stuns puts Nautilus in a league of his own when it comes to crowd control.
With so many tools available, however, which is the best to take at level 1? You can take Q – Dredge Line for engage early on, landing a hook for a clutch first blood play. The other mainstream option is E – Riptide, pushing waves (literally) in an area of effect and inflicting decent damage to any enemies unlucky enough to be caught in the radius. This will secure both early priority and ensure earlier access to your level 2 powerspike.
Something often underestimated is Nautilus’ ultimate–Depth Charge–’s second component. The targeted knock-up will apply to one enemy, but if you angle it correctly you can catch multiple – setting up a friendly Yasuo for a big ultimate play or just creating more chaos.
