DARIUS

THE HAND OF NOXUS

Classical splash art of Darius - league of legends

Icon of Darius - league of legends

Darius in game PNG - league of legends

Informations about Darius:

Title: The Hand of Noxus

Pronouns: He/Him

Release Date: May 23rd, 2012

Primary: Fighter

Secondary: Tank

Region: Noxus.

LORE OF DARIUS

Darius and his brother Draven grew up as orphans in the port city of Basilich. Darius struggled to provide for them both, constantly fighting with gangs of older urchins and anyone else who threatened his little brother—even the city guard. Every day on the streets was a battle for survival, and Darius earned more scars by his twelfth summer than some soldiers do in a lifetime.

After Basilich was seized by the expanding Noxian empire, the victorious commander Cyrus saw the strength in these defiant brothers, and they found a home within the ranks of his warhost. Over the years, they fought in many grueling campaigns of conquest from one end of the known world to the other, as well as crushing a number of rebellions against the throne.

Within the empire, anyone could rise to power, no matter their birth, culture, or background, and none embraced this ideal more fervently than Darius. From humble beginnings, he rose steadily through the ranks, always putting duty before all else, and garnering great respect for his aggression, discipline, and refusal to ever take a backward step. On the bloodsoaked fields of Dalamor Plain, he even beheaded a Noxian general after the coward ordered a retreat. Roaring in defiance and hefting his bloodied axe overhead, Darius rallied the scattered warbands and won a great and unexpected victory against a far more numerous foe.

He was rewarded with a senior command of his own, attracting many thousands of eager recruits from across the empire. Darius turned the majority away, accepting only the strongest, the most disciplined and iron-willed. Such was his fearsome notoriety, even in the lands beyond Noxus, that it was not uncommon for entire cities to surrender at the first sight of his banners.

After a grinding victory against the cloud-fortresses of the Varju, a proud warrior people who had resisted decades of Noxian aggression, Darius was named the Hand of Noxus by Emperor Boram Darkwill himself. Those who knew Darius best knew he craved neither power nor adulation—he wished merely to see Noxus triumph over all—so Darkwill ordered him and his warhosts far north into the Freljord, to finally bring the barbarian tribes to heel.

The campaign dragged on for years, ending in a bitter, icy stalemate. Darius narrowly survived assassination attempts, ambushes, and even capture by the vicious Winter’s Claw. He was growing weary of endless wars of attrition, and returned to Noxus to demand a reconsolidation of the military.

He marched his veterans into the capital, only to find that the emperor was dead, killed in a coup led by Jericho Swain. The act had been supported by many allies, including Darius’s own brother, Draven.

This was a difficult position. As Hand, many of the noble houses would expect Darius to avenge Darkwill, but he had known and greatly respected the disgraced general Swain, and had spoken against his discharge after the botched offensive in Ionia some years earlier. The oaths of the Hand were to Noxus, not any particular ruler, and Swain was a man who spoke honestly of his new vision for the empire. Darius realized this was a leader he was prepared to follow... but Swain had other ideas.

With the establishment of the Trifarix, three individuals would rule Noxus together, each embodying one principle of strength: Vision, Might, and Guile. Darius gladly accepted his place on this council, and pledged to raise a new, elite force—the Trifarian Legion, the most loyal and prestigious warriors the empire could produce—and lead the armies of Noxus into a glorious new age of conquest.

DARIUS VOICE - League of Legends

FUN FACTS ABOUT DARIUS

1. Dunkmaster Darius Skin: Darius has a skin called "Dunkmaster Darius," which is a reference to basketball. In this skin, Darius wields a basketball hoop instead of an axe, and his abilities are themed around basketball moves. This skin is a fan favorite and adds a humorous twist to Darius's brutal persona.

2. Voice Actor: Darius's voice actor is Adam Harrington, who also voices other notable League of Legends champions like Mordekaiser and Ryze. Harrington's deep and commanding voice perfectly captures Darius's imposing presence on the battlefield.

3. Darius's Decapitation Mechanic: Darius's ultimate ability, "Noxian Guillotine," has a unique mechanic where it deals true damage based on missing health. If Noxian Guillotine kills an enemy champion, Darius gains a temporary buff called "Hemorrhage," which refreshes the cooldown of Noxian Guillotine and grants him bonus attack damage.

4. Inspired by Gladiator: Darius's character design and lore draw inspiration from gladiators of ancient Rome. His armor, weapon, and brutal fighting style reflect the image of a formidable warrior who thrives in combat. Darius's title, "The Hand of Noxus," further reinforces his role as a champion of the Noxian empire.

5. Notable in Lore: In the lore of League of Legends, Darius holds a prominent position within the Noxian military hierarchy as the leader of the Trifarian Legion and the captain of the feared warband known as the Hand of Noxus. He is a loyal servant of the Noxian leader, Swain, and is deeply devoted to the expansion and dominance of the Noxian empire.

ABILITIES OF DARIUS

Passive - HEMORRHAGE

Darius' attacks and damaging abilities cause enemies to bleed for physical damage over 5 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. Darius enrages and gains massive Attack Damage when his target reaches max stacks.

Q - DECIMATE

Darius winds up and swings his axe in a wide circle. Enemies struck by the blade take more damage than those struck by the handle. Darius heals based on enemy champions and large monsters hit by the blade.

W - CRIPPLING STRIKE

Darius's next attack strikes an enemy's crucial artery. As they bleed out, their Move Speed is slowed.

E - APPREHEND

Darius hones his axe, passively causing his physical damage to ignore a percentage of his target's Armor. When activated, Darius sweeps up his enemies with his axe's hook and pulls them to him.

R - NOXIAN GUILLOTINE

Darius leaps to an enemy champion and strikes a lethal blow, dealing true damage. This damage is increased for each stack of Hemorrhage on the target. If Noxian Guillotine is a killing blow, its cooldown is refreshed for a brief duration.

DARIUS ABILITIES COMBOS

Darius Q www.leagueoflegends.com

1. Standard Trading Combo:

- Start by hitting the enemy champion with Darius's Q ability, "Decimate," to inflict damage and heal yourself if you hit the outer edge of the ability.

- Follow up with an auto-attack to apply Darius's passive bleed effect, "Hemorrhage," and increase your damage output.

- Use Darius's W ability, "Crippling Strike," to apply a slow and additional damage to the enemy champion.

- If the enemy tries to disengage, use Darius's E ability, "Apprehend," to pull them back towards you and continue trading.

2. All-In Combo:

- Start by applying Darius's passive bleed effect, "Hemorrhage," with auto-attacks or abilities.

- Use Darius's E ability, "Apprehend," to pull the enemy champion closer to you.

- Activate Darius's Q ability, "Decimate," to deal damage and heal yourself if you hit the outer edge of the ability.

- Follow up with Darius's ultimate ability, "Noxian Guillotine," to execute the enemy champion if they are below a certain health threshold.

3. Teamfight Combo:

- Look for opportunities to engage with Darius's E ability, "Apprehend," to pull multiple enemy champions towards you.

- Use Darius's Q ability, "Decimate," to hit multiple enemies and apply damage and healing.

- Activate Darius's W ability, "Crippling Strike," to slow down and apply additional damage to priority targets.

- Focus on applying Darius's passive bleed effect, "Hemorrhage," to as many enemy champions as possible to maximize your damage output in teamfights.

4. Dive Combo:

- Coordinate with your team to dive onto a priority target, such as the enemy ADC or mid laner.

- Use Darius's E ability, "Apprehend," to pull the priority target closer to your team.

- Activate Darius's W ability, "Crippling Strike," to slow down and apply additional damage to the priority target.

- Follow up with Darius's ultimate ability, "Noxian Guillotine," to execute the priority target and secure the kill.

5. Escape Combo:

- If caught in a sticky situation, use Darius's E ability, "Apprehend," to pull yourself towards terrain or obstacles.

- Use Darius's Q ability, "Decimate," to slow down pursuing enemies and apply damage.

- If necessary, activate Darius's ultimate ability, "Noxian Guillotine," to execute low-health enemies and create distance between you and the remaining enemies.

BUILD OF DARIUS

source: www.leagueofgraphs.com

RUNES OF DARIUS

TIPS ON HOW TO PLAY WITH DARIUS

1. Master Your Q (Decimate): Darius's Q ability, Decimate, is essential for both trading in lane and dealing significant damage in teamfights. Focus on hitting the outer edge of Decimate to maximize its damage and healing effect. Use it to harass your opponents in lane and to hit multiple enemies in teamfights for massive damage.

2. Manage Your Passive (Hemorrhage): Darius's passive, Hemorrhage, applies a stacking bleed effect with his basic attacks and damaging abilities. Ensure you maintain stacks of Hemorrhage on your opponents by consistently auto-attacking them during trades and fights. This will increase your damage output and make it easier to execute enemies with your ultimate.

3. Positioning in Teamfights: As Darius, positioning is crucial in teamfights. You need to be in the frontline to apply pressure to the enemy carries while also being mindful of enemy crowd control and burst damage. Look for opportunities to catch multiple enemies with your Q and E abilities, but avoid overextending and getting caught out of position.

4. Use Apprehend (E) Wisely: Darius's E ability, Apprehend, is a powerful tool for pulling enemies towards you. Use it to initiate fights, catch fleeing opponents, or disrupt enemy positioning in teamfights. Be mindful of the range and cooldown of Apprehend, as well as the positioning of enemy champions, to maximize its effectiveness.

5. Know When to Dunk (Noxian Guillotine): Darius's ultimate ability, Noxian Guillotine, deals massive true damage based on the target's missing health. Save your ultimate for securing kills or executing low-health enemies in fights. Keep track of enemy health bars and cooldowns to ensure you land the killing blow with Noxian Guillotine, resetting its cooldown and potentially turning the tide of the battle.

TIPS FOR COUNTERING DARIUS

1. Kite Him: Darius excels in close-range combat, so try to keep your distance from him and kite him whenever possible. Use champions with mobility, crowd control, or ranged abilities to harass him from a distance and avoid prolonged trades where he can stack his passive bleed effect.

2. Watch His Passive Stacks: Darius's passive, Hemorrhage, applies a stacking bleed effect with his basic attacks and abilities. Avoid fighting Darius when he has several stacks of Hemorrhage on you, as his damage output and healing from his Q ability, Decimate, will be significantly increased.

3. Avoid Prolonged Trades: Darius thrives in extended fights where he can stack his passive bleed effect and repeatedly hit you with his Q and W abilities. Instead of engaging in prolonged trades, look for short bursts of damage or poke to chip away at his health without giving him the opportunity to stack his passive fully.

4. Jungle Assistance: Darius is susceptible to ganks, especially early in the game when he lacks mobility and crowd control. Coordinate with your jungler to gank Darius's lane and apply pressure to force him to play defensively. Focus on shutting him down early to delay his power spikes and prevent him from snowballing.

5. Build Armor: Darius deals primarily physical damage, especially with his basic attacks and Q ability. Build armor items like Ninja Tabi, Sunfire Aegis, or Randuin's Omen to reduce his damage output and increase your survivability in trades and teamfights. Consider purchasing items with health regeneration or sustain to help mitigate his damage over time.

6. Respect His Ultimate: Darius's ultimate ability, Noxian Guillotine, deals massive true damage based on the target's missing health. Be mindful of your health threshold and Darius's ultimate cooldown when engaging him. Avoid fighting him when you're low on health or when his ultimate is off cooldown to prevent being executed.

SKINS OF DARIUS