Elise vs Karthus JUNGLE Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

Back to matchup selector

Champion

Opponent

RoleGenerate matchup

Elise

VS

Jungle

Karthus

Elise vs Karthus

Updated Jun 4, 2026

Overview

Use Elise's very high early pressure and gank threat to punish Karthus's weak early invade resistance and low dueling power.
Prioritize invading and disrupting Karthus's full clear tempo to deny his scaling and global damage impact.

Jungle Plan

Invade Karthus before his first reset to force him off camps and deny his fast clear tempo.
Prioritize early dragon and Rift Herald control after successful ganks or invades to leverage Elise's objective control.
Track Karthus's pathing with wards and be ready to counter-gank when lanes show priority, especially around river and Scuttle crab.

Danger windows

Be cautious invading when Karthus has lane priority and can collapse with vision or teammates.
Avoid isolated river fights where Karthus can kite with (Q) and (W) slows, especially if your lanes lack pressure.
Respect forced smite fights on objectives if Karthus has better positioning or item advantage, as losing these can cost tempo.

Early game

Start with a three-camp clear into an early invade or gank to maximize level 3 power and pressure Karthus before he finishes his first full clear.
Fight for first Scuttle only if nearby lanes have priority to collapse on Karthus and secure river control.
Avoid extended fights if Karthus reaches level 6 early, as his global (R) can punish low-health skirmishes across the map.

Power spikes

Elise's level 3 power spike enables lethal ganks and invades; use (E) cocoon and rappel to secure kills or force Karthus off camps.
Respect Karthus's level 6 spike when (R) unlocks global damage; avoid extended fights and low-health skirmishes.
Exploit Karthus's pre-item timing by invading and forcing fights before he completes his first AP item to delay his scaling.

Win conditions

Convert early kills and invades into dragon and Rift Herald control to snowball lanes and deny Karthus farm.
Use Elise's high gank threat to create lane leads that prevent Karthus from safely farming and scaling.
Maintain river vision and track Karthus's pathing to counter-gank and punish his attempts to farm or contest objectives.