Tristana vs Varus ADC Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Tristana

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ADC

Varus

Tristana vs Varus

Confidence highUpdated Jun 7, 2026

Overview

This lane turns on Tristana's level 2 all-in threat versus Varus's poke and root setup.
Tristana wins short committed trades with support follow-up and controls wave to threaten turret plates.
Varus needs space to charge (Q) and hold (R), so deny him safe poke angles and punish CS attempts.

Trading pattern

Step forward to auto and stack (E) when Varus commits to last hits without support threat nearby.
Use (W) jump only with support follow-up or when you can reset safely to avoid poke retaliation.
Punish Varus after he wastes (Q) or when (R) root is down to force trades or turret pressure.

Danger windows

Respect Varus's charged (Q) poke when he has space and support coverage to follow with (R).
Avoid engaging when (R) root is available and enemy support controls brush or engage zones.
Passive wave push can expose you to poke or engage, so watch wave state and vision before jumping.

Early game

Push first two waves to hit level 2 before Varus and threaten all-in with (W) plus (E) burst.
Punish Varus's last-hit attempts on caster minions if enemy support cannot immediately trade back.
Avoid jumping into large minion waves where Varus's poke and support peel punish your engage.

Power spikes

Level 2 unlocks (W) and (E) burst, enabling sudden all-ins if support cooldowns allow.
First completed marksman item increases all-in damage and turret plate threat after winning trades.
Late game, Tristana's range and reset potential outscale Varus's poke and root setup.

Win conditions

Convert winning trades into turret plates by crashing waves and fully stacking (E) before recalls.
Use level and item spikes to force all-ins or turret pressure, then snowball resets into dragon control.
Deny Varus clean poke angles and punish his last-hit timing to build CS and health leads for mid-game teamfights.