Volibear vs Karthus JUNGLE Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Champion

Opponent

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Volibear

VS

Jungle

Karthus

Volibear vs Karthus

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Overview

Volibear's fast clear and strong early dueling let him contest river and invade before Karthus can finish his full clear.
Prioritize forcing fights around Scuttle and early dragon when lanes have priority to leverage Volibear's gank threat and deny Karthus scaling.

Jungle Plan

Invade early to disrupt Karthus's full clear and force him off camps before he hits level 6 and item spikes.
Use lane priority to establish vision and control around dragon and Void Grubs, denying Karthus safe farming and objective access.
Track Karthus's pathing and be ready to counter-gank his early pressure attempts, using your strong dueling and gank threat to punish overextensions.

Danger windows

Avoid isolated river fights early if lanes lack priority, as these can lead to unfavorable skirmishes.
Forced smite fights around dragon or Herald are risky if Karthus arrives with vision and full health.
Low-health clears or overextended camps expose you to counter-invades or lethal damage from Karthus's ultimate.

Early game

Start with a three-camp clear that enables early river control and potential invade before Karthus completes his full clear.
Only contest first Scuttle if nearby lanes have priority and can support; otherwise secure your side jungle and avoid isolated river fights.
Avoid extended fights before level 3 to prevent getting kited or punished; capitalize on quick counter-jungling when Karthus is low or overextended.

Power spikes

Level 6 unlocks your ultimate, enabling tower dives and durable engages; use health leads and lane crashes to force fights under turret.
First bruiser or tank item spike increases your durability and sustain, allowing extended trades and stronger objective control.
Respect Karthus's level 6 global damage spike by avoiding prolonged low-health fights and prioritizing early kills or tempo leads before he scales.

Win conditions

Convert early jungle pressure and health leads into securing dragon and Rift Herald before Karthus completes key items.
Use (Q) stun and (R) tower disable to dive priority lanes after level 6, forcing recalls or kills and denying Karthus safe farming.
Maintain river vision and track Karthus's pathing to counter-jungle effectively and prevent his scaling through uninterrupted farm.