This week's FOTM report highlights a fast growing addition to the "hook" supports, Nautilus! With his most recent buffs and earth shaking CC, he's fast becoming a staple pick in the support line up. Check out the full scoop inside...
Introduction
This week's FOTM report highlights a fast growing addition to the "hook" supports, Nautilus! With his most recent buffs and earth shattering CC, he's fast becoming a staple pick in the traditional support line up.Current State of Nautilus
Traditionally a jungler, Nautilus is actually stronger than he's been in a long time in the woods after the introduction of Cinderhulk. Additionally, Riot shifted his damage to scale harder with health and made his AOE slow more spammable in Patch 5.5.
All in all, Nautilus is in a good spot right now as a jungler.
Nautilus As A Support
When Nautilus was first released, he was often seen as a support, since he has the following tools as his disposal:
- Gap closing hook;
- Passive root;
- AOE slow; and
- AOE knock-up/stun
With a powerhouse CC kit like that, he's basically on par with Leona for sheer lockdown time.
How to Play Nautilus Support
In terms of runes and masteries, most Nautili run standard tanky runes and 0-9-21 masteries. For skill order, it's generally E > Q > W to maximize his damage in the 2v2 lane.
Build paths vary, but Relic Shield to start is a must, as it gives the lane some much needed sustain and Nautilus himself some extra tankiness for his all-ins.
Thoughts on Nautilus As A Support
As a support, I think Nautilus is fairly balanced towards the stronger side. The reason for this is that against less mobile champions, he's an absolute monster that can lock down enemy teams quickly and effectively.
However, against more mobile teams he'll have trouble landing his ultimate on more than one person. With the lag time on his moves, he'll likely be limited to a secondary CC role.
Meanwhile, most other support champions have much faster initiation, such as Blitzcrank hook, Sona ult, Leona ult, etc. These moves synergize much better with Flash to quickly catch enemy teams off guard.
The same goes for him in a peeling role, as those precious few moments it takes for him to execute his CC on divers can get your back line killed. Compared to Janna, Soraka, or Lulu's instantaneous peel/death denial, it's not quite as good.
are you saying he is a better version of Thresh?
ReplyDeleteThresh has a comparable amount of CC (though slightly less) but provides so much sheer utility with picks, escapes, engage, disengage, dash interruption, and peel. Not to mention the light shield. He never falls off or really has a significant weak point in the game. Nautilus on the other hand basically just brings CC, engage, and peel. Thresh will probably always be a better pick than Naut, but then again, he was designed for that role. Overall, he just is more reliable and flexible.
ReplyDeleteI remember playing a game right after he was buffed in 5.5 though he was on the enemy team as a top rather than a support. The player built RoA and your normal tanky items. But with as tanky as he became and his shield constantly being used, when it was time to start grouping and sieging he would always be in front of his team protecting everyone (as he should be). I was playing Sejuani and with him constantly being the frontline, it was extremely difficult to get passed him and use my ult on the enemy adc. The way he is now, a tanky Nautilus constantly in your face is pretty damn scary.
ReplyDeleteYes!!!! top lane naughtylus is great... annoying OP lane bully.... and in mid-late game tanky as Hell!!!!!!!!!!! =)
ReplyDeleteFnatic used Nautilus as support ^^
ReplyDeleteYellowStar <3
ReplyDeleteI will tryn for the first time
ReplyDeletewell.. funny that they talk about nauti supp now lol since about 1-2 years nauti was my main supp and i play him till now. better pick than leona in my oppinion tho
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this I thought I would give naut a try seeing as I main blitz/support in general. I love his kit so much and I've had a solid 75-80% win rate that has taken me right to gold 1. I find his a much better version of blitz, the hook still isolates someone weak but if a tank like amumu body blocks the pull it doesn't have the same devastating effect.
ReplyDelete