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How to Win Varus vs Shen Counter MatchupVarus is in the b tier of champions

Varus vs Shen

How to Beat Shen as Varus in LoLVarus is in the a tier of champions
MarksmanMage
Tank

How to Beat Shen as Varus

based on 2,696 Varus vs Shen matchups
Win Rate
50.5 %
K/D/A
2.17
Pick Rate
1.7 %

How We Analyze LoL Champion Counters

We produce our counter stats from the millions of ranked League rounds that we analyze each and every week. Our guide on how to beat Shen as Varus came out of an examination of 2696 ranked matches where both champions fought each other. This matchup is somewhat rare. Varus encounters Shen in only 1.7% of his rounds.

Varus vs Shen Matchup Summary

Varus has done a average job of countering Shen. Normally, he wins a acceptable 50.5% of the time the champions oppose one another in. In Varus versus Shen games, Varus’s team is 0.0% more expected to gain first blood, indicating that he most likely will be able to get first blood versus Shen.

Best Varus vs Shen Counter Build

Items

Starter Items

Time Target
Doran's BladeHealth Potion

Early Items

~5 Mins
Long SwordTear of the Goddess

Core Varus Items

~22 Mins
MuramanaYoumuu's GhostbladeOpportunity

Optional Items

Jak'Sho, The ProteanThe CollectorStormsurgeWit's End

Summoner Spells

summonerflash summoner spell D
summonerhaste summoner spell F

Skill Order

First skill for Varus to level upq
>
Second ability for Varus to level upw
>
Last skill for Varus to max oute

Runes

PrecisionLethal TempoTriumphLegend: AlacrityCoup de Grace
DominationTaste of BloodTreasure Hunter
Attack SpeedAdaptive ForceArmor
Varus's passive ability p
Varus's q ability q
Varus's w ability w
Varus's e ability e
Varus's ultimate ability r
1
E
2
W
3
Q
4
Q
5
Q
6
R
7
Q
8
W
9
Q
10
W
11
R
12
W
13
W
14
E
15
E
16
R

Guide to Countering Shen as Varus

Tips for Playing as Varus against Shen

Try to take advantage of Piercing Arrow's very long range to snipe at enemy champions before a fight or as they're trying to flee.

An early point in Blighted Quiver helps harass enemy champions and get killing blows on minions.

During short range fights it's sometimes best to fire Piercing Arrow quickly, rather than charging it to full power.

Advice to Win Against Shen

Be ready to dodge Shen's taunt and punish him if he misses.

Once Shen reaches level 6, watch out for his global-range ultimate, which can turn fights quickly.

Varus vs Shen Counter Stats

Varus Image
Win Rate
50.5 %
VS
Win Rate
49.5 %
Shen Image
7
< Kills >
4.2
6.4
< Deaths >
5.1
6.9
< Assists >
10.2
1.64
< Killing Sprees >
0.95
174
< Minions Killed >
127
0.21
< Dragons Killed >
0.11
0.53
< Inhibitors >
0.43
14,844
< Physical Damage >
7,858
6,784
< Magic Damage >
6,871
374
< True Damage >
1,128
22,002
< Damage Dealt >
15,858
19,690
< Damage Taken >
30,202
12,227
< Gold Earned >
10,150
2.4
< Towers >
1.73
0.06
< Baron Takedowns >
0.02
4,612
< Total Healing >
3,832
12,611
< Experience >
13,976
18
< Vision Score >
21
9
< Wards Placed >
10
260
< Time Dealing CC >
325

How to Counter Shen with Varus in LoL

The stat comparisons shown on this page highlight several strategic Varus against Shen counter stats that may help us interpret the distinctions between the two. For instance, Varus’s KDA ratio ([kills + assists] / deaths) of NaN is greater than Shen’s KDA ratio of NaN, showing that Varus may be more central to his team's team fighting capacity than Shen..

Varus typically has a slightly larger longest killing spree than his matchup does. On average, he takes less damage than Shen. This typically indicates differing health capacities; however, it can also hint that the champion with more health has less mobility and thus is not able to flee from further damage when poked or engaged.

Differences between Varus and Shen

Damage Types Compared

Varus
Shen
Physical Damage
Magic Damage
True Damage

Champion Playstyles Compared

Varus
Shen

Who is Better, Varus or Shen?

Both League of Legends champs are great champions. Both have their strengths, weaknesses, and counters. In League's current meta, Varus usually fairs equally well when taking on Shen, with a 50.5% win rate. As a result, Varus makes an ok counter to Shen.

While Varus does have a higher winrate than Shen, when on opposite teams, Varus also has a lower learning curve that makes him a less complex character to learn and master. You still need to be cautious when picking Varus into Shen.

Furthermore, Varus has only a small amount of CC and other utility, a similar amount to Shen. This often makes her just as valuable during team fights, especially when fighting champions with a lot of burst damage.

While there is not a single best champion for every situation in League of Legends, in Varus vs Shen matchups, Varus is the better champ with a similar win rate, less champion complexity, and a similar amount of utility to help out your allied champions during teamfights.

Varus is a decent counter to Shen. You will do well by focussing your strategy on maximizing your gold and cs and taking out objectives. If you can do that, you should hold your own as Varus against Shen.

Additional Information for Varus Players

How We Calculated Our Varus vs Shen Build and Stats

For this guide on countering Shen as Varus, we analyzed 2,696 matchups from recent LoL games. We use rigorous data cleaning and processing methods to ensure that our counter stats are of the highest quality. You can rest assured that the recommended build to counter Shen as Varus comes from real data and is not the fabrication of some random LoL player, as some other sites provide. You can use the filters at the top of the page to view the most relevant stats and items to your rank.

Other Useful Resources

Further Insights to Win this Matchup

To learn all of the intricacies of Varus in order to counter Shen during both the laning and mid / late game phases of League of Legends, you should continue reading to gather a few extra tips and tricks for this matchup. If you mind the build and suggestions presented above, you will grow your win rate significantly and be that much closer to League of Legends pro players.

Varus often picks up a similar amount of CS as Shen. Champions who typically don't acquire much CS often don't need much CS to be effective, such as supports. They are able to scale properly off of their skills, stats, and first items alone. Yet, champions with large amounts of CS, such as hyper-carries, usually need many items to be effective. In either case, try to exceed the numbers reported on this page to do well.

The most crucial items to have in your Varus versus Shen build include Muramana, Youmuu's Ghostblade, and Opportunity. When Varus combined at least these three items in his build, he did a lot better versus Shen than with many other typical item sets. In fact, Varus had an average winrate of 50.5% when playing against Shen with these items in his kit.

To have the highest likelihood of defeating Shen as Varus, you should equip the Lethal Tempo, Triumph, Legend: Alacrity, Coup de Grace, Taste of Blood, and Treasure Hunter runes from the Precision and Domination rune sets. Of all the rune combinations we have analyed for Varus vs Shen clashes, this order of runes resulted in the best win rate. Notably, these runes provided a 50.5% win rate overall.

By default, tips, statistics, and builds on how to beat Shen as Varus are shown for all skill levels combined. To narrow the stats and builds to a distinct division, you can use the selection menu earlier on the page.