Win the approach and protect the wave

0:00–14:00; strongest when the wave is on your side or moving toward a planned crash and Q, E, and mana support a full trade.

Start by deciding whether the lane can support an extended fight. If your wave is larger, the enemy has just spent a mobility or defensive tool, and Apprehend is available, pressure last hits with W and Q blade spacing rather than rushing the pull. Build toward a crash before recalling or moving; if the wave is bad, your health is low, or the enemy jungler is unseen while you are forward, take experience and safe CS instead. Your first transition is a clean crash into a reset, not a forced kill.

Lane

Make the wave bring him to your range

If the first three waves give you a health, minion, or level advantage and Darius must walk up to farm, build a slow push and make him choose between CS and your all-in threat. If his early wave is stronger or your jungler is unseen while you are pushed, take safe CS, let the wave return, and avoid forcing a trade through a full enemy wave.

With Darius

• Darius wants allies to make first contact easier, not to force him into every fight. If you can slow, root, or displace an enemy inside his reach, do it when he has Q and Apprehend available; the added contact time lets Hemorrhage build. If he is walking up alone, hold your engage until allied damage can follow rather than starting a fight that leaves him surrounded.
• Play around his stack state. If Darius has begun bleeding a target, add damage to that same target when it is safe so he can approach the empowered threshold; if the target escapes, help him disengage instead of chasing through fog. Once Noxian Guillotine can finish a target, preserve access to the next nearby enemy rather than scattering the fight.
• Help him arrive on time. If an objective is approaching, push or escort the side wave, then reset with him so he is not entering at low health or with unspent gold. If he is ahead in a side lane and has a viable Teleport flank, hold the enemy's attention without starting a losing fight; if Teleport is down, use his push to take a structure or safe setup instead of demanding a cross-map join.
• In teamfights, Darius can function as a frontline threat or a second-wave finisher depending on enemy access. If the enemy has reliable kiting, provide the first layer of engage or peel so he can reach a target; if they dive your carry, let Darius stand between them and the backline and punish the first diver who remains in range.