Nunu & Willump Scaling: Grade B
Reasonably well, with conditions. Nunu & Willump keeps real value at full build. Grade B, Okay late, in The Scaling Codex.
Reviewed for League of Legends Season 16 (2026).
Verdict. Better than expected, but hard to play correctly. Suffers from the same target-access issues as Rammus late. His attack speed steroid for ADC is very good, making him B instead of C.
Two products, both useful
The snowball gathers speed in fog and arrives as a knockup nobody agreed to, and Absolute Zero in a choke is a damage and slow zone late teams have to answer or leave.
The quieter one is the attack speed he hands his marksman. That turns somebody else's full build into more damage per second, which is a contribution most tanks at this stage cannot make.
Access is the catch
Like every dive tank at full build he reaches the front line easily and the back line rarely, and a disciplined team stands where the snowball's arc is readable. The ultimate channel is a public announcement too, so interrupting it leaves a large bear standing still in the open.
Roll from fog or do not roll. A snowball they watched grow for four seconds is an invitation to sidestep.
Common questions about Nunu & Willump scaling
Does Nunu & Willump scale well into the late game?
Reasonably well, with conditions. Nunu & Willump keeps real value at full build. Grade B, Okay late, in The Scaling Codex.
What holds Nunu & Willump back?
Like every dive tank at full build he reaches the front line easily and the back line rarely, and a disciplined team stands where the snowball's arc is readable. The ultimate channel is a public announcement too, so interrupting it leaves a large bear standing still in the open.
What is the late-game rule for Nunu & Willump?
Roll from fog or do not roll. A snowball they watched grow for four seconds is an invitation to sidestep.
How this grade was judged
The grade weighs range, target access, sustained and burst damage, crowd control, mobility, durability, healing and shielding, resets, cooldown structure, objective and formation control, split pressure, and how well the champion survives a long fight. Builds and forms that scale differently are graded separately. This is Vambient's gameplay evaluation of coordinated late-game fights, not a win-rate calculation. Full methodology.
Related champions
- Why Aatrox is also Grade B
- Why Ahri is also Grade B
- Why Akshan is also Grade B
- Why Brand is also Grade B
- See the full Grade B tier
The grade measures one thing: how much a champion can influence a coordinated late-game objective fight once both teams reach full builds. It does not measure early strength, snowballing, or win rate. A weak late-game champion still wins by ending the game first, which is what the rest of the library teaches. How the grades are decided.