This build guide for Garen is for top, by CLG Doublelift a 2442 player.Garen is a very strong counter to many champions and if picked correctly can shut down a lane entirely.
+0.15 magic resist per level (+2.7 at champion level 18)
Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resistx9
Masteries
Points Available:30 / 30
Summoner Spells
Ignite
Targets a single champion dealing 50 + (lvl x 20) true damage over 5 seconds. Also reduces the target’s healing and regeneration by 50%.
Ignite
Flash
Teleports your Champion to target nearby location under your mouse cursor.
Flash
Skill order
Decisive Strike
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 1.5/2.3/3/3.8/4.5 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 30/55/80/105/130 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 1.5/1.8/2/2.3/2.5 seconds.
Range
0
Cooldown
8/8/8/8/8 Seconds
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 1.5 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 30 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 1.5 seconds.
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 2.3 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 55 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 1.8 seconds.
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 3 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 80 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 2 seconds.
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 3.8 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 105 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 2.3 seconds.
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 4.5 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 130 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 2.5 seconds.
Courage
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 2/3/4/5/6 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
Range
0
Cooldown
24/23/22/21/20 Seconds
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 2 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 3 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 4 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 5 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 6 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
Judgment
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 20/45/70/95/120 plus 70/80/90/100/110% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Range
325
Cooldown
13/12/11/10/9 Seconds
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 20 plus 70% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 45 plus 80% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 70 plus 90% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 95 plus 100% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 120 plus 110% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Demacian Justice
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion, dealing 175/350/525 magic damage plus 1 damage for every 3.5/3/2.5 Health the target is missing.
Cost
0/0/0
Range
0
Cooldown
160/120/80 Seconds
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion, dealing 175 magic damage plus 1 damage for every 3.5 Health the target is missing.
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion, dealing 350 magic damage plus 1 damage for every 3 Health the target is missing.
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion, dealing 525 magic damage plus 1 damage for every 2.5 Health the target is missing.
Q
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 1.5 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 30 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 1.5 seconds.
W
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 2 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
E
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 20 plus 70% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
E
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 45 plus 80% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
E
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 70 plus 90% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
R
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion, dealing 175 magic damage plus 1 damage for every 3.5 Health the target is missing.
E
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 95 plus 100% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Q
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 2.3 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 55 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 1.8 seconds.
E
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, dealing 120 plus 110% of his attack (+0.9) as physical damage to nearby enemies every second. Garen can move through units while spinning but moves 20% slower when travelling directly through units.
Judgment can critically strike dealing bonus damage. Judgment deals 25% less damage to minions and monsters.
Q
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 3 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 80 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 2 seconds.
R
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion, dealing 350 magic damage plus 1 damage for every 3 Health the target is missing.
Q
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 3.8 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 105 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 2.3 seconds.
W
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 3 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
Q
Decisive Strike
Garen breaks free from all slows affecting him and gains 35% Movement Speed for 4.5 seconds.
His next basic attack deals 130 (+1.4*AD) physical damage and silences his target for 2.5 seconds.
W
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 4 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
R
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion, dealing 525 magic damage plus 1 damage for every 2.5 Health the target is missing.
W
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 5 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
W
Courage
Passive: Garen's gains an additional 20% value from bonus Armor and Magic Resist.
Active: Garen gains a defensive shield for 6 seconds, reducing incoming damage by 30% and granting 30% Crowd Control Reduction.
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Items
Core Items
Mercury's Treads
Doran's Blade
Doran's Blade
The Brutalizer
Late Game Items
Mercury's Treads
Randuin's Omen
Last Whisper
The Black Cleaver
Maw of Malmortius
Sunfire Cape
Enchantment: Alacrity
Pro Commentary
Pros and Cons
Pros
Naturally tanky due to his W ability which grants armor and magic resistance on minion kills.
Lots of regen for the laning phase with his passive which boosts his regen when out of combat.
Heavy Burst with his full combo.
Lot's of mobility with his MS increase on his Q and his ability to escape slows with his E when activated.
A lot of early game damage / burst.
Cons
Damage falls off late game
Laning phase can be countered by a lot of champions
A lot of the things in this guide are simply factually incorrect, and some parts that aren't are self-contradictory.
It says Garen's W gives him armor and magic resist on minion kills; it doesn't, since it's just a flat value and kills have nothing to do with it.
The skill chart says to start Q first, but the text right below says to start E.
It says the silence on Q has a flat duration that doesn't change with leveling up at least twice, but it does change; the silence duration is 1.5/1.8/2/2.3/2.5 seconds, as the Abilities page says in its copypasta (but contradicts itself in the description below). This has a very pronounced impact on the calculation of whether it's worth leveling up more before late game. (The guide says it isn't because the silence doesn't scale, but the silence does scale; so is it actually worth it?)
It says that E clears slows (when saying that it's an escape tool!), when it's Q that does that. The only situation in which E helps an escape is when you need to move through a wall of minions that are keeping you from running away; it does nothing to slows.
In the rune summary it says that you won't be encountering AP champions bottom lane, when the guide is for top lane.
In the Strategy and Tactics page it talks about what support to pair him with (!) as though he were an ADC and we were talking about bottom lane.
I mean, I'm just a silver-ranked scrub, and I know all this; these are basic errors and this is the only Garen guide on the site. What's the deal?
I personally main as Garen, and while I agree with alot of this guide I don't agree with the starting items. For Garen to be truely viable, he needs to be able to outsustain the enemy champ so that he can whittle them down until he can just 3 shot combo them. I usually start w/ a doran's shield vs most opponents simply because I prefer the enemy to be aggressive in the beggining so that they are the ones who make a mistake. I use flash to jump onto them for my combo so they can't escape. Also its better to stack resistances after you get your brutalizer, your main goal is to be annoying to leave alive unless it goes into LATE game you won't be your teams primary damage dealer, and stacking resistances helps with this. My normal build goes DS>Boots>Brutalizer>Resistances>BC>More resistances>IE>Selling BC for a Last Whisper.
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Last edited by spartacus697 on 2/16/2013 12:44:12 AM
I usually wreck teemo with garen I am not sure if it is the way I play or that I do not play good people but teemo is an easy lane that i beat at level 3 or 4 for a first kill and 5 or 6 for a 2nd. singed is a very hard counter due to the fact that garen should follow champs with his spin to trade best and singed can just let garen eat his poison as he runs away from garens engage. nidalee is also a definite counter to garen if she is played correctly due to her range and good poke.
I usually wreck teemo with garen I am not sure if it is the way I play or that I do not play good people but teemo is an easy lane that i beat at level 3 or 4 for a first kill and 5 or 6 for a 2nd. singed is a very hard counter due to the fact that garen should follow champs with his spin to trade best and singed can just let garen eat his poison as he runs away from garens engage. nidalee is also a definite counter to garen if she is played correctly due to her range and good poke.
prolly dont play good teemos, a good teemo is going to kite a garen all day and make sure he can use his passive that dot is op.
if he dont rush 2 points into w then the teemo doesn't belong to play teemo. most people dont realize rushing the speed on teemo is what makes him so op early game. singed is a good counter like i said but nothing like teemo.
now nidalee i do disagree with that, in order for nidalee to have poke she has to land them spears and seeing how garen pushes hard and always in between his minions he counters the shit out of nidalee. now if the nidalee is ap pre 6 her farm is going to be shut down she cant farm to well under tower before 6 after 6 she can clear lanes fast and farm easy under tower.. but the thing is with garen she wont get to use cougar form to clear farm as long as garen is there.
if you do have any question feel free to ask away :D its what makes us better players
i agree with you on the AP nidalee however when I pick top first people counter pick me with AD nidalee also pushing lane is bad. Pushed lane = ganks and less chances for kills
If you want to play Garen, you always can, but can you play him on his full potent-ion power, to feel the hero to feel the fight be in control of the game and in charge of the fight you are in and by making your team risking coming with you.
Good Garen will know how to tank 2 or 3 or even more people in same time, while his team do all the damage and hide behind his back to do more. That's how i play, i tank and let my team do damage, i love to ROFL at my enemy Tanks and make them die by my Dread Knight Sword every time they stand on my way, thx to armor penetration and other runes and items to help me stay on top and slice my enemy armors plates like a butter with a hot knife ";..;"
Dread Knight Garen is my Favorite hero, doesn't matter who i'm fighting against... and sometimes i like Head Hunter Yi lol with Viking Tryndamere to do damage than im tired of tanking all the time
I just love Garen, even though people say he is week or not good, i don't listen i just play with him no metter what and i like the challenge i get every game i play with him ";..;"
Garen is a weak champ honestly. The thing is a lot of people do not know how to shut him down. I also find he can trade really well with most top laners levels 1-6 and later on if he gets a kill or 2, but if he is not winning his lane by level 9 he is done almost useless for the rest of the game. I still love playing with him though. It is really easy to get fed as him since he can trade well and most people I play against do not know how to shut him down. I build him pretty close to this guide trading sunfire cape for gaurdian angel and last whisperer for mercurial scimitar. I do not see how a lot of top laners counter him as I can typically stop most tops from farming because i trade better and position them. Also building garen straight tank is bad. If he is straight tank he can be ignored because of his lack of cc (a 1 person silence can only do so much) he needs to be built with some damage but at the same time getting tanky.
Decisive Strike
Courage
Judgment
Demacian Justice
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Posted 4/12/2013 4:16:50 PMA lot of the things in this guide are simply factually incorrect, and some parts that aren't are self-contradictory.
It says Garen's W gives him armor and magic resist on minion kills; it doesn't, since it's just a flat value and kills have nothing to do with it.
The skill chart says to start Q first, but the text right below says to start E.
It says the silence on Q has a flat duration that doesn't change with leveling up at least twice, but it does change; the silence duration is 1.5/1.8/2/2.3/2.5 seconds, as the Abilities page says in its copypasta (but contradicts itself in the description below). This has a very pronounced impact on the calculation of whether it's worth leveling up more before late game. (The guide says it isn't because the silence doesn't scale, but the silence does scale; so is it actually worth it?)
It says that E clears slows (when saying that it's an escape tool!), when it's Q that does that. The only situation in which E helps an escape is when you need to move through a wall of minions that are keeping you from running away; it does nothing to slows.
In the rune summary it says that you won't be encountering AP champions bottom lane, when the guide is for top lane.
In the Strategy and Tactics page it talks about what support to pair him with (!) as though he were an ADC and we were talking about bottom lane.
I mean, I'm just a silver-ranked scrub, and I know all this; these are basic errors and this is the only Garen guide on the site. What's the deal?
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Posted 2/16/2013 12:42:58 AMI personally main as Garen, and while I agree with alot of this guide I don't agree with the starting items. For Garen to be truely viable, he needs to be able to outsustain the enemy champ so that he can whittle them down until he can just 3 shot combo them. I usually start w/ a doran's shield vs most opponents simply because I prefer the enemy to be aggressive in the beggining so that they are the ones who make a mistake. I use flash to jump onto them for my combo so they can't escape. Also its better to stack resistances after you get your brutalizer, your main goal is to be annoying to leave alive unless it goes into LATE game you won't be your teams primary damage dealer, and stacking resistances helps with this. My normal build goes DS>Boots>Brutalizer>Resistances>BC>More resistances>IE>Selling BC for a Last Whisper.
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Posted 2/16/2013 12:46:30 AMAlso I don't grab W until level 4
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Posted 2/23/2013 8:45:07 AMi find long sword 2 health pots is a lot better for aggressive play than doran's shield.
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Posted 2/4/2013 7:31:34 PMThe Pros and Cons need to be updated (they are really old now) as well as counters because Nidalee and Urgot are also very hard counters to Garen.
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Posted 2/6/2013 10:45:34 PMpretty much any ranged top make ypu lose lane or rely on junglers gank. Also, not only pros and cons but abilities too.
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Posted 2/16/2013 12:45:48 AMI normally don't lose vs ranged tops, and there hasn't been a specific champ that counters me per say just ways people play champions
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Posted 2/22/2013 11:52:37 AMthe only hard counters to garen is teemo and singed..
darius can counter him but not a hard counter
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Posted 2/23/2013 8:50:01 AMI usually wreck teemo with garen I am not sure if it is the way I play or that I do not play good people but teemo is an easy lane that i beat at level 3 or 4 for a first kill and 5 or 6 for a 2nd. singed is a very hard counter due to the fact that garen should follow champs with his spin to trade best and singed can just let garen eat his poison as he runs away from garens engage. nidalee is also a definite counter to garen if she is played correctly due to her range and good poke.
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Posted 2/24/2013 5:48:48 PMprolly dont play good teemos, a good teemo is going to kite a garen all day and make sure he can use his passive that dot is op.
if he dont rush 2 points into w then the teemo doesn't belong to play teemo. most people dont realize rushing the speed on teemo is what makes him so op early game. singed is a good counter like i said but nothing like teemo.
now nidalee i do disagree with that, in order for nidalee to have poke she has to land them spears and seeing how garen pushes hard and always in between his minions he counters the shit out of nidalee. now if the nidalee is ap pre 6 her farm is going to be shut down she cant farm to well under tower before 6 after 6 she can clear lanes fast and farm easy under tower.. but the thing is with garen she wont get to use cougar form to clear farm as long as garen is there.
if you do have any question feel free to ask away :D its what makes us better players
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Posted 3/10/2013 12:24:03 PMi agree with you on the AP nidalee however when I pick top first people counter pick me with AD nidalee also pushing lane is bad. Pushed lane = ganks and less chances for kills
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Posted 2/1/2013 3:11:28 PMIf you want to play Garen, you always can, but can you play him on his full potent-ion power, to feel the hero to feel the fight be in control of the game and in charge of the fight you are in and by making your team risking coming with you.
Good Garen will know how to tank 2 or 3 or even more people in same time, while his team do all the damage and hide behind his back to do more. That's how i play, i tank and let my team do damage, i love to ROFL at my enemy Tanks and make them die by my Dread Knight Sword every time they stand on my way, thx to armor penetration and other runes and items to help me stay on top and slice my enemy armors plates like a butter with a hot knife ";..;"
Dread Knight Garen is my Favorite hero, doesn't matter who i'm fighting against... and sometimes i like Head Hunter Yi lol with Viking Tryndamere to do damage than im tired of tanking all the time
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Posted 2/3/2013 3:35:35 PMMight want to look into toning down that ego of yours made it hard for me to understand any points you were trying to make.
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Posted 2/3/2013 11:12:41 PMI just love Garen, even though people say he is week or not good, i don't listen i just play with him no metter what and i like the challenge i get every game i play with him ";..;"
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Posted 2/4/2013 7:26:33 PMGaren is a weak champ honestly. The thing is a lot of people do not know how to shut him down. I also find he can trade really well with most top laners levels 1-6 and later on if he gets a kill or 2, but if he is not winning his lane by level 9 he is done almost useless for the rest of the game. I still love playing with him though. It is really easy to get fed as him since he can trade well and most people I play against do not know how to shut him down. I build him pretty close to this guide trading sunfire cape for gaurdian angel and last whisperer for mercurial scimitar. I do not see how a lot of top laners counter him as I can typically stop most tops from farming because i trade better and position them. Also building garen straight tank is bad. If he is straight tank he can be ignored because of his lack of cc (a 1 person silence can only do so much) he needs to be built with some damage but at the same time getting tanky.