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by SilverNova

[2.3] Garen Guide - Garen ~ The Might of Demacia

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Perfectionist World Cultural Heritage
Patch 2.3
July 12, 2021 10:55
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Garen ~ The Might of Demacia

How to spin2win and roll all over your opponents for easy LP gains with Garen. Top lane guide but can be used mid lane too!

Garen Build

Best Build Guide for Garen

starter items
Long Sword
Cloth Armor
Ruby Crystal
first recall
Phage
Kindlegem
Boots of Speed
Bruiser Build (Tank)
Black Cleaver
Glorious Enchant
Sterak's Gage
Dead Man's Plate
Randuin's Omen
Spirit Visage
Bruiser Build (AD)
Black Cleaver
Youmuu's Ghostblade
Glorious Enchant
Death's Dance
Sterak's Gage
Dead Man's Plate
flexible items
Trinity Force
Sunfire Aegis
Thornmail
Warmog's Armor

Item Build Description

Additional information on the items

Starting Items

First Recall

  • PhagePhage is the first item you buy. It gives you health, attack damage and movement speed which is perfect for Garen
  • KindlegemKindlegem is the second item, which you only buy for BC.
  • Boots of SpeedBoots of Speed is a recommended purchase either before or after you finish off BC to get you that extra mobility

Bruiser Build (Tank)

  • Black CleaverBlack Cleaver is standard first item on Garen as it gives AD Penetration, and AD alongside some health and movement speed when dealing damage to opponents. This is very useful because you will be building into a bruiser which needs AD and health. On top of that, the passive makes it easier for you to stay on top of enemies with your JudgmentJudgment which you will use most of the time during trades.
  • Glorious EnchantGlorious Enchant is used for engaging team fights. You use it along with Decisive StrikeDecisive Strike to gain massive movement speed, and then slow everyone around you when you hit someone. Very useful. 
  • [Sterk's Gage] gives you a lot more sustain, and a shield which the enemies might not expect. Lets you live longer, and escape team fights if you get bursted by an assassin.
  • Dead Man's PlateDead Man's Plate is where you power spike. It gives you even MORE movement speed, armour and health. By now you should be flying across the map like an unstoppable killing machine.
  • Randuin's OmenRanduin's Omen is bought to let you survive longer in team fights. ADCs will probably hit you a lot, and so will other bruisers in the top/jungle. This item makes them all weaker
  • Spirit VisageSpirit Visage as a final item is bought to give you some magic resistance as most of your items grant you armour. It also heals you more with the help of your [garen:passve]

Bruiser Build (AD)

  • Black CleaverBlack Cleaver is standard first item on Garen as it gives AD Penetration, and AD alongside some health and movement speed when dealing damage to opponents. This is very useful because you will be building into a bruiser which needs AD and health. On top of that, the passive makes it easier for you to stay on top of enemies with your JudgmentJudgment which you will use most of the time during trades.
  • Youmuu's GhostbladeYoumuu's Ghostblade gives you AD, Penetration and Movement Speed which is super useful for engaging fights, returning to lane and roaming. This is your first early power spike.
  • Glorious EnchantGlorious Enchant is used for engaging team fights. You use it along with Decisive StrikeDecisive Strike to gain massive movement speed, and then slow everyone around you when you hit someone. Very useful. 
  • Death's DanceDeath's Dance is bought for more sustain, which will allow you to heal with JudgmentJudgment and also transform all damage into a 3 second bleed which will give you time to gain health back with lifesteal, honey fruit or your CourageCourage
  • [Sterk's Gage] gives you a lot more sustain, and a shield which the enemies might not expect. Lets you live longer, and escape team fights if you get bursted by an assassin.
  • Dead Man's PlateDead Man's Plate is where you power spike. It gives you even MORE movement speed, armour and health. By now you should be flying across the map like an unstoppable killing machine.

Flexible Items

  • Trinity ForceTrinity Force can be bought alongside Black CleaverBlack Cleaver if you are a very experienced Garen player. It gives you a little bit of everything and empowers your Decisive StrikeDecisive Strike which can turn a couple of fights
  • [sunfire cape] is bought as first item if you want to go 100% full juggernaut Garen
  • ThornmailThornmail is taken if the enemy team has full AD, meaning no mages or champions with ability power
  • [warmong's armor] can be taken if you are in a tough lane. It will let you regenerate health when you are out of combat and have over 2,500 maximum health, which will save you time, gold and experience by letting you stay in lane instead of recalling and running back. Also useful in long team battles where you can run out, regenerate and run back in.

Garen Runes

Best Runes for Garen

Keystone
Grasp of the Undying
Grasp of the Undying
Domination
Triumph
Triumph
Resolve
Hunter Titan
Hunter Titan
Inspiration
Mastermind
Mastermind
Grasp of the undying to get you extra health, and it also restores 2% which is very useful in team fights. Stacks fast with JudgmentJudgment

Triumph for assassination. Deal extra damage to low hp targets which works great with Decisive StrikeDecisive Strike and Demacian JusticeDemacian Justice

Hunter Titan is highly useful against teams with CC. Otherwise you can take Regeneration

Mastermind is really the only useful rune here. You can take sweet tooth if you have a rough lane, or pack hunter if you engage a lot in team fights.
Keystone
Electrocute
Electrocute
Domination
Brutal
Brutal
Resolve
Hunter Titan
Hunter Titan
Inspiration
Pack Hunter
Pack Hunter
Electrocute for a more bursty playstyle.

Brutal is useful for that early AD and Penetration

Hunter Titan for health and tenacity so you have less stun timers

Pathfinder for super fast roams
Keystone
Conqueror
Conqueror
Domination
Gathering Storm
Gathering Storm
Resolve
Conditioning
Conditioning
Inspiration
Sweet Tooth
Sweet Tooth
This is more of a "scaling" build.

Conquerer toquickly get AD in team fights while using JudgmentJudgment

Gathering storm to scale. Can replace with Brutal for a bit more early impact

Conditioning is good to get more protection against ap/ad in mid game

Sweet tooth to survive early game and get extra gold. Can be replaced with Mastermind if you have a good team or pathfinder for faster roams

Skill Order

How to distribute skill points

Perseverance
Perseverance - Passive
Decisive Strike
Decisive Strike
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Courage
Courage
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Judgment
Judgment
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Demacian Justice
Demacian Justice
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Summoner Spells

When to take which summoners

Flash
Always take flash.
Ignite
Ignite becomes there is no other rune that is useful for top. Especially for Garen where you have kill pressure with [garen:1]+[garen:ult]

Garen Matchups & Counters

Detailed information on how to play matchups and counters

Malphite
Easy
Malphite
Nasus
Easy
Nasus
Dr. Mundo
Easy
Dr. Mundo
Yasuo
Easy
Yasuo
Camille
Medium
Camille
Tryndamere
Medium
Tryndamere
Fiora
Hard
Fiora
Akali
Hard
Akali
Ahri
Hard
Ahri
Zed
Hard
Zed
Jax
Skill
Jax
Garen
Skill
Garen

Rush Black CleaverBlack Cleaver to cut his armour and Spirit VisageSpirit Visage as 2nd item to counter his magical damage. Also recommend getting Mortal ReminderMortal Reminder if they have another tank. But generally this lane is in your favour.

Garen

How do I lane?

Ranged Matchup

  • Wait until level 2 before you start trading
  • Take advantage of your PerseverancePerseverance by staying away from the enemy, even if you miss CS
  • Only farm by last hitting. After level 13 you can freeze your lane by taking damage from minions before they crash into your turret if the laner isn't there and you lost the lane.
  • Call for help, or help your mid/jungler
  • Not getting kills is not losing lane. Stay 0/0/0 but keep the enemy 0/0/0 too.

Melee Matchup

  • Against easy matchups, just use Q+W+E every single time and then back off
  • Against hard matchups, do as with ranged matchups

Split or Team?

  • If your team is winning but you lost; Group with your team. Engage or protect the carries.
  • If your team is winning/losing but you won; Go and splitpush. Mute if they are flaming, and tell them you will splitpush. Put wards, and make sure you don't die to enemy laner or jungler. Leave when you see enemies coming to you, or if they are missing from mini-map. Try to take down the first turret, take herold and then push down the 2nd turret. If you manage to do this, mid and jungle will come to you. At this point you can try to 1vs2 or 1vs3 if you are really ahead, or group with your team and focus on drakes/barons and getting your team ahead.
Garen

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Comments
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Madevaker
3 years ago
thanks for the guide.. your guides are amazing. please make more guide for other heroes. your guides are very helpful
SilverNova
3 years ago
If you have any questions or suggestions, ask them away or send a message to SilverNova#5932! Thanks!
Cronos
3 years ago
Hey SILVERNOVA! Thanks for the awesome guide it helped me a lot! Could you please update the matchup counter tips? Heroes like kennen and even Darius are missing. Thanks!