Garen Build Guide by Acoil

Updates

30/12-2011

* I did Change The Bloodthirster out with Warmog's Armor in my Build!

06/1-2012

* I did Change my Attack speed runes for Armor and Magic resist runes! Thanks for your Feedback! (I will update my Picture on runes later (: )

23/9-2012

* I did Change the title xD and updated some bad language in my guide ^^ Thanks for all the Votes and the Feedback! Means a lot to me!

Introduction

Hello Mobafire again (: It's Acoil from League of Legends and I just want to make a good guide on how I play "Garen"
I play garen as Tank because I feel I can output alot of dmg to players while I can dive them all at same time.
I just feel that Garen Tank is the best way to play him, I can see the best DPS guide etc says "Do not play Garen as Tank" but I say play Garen as tank and see how it goes (:
I made a garen guide before this but. I failed a bit on that one so. I decided to make a new guide (: I hope you all like it, and please try it out.
And please Try it out before Voting! Alot of players tryid my old build and they got a good score etc and won some games, so please try before voting Thanks (:

Pros / Cons

Pros


+ Great Tank
+ Great Health, MR, Armor, Passive.
+ Hard to catch
+ Good dmg + Combos
+ No mana, No Energy
+ Good farmer ( Sunfire Cape + Judgment)

Cons

- Cooldowns :S
- No friendly abilities (Taunt etc.)
- Not as much DMG as DPS build.

Summoner Spells

I use Exhaust and Ghost on my Garen, because Ghost + Decisive Strike will maybe secure me a kill (: + a very good escape too. and the Exhaust just for the lowering of dmg and movement speed.

1. Exhaust & Ghost: Ghost gives good escape ability + Decisive Strike. And Exhaust is a good use to Slow enemy’s down or take dmg off enemy’s like Tryndamere

2. Heal & Flash: Heal is good on tank, and its always good to have 1 Heal on a team, and Flash Gives good escape ability.

3. Flash & Exhaust: Flash for the great escape, and the Exhaust just for the lowering of dmg and movement speed. No more Fortify!

Masteries

21/6/3 is a great DPS masteries, and why build Offensive Masteries on Tank? Well Garen is a Tank that can output DMG, and as i build fully Tank items, i need the Offensive stats from other places (: Like Masteries and Runes.

Offense

• Summoner's Wrath 1/1 to improve Exhaust and Ghost.
• Brute Force 3/3 for +3 Attack dmg in the start, it really helps.
• Alacrity 4/4 For some Attack speed, stack with my runes.
• Weapon Expertise 1/1 This is a must! 10% Armor pen!
  Garen Tank will need this if he should make DMG too!
• Deadliness 4/4 Just to get Lethality ,
• Lethality ^ 10% Critical Strike Dmg! its awesome with Deadliness and a Infinity Edge (:
• Weapon Expertise 1/1 This is a must! 10% Armor pen!
• Vampirism 3/3 For 3% Lifesteal in the start, Works great!
  Take lifesteal beacause Havoc will do % of your dmg,
  and when your not stacking dmg items it will be useless.
• Sunder 3/3 +6 Armor pen, with your runes, that will make more dmg,
  it will destroy their armor (:
• And ofc Executioner 1/1 for 6% more damage on people below 40% Health (:

Defense

• Resistance 3/3 to get Magic resist,
  you are top solo lane, and magic resist is good vs Nidalee AP (:
• Hardiness 3/3 To get more Armor, vs AD-carrys, very good survival.

Utility

• Good Hands 3/3 to reduce the time of your death.

Runes

Greater Mark of Desolation Greater Quintessence of Desolation
Greater Mark of Desolation Armor Pen. Works on Garen's auto attack and your Judgment also work with Armor pen.
Greater Glyph of Magic Resist Magic Resist is a very good thing to build on tanks aswell, or you could get some Cooldown Reduction.
Greater Seal of Armor Armor is very good on tanky Garen and this is standard too, or you could get Health or more Cooldown Reduction (: if you don't like Armor Seals

Abilitys/Skills

Perseverance: (Innate): Garen will regenerate 0.5% of his maximum health per second after not receiving or dealing damage for 7 seconds. The regenerative state will stop if Garen receives damage. (Tip: This passive is really good with HP stacking items, or Force of Nature)

Decisive Strike:(Active): Garen gains movement speed for 3 seconds. His next melee attack within 6 seconds will deal physical damage and silence his target for 2.5 seconds. (No Cost)

Courage: (Passive): Garen's armor and magic resistance are permanently increased by 0.5 every time he kills an enemy unit. (No Cost)
(Active): Garen places a defensive shield on himself, decreasing all damage taken for 3 seconds. (No Cost) (Tip: use this when getting target, it will Decrease Dmg in 3 Seconds!)

Judgment: (Active): Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body for 3 seconds, removing all existing slows and reducing the duration of new slows by 50%, plus dealing physical damage to nearby enemies every half-second. The bonus damage is further increased by Garen's critical strike chance. Damage to minions is reduced by 50%. (No Cost) (Tip: Use this when you are slowed and see magic)

Demacian Justice: (Active): Garen brings down Demacian Justice on his opponent, dealing magic damage, plus additional physical damage per amount of health his opponent has already lost. (No Cost) (Tip: Use this when a Enemy is "Low Health" = "25% on the bar") Do Not Killsteal With it!

Here is a little Video that will show you "How to USE Ultimate to Assist your team, NOT TO KILLSTEAL!"

Items

Starting Items

or

I like to start out with a Doran's Shield for the Armor and Health for your passive Perseverance and the extra regen, as you start with 475 Gold, and Doran's Shield cost 475 gold you got some good starter stats, 10 Armor, 120 Health, 8 Health Regen.
First time when recalling you should have Gold for Boots of Swiftness rush it as fast and you can for the good movement speed. I also like to get Mercury's Treads sometimes.

Core Items

or

At this moment you have Doran's Shield and Boots of Swiftness (:
After this ill Rush my Sunfire Cape for the EASY minion Farming!
When you finish building your Sunfire Cape and you farm minions easyly, i would build Thornmail or Force of Nature depending on what enemys im fighting!

Final Build

I build Garen This way every match

My items are balanced so i have 200 Armor and 200 MR. I build like this on my Garen, but i have shared some DPS items in the build in the top.I get the Boots of Swiftness Because I can easy catch people. and I got good escape routes. And my Sunfire Cape (: for the great farming and it gives Health and +45 armor! good item. Then i would get Force of Nature if needed, because of the MR it gives and the good passive it got, restore 0.35% of maximum health! and the Run speed again for good catching and the good escape! Then Thornmail if any AD carry, Because of the armor and it returns 30% of the Damage back to the hitter (: I take Banshee's Veil For the Health and the MR and the "FREE SPELLSHIELD" so stop saying Garen don't need it because of the mana pff!
And then we got my lovely Guardian Angel for the Armor and MR, and the good Revive!

situational items

Thoose items is a must sometimes, depends on the enemy team, ofc you should not build all 6 items, but like Quicksilver Sash is really good ainst Malzahar

Your laning phase

Early Game [Solo Top]

Early game, You should know your Early game Garen's limits, and then me Defensive or Aggressive.
I play Aggressive because I know I can easy get early kills, and can solo most champions (Without Problems!)
You should Focus on:
1. Last hit minions
2. Get a Kill (Dont Killsteal if jungler comes)

Early-Mid Game [Solo Top]

Early mid game, You should already have minion kills for your Sunfire Cape and should be Farming top "Like a Boss"
Don't be afraid of your enemy just hit him a bit and play a bit Defensive (:
You should Focus on:
1. Minion kills! (Sunfire Cape + Judgment)
2. Get that Bastard (:

Here is a Little Video to show you How to farm minions with Garen (:

Late Game [Solo Top]

laning phase is over, run around like a boss and see where the enemys are, dont solo more then 2 enemys before you have fully build GG (:
Clear out big Waves of minions that comes in lanes! (Combo - Sunfire Cape + Judgement)
Starting a Team fight is important. be sure your carry are nearby and your support. be sure to start out by attacking a enemy carry or just the lowest one, try not getting the kills if your team need it more then you.
Rush in with Decisive Strike - just to Silence and dmg.
Make sure you start the rush or your Courage wont work. when your getting attacked just pop Courage and Spin to win. when your low health rush out with Decisive Strike or go for a kill with it, and just Ghost out or use Exhaust for getting away.
(Tip: I use my Exhaust on Enemy carry so they cant kill my carrys as Garen dont have any CC abilitys, [taunt])

Mid-Early Game [Duo lane]

Early game, You should know Garen's Limits, and be Aggressive or Defensive.
I play Aggressive because I know I can easy get early Assists, and can solo most champions (Without Problems!)
1. Protect my Laning mate
2. Get the assist

Early Game [Duo lane]

Mid-Early game, you should have Assists for your Sunfire cape. and its time for you to farm.
as i help in all lanes at this moment and just run around and find waves of minions that I can get, (Combo - Sunfire cape + Judgement).
Starting a Team fight is important. be sure your carry are nearby and your support. be sure to start out by attacking a enemy carry or just the lowest one, try not getting the kills if your team need it more then you.
Rush in with Decisive Strike - just to Silence and dmg.
Make sure you start the rush or your Courage wont work. when your getting attacked just pop Courage and Spin to win. when your low health rush out with Decisive Strike or go for a kill with it, and just Ghost out or use Exhaust for getting away.
(Tip: I use my Exhaust on Enemy carry so they cant kill my carrys as Garen dont have any CC abilitys, [taunt])

How to Act early, mid and late-game

Early Game

As I wrote in "Your laning phase" I act Aggressive no matter if its a Duo lane or Solo lane as I know my Garen's limits.

Solo lane

Get as many minion kills as possible and last hit the minions to get Sunfire Cape.
They to go for the kill if you can without you die.
Act friendly to your teammates no matter who you play whit!

Duo lane

Try to get as many hits on your enemys as you can, and lower their Health as you have a mate that can go in and take the kill if needed, you have to take the kill if your mate cant make the kill, then just take it! (But dont Killsteal) = (Killstealing will only make you loose the game!)

Mid Game

Mid game I should be pushing as much as i can, while i don't fear my enemy's as long as not all 5 enemy's are missing from their lanes.

Solo lane

I push the lane as much as i can to destroy the tower so I can help other lanes, I try to farm as many minions as I can and just keep pushing, while I don't fear my enemy's.

Duo lane

I push the lane with my lane mate, and let him get all the minion kills. I push to get the tower. I normally just stay in bush to get exp and run out with Q and hit a enemy just to get him low, when the time is ready we go in and take the kill. when tower is gone, just help other lanes.

Late Game

Almost or Full build, lets have fun? Dont fear anyone, because you are so tanky and have much dmg to output on enemys, I always go in 3vs me, and i always end up getting 1 or 2 kills and get away with 50% health impressive!
Time to start Team fights, and time to be ready to improvise. and time to be ready for improvise for enemy team.

Hope this helps!

Viable partners [Duo Lane]

I see every AD - AP carry's as a good Teammate with Garen!
Supports and tanks are not that much welcome on my lane as it won't work that good on a due lane.
But my Fav. to be in lane with is if possible, champions with a lot of CC. Stun, Fear etc.
I like to lane with Twitch Tryndamere Caitlyn Vayne Sion Graves Shaco etc.

Screenshots + Send your in!

Acoil's Garen Screenshots

To send your Screenshot in PM me on Mobafire, and the link and ill put it in here!

Summary & Thanks to

DID YOU READ IT ALL? Nice! I hope there were some Useful stuff that you could use in my Guide!
I hope you Enjoy my Very first Guide, and I hope you could use it!
Please leave a comment and a vote, it really means a lot to me.
If you have any questions, ask and I will gladly answer them.

Criticism would be appreciated, but please have a good reason.
(Anything I could improve?)
Please try out my Build before Voting!

I will be Updating this guide as much as I can! but your Feedback is the only thing that can improve this guide!

-Thanks to Jhoijhoi's profile for the Templates and the Coding
-Thanks to Taneren for helping me out! I recommend checking out he's Caitlyn and Taric guide
Caitlyn Guide / Taric Guide