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Garen Build Guide by

AddictedToBacon Challenger Garen Guide [16.2]

Updated on

7.3

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League of Legends Build Guide Author AddictedToBacon

Build Guide By

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5 1

3,645 Views

1 Comments League of Legends Build Guide Author AddictedToBacon

Garen Build Guide By Updated on

Guide Discussion (1) More Garen Guides

Runes:

1 2

Precision

Conqueror

Triumph

Legend: Haste

Last Stand

Sorcery

Axiom Arcanist

Transcendence

Spells:

1 2 3

Flash

Ignite

Items

1st items

boots

2nd items

Item Pool

More Garen Counters

Champion Build Guide

First Items

Pretty much go this item 99% of the time. Only time I wouldn't go this first is if I'm playing Grasp, I'll go

1st in that case. Or if I'm playing vs a tank,

first can also be an angle.

Second Items - Prerequisite

So this is where I start analyzing game state and debating which items I go. This is where I start thinking the critical question: Am I gonna win this game through splitpush or teamfighting? And you are going to need to use your own judgement for this, but to help answer this yourself, ask yourself if your team sucks or if you can win teamfights. If your team is really really bad, splitpushing is the answer. I'd generally only group with my team if we have about a 55-60%+ chance of winning it, otherwise I'd just split. But remember you need to be able to kill your sidelaner if you split, so if you can't even do that, your only choice left is to group.

Now that we understand our win condition, we can start building items that help that win condition. I'll split them into two sections as I go different items depending on which win condition I am playing for.

Second Items - Teamfighting

If you are playing to teamfight, you need to understand your role in the teamfight. Generally if I am teamfighting, I play to peel for my carry. And for me to be able to do that depends on how my carry is going to die. There are too many items that I can build to help me with that, but generally you want a mix of health + damage. You need to think of yourself as almost a support kind of. So if you have an AD team and they have lots of armor,

can be good. If you don't need that, you can go

as well if you need R damage to help peel.

is good if they have lots of shields.

can be good if you're team just doesn't need any more damage and just needs someone to soak damage.

can also be good, I usually don't like to finish this item if I am not going full damage and just like to sit on the Executioner's and start building something else.

Second Items - Splitpushing

You're goal with splitpushing is to draw pressure and idfeally kill/towerdive the person that is matching you. So to fulfill that win condition, we have to buy damage of course. When I am thinking of which items to build, I like to think movespeed items for second items. So I'll go

if I need to use my Q to cleanse some sort of gap close, that way I can force their slow/cc ability with my Youmuu's. For example, I can pop Youmuu's vs a Kayle, and when she is forced to Q me eventually, I just Q. Otherwise, I'll never be able to gap close to her and force her to use Q. And if I dont need to do that sort of thing, I'll go

for the nice base movespeed. This item makes you so fast and gives you lots of attack speed as well and 2 spins on your E. The attack speed helps you a lot during splitpush while your hitting towers.
Lastly,

can be an angle to specific matchups. I've been liking this item a lot lately vs anyone that likes to bruisery/tank items, examples are champions like Sett, Irelia, Jax, Wukong, Singed etc. You melt them with this item.

Rest of Build

Garen's itemization this season is pretty wonky. There isn't a really clearcut build, and in my opinion, I think it's pretty bad if you go the same build every game. Garen might have the most build diversity he's ever had compared to previous seasons. You can legit build whatever you want on this champ.
For the rest of the build, you pretty much want to just build items that fulfill your win condtion we talked about earlier. Here's some examples of my thought processes:

I am 0/12 and feeding but I have a 15-0 Xayah? Go

and build full tank.

maybe to soak more damage,

so I can soak damage and have them hit me instead of my Xayah.

perhaps. You get my point.

My team is collectively 0/30? I'm probably going another movespeed item so I can be slippery inside lane like

or going

so I can melt towers. Maybe more damage so I can reliably kill my lane opponent under tower.

if they have a mage so they can't CC me while I run at them and 100% kill them.

Team is doing alright and we have a chance at winning teamfights and securing objectives? Bruiser game probably.

/ any item that builds out of Tunneler I will usually build. Can also just go Deadman's Plate / Force of Nature. Are you starting to get it maybe?

Moral of the story: just build whatever that'll help you fulfill your win condition.

Stream

If you ever have any more questions, please feel free to drop by my stream @ twitch.tv/addictedtobacon. I stream everyday and read chat lots, so don't be afraid to ask! I know this guide doesn't cover too much, and that's cause itemization on Garen is honestly the most difficult to understand it's ever been, so I feel you if you don't know what to build on this guy right now.