Coming Up
I will be working on a Dominion guide as well.

18/11 - 2011
Guide Released. (Finally)

Garen, is a god. Use him right and you may carry your team all alone.

My name Is Blazeray (In-game).

And this is my 2nd guide.

Read the text carefully, for the exact result of pwnage im trying to hand over to you.

Why Armor pen? And why use simple armor and magic resist?

According to my strategy, it is a necessary need.

Due to the fact, that all kind of ranged characters, is your soul enemy. Also described as:

Anti-Garens

Particularly early-game!

At high level gameplay (summoner level 20-30), it is required to seek more offense or defense, with both Masteries & Runes.
Especially at Ranked play.

Greater Quintessence of Desolation

Greater Mark of Desolation

With this higher concentration at flat armor pen in your runeset. You will be able to counter the decent amount of extra defense your opponents will have at the higher level gameplay.

And with your attack speed boost from:



Combined with the 4% attack speed from your masteries, you will no more experience a slow hitting Garen. With this Includes a better and more frequent as well as effective last-hit help on minions.

With the flat armor Runes:



U will be able to hold off some ranged physical damage at early-game, as well as countering melee physical damage a lot. Due to your spells incredible damage output.

With your Magic resist:



You will even be able to survive a gank from mid, in duo lane, at some circumstances.
As well as countering a 1v1 early-game against a mage.
And you will be having that decent extra survivability in teamfight in the later game, after being focused to escape with 20 HP.
Which u will be experiencing alot!

So Cool!

My masteries is primary focused on Defense.
And Secondary in Offense

Because as playing Garen. You will need as much survivability as possible to become the new Late-game pwning Nasus. Which these masteries will give you. Including a boost in your Health regeneration to your Passive:



In offense it is really a great help to have your Mastery Point in:



Including the boost in your exhaust and attack speed, and some more flat damage to hit harder early game.

Primary (1st) Choice =

Secondary (2nd) Choice =

Tertiary (3rd) Choice =

Quaternary (4th) Choice =

This because your harassment early-game is important, for the ability to get an early kill. Especially when you've bougth sword of the occult. To kick off the killing spree of yours.

You Choose your spell Courage at level 4, so that it will be able to stack armor from the early levels.

This is the only summoner spells, that is ever going to be perfect for this champion.

Exhaust:
- Is for your 1v1 encounters. To pick up some Occult stacks easier.

Flash:
- Flash is BADLY needed in teamfights! If you are going to tank for your team. You will have Flash as your spell. Or else you can jump in, without possibility to make distance. Because you need to notice that your are going to be the target. Or rather explained as your main objective to be. So that your Carries can focus the enemy teams carries and take them out before they do too much damage.

Other Possible options.
- Great to counter your problems with CC
- Some thinks better of Ghost than Flash, during to the Cooldown.
- If you wanna counter Garens lack of Attack Speed, use it.
- Teleport is always a nice choice.
- Is a great 1v1 weapon, and early-game weapon
- A great pusher spell, really good helping you at solo top.

Pros

+ Unbelievable Early-game damage
+ Incredible Execution spell
+ No mana
+ Great AoED - Area of Effect Damage
+ Invincible and incomparable Tanking Attributes
+ Great initiator
+ Great duelist (1v1)
+ Long Silence
+ Swift movement
+ Great Escape mechanism
+ Anti-tower Unit
+ Great late-game farmer
+ He is a GOD

Cons

- Lack of CC
- Vulnerable to CC
- Easily taken down by Ranged units
- Without runes he almost got no attack speed
- Without attack speed he is very cooldown dependent

- Doran's Shield is a great item for Garen at early game.. Compared with any other stating item. This is PERFECT. As well as mid-late game, it is still worth keeping in your inventory. But ofc. you sell it whenever you need more room for another item.

- Speed is your weapon. this is a must buy! Unless The enemy team is packed with 3 mages or above, then i recommend you to use Mercury Treads

- If you wanna complete your godlike power. then this is a must buy, even if things goes wrong at early-game, you will always prevail late-game. Unless your team is unskilled. Use this, and become a god!

- After sword of the occult, it will still be hard to kill an enemy champion. With this item right after, you've got a lot of damage with even more armor pen. Which will result in relievied obtaining of kills for your Occult.

- For survivability, this is needed. But why not you might ask?
- The first reason is because will stack more damage with , than , due to the amount of health you will obtain, compared to each other.
- The second reason is because has health regen too. Which is more defensive than

But if you like the combination between , and inclusive the Passive of - Then it would not be changing a lot. Personally i just Prefer .

- I hate mages. and without this, a single mage on the enemy team will be able to get you down lategame with any CC included.
BUT, if you are facing NO Ability Power. Which is rare. I would prefer a , due to the greater amount of effective health than .
And if the enemy team has got a lot of CC, then i prefer a Instead. But due to the Incridible Health Regen provides you with, i almost always prefer instead. Unless it is almost impossible to move around when in a teamfight.

- The best Damage providing item on the market for Garen.
Crit + Damage + Armor. Nothing else could replace an empty itemspot better than this.

- With a god on your team, your game should've ended long before you get to finish this item. But if you reach that point. Then do it. Unless.
If the enemy is stcaking armor, you should sell this item for a , to let your damage get through their increased armor. A Garen without damage, is useless.
Another option, if the enemy team has got a lot of hardhitting burst damage. I Would prefer .

Harassment:
Harassment is your primary objective! It is important to use your passive ability to your advantage. Seek offensive to harass your enemy, and go hide in bushes whenever you need some time to recover, from a failed harrassment.

Minions
Last-hitting minions can become hard when laning with a far more offensive strong character ( - etc.)
But when in the last-hitting phase, i also use to last-hit some minions, Primary the tank minions, when they arrive. Or then i use it for a speed boost, when charging into the enemies to harass.

Zone-Control

Zone-Control can become an important fact, BUT ONLY if you are facing two melee opponents.
If you are not familiar with Zone-Control, watch this great video tutorial. Play Video

Pushing
When entering the mid-game phase. It is important to maintain a pressure in mid-lane, unless you have been pinned down through-out early-game by a very skilled ranged character, and while pushing, focus on farming as much as possible!

Tower-Harassment
This is not recommended at mid-lane at the mid-game - late-game phase.
But troughout the early-game and mid-game, it is worth activating your to charge in quickly with a hit on the enemy turret, on run out of towerrange right after. Use it rapidly when your team have decided to attack'n'destroy the turret. Itis a Anti-turret, as well as an anti-mage spell.

Assaults
Always look around the map for posibilies to ***ualt and ignitiate a 1v1 battle, with a lone wolf trying to push. like or . Because of your spell . You will be able to execute almost any champion in a 1v1. A perfect way to recieve Stacks for your occult.

Ganks
When you encounter a lone wolf, on the enemies side of the map, it will be necessary to either use a another Champion to aid you, in your gank. Or use a decoy strategy. Letting your teammates draw attention at bot lane, will create a gap for you to attack the lone wolf. Ofc. this is should be coordinated before executed. But before trying any of these advanced type of strategies i recommend an arranged team, who is able to communicate over Skype or raidcall.

Baron
Baron is an important factor, in fact if you do not have a support, who is able to place wards all around it. You MUST keep a watch over it, if none of your teammates aren't. You might be fastest champion on your team, which means that you got a higher possibility to get there in time. Baron is a fact, which can turn the table and change a fight looking to become a Victory into a bloody Defeat. And if your team has decided to assault the Baron, buy a to destroy all enemy wards placed nearby it.
Watch it. All time.

In this section i will be posting Champions, who is worth laning with if you are going to face a duo lane requirment.
*NOTE, that this section will not become completed immedietely, i will come back and post more champions over time, as i figure out some possible actives.

- Who won't lane with a supporting Sona

- Heals with armor boost, makes your harassment early-game devasting. Including her skill to Zone-Control

- Stun and heal, including more damage output than some other supports.

- Looong Stun, and incredible damage output.

- With your damage combined with Blitzcranks CC, nothing can stop you. Almost.

- He is more tanky than you are, and do great damage, with some more CC than you.

- With your survivability and he stealth combined. use coordinate attacks very easy and effective.

- Good Damage, heal, movement speed and Shield.

- The CC king and heal, and tanky. Everybody wanna lane with him.

Here i will be posting the champions, who you should enjoy facing in lane early-game. Either solo or duo.
*NOTE, that this section will not become completed immedietely, i will come back and post more champions over time, as i figure out some possible actives.

- I love harassing this overpowered hardhitter early-game. Especially if you get him killed. Then his devastation would be postponed into far beyond your victory.

- Easy bait, if not playing laning with a CC filled Champion.

- Everybody is concidered overpowered when fed. but at early-game this girl is pure fastfood.

- My favourite, i have never lost a lane duel or duo with him against me .

- A bit stronger than rumble after my own opinion. But still an easy kill early-game

Comment & Vote Please

Praise & Constructive Criticism most welcome