CHO CHO TRAIN

Introduction

Welcome to my build on Cho'Gath, The Terror of the Void.
Cho has been my main since the start of Season 3 and it gives me great pleasure to create a guide for him. I'm currently in Silver 2, and still working hard to make my way into Gold 5 or even better.
I hope that this guide will be somewhat useful to you as a Cho'gath player going in to Season 5 and maybe who knows...maybe you might be inclined to make him your main champ as well!
I've been a Cho'Gath main since the start of Season 4 and I intend to get even better on him throughout Season 5 while also learning other champs and adapting to the patch notes updates.
It's still a work in progress, so be sure to give it a read if you're interested and maybe he can become one of your favourite champs as well.
Hope you enjoy!

WHO IS CHO'GATH?

is an AP anti-mage tank with awesome sustain and lane presence. He has great survival and escape mechanisms and is truly a horror from the underworld. He was sent straight from the depths of hell to punish any summoners who defy him, be it Noxian or Demacian he will devour anything in his path, causing minds to try to figure out how this bringer of destruction can be stopped.
"You'd wish the world you know to end! Yeeeesssss..."

Pros / Cons

PROS:
- Excellent Farming skills thanks to .
- Very good sustain from and can therefore stay in lane for long periods of time.
- Possesses a true damage ultimate, which can shred targets.
- Gets extremely tanky over time.

CONS:
- Vulnerable to constant poke from ranged champs/skills.
- Requires practice of landing to be mastered properly.
- His healing factor from would be negligible against champs with Damage-Over-Time skills.
- Quite mana hungry if you don't know how to make use of properly.

Skills of Cho'gath

: Probably my favourite Passive/Innate skill of all champions in the game. This is what makes Cho'Gath an annoying laner - his ability to heal from last hits. Allows you to stay in lane for long periods of time with the health AND MANA so you can soak up some damage and heal it back with this Passive, as well as regain mana and spam skills to harass more effectively.

: I like this for many reasons. First off, it applies a knock-up as well as a 60% slow. Secondly, it has a 100% AP scaling ratio so it hits very hard during laning phase and you can harass opponents constantly if you predict their movements and land it, since it is a skillshot.

: Another great skills on Cho - it applies a 2.5 second silence when maxed, which is pretty long and can destroy mages in lane also if you decide to max this first. This is much easier to place than and you can initiate a fight with this if you decide to as well, preventing enemies from flashing out and using their skills. Has a 70% AP scaling ratio, which is still pretty high.

: This is your PRIMARY FARMING TOOL. It allows you to last hit minions even earlier so it is easier to get the gold from them even if you wait a fraction of a second later...this is easy for you to read, but it requires a little practice but once you play 1 game as Cho'Gath, you'll get the hang of this skill. Usually by level 5, a and 1 Auto-Attack should be able to kill all 3 caster minions. Always have this skill toggled on for farming and harassing, but it should be toggled off when attacking towers with an enemy champion in front of you...you don't want hitting them and attracting tower aggro!

: I got one word to say...OM NOM NOM NOM! Ok that was 4, but this skill is the perfect way to end a full , combo when the enemy has about 500 HP or so left but you have to be calculated for you to get the kill or at least chase them out of lane or cause them to burn . Also has a 70% AP ratio as well which is nice. Remember though, if you can't kill the enemy and you're just concentrating on farming, then you can always use on minions to get those stacks up and become even a bigger threat as the game goes on.

How to farm

When I play Cho'Gath, I usually take my at level 1 so I can give a better leash at the jungle buffs before going to lane. At level 1, makes it alot easier to last hit creeps with the extra bonus magic damage.You don't want to constantly attack minions to push your wave because this extra magic damage hits targets behind and to the side of the main target as well and can thus clear waves fast.

Always leave this skill toggled on while in lane except if you are attacking the enemy turret with an enemy champion in front of you, then you will pull tower aggro unto yourself.
At levels 2 and 3, I take and respectively.

Since has a 100% AP ratio, I usually max it first because when farming a followed by an Auto-Attack on the 3 caster minions can clear them easily.
If you are using skills to farm, be mindful of the mana costs and your ability to utilize for the mana gains, because you would want to harass your opponent from time to time with your skills.

Not much else to add here in this section except that are your best friend when it comes to farming in lane.

Ravaging Runes

SEALS

: Most champs that you face will be physical damage based so this is a great choice for Cho. Along with and extra armor from your masteries, you should start the match off at over 50 armor which is a good way to soak up some poke while healing with .

: I use these if I am facing magic damage based champs as I can spam more and acquire more mana from .

GLYPHS

: Excellent against magic based champions. Some people prefer using , but I like the earlier magic resist defence bonus from these ones which helps against annoying champions like .

MARKS

: Magic Penetration is a good choice for squishy top laning opponents who go full offense and have a starting magic resist of 30. This choice of runes help to get that extra damage down on them, makign your harass more effective and their harass less effective since you are a beefy champ that has decent sustain.

QUINTESSENCES

: Early ability power is good for the extra damage if you choose to use this choice of runes. Since all of Cho's skills deal magic damage (even his Auto-Attacks!) then this can prove to be a good farming and harassing tool.

: This is good against champions with skillshots like or . Having this slight addition of movement speed can help you escape skillshots better early game, so you don't have to play a passive role, if they constantly poke you down, thus making you afraid to duel with them. This is also good in case a target tries to escape then this might play a vital role in chasing them and landing that final to secure a kill...Who knows?

Monstrous Masteries

Summoner Spells

: I always take this on Cho'Gath. Although and are good ways to escape ganks and disengage fights, you always want a secondary means of escape. You also want a means of a finishing blow as well. I have gotten kills many times by landing my combo on Cho'Gath and after the enemy burns their , I go in with my followed by an instant . This is also a good spell to tower dive people or blink over walls if you to escape or chase a target as well. Definitely take it.

: I use teleport alot to get back in my lane after my first recall or after a death, but there are many more uses that make it more suitable for other objectives. Not only is it good to re-enter your lane quickly, but you can use it to enter teamfights, contest dragon, backdoor a turret, or even gank bot lane at level 6 if they need help badly. Either way, it is an important tool and I'd say to use it pretty much 70% of the time that you play Cho'Gath.

: I take this one to replace sometimes depending on who my opponent is. If I notice that it's someone squishy, then I would recommend using . For instance, and are not squishy so I'd take . However, and are pretty squishy so I'd take to get those last few ticks off their health if my full combo does not kill them.

: Not needed, you are Cho'Gath...you have sustain.

: If Cho'Gath lacked Crowd-Control abilities, then I can see myself taking . But because he is pretty much a hard to kill champ with alot of sustain, good escapes and disengagements, you do not need this spell. Are you really going to run down someone with or scare that enemy off in a teamfight with it...really?

Items

catalyst the protector: I rush this item about 90% of the time on Cho. It's passive provides even more sustain when you level up, and the mana you get from it is not bad either. It almost gives you a good health boost so you can absorb more damage in lane and laugh at the enemy while you heal back with last hits and levels. Excellent item choice I'd say.

: A continuation from catalyst the protector, this item gives you an even bigger advantage as you scale into mid game. You gain Health, Mana, and Ability Power with every minute that passes by so this should be a core item on Cho'Gath. You should definitely complete this item first or second.

: Get this against enemy laners with heavy Crowd-Control abilities or if the enemy team has mostly Ability Power users. It provides a good passive which cuts down the duration of Crowd-Control abilities so you can re-enter a battle at a faster rate, should you purchase these boots.

OR

: Use these against high physical damage champions who go up against you or if the enemy team is more Attack-Damage based. This cuts down the damage of basic attacks by 10% so if you face off against ranged physical damage champions like ,,, etc. then these will come in handy.

: Such an amazing item in League...an item designed for Cho'Gath if you will. This item gives you mana which is always nice for using your skills without worrying about running out of mana, gives you a heckload of armor which is nice for tankiness, and also Cooldown Reduction...something which is amazing on Cho. Having a shorter cooldown on your ultimate, especially, will help alot in teamfights and stealing objectives. The passive obtained from this item also helps out especially against the enemy AD carries as it causes a debuff on their attack speed, which is always a nice thing to have. Complete this item second or third (if you completed your boots second).

: This would be useful against enemy AP champions or you can always pick it up for the sustain in lane from self-healing effects, cooldowns, and health, which are still pretty good. If you need some magic resist, you can alternatively pick up a if need be.

: Another good item on Cho - provides extra tankiness and wave clear coupled with . Usually it's good to see if the enemy team has more AP or AD based champs and also who seems fed on their team along with the creep score so you'll know what items to get in terms of armor or magic resist. Generally speaking though, since Cho is an 'up in yo face' sort of champ, the extra magic damage from this item will help in teamfights especially early - mid game. Complete this item third or fourth.

: Pick up this item if you wish to provide a bigger magic resistance to your team if the enemy is heavily AP based. This will cut down magic damage if some or all of your team members are around you during a teamfight slightly. The 70 AP that you obtain from it is not bad either as well as the magic resist it provides for you. I love getting this item against certain champions like or so when they use their ultimates especially, I can laugh in their face when I blow my combo in their face and watch them run. It's a pretty decent way to "counter AP with AP" but if you are the only tank for your team, then you can consider other items like maybe. Get this item fourth or fifth.

: A good way to end off any build. It doesn't give you health, but since you are Cho, you don't need a bunch of health items anyway as you have stacks from . However, the ability to be reborn during a teamfight is good, although you won't get max health again, it's a good way to get the enemy to focus you so that they waste their skills trying to kill you and you won't believe the 4 seconds that are so vital in a teamfight when you are "being reborn" can come in handy. These 4 seconds allow the enemy team to switch focus and allow you that same time to decide who you can focus or who is the biggest threat etc. Get this item fifth or last.

: This item coupled with a is not too bad on Cho. The invulnerability from both items make you live longer, forcing the enemy to switch focus in teamfights while your cooldowns come back up as well. The AP is decent from this also, so even if you purhcase an you still have good damage with the armor and magic resist from both items, which are good items for a Cho. Of course, as a tank you might not want a ...I've seen many people pick up a or a to end off their builds as well, but even if you don't die in a teamfight as the tank while your team emerges victoriously, wouldn't it still be cool to be alive after a teamfight? Anyway, pick up this item fitth or last as well.

Role In Teamfights

You're a tank. You want to be at the front line of your team. Your role is simple, given that you know Cho's skills and need to utilize them on the right targets. As the tank, you want to be a distraction for your team in fights, you want to land good and silence the right people to buy time for your team to back you up with the firepower.

Here are some good tips to consider in fights:

Never place Rupture at the front line of your enemy team when your minion wave is pushing with your team let's say in a 5v5 situation mid lane. If your team clears the incoming minions wave quickly, and your minion wave is pressing on while you are harassing their team alot more so that they retreat with the excessive pressure your team is causing, place your Rupture BEHIND their team so it lands whilst they are moving away from you.
Remember, Rupture is a good Area-of-Effect damage and harass which also opens up an initiation for your team to follow up if enemies are low. Generally, if you hit 2-3 targets with Rupture, you should follow it up with Feral Scream especially if you are in range to silence the enemy's AP mid laner so that 2.5 second silence can buy your team time to annihilate that champion quickly. If you can reach the enemy back line to soak up as much damage as possible while using your skills and preventing those hostile damage dealers from reaching your back line, then you'd be at an advantage.
Depending on the situation as well, using your Crowd-Control abilities on the enemy front line can be useful too if their tank(s) push too far so that their enemy ADC an mage(s) have to push even further to assist them. Remember that Rupture can also be used to disengage any surprising attempts on the enemy's part so if you have to focus the tank to get them off your squishy teammates, then use it.
If your team has enough peel to protect your primary damage dealers, let's say from something scary like Wukong Cyclone or Thresh The Box then you can take this initiative to jump on the enemy's back line and do as much damage as possible. It's said that wards win games...well CC too.
Remember, team fights can occur unexpectedly so you only have split seconds to choose targets, jump on them, switch targets, disengage, or retreat...many different options depending on the situation. It's these sort of decisions that define what kind of player you really are, and how you go about making these decisions can really lead you to victory or can cost you the game, even if you are miles ahead in gold.

What to Max against...

Against these champs, max first.

These champions can still hurt you even if you silence them from so observe that when they move in to get that last hit on your creeps, if you place a , most of the time you should be able to land it and you can poke with it from far as well safely.

Against these champs, max first.

These champions require their skills to deal their main source of damage, as well as intiate, escape, or shield some of Cho'Gath's damage. Silencing them will prevent them from using their skills and almost guarantees that you land since they will be unable to use their skills or to escape it so all they can do is try to dodge it by moving sideways etc.

CHO'GATH VS CHAMPIONS

Champions in the red text are considered good picks against a Cho'Gath and are highly dangerous or can hold out against him well.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: Stay out of his melee range (or a bit further) especially when is off of cooldown. It has a 24 second cooldown so keep that in mind before going aggressive. Also, if he initiates on you, placing a on the spot you are standing will pop Darius in the air. Remember has a 0.625 second delay before you see the animation so his movement speed from will cause him to run into the targeted area by the time this delay is over.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: Farm with AA's, harass him from time to time and when you hit level 5, push your lane quickly so that you hit level 6 first then go in for the kill to have an advantage in lane.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary:Max first and ask for an early gank if your jungler is around the area to let him know whose the boss of your lane. If Jax jumps onto you he will usually use his to hit you after so placing a on your location will pop him up and you can follow it up with a and an AA to even out or win the trade.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: As usual, last hit to heal, use skills to farm if losing. If the lane is pretty much even, max first and practice side-stepping to dodge his typical combo.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: Focus on healing with last hits from Auto-Attacks, harass him so that he burns his potions and go in for the level 6 kill, but keep an eye on your mana and his HP.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary:: Renekton's heals him so consider going in when this is on cooldown (8 seconds). Max first since he can avoid with his gap closer combo. Ask for an early gank or 2 making sure his is on cooldown so that he might have to burn to escape.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary:: Maxing first will definitely play a role in how you perform against Riven. If you decide to use while she is silenced, she will have no option but to dodge it by right clicking. When you go to last hit your minions, she will most likely initiate on you if her skills are up, so a well-timed will disengage her combo. Finally, you use mana and she doesn't, so don't spam skills to harass her too much, instead ask for an early gank or maybe 2, to let her tune down her aggression.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: Last hit minions with your Auto-Attacks but keep your skills in hand since Shyvana will try to force you out of lane with her strong early game harass. gives her that extra magic damage in a duel but you can also disengage with your combo as well. Try to hit level 6 before her so that she cannot escape with her ultimate, .

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: Focus on FARMING, not killing Singed. If he misclicks his by throwing a minion instead of you, punish him for it, as it has a 10 second cooldown.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: Last hit to heal, poke with and . Replenish your mana by farming with AA's and ask for ganks if the going gets tough.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary:: Harass with and rush catalyst the protector for some extra sustain. Do not push your lane heavily or else he will have a bunch of your minions to Auto-Attack and heal back up. Ask for an early gank to keep him off his toes for a bit if you think he is too much for you early on.

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary:: Wu's combo has low mana requirements so he will spam them early game on you as he has safe harass with his for escape. Heal yourself with AA's and potions and ask for an early gank so that he pops his early and you can hopefully at least get him to burn his .

:

Spoiler: Click to view

Summary: Max first since it's easier to land and Zed relies on his skills heavily to initiate or to escape. He can dodge your with his early game, so don't forget the cooldown of it.

More champs coming soon!

Special Thanks To...

As usual, I want to give thanks to jhoijhoi for her guides on Ashe and BBCoding which helped me with this guide as well as Astrolia's guide on how to use columns properly. I've looked through Icecreamy's guide on dividing columns as was done in his Lux guide but I've yet to implement it into mine for now.

CHO CHO TRAIN

CHO CHO TRAIN

Recommended Items

Spells:

Teleport

Flash

Items

Ability Order

Carnivore (PASSIVE)

Rupture (Q)

Feral Scream (W)

Vorpal Spikes (E)

Feast (R)

Threats & Synergies

Pantheon

Teemo

Jayce

Dr. Mundo

Zed

Singed

Wukong

Warwick

Riven

Olaf

Renekton

Darius

Rumble

Ryze

Maokai

Gangplank

Tryndamere

Malphite

Yasuo

Jax

Shyvana

Introduction

WHO IS CHO'GATH?

Pros / Cons

Skills of Cho'gath

How to farm

Ravaging Runes

SEALS

GLYPHS

MARKS

QUINTESSENCES

Monstrous Masteries

Summoner Spells

Items

OR

Role In Teamfights

What to Max against...

CHO'GATH VS CHAMPIONS

***Champions in the red text are considered good picks against a Cho'Gath and are highly dangerous or can hold out against him well.***

Special Thanks To...

League of Legends Champions:

Champions in the red text are considered good picks against a Cho'Gath and are highly dangerous or can hold out against him well.