This is my build for Garen solo top, I have been using this build for like 800 games and I think it's the way to go if you want to play Garen, the Build have been altered a lot of times both after advice from friends and changes from riot. I hope you will enjoy this build and try it out before u down vote it, I put a lot of effort into making this so please don’t just down vote for no reason.

Throughout Valoran, the resolve of Demacia's military is alternately celebrated or despised, but always respected. Their "zero tolerance" moral code is strictly upheld by civilians and soldiers alike. In combat, this means Demacian troops may not make excuses, flee, or surrender by example. Garen, the valiant warrior who bears the title "the Might of Demacia", is the paradigm to which these leaders are compared. Thousands of great heroes have risen and fallen on the bloody battlefields between Demacia and its preeminent rival, Noxus. It was beneath their mighty banners of war that Garen first met steel with Katarina, the Sinister Blade. The infantrymen who beheld this event (and survived) commented that it seemed as though the two were locked in a mortal waltz set against a symphony of clashing blades.

Garen, the pride of the Demacian military and the leader of the Dauntless Vanguard, returned from this battle breathless for the first time in his career, though some speculate this was due to reasons other than exhaustion. The plausibility of these rumors was bolstered when, in every instance thereafter, Garen seized the opportunity to encounter the Sinister Blade again. A paragon of Demacian ethic, Garen never entertained such allegations, for he knew others couldn't understand. Even simply the pursuit of a worthy opponent on the battlefield is, to a true warrior, the reason to rise each morning. The promise of one, particularly one so beautifully and diametrically opposed, is the validation of his existence.

"The most effective way to kill an opponent is to slice through the man next to him."
Garen, on front line strategy.

For runes i use a tanky build with armor, MR and HP, to recive less damage and hp for better sustain in lane.

I use 21-9-0 i know thats pretty offencive for a tank but i think it helps to give him that little extra damage that secures the kills. It is also possible to go 9-21-0 if you want more deffence but i dont consider that nessesary.

For items you have to really consider the opposing team, normally I start out with Dorans Blade or Dorans shield. depending on who I will have to face in top, if it is a ranged DPS like Caitlyn who will poke me like hell I take Dorans shield, and if it's 1v2 top I also take Dorans shield however if I face someone like Nasus, Singed or Jarvan IV, or don’t have a jungler in my team I go Dorans Blade to facerape anyone who comes to close (with Doran’s Blade your Dececive strikeQ ability does 133 DMG at lvl 1). Depending on how I’m doing on the first trip back I buy, Boots, 2 Long Swords/ The Brutalizer if I’m doing well. If I’m experiencing a lot of harass I prefer to bur Chain mail or if I got the money Giants belt for Sunfire Aegis. In a game where I get some early kills or a lot of harassment on the enemy I would go for Boots of Swiftness and The Brutalizer quickly to keep up the harassment and also get a little CD reduction, after The Brutalizer I will get my Sunfire Aegis. When I have those items I will look at the enemy team and figure out if I should get Warmogs armor or Force of Nature next, almost every time I get Warmog's Armor first, but if against a very caster heavy team u could get Force of Nature. If u get to late game and feel like u keep dieing, take a look at what kind of damage u receive and then get Thornmail or another Force of Nature, if the damage is both Physical and magical u could get a Guardian Angel. And in the very end exchange your damage item for atmas impaler or upgrade to Youmuu's Ghostblade.

For skills I start out with my Decisive StrikeQ to get extra move speed and the extra damage early game, hereafter I get Judgment(E) mainly for farming but later on that will deal a lot of damage and also give u a lot of assists in team fights. Of course I get my ult whenever I can. u have to use your ult to insure those runners or when trynd comes out of endless Rage, my point being that u should save it till the end of a team fight, also since kills is better on your carry’s or casters. Also if u manage to target someone who is on his way back before he uses Flash u will, like any single target spell, hit him even though he is out of range(and probably get a lot of **** or be called a noob, cheater etc.)And that is a lot of fun. Another thing worth mentioning is the other effect of Judgment (W), when you are slowed by exhaust or other slows and use judgment the slow effect wears of instantly (not the slow on attack speed) but it helps to make sure u get out of a sticky situation. The only person who can keep u slowed I Ashe with her frost arrows since she slows all the time and I ******* annoying. The reason I max Courage second I for the damage reduction when it's active, just make sure u use when engaging a team fight and u will take way less damage.

Why Garen is so awesome by himself in top lane. Mostly because of his passive Perseverance which allows him to stay in lane forever, the only drawback to this is that he needs quite some time to regenerate his hp early game, so if he gets low sometimes it’s better to recall then stay in lane, however if both persons get low pretty early you could hide out in brush to get that extra exp. when I play Garen I have a tendency to spend a lot of time in the brush at early levels since this gives me the element of surprise. when hiding in brush you should wait for the enemy to come near the brush and then lead out with Decisive Strike after that you should use your Courage before going into Judgment this will deal a lot of damage and if it doesn't kill the opponent you can just go back into brush, or at that point the enemy should be pretty passive for a while which gives you a lot of free farm. There I a few champions who require a way more offensive tactic in order to win the lane Nasus and Irelia in particular, since they both use life steal for sustain, this is most important with nasus to avoid him farming his Siphoning Strike, you should look at when he is going to last hit and then when he is on his way there go hit him with Decisive Strike (this will piss him off) this only requires that u have a higher move speed than him which should be easy to get with the buff for Decisive Strike

I always, without exception, choose Exhause and Flash.
Exhaust i very usefull to sequre the kills and also be able to catch that carry whos poking the **** out of you, u just Flash in use dececive strike and then Exhaust, then you got a few seconds to give them hell(espicially effective on mages or glasscannons).

Pros
[*] Insane sustain, if you are low hp, just get out of range for at minute and then you will be fine again thanks to his passive.
[*] Awesome damage
[*] nice farming
[*] good at sequring kills
[*] Almost impossible to slow

Cons
[*] easy to poke
[*] if killed a lot early game it can be difficult to come back.

As earlier mentioned Garen is an exceptional farmer and alsmos as soon as you have either The Brutalizer or Sunfire Aegis you can clear a entire minion wave with just Judgment (W). however later on in the game you should be carefull not to steal farm from your teammates since there is a lot of champions who need the farm more than you.

This was my first build so i hope you like it please give comments and imput :).
Also to repeat myself just a little i hope you dont just downvote without atleast reading the build, however if you try it out and it dosen't work for you please comment and say what went worng and what could be better.

Thx.
Summoner name: Sapientum