I got Master maining post-nerf Rengar, AMA

[quote=SpawnOfHell][quote=Mowen]How do you play against Teemo top? Or in general when you have a poor matchup top? I played against a Teemo and got completely wrecked. I've also played against Rivens and I can kill them at level 2 but then after they hit 6 I feel like I can't do anything anyways?[/quote] Start [[doran's shield]], rush [[spectre's cowl]] and [[sunfire cape]] and max [[battle roar]]. I don't usually endorse maxing W first but there is almost no point in ever trying to fight [[teemo]] so you should just shove the wave to his turret 24/7 and roam mid for kills. [[teemo]] can't outpush unless he plants mushrooms on the minion wave and falls off if you don't feed him. Taking [[teleport]] is also essential. [[riven]] is nearly impossible to beat if you build full glass cannon. Start [[cloth armor]], rush [[sunfire cape]] and use [[empowered battle roar]] to harass her. Unless you get ganked or cheesed and fall behind your sustain and tankiness will eventually force her out of lane repeatedly. Always wait for her to engage on you first and don't try to Q until after she stuns you. [quote=Mowen]I feel like Rengar is usually seen as a lane bully, and he feels pretty useless if he gets behind since he can't burst people. So I really struggle with the unfavorable matchups.[/quote] Sometimes you just have to concede that you can't reach the assassin dream and become the team's bruiser/initiation. I used to have a much more feast/famine playstyle by always building glass and taking [[ignite]] top but since I found that [[rengar]] can do more than just blow up a carry then die afterwards I've had much more success. Even though my kda has suffered I look back at my wins and see that I always have most damage taken in the game and contributed to teamfights as an unkillable threat and I can give myself a pat on the back :) [quote=Mowen]Also, thanks for doing this. :) Rengar is one of my favorite champs so I was so happy to see this![/quote] No problem :) [quote=Roguish Bard]What unfavorable top lane match ups should I avoid with Rengar? I used to love playing him top lane before he was "reworked" and have been afraid to since. I recall Renekton being the worst. Probably still is?[/quote] There are very few lanes you can't at least stalemate just by building resistances and sustaining with W but strong early game bullies like [[darius]] can still put you behind by zoning you away from minions. [[renekton]] is difficult but as long as you don't build full glass cannon he shouldn't ever kill you by himself and you outscale him later. I think [[darius]] is [[rengar]]'s worst matchup at top because he can kill you even if you build tank and you can't escape his [[apprehend]] unless you ult or [[flash]]. [[olaf]] is another horrible matchup since he can build full tank, harass and permaslow with [[undertow]] and eat through your resistances with true damage.[/quote]

[quote=Mowen]Amazing answers, thank you! <3 I hadn't tried bruiser Rengar in a long time. I will be sure to give it a whirl next time I end up in an unfavorable matchup. :) Also agree with your answer to Roguish Bard... freaking Darius...[/quote]

[quote=Janitsu]How well do you sleep at nights knowing that you are as bad of a person as Vapeda Bank? Does the hate of the whole playerbase burden you? And seriously, what are some nifty top lane tricks that can win your lane and what are the things that often lose the lane for the toplane? How to play when behind and how to play when ahead?[/quote]

[quote=SpawnOfHell][quote=Janitsu]How well do you sleep at nights knowing that you are as bad of a person as Vapeda Bank?[/quote] I dont [quote=Janitsu]Does the hate of the whole playerbase burden you?[/quote] I live off the salt of marksmen's tears >:) [quote=Janitsu]And seriously, what are some nifty top lane tricks that can win your lane and what are the things that often lose the lane for the toplane? How to play when behind and how to play when ahead?[/quote] Knowing when to push and when to freeze lane is infinitely more important than killing your opposing laner. If you know how to control lane, you can take advantage of the minion waves to give yourself a huge level advantage. I've managed to get over two levels worth of exp over the opposing top lane just by freezing the wave and zoning. Never take risks assuming the jungler is somewhere else. Always check the map for their presence at all times and don't ever try to all-in for a kill if you have no idea where they are (unless, of course, you can kill them within two seconds and get out asap). I've lost so many lanes I should've won just because I hoped that the jungler was somewhere else- and I was wrong. This goes for all roles but I see a lot of top laners in particular throw themselves into certain death for the possibility of a kill. Don't do that, especially if it's a 2v1 situation since the surviving teammate can shove the wave to your turret and make you lose a ton of farm. If you're behind the best thing you can do is not push and make efficient use of your gold. Skip/delay items that require extremely expensive components and, assuming you're not a carry/assassin, prioritize the resistances you need. Don't put yourself in harm's way just for a couple of cs. When you're ahead you should try to destroy the outer tower so that you can roam easily and bring your advantage to other lanes. Bad top laners keep their advantage locked up at top lane while their teammates suffer to the point that their kills become worthless.[/quote]

[quote=Janitsu][quote=SpawnOfHell][quote=Janitsu]How well do you sleep at nights knowing that you are as bad of a person as Vapeda Bank?[/quote] I dont [quote=Janitsu]Does the hate of the whole playerbase burden you?[/quote] I live off the salt of marksmen's tears >:) [quote=Janitsu]And seriously, what are some nifty top lane tricks that can win your lane and what are the things that often lose the lane for the toplane? How to play when behind and how to play when ahead?[/quote] Knowing when to push and when to freeze lane is infinitely more important than killing your opposing laner. If you know how to control lane, you can take advantage of the minion waves to give yourself a huge level advantage. I've managed to get over two levels worth of exp over the opposing top lane just by freezing the wave and zoning. Never take risks assuming the jungler is somewhere else. Always check the map for their presence at all times and don't ever try to all-in for a kill if you have no idea where they are (unless, of course, you can kill them within two seconds and get out asap). I've lost so many lanes I should've won just because I hoped that the jungler was somewhere else- and I was wrong. This goes for all roles but I see a lot of top laners in particular throw themselves into certain death for the possibility of a kill. Don't do that, especially if it's a 2v1 situation since the surviving teammate can shove the wave to your turret and make you lose a ton of farm. If you're behind the best thing you can do is not push and make efficient use of your gold. Skip/delay items that require extremely expensive components and, assuming you're not a carry/assassin, prioritize the resistances you need. Don't put yourself in harm's way just for a couple of cs. When you're ahead you should try to destroy the outer tower so that you can roam easily and bring your advantage to other lanes. Bad top laners keep their advantage locked up at top lane while their teammates suffer to the point that their kills become worthless.[/quote] Great, thanks! Now you guys can wait for my "I got to Challenger only by playing [[Irelia]]/[[tahm kench]]" -thread Kappa[/quote]

[quote=VexRoth][quote=SpawnOfHell] [quote=Janitsu]And seriously, what are some nifty top lane tricks that can win your lane and what are the things that often lose the lane for the toplane? How to play when behind and how to play when ahead?[/quote] Knowing when to push and when to freeze lane is infinitely more important than killing your opposing laner. If you know how to control lane, you can take advantage of the minion waves to give yourself a huge level advantage. I've managed to get over two levels worth of exp over the opposing top lane just by freezing the wave and zoning. Never take risks assuming the jungler is somewhere else. Always check the map for their presence at all times and don't ever try to all-in for a kill if you have no idea where they are (unless, of course, you can kill them within two seconds and get out asap). I've lost so many lanes I should've won just because I hoped that the jungler was somewhere else- and I was wrong. This goes for all roles but I see a lot of top laners in particular throw themselves into certain death for the possibility of a kill. Don't do that, especially if it's a 2v1 situation since the surviving teammate can shove the wave to your turret and make you lose a ton of farm. If you're behind the best thing you can do is not push and make efficient use of your gold. Skip/delay items that require extremely expensive components and, assuming you're not a carry/assassin, prioritize the resistances you need. Don't put yourself in harm's way just for a couple of cs. When you're ahead you should try to destroy the outer tower so that you can roam easily and bring your advantage to other lanes. Bad top laners keep their advantage locked up at top lane while their teammates suffer to the point that their kills become worthless.[/quote] Good stuff. I don't play a lot of top lane, but I do play some Bot lane and I don't know how many times I or my ADC has gone aggro on the enemy laners only to find out that their jungler is sitting in a bush either in the lane or in the river. it is hard to communicate just be chill in lane if you don't know where the enemy jungler is. Everyone wants to get a leg up and get their tower so they have inflated kill numbers and can rotate. Which is good on the face of it, but sometimes not giving away a kill is just as important as getting one, especially as you mention with the danger of your opponents just being able to push down your tower after you die. Re freezing and pushing. How do you approach when to do either? Wave management is still something I'm trying to wrap my head around.[/quote]

[quote=The Giratina]Do you think full ad instaburst .000001 second Kitty is dead? Also, when do you call for splitting then joining teamfights? I would call my self a decent Rengar, and I carried my self to silver through Topgar. Although now Im thinking jungle is pretty much the only way now.[/quote]

[quote=SpawnOfHell][quote=The Giratina]Do you think full ad instaburst .000001 second Kitty is dead? Also, when do you call for splitting then joining teamfights? I would call my self a decent Rengar, and I carried my self to silver through Topgar. Although now Im thinking jungle is pretty much the only way now.[/quote] Burst-gar isn't dead. Much weaker though and terrible in lane. If you have [[teleport]] then splitpush whenever and wherever you can. You can use your ult then tp while stealthing and you'll get into the teamfight already invisible. If you're jungling you shouldn't split two lanes away i.e. don't be top when your team is bot. Tell your teammates to avoid engaging a fight and if the enemy initiates then do their best to disengage.[/quote]