Bash Bros: The Gnarly Gnarvan Combo
Riot·2/19/2015, 10:03:38 PM·0 votes·5,988 views
Unlikely friends. Unruly allies. Unkillable monsters that just want to see the world burn. The most popular champion combo in the LCS is a complex couple that thrives in the current brawly meta. Let's take a look at what makes Gnar and Jarvan IV such reliable bash bros.
Before we dive in, though, let's get our terminology straight. Like a juicy tabloid exposé, the community has created a short name that combines the couple into one adorable word: Gnarvan.
So we know they're popular, but are they still winning constantly? Not really. The combo hasn't had a winning LCS record since Week 1, with current win rates sitting at 50% for Gnarvan and Gnar, and 55% for Jarvan IV.
However, that doesn't mean the combo is weak -- just that it has weaknesses, which is good. Players have learned how to counter it, and we'll want to know how to do that too if we're going to play it.
But where this duo truly shines is in teamfights. Gnar's biggest threat is his ultimate ability Gnar! which lets him smack all enemy champions around him in a specific direction, slowing them. It's a fine AoE effect, but what makes it exceptional is that the enemy champions are all stunned, instead of slowed, if they collide with terrain.
The problem, of course, is that the enemy team knows this, so they'll rarely stand near terrain when a Mega Gnar is nearby. It's pretty easy to play around, especially since opponents can see Gnar's rage bar and predict when he will transform and have his ultimate available. If only there was some way to make sure the enemy team was all standing right next to terrain...
Enter Jarvan IV, the Exemplar of Demacia who loves nothing more than to jump onto enemies so hard that it cracks the ground around them, creating a temporary circle of terrain. It's made even easier by the fact that Gnar and Jarvan IV both have leaps to engage onto the enemy team together (presumably high-fiving or chest-bumping mid-air as they sail towards their doomed foes).
Round 1, Fight!
Many players were familiar with the individual strength of Gnar and Jarvan IV going into the first week of the LCS. But the pros showed us their true power when they combined them together. After going undefeated as a combo in the first week of the LCS (5-0), at least one of the bash bros has been picked or banned in all 80 of the the LCS matches played to date. Even with bans popping up like crazy, at least one of them has been played in 84% of the matches.
So we know they're popular, but are they still winning constantly? Not really. The combo hasn't had a winning LCS record since Week 1, with current win rates sitting at 50% for Gnarvan and Gnar, and 55% for Jarvan IV.
However, that doesn't mean the combo is weak -- just that it has weaknesses, which is good. Players have learned how to counter it, and we'll want to know how to do that too if we're going to play it.
Primal Aggression
Enough numbers. Let's talk about why the Gnarvan combo works. At the most basic level, both champions are strong because they're tanky bruisers who can jump into fights and deal damage over extended periods of time while their massive health bars keep them alive. And while they're on the frontline, keeping the enemy team busy, their teammates are free to shift around the battlefield and strike the most valuable targets, like that stunned AD carry or trapped mid laner. Gnar is usually played in top lane, where he can kill creeps from range, harass with his Boomerang Throw, and use his Mega Gnar transformation to defend or push objectives. Jarvan IV is usually played in the jungle, where he uses his mobility to set up surprise ganks and his innate tankiness to stay out in the field.
But where this duo truly shines is in teamfights. Gnar's biggest threat is his ultimate ability Gnar! which lets him smack all enemy champions around him in a specific direction, slowing them. It's a fine AoE effect, but what makes it exceptional is that the enemy champions are all stunned, instead of slowed, if they collide with terrain.
The problem, of course, is that the enemy team knows this, so they'll rarely stand near terrain when a Mega Gnar is nearby. It's pretty easy to play around, especially since opponents can see Gnar's rage bar and predict when he will transform and have his ultimate available. If only there was some way to make sure the enemy team was all standing right next to terrain...
Enter Jarvan IV, the Exemplar of Demacia who loves nothing more than to jump onto enemies so hard that it cracks the ground around them, creating a temporary circle of terrain. It's made even easier by the fact that Gnar and Jarvan IV both have leaps to engage onto the enemy team together (presumably high-fiving or chest-bumping mid-air as they sail towards their doomed foes).
Join the Fight Club
It's not surprising that the bash brothers want to team fight all day, every day. And the current meta encourages this -- tanky fighter champions are all the rage and big AoE CC champs like Sion and Lissandra are getting regular play. So if you want to play this combo, there are plenty of good team compositions to try out. Some of my personal favorites that we've seen in the LCS that you can try right now are:- Gnar, Jarvan, Cassiopeia, Draven, Annie
- Gnar, Jarvan, Syndra, Sivir, Leona
- Gnar, Jarvan, Lissandra, Tristana, Janna
