looking to play some galio mid

Very Hard Engage·Mar 16, 2015·2 votes·297 views

i want to pick galio into the following scenarios - katarina, leblanc, fizz, and syndra

my major concern is what does galio build after grail/merc treds.

i also have problems csing on him because hes melee, i really need items to waveclear with spells, but after that im stuck waiting for CD's and im just burning right through his mana pool. dont get me wrong, but even when i focus on csing i still take a lot of poke damage from even a leblanc.

it also raises the question if im not full ap/mr how will i become the major source of my teams damage if im the mid lane and im supposed to be carrying.

i kinda want to add in righteous glory somewhere to get in and make ulting a bit easier.

thoughts on how to effectively play galio mid?

2 Comments

ZarxisMar 16, 20153 votes

Build: You don't have to have MR on every item you buy. Getting at least a little armor is almost essential; I recommend Zhonya's. Spirit Visage is practically core on him because of his ability to heal himself + the MR becomes AP. Abyssal Scepter also synergizes with Galio extremely well.

You don't have to be the best last-hitter in the world as Galio. The first few levels, when you don't have the mana or AP (converted or not) to clear waves with a single QE combo, can indeed be a drag. Galio's base AD isn't that bad... Just work on your last hitting in general. If you think your lane opponent is going to beat on you too much during your attempts to CS with your autoattacks, level your shield first. Survival>CS and kills. Keep in mind that Galio tends to build more tanky items that raw damage, meaning his items can be cheaper and easier to build.

Galio doesn't require you to build nothing but AP and MR to be a major source of damage; his bases damages are decent and his scalings are strong. If you learn to land your ultimate at the proper times, you'll do less net damage than a Ziggs would by spamming, but you'll net kills for your team because they get free damage in on the enemies you taunt.

I'd suggest getting Rod of Ages over Righteous Glory; you already have a speed boost on your E and a boost to your resistances on your W. RoA isn't one of my favorite Galio items, but it does work well with him... It just delays his other items while only giving raw stats. You don't need Catalyst's sustain after you get your Chalice of Harmony; your W provides extreme sustain (try using it on yourself and walking up to meet new enemy minion waves; the minion attacks will heal you a lot).

Don't fret about not being a DPS machine when you play Galio. You're a godlike tank with plenty of utility and damage, but you need that Chalice to get rolling.

Hard4HamstersMar 16, 20152 votes

I honestly like Galio Top better for I don't see Galio as a hard carry and he can make some sweet plays with a good Teleport. Athene's is great on him as he does have mana problems, Merc treads are great for the free ap you get with them but don't count out Sorc Boots as penetration can be better than AP, especially with Galio's great base damages. Abyssal you will get almost every game as it gives nearly 100 AP on Galio and synergizes with his mid range kit. Spirit Visage is good as it synergizes with your W, but don't count out Banshee's as it gives similar stats but with the addition of a spell shield. Zhonya's or Deathcap can be built on Galio but I prefer Deathcap as it gives you that sweet AP boost. My last item I typically go for a Armor Heavy item; my favorite, Thornmail, benefits from Abyssal and Sorcs and you will be taking a lot of auto's in his Ult channel. Oh, but I only have 500 AP. Doesn't matter, Galio's base damages are insane. If you want to take him Mid, he can always work, but as Arrevax pointed out, Galio's early game and last hitting is HARD. Against high damage Assassin's that can punish you for walking up to CS, he is going to have trouble. I agree that Rod of Ages could be subbed in if you are still having problems with Mana, as Athene's just doesn't help enough in the early game, but you will have to find a spot for it, and Galio has long cooldowns so getting a CDR item helps a lot. Since you are taking him Mid, ask your Jungler for Blue throughout the game and that should take care of Mana if you have Chalice/Athene's. Galio's build is much cheaper than most Mid or Top champions, so take advantage of that, you can afford to stay back and miss a few CS because you don't need as much gold as them. Wait for your jungler or other laners to help make a play in Midlane. Always build to the situation especially with Galio as he works with a LOT of items in the game due to his unique scaling.