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Gnar's itemization.

Leila··1 votes·1,220 views

Gnar , arguably the only ranged top bruiser in the game currently, does not have a very good itemization or keystone mastery choice. Simply because as a bruiser just like any other top lane champions, Gnar does not enjoy those "Melee Only" benefit from items such as item 3742 item 3124 item 3748 item 3074 or masteries such as Grasp of the Undyling and Fervor of Battle. Although you can argue that Gnar will be in his mini form 70% of the time, mini Gnar have one of the lowest health regen, lowest armor in the game. I understand that Gnar is designed to be squishy and untouchable while mini, powerful and immobile while mega, but Gnar's hop have 18 second cool down compared to melee champions with gap closer with less cool down than that, and 10 second cool down for his boomerang (20 second if failed to catch it) level 1. With Gnar's low base scaling, even with the Mega Gnar bonus it just feels like Gnar is finally on par with the enemy champion. Gnar is not a weak champion by any means (even with the 48% overall win rate), but currently Gnar's itemization feels very limited, I feel like item 3071 item 3022 are the only core items that would be approperiate on a bruiser Gnar build, since we created item 3147 to allow more item diversity for ad assassins, should we show some love for Gnar as well?

13 Comments

Guyy Fieri2 votes

Lol.

Grasp of the Undying is stupid OP on Gnar. Most top laners have to be in melee range to proc it, Gnar doesn't. Not to mention, the burst of a Grasp proc, a Boomerang and two autos (which happen to proc the Hyper passive) is just silly.)

As far as itemization goes, I only ever build one damage item. Usually it is frozen mallet. Frozen mallet is all you need because your goal should be long extended trades while in mini form (since your slow from Frozen Mallet will grant you the ability to just unleash AA after AA. Then, either your opponent backs giving you a free lane or they stay and then you turn into mega Gnar and finish off the kill. After Frozen Mallet, I build tanky. Some combination of Randuin's Omen, Sunfire Cape, Banshee's Viel, Spirit Visage or Warmog's is usually my route. Although Sterak's Gage I find is really good on his as well. Itemize your tank items to the matchup (crit based ADC, build Randuin's, need wave clear to split push, Sunfire, going against a pick comp, Banshee's Viel).

Yes there are builds that you could go full DPS and do ok. But you don't need it. Gnar is a tank and should be played like one. He just so happens to be able to act like a marksman at times.

Hollabakatchya1 votes

{quoted}

Lol.

Grasp of the Undying is stupid OP on Gnar. Most top laners have to be in melee range to proc it, Gnar doesn't. Not to mention, the burst of a Grasp proc, a Boomerang and two autos (which happen to proc the Hyper passive) is just silly.)

As far as itemization goes, I only ever build one damage item. Usually it is frozen mallet. Frozen mallet is all you need because your goal should be long extended trades while in mini form (since your slow from Frozen Mallet will grant you the ability to just unleash AA after AA. Then, either your opponent backs giving you a free lane or they stay and then you turn into mega Gnar and finish off the kill. After Frozen Mallet, I build tanky. Some combination of Randuin's Omen, Sunfire Cape, Banshee's Viel, Spirit Visage or Warmog's is usually my route. Although Sterak's Gage I find is really good on his as well. Itemize your tank items to the matchup (crit based ADC, build Randuin's, need wave clear to split push, Sunfire, going against a pick comp, Banshee's Viel).

Yes there are builds that you could go full DPS and do ok. But you don't need it. Gnar is a tank and should be played like one. He just so happens to be able to act like a marksman at times.

^This. Taking Grasp as your keystone makes is basically impossible for you to be pushed out of lane. If you really want to, sometimes I build item 3153 to kite more mobile top laners with or just to have fun. Honestly once you build standard tank items and have decent positioning you can poop on almost anyone.

Leila1 votes

Grasp of Undying will heal you for 1.5% of your max health if you are ranged, which would be around 6-10 health with already low base health and health per level mini Gnar have. I do agree that Gnar is pretty strong right now, I have 60% win rate with him in ranked, and 200k mastery point for gnar, it is just don't make sense to me that riot gave melee such advantage on items and mastery even though melee champion already have more gap closer or naturally better tankiness to make up the range disadvantage of being melee.

Guyy Fieri1 votes

There is only one top laner that has given me trouble consistently as Gnar in this current and that Fiora. Fiora is supposed to though as she's the grand duelist and is literally built for the 1 v 1.

And there's a legitimate reason why the heal is less for rsnged champions. It is so much easier for ranged to proc grasp than for melee. I wager in my Gnar games, I proc grasp over twice as much as my enemy laner.

But if that doesn't suffice, you can always go Thunderlords and increase your burst damage. Go ahead, try it and see if you have more success that with grasp. I haven't. Grasp is OP on Gnar.

Guyy Fieri2 votes

I used to rush BORK on Gnar. Then I discovered Frozen Mallet and have had so much more fun than I ever did with BORK.

Guyy Fieri1 votes

Also, Guinsoo's is not a melee only item. Don't know where you got that idea. Also pretty sure DMP isn't a melee only either. I thought it was only the Hydras that were melee only.

Leila1 votes

Melee champion such as Irelia and Jax can stack Guinsoo's rageblade with 4 normal attack before all in you, while Gnar needs 8, and I did state those because Gnar can't use them as a bruiser because he is ranged.

Guyy Fieri1 votes

laat I checked, rageblade took 8 attacks to stack no matter what. I play Aatrox with it and I never remember it being fully stacked with 4 attacks.

EvilRabbitt1 votes

It takes 4 with melee, 8 with ranged. Its fast on Kog maw, and the change was made because ranged characters were abusing it- same thing as Sated Devourer. Not sure which patch it was, but it was noted in almost the exact same manner as devourer.

Guyy Fieri1 votes

Semantics of rage blade aside, why would anyone want it on him anyway? Attack speed really doesn't help him and by the times its stacked, you're sure to be mega (or damn close) and then you have no AP scalings. Yeah sure once you go back to mini you can wreck for fifteen seconds until you stack you rage bar but I feel like that's incidental and not really worth it.

EvilRabbitt1 votes

Might be for a gimmick build. What I normally hear for Gnar is this in lower elos: item 3078 item 3022 item 3812 item 3083 item 3111 item 3065 . Apparently tons of hp and good bruiser damage along with a high amount of mitigation for magic damage. Strangely, I never hear people buy armor items...

Guyy Fieri1 votes

True. You could absolutely go with cheese build and go Rageblade, Runaans Hurricane, Nashor's, those type of items. I guess if we're talking legitimate strats tho...

Guyy Fieri1 votes

laat I checked, rageblade took 8 attacks to stack no matter what. I play Aatrox with it and I never remember it being fully stacked with 4 attacks.

And Gnar can absolutely use DMP, he just can't use the hydras, and I'm not too worried about that imo, there are other good items for him.

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