Boards›Gameplay

Garen, in need of a rework?

BloodMatrix·2/15/2019, 5:38:59 PM·4 votes·6,355 views

I’ve noticed a trend recently where Garen has been picked as a counter to just about any champ I play toplane. Maybe I’m just unlucky with how often I get first pick top, but I feel like the only way I can win lane against him is with a hard counter if* I pick last. Half the time I lose outright, and the other half my jungle underestimates him and ends up getting killed. I would ban him, except for the fact that illaoi is my nemesis and she’s a lot better for team comps late so I ban her. My thoughts/questions are these:

has garen become the go to top lane in low Elo (majority of players) games because he is mechanically simple? ( AA buff on q, stat boost on w, Spin to win on e, and point and click execute on R) * oh yeah and 3 passives.*
If you agree, what are some ways you think a rework would balance him out?
if you think he’s fine, what are some tips and tricks I can use to not only survive lane, but embarrass him along the way when he tries to counter pick me.

11 Comments

Daddy ReTaric2/15/2019, 5:42:47 PM9 votes

Trynd is more in need of a rework.

DarwinTheory2/15/2019, 5:48:09 PM7 votes

Listen to this secret.......

Garen has 9/10 odd second CDs on his abilities at low levels. Far longer than most. Especially his W which is like 16 seconds.

And slow auto speeds.

Try not running when his USELESS low level spin hits you. Instead auto him. Cc him. Use your abilities whilst his are on CD. You'll outdamage him.

Basically face check him with pressure. He folds.

Thank me later. Why am I telling you this? Because I can. I don't climb by winning the lane anymore so I lose nothing telling you this secret. But if it helps prevent a Garen nerf I'll do it.

Critmaster Garen2/16/2019, 6:26:13 AM5 votes

he is weak early and needs a massive lategame buff.

just let him chose the villain himself when he gets his rank 3 ult.

SMOKE THIS2/16/2019, 6:22:20 AM4 votes

Garen is easy to play and easy to play against. Maybe it's that that he happens to fare well against the champions you like to pick. Just try to bait out his Q. Then attack when it's on CD.

SirGank2/15/2019, 6:15:20 PM4 votes

I don't think he needs any major rework or anything, but I've never been a fan of how his villain passive is.

I don't know how everyone else feels about it, but generally people I talk to dislike it. Feels horrible when you're doing well and he can just come in and punish you for that. Or the flip side, where the person you most want to be the villain, isn't. I rather this ability be tweaked but any change would be polarizing.

Like if you get hit with 3 attacks or abilities, including each tick of his spin, you get a villain mark on your head. He would be able to choose the villain and there would be ways to avoid becoming one. Even Spicier, you may have multiple villains if you stick to people with his spin. Would be interesting but definitely cause friction.

GreenKnight2/15/2019, 5:56:12 PM4 votes

No, enough with the fucking reworks.

Daddy Ants2/16/2019, 11:29:24 AM3 votes

Garen needs a lot of his training wheels / Noob friendly mechanics removed from his kit and some skill expression added to differentiate a good Garen from a beginner Garen.

Sustain? Check Ability to remove Slows? Check Movement speed? Check Execute Damage? Check Armor Shred? Check Silence? Check Damage reduction? Check Tenacity? Check

sneakydoug2/16/2019, 4:03:58 AM3 votes

Garen does not need a rework. He’s mechanically simple with definite strengths and weaknesses. And that’s a great champ to have. Not every champ needs to be complex. Some people enjoy playing “simple” champs. And they should be allowed to.

You don’t want to get stomped by Garen in lane? Use range. Hug your tower. Stay near minions when he spins, you take less damage AND he shoves the lane, so it’s easier for farming for you. Most importantly just go home to base if you feel an incoming ignite + all in. He eventually loses the game if he doesn’t get early kills.

Greenette2/16/2019, 4:16:59 AM3 votes

I like Garen as is but I wouldn't say no to a small redesign around his ult/e/passive, changing the other parts would take away his whole dauntless vanguard theme. He would need a rework though because any buffs to him would just make him an even more impressive low elo champ without touching his viability in high elo.

Early game his E deals very low damage but standing in it for 4 ticks will shred 25% of your armor, so do run and do not try to tank it. He will usually max Q first but it's not super uncommon to max E first, you'll know which he's chosen based on the Q damage, but again do not tank his E unless you're going to kill him. The damage increases based on champion level in addition to spell rank so it will continue to scale even if he's maxing Q.

He struggles to kill tanks with disengage tools like Malphite Shen Chogath but if they engage he punishes them hard. Melee duelists like Fiora MonkeyKing Riven have to deny his damage with their cc or utility to win or he will out sustain them, which is actually how you can reliably win lane against him. Buy item 1054 and if you have spare gold on your first back buy a item 1006 , he usually can't 1-100 someone in lane unless they misplay horribly, he needs to prep them with trades so any form of regen or healing will help your lane phase.

Your best bet is picking a ranged champ or a champ with multiple slows. He has a single tool to get on top of you and if he needs to save it for an escape he's unable to win trades. A word of warning though, if you pick a counter champ into Garen you need to know how to punish properly. Picking Jayce Gnar Pantheon and especially Teemo without knowing how to play them or how to punish and freeze is asking to be overwhelmed and outscaled.

These are my suggested counters, left is impossible right is moderate according to my own opinion. Quinn Urgot Kennen Lissandra Kled Viktor Yorick Camille

There are more but I tend to struggle vs these guys especially. Also, for those who still don't know item 3155 still negates all the damage of his ult unless you're the villain which will always be true damage.