Gnar is a unique champion in League of Legends. Gnar uses a mechanic called Rage, which allows him to transform when he has 100 Rage. This transformation is called Mega-Gnar, which grants Gnar bonus stats and a new move set. Let’s dive in.

Pros:

• Able to kite enemies
• Good poke with Q (Boomerang Throw)
• Great teamfighter
• Strong Crowd Control
• Can alter playstyle (Farming or Aggressive)
• Does not rely on Mana/Energy

Cons:

• Can be difficult to maintain a form
• Mega-Gnar isn’t great for dueling
• Long cooldowns for Mega-Gnar

Abilities

Gnar’s skill order is always the same. Always start with Q so you can poke. Then W for the dueling power. Then grab E, which is your movement skill. In maxing order, it is R > Q > W > E.

Passive: Rage Gene

Gnar’s base movement speed and attack range increase every level. While in combat, Gnar gains Rage. Once Gnar reaches 100 Rage, Gnar can transform into Mega-Gnar. When at 100 Rage, Gnar will transform after casting an ability or waiting for 4 seconds. Once transformed, Gnar gains new abilities. After 15 seconds, Mega-Gnar will transform back into Gnar and he will not generate Rage for 15 seconds.

While in Mega-Gnar form, he has increased base attack damage, health, armor, and magic resistance. He also has his attack range reduced to 175 and his base movement speed reduced to 325. Gnar heals himself with this increase to his health.

Q: Boomerang Throw

Gnar throws a skillshot in a line that will slow hit enemies. After the boomerang hits an enemy or goes its max distance, it will return with an active hitbox. Enemies can only be hit once from a cast of Boomerang Throw. If Gnar catches his boomerang on its return, its cooldown will be reduced.

Q: Boulder Toss

While playing as Mega-Gnar, your Q becomes Boulder Toss. Boulder Toss throws a skillshot that will deal damage and slow an enemy when hit. Unlike Boomerang Toss, Boulder Toss will not return to you. It will however, land on the ground. If Mega-Gnar picks the boulder up, it will reduce the cooldown for Boulder Toss.

W: Hyper

Hyper is a passive ability that gives enemies a mark after every auto attack or ability that hits them. Every third mark will deal damage and grant Gnar bonus movement speed. Gnar also gains Hyper’s bonus movement speed when he transforms back to Gnar from Mega-Gnar.

W: Wallop

While in Mega-Gnar form, you gain the ability Wallop. This ability stuns and damages enemies hit in the target direction.

E: Hop

Gnar can leap to a location, dealing damage and gaining bonus attack speed for 3 seconds. If Gnar lands on a champion, minion, or neutral monster, he will bounce off for additional distance in the same direction. Hop will slow enemies for a short time stuck by it.

E: Crunch

Mega-Gnar will leap to a target location, dealing damage and slowing on impact. If Gnar uses his Crunch to transform, Gnar will still bounce, as if he used Hop.

R: GNAR!

Gnar gains a passive that increases the cooldown when Gnar catches his Boomerang Throw and increases the bonus movement speed from Hyper.

While in Mega-Gnar form, Gnar gains an Active ultimate. Gnar can knock enemies in a target direction, dealing damage and slowing them. If an enemy is knocked into a wall, they take bonus damage and become stunned instead of slowed.

Summoner Spells

Flash is a go-to summoner spell for most champions. The ability to transport yourself a small distance might not sound great, but it could be the difference between life and death. Whether you’re Flashing to secure a kill or to escape an enemy, Flash is a valuable spell.

Teleport has been the meta top lane summoner spell for ages. Crossing the map within seconds is an incredible spell for a tank or bruiser to have. A champion with Teleport can target ally minions, towers, and wards. Teleport can help secure Dragon/Baron or turn the tables in a teamfight.

Runes and Masteries

For Runes, the general setup is 3 attack damage Quints, 9 armor Seals, 9 magic resist Glyphs, and 9 attack damage Marks. If you’re facing an ability power top laner, or the enemy team is heavy on magic damage, you can switch the armor Seals for health per level. Going attack damage Quints and Marks allows you to build more tanky while still allowing you to pressure your lane opponent.

Masteries are straightforward. Fervor is the best option for Gnar because it helps him duel enemy champions. Using the Resolve tree allows Gnar to gain extra defensive stats. The reason I don’t use Grasp of the Undying is because Gnar spends a lot of time in his mini form, where Grasp only grants half the heal because he’s ranged. Fervor will work in both forms and will add extra pressure.

Starting Items

Doran’s Blade with one health pot is a common start for Gnar. This start allows Gnar to pressure his opponent early and snowball into mid-game.

Doran’s Shield and one health pot is a good option if you’re facing a high poke lane. This start will help you survive until mid-game without missing experience.

End Game Items

Black Cleaver is Gnar’s best item. Black Cleaver offers health, attack damage, and cooldown reduction. It also gives a passive that peels their armor away and grants movement speed upon hitting your opponent.

Frozen Mallet is also a great item for Gnar, granting health and attack damage. The passive from Frozen Mallet allows Gnar to kite him enemies by slowing them on hit.

Spirit Visage is a great tool for facing Ability Power champions. One of the best defensive items in the game, the passive will synergize well with your ultimate, increasing the amount you heal.

Randuin’s Omen will stop any attack damage champion from trading with you by protecting you from critical strikes and gives an attack speed reduction to enemies that hit you that will help you win fights. The icing on the cake is the movement speed reduction active, which will prevent enemies from escaping once you Crunch in.

Situational Items

Ninja Tabi and Mercury’s Treads are a toss-up, depending on the lane matchup. I prefer Mercury’s Treads for the Tenacity. Also, the only magic resist item you’ll be buying is Spirit Visage, so the magic resist will help if the ability power is high on the enemy team. Ninja Tabi is a core item when facing a strong attack damage team that relies on auto attacks.

Thornmail is a strong item if the attack damage carries are doing too much damage. This can help you deal with their damage, but you typically will not have to use it.

Gargoyle Stoneplate is an item you should only get if you’re far ahead and your team is built for teamfighting. This item gives so many situational bonuses, but can be lackluster if you cannot trigger the passive abilities.

Laning Phase

While in lane, you want to poke away at your opponent’s health. In most cases, they will be melee, making it easier for you to fight safely. Using Boomerang Toss to add a stack of Hyper is key for trading. With proper warding, Hop will guarantee that any gank against you will become null and void. If needed, use Teleport to help another lane, or secure a dragon. Avoid fighting before level six if you are Mega-Gnar. Although he has increased stats, his cooldowns are low and he loses Hyper’s damage.

Teamfighting

Gnar excels in close-quarter teamfights. Timing when you transform into Mega-Gnar is crucial. The enemy team will notice when you transform back into Gnar, so be careful. While in Mini-Gnar form, your teamfighting potential falls off. To secure a good ultimate, use Hop when you have 100 Rage. Bouncing off a target and moving forward will throw your opponents off-guard and leave them vulnerable to your hard crowd control. Once you land your ultimate, use Wallop to secure the enemies in place.

Conclusion

Gnar is a tanky teamfighting machine. The ability to transform from ranged to melee is a rare feature in League of Legends. With the right team composition, Gnar can completely dominate. Learning the max range on Boomerang Toss and how to change the direction it returns are things that separate good Gnar players from bad ones. Now go SMASH the Rift!

Like our content? Support us by getting our merchandise in our shop