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Garen Counters: Best Champions & Strategies to Beat Garen
Introduction:
Garen, the Might of Demacia, is a top lane powerhouse in League of Legends. Known for his tankiness, sustainability, and damage output, Garen can be a nightmare to deal with if not countered properly. In this article, we will explore the best Garen counters to help you effectively deal with him in the top lane.
Why is Garen So Strong?
Before diving into the counters, it’s important to understand why Garen is such a strong champion. His passive healing, tankiness, and high burst damage through his ultimate, Demacian Justice, make him a tough opponent. His Q (Decisive Strike) allows him to close the gap, while his E (Judgment) can deal significant damage in close-range trades. The combination of his kit makes Garen very difficult to outplay without proper strategy.
Top 5 Garen Counters to Dominate the Top Lane
1. Kayle – The Ranged Powerhouse
Strengths: Ranged attacks, scaling into a powerful late-game presence.
Why She Counters Garen:
Kayle’s range and scaling damage make her one of the best Garen counters. Early in the game, Garen has the advantage in trades due to his all-in potential. However, as Kayle reaches higher levels, she becomes a significant threat to Garen. Her ranged attacks and healing make it hard for Garen to engage, and her ultimate provides protection against Garen’s burst.
How to Play Against Garen as Kayle:
Focus on kiting Garen and avoid his all-ins.
Use your range advantage to poke him in the early game.
Scale into the late game, where you can out-damage Garen.
2. Camille – The Mobility Master
Strengths: High mobility, true damage, and strong dueling capabilities.
Why She Counters Garen:
Camille’s mobility, true damage, and crowd control make her an excellent counter to Garen. She can dodge Garen’s Q and E abilities, while her true damage from Precision Protocol allows her to deal with his tankiness. Camille can also use her Ultimate (The Hextech Ultimatum) to lock Garen down and negate his escape.
How to Play Against Garen as Camille:
Take advantage of your mobility to avoid Garen’s burst.
Engage and disengage effectively using your dash abilities.
Use true damage to cut through Garen’s resistances.
3. Cho’Gath – The Tank with Crowd Control
Strengths: Tankiness, crowd control, and sustain.
Why He Counters Garen:
Cho’Gath is a great Garen counter due to his sustain and crowd control. His R (Feast) provides a significant threat to Garen, especially when he’s at low health. Cho’Gath’s Vorpal Spikes and rupture can interrupt Garen’s combos, making him less effective in extended trades.
How to Play Against Garen as Cho’Gath:
Use rupture to prevent Garen from engaging.
Tank Garen’s damage and trade with your sustain.
Use Feast to silence Garen and reduce his healing.
4. Vayne – The True Damage Dealer
Strengths: High mobility, true damage, and scaling damage output.
Why She Counters Garen:
Vayne’s mobility and true damage make her one of the best Garen counters in the game. She can easily dodge Garen’s abilities with her Q (Tumble) and deal substantial damage with her Silver Bolts. Vayne can outplay Garen by avoiding his attacks and dealing true damage to bypass his tankiness.
How to Play Against Garen as Vayne:
Use your mobility to avoid Garen’s abilities.
Poke him with Silver Bolts and keep your distance.
Play for late game, where Vayne excels in dueling.
5. Teemo – The Annoying Ranged Pest
Strengths: High sustain, damage output, and crowd control.
Why He Counters Garen:
Teemo’s blind mechanic from his Q (Blinding Dart) makes it difficult for Garen to trade effectively, as he relies on basic attacks to deal damage. Teemo’s range and poison also chip away at Garen’s health, preventing him from sustaining as effectively in the lane.
How to Play Against Garen as Teemo:
Use your range to poke Garen early on.
Use blind to stop him from landing successful auto-attacks.
Play aggressively in the early game to prevent Garen from scaling.
General Tips to Counter Garen
Avoid Extended Trades: Garen thrives in prolonged engagements thanks to his passive healing. Opt for short bursts of damage and disengage quickly.
Manage Garen’s Passive: Garen’s passive, Perseverance, grants him significant healing when he is not taking damage. Try to poke him when his passive is down.
Watch Out for His Ultimate: Garen’s Demacian Justice executes enemies below a certain health threshold. Always keep track of your health to avoid being finished off by his ultimate.
Build Grievous Wounds: If Garen is healing too much, consider building Executioner’s Calling or Bramble Vest to reduce his healing output.
Best Items to Counter Garen
Executioner’s Calling: Reduces Garen’s healing by applying Grievous Wounds.
Thornmail: Reflects some of Garen’s damage and applies Grievous Wounds.
Frozen Heart: Reduces Garen’s attack speed, preventing him from dealing as much damage.
Zhonya’s Hourglass: Use it to stun Garen when he tries to execute you with his ultimate.
Conclusion: How to Effectively Counter Garen
To effectively counter Garen, you need to take advantage of champions with ranged poke, crowd control, or true damage. Understanding Garen’s strengths and weaknesses is crucial in outplaying him. With the right champions and item builds, you can stop Garen’s snowball and dominate the top lane.
By following these tips and selecting the best Garen counters, you can become a formidable force in your League of Legends matches.
