Gnar vs Garen TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Garen

Gnar vs Garen

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Use mini form range to poke and kite Garen, denying him easy short trades and passive health recovery.
Control the lane by managing Rage for mega form engages and leveraging terrain for your (R) wall stun.
This is a control matchup where Gnar must pressure and prevent Garen from safely scaling through short trades.

Trading pattern

Harass with mini form (Q) and (W), then kite with (E) to avoid (Q) silence and (E) spin damage.
Punish Garen after he uses (Q) silence by stepping forward for extended trades while his gap closer is down.
Use mega form CC and durability to counter Garen's short trades and force him back.

Danger windows

Be cautious when (Q) silence is up, as it can deny your (E) escape and (W) poke.
Mini form without (E) down is vulnerable to Garen's all-in trades; avoid fighting in this state.
After mega form expires, your lack of hard CC and durability leaves you open to Garen's short trades and execute.

Early game

Focus on ranged poke with (Q) and (W) in mini form to chip Garen without letting him silence you with (Q).
Avoid fighting without (E) available, as Garen can punish your lack of escape.
Time your Rage buildup to reach mega form before Garen hits level 6 to counter his execute threat.

Power spikes

At level 6, use Rage-timed mega form with (R) near terrain to turn fights and punish Garen's execute window.
Respect Garen's level 6 (R) execute by avoiding low health trades and engaging only with mega form ready.
Your controlled Rage before objectives creates durable engage and layered CC that Garen must respect.

Win conditions

Win by using mini form range to chip and kite, denying Garen short trades and passive healing.
Manage Rage to enter mega form with full crowd control near terrain for impactful engages and teamfights.
Exploit Garen's predictable engage pattern by punishing his (Q) cooldown and fighting when mega form is active.