Garen, Fighter / Tank
Garen, The Might of Demacia, is a Fighter and Tank champion in League of Legends. Everything below comes from Riot's Data Dragon for patch 16.21.1: ability text, base stats and Riot's tips. Counters and matchups by class are worked out from that text, and each one shows its reason.
Playing as Garen
Riot's own tips
Garen's regeneration greatly increases if he can avoid receiving damage for several seconds.
Judgment deals maximum damage when only hitting a single target. For effective trading, try to position such that only the enemy champion is hit.
Garen is only constrained by cooldowns, making items such as Black Cleaver very effective for him.
Playing against Garen
Riot's own tips
Stack armor items to lower the large amount of physical damage that Garen deals out.
Try to run away from Garen as your health gets lower, as he can execute you quickly with Demacian Justice.
Be careful about attacking Garen in brush. It often will lead to taking full damage from Judgment.
Judgment deals maximum damage when only hitting a single target. If getting out of its radius isn't possible, move through allied minions to reduce damage taken.
What the kit does
Analysis read from Riot's ability text. Each line shows the words it rests on.
QSoft crowd control (slow, silence, blind)Decisive Strike: "of all slows affecting him"
- QSilence
Decisive Strike: "damage and silencing them"
PHealing or life stealPerseverance: "he regenerates a percentage"
RExecute or low-health damageDemacian Justice: "attempt to execute an enemy"
EArea damageJudgment: "damage to nearby enemies"
Garen's abilities
Riot's own text and preview clip for each ability, from Riot's Data Dragon, patch 16.21.1. Pick an ability and its clip plays here, muted.
PPassive
Perseverance
If Garen has not recently been struck by damage or enemy abilities, he regenerates a percentage of his total health each second.
Effects in the text
Decisive Strike
Garen gains a burst of Move Speed, breaking free of all slows affecting him. His next attack strikes a vital area of his foe, dealing bonus damage and silencing them.
Effects in the text
WW
Courage
Garen passively increases his Armor and Magic Resist by killing enemies. He may also activate this ability to give him a shield and tenacity for a brief moment followed by a lesser amount of damage reduction for a longer duration.
Effects in the text
EE
Judgment
Garen rapidly spins his sword around his body, dealing physical damage to nearby enemies.
Effects in the text
RR
Demacian Justice
Garen calls upon the might of Demacia to attempt to execute an enemy champion.
Effects in the text
Items and runes that fit Garen
Riot publishes no builds and this page invents none. Below: completed items ranked by how many of the stats Garen's kit uses they give (attack damage (AD) first), the runes whose official text matches the kit, and picks for each enemy type. A fit, not a strength ranking. No win rates.
Closest stat fit
Editorial estimateCompleted items ranked by how many of the stats Garen's kit uses they give. A fit, not a verdict: Riot publishes no builds and no win rates.
Axiom Arc2,750- +55 Attack DamageGaren scales with it
- +18 Lethalityits damage is physical
- +20 Ability Hastecasts abilities often
Bastionbreaker3,000- +55 Attack DamageGaren scales with it
- +18 Lethalityits damage is physical
- +15 Ability Hastecasts abilities often
Hubris2,800- +55 Attack DamageGaren scales with it
- +18 Lethalityits damage is physical
- +10 Ability Hastecasts abilities often
Profane Hydra2,850- +55 Attack DamageGaren scales with it
- +18 Lethalityits damage is physical
- +10 Ability Hastecasts abilities often
Umbral Glaive2,800- +60 Attack DamageGaren scales with it
- +18 Lethalityits damage is physical
- +15 Ability Hastecasts abilities often
Voltaic Cyclosword3,000- +55 Attack DamageGaren scales with it
- +10 Lethalityits damage is physical
- +10 Ability Hastecasts abilities often
More items with the same stat 38
Black Cleaver3,000 gold
Chempunk Chainsword3,000 gold
Death's Dance3,300 gold
Eclipse2,900 gold
Edge of Night3,000 gold
Essence Reaver3,050 gold
Manamune2,900 gold
Maw of Malmortius3,100 gold
Ravenous Hydra3,300 gold
Serpent's Fang2,500 gold
Serylda's Grudge3,000 gold
Sundered Sky3,100 gold
The Collector3,000 gold
Trinity Force3,333 gold
Youmuu's Ghostblade2,800 gold
Blade of The Ruined King3,200 gold
Bloodthirster3,400 gold
Endless Hunger3,100 gold
Experimental Hexplate3,000 gold
Guardian Angel3,200 gold
Guinsoo's Rageblade3,000 gold
Hexoptics C442,800 gold
Hextech Gunblade3,000 gold
Hullbreaker3,000 gold
Immortal Shieldbow3,000 gold
Infinity Edge3,500 gold
Kraken Slayer3,000 gold
Lord Dominik's Regards3,300 gold
Mercurial Scimitar3,200 gold
Mortal Reminder3,000 gold
Overlord's Bloodmail3,300 gold
Spear of Shojin3,100 gold
Statikk Shiv3,000 gold
Stormrazor3,200 gold
Stridebreaker3,300 gold
Terminus3,000 gold
Titanic Hydra3,300 gold
Yun Tal Wildarrows3,000 goldBoots
Rune fits
Editorial estimateRunes whose official text matches the most things Garen's kit does. Each line shows the words it rests on.
Stormraider's SurgeSorcery, Keystone · Matches: 2- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Decisive Strike: "of all slows affecting him"
- It heals or restores health in the kit: Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage"
AftershockResolve, Keystone · Matches: 1- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Decisive Strike: "of all slows affecting him"
ConquerorPrecision, Keystone · Matches: 1- It heals or restores health in the kit: Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage"
Font of LifeResolve · Matches: 2- It can immobilize, slow or impair enemies: Decisive Strike: "of all slows affecting him"
- It heals or restores health in the kit: Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage"
Absolute FocusSorcery · Matches: 1- It heals or restores health in the kit: Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage"
Absorb LifePrecision · Matches: 1- It heals or restores health in the kit: Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage"
Against each enemy type
Editorial estimateSituational picks, counted from what the champions of each class do in Riot's Data Dragon. Swap a slot when the enemy team has several of that class.
Tanks
Anti-heal 24 of 45 heal or sustain
Cleanse or tenacity 20 of 45 have two or more hard CC abilities
To cut through them Tanks stack armor and magic resist; these items give armor penetration.
Fighters
Anti-heal 39 of 59 heal or sustain
Armor 37 of 59 deal physical damage only
Assassins
Anti-heal 24 of 46 heal or sustain
Armor 23 of 46 deal physical damage only
Mages
Magic resist 53 of 75 deal magic damage only
Anti-heal 30 of 75 heal or sustain
Marksmen
Armor 14 of 33 deal physical damage only
Supports
Magic resist 36 of 43 deal magic damage only
Anti-heal 19 of 43 heal or sustain
Counted from the official ability text, League of Legends patch 16.21.1. These are counts of champions, not win rates.
Rune trees
Lit runes: their official text matches something Garen's kit does (Analysis). Select a rune to read why.
Precision9 lit
Domination4 lit
Sorcery4 lit
Resolve6 lit
Inspiration4 lit
Who counters Garen: community consensus
Each pick is listed against Garen by at least two independent public counter sites, patch 16.22. The reason is ours, read from the two kits. Not win rates.
Kayle
Counters youRadiant Blast slows Garen before Decisive Strike reaches her, and once Kayle turns ranged she wins every trade from distance.
Camille
Counters youThe Hookshot stun and the true damage of Precision Protocol cut through Garen's armor and Courage in short trades.
Urgot
Counters youUrgot trades from range with Corrosive Charge and Purge, and Fear Beyond Death executes Garen when he is low.
Darius
Counters youApprehend pulls Garen back after Decisive Strike speeds him away, and the Hemorrhage bleed wins the long fights.
Fiora
Counters youRiposte parries the Decisive Strike hit, and the true damage of Duelist's Dance ignores the armor Garen builds.
Sources: counterstats.net, lolalytics.com, op.gg. Reviewed .
Matchups by class
Garen against each class of champion, counted from the official ability text. Choose a class or a lane to narrow it down.
Against all 172 champions: 40 ahead, 87 even, 45 behind. Each class is read against that, so check the best and toughest tags too.
Against Tanks
Even10 ahead · 21 even · 14 behind of 45
- Your burst kills before their healing matters.
- Their true or percent-health damage ignores your resistances.
What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over tanks. Execution and the team around you decide it.
Against Fighters
Even22 ahead · 24 even · 13 behind of 59
- Your burst kills before their healing matters.
- Their true or percent-health damage ignores your resistances.
What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over fighters. Execution and the team around you decide it.
Against Assassins
EvenBest class
14 ahead · 26 even · 6 behind of 46
- Your silence shuts down their dash-based kit.
- They can avoid damage for a moment, which blunts your burst.
What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over assassins. Execution and the team around you decide it.
Against Mages
Even11 ahead · 39 even · 25 behind of 75
- Your burst kills before their healing matters.
- They out-range you and poke you from a distance.
What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over mages. Execution and the team around you decide it.
Against Marksmen
Even7 ahead · 18 even · 8 behind of 33
- Your healing or shields outlast their poke.
- They out-range you and poke you from a distance.
What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over marksmen. Execution and the team around you decide it.
Against Supports
EvenToughest class
6 ahead · 21 even · 16 behind of 43
- Your burst kills before their healing matters.
- They out-range you and poke you from a distance.
What to do: Neither side has a clear edge over supports. Execution and the team around you decide it.
Source: Nexus Lab rules over the official ability text, League of Legends patch 16.21.1. Each champion of the class is compared with Garen one by one; the counts come from those rules, not from match results, so they are not win rates. Strong, even and weak compare the number of champions ahead and behind. Lanes are the lanes each class usually plays (Riot ships no lane data per champion), not play rates.
Building against Garen
Analysis: answers to what Garen's own kit does.
Garen heals or has life steal in the kit, so anti-heal is worth a slot. Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage"
Garen deals physical damage only, so armor pays off. Judgment: "dealing physical damage to nearby"
Picks that can punish Garen
Analysis: rules over Riot's ability text.
Kayle
Counters youKayle is ranged (Marksman role) and can poke Garen, a melee champion (Fighter role).
2 more reasons
Kayle can avoid damage for a moment (Divine Judgment: "an ally invulnerable and calls"), and Garen relies on burst (Demacian Justice: "attempt to execute an enemy").
Kayle deals damage based on the target's health (Starfire Spellblade: "proportionate to their missing health"), which scales against a tough champion like Garen (Fighter role).
Watch out: Garen has burst or execute damage (Demacian Justice: "attempt to execute an enemy") that can kill before Kayle's healing (Celestial Blessing: "Kayle heals and grants") matters.
Kog'Maw
Counters youKog'Maw is ranged (Marksman role) and can poke Garen, a melee champion (Fighter role).
2 more reasons
Kog'Maw deals true damage (Icathian Surprise: "dealing true damage to surrounding"), which ignores the resistances that Garen relies on (Fighter role).
Kog'Maw has burst or execute damage (Living Artillery: "significantly on low health enemies") that can kill before Garen's healing (Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage") matters.
Watch out: Garen can outlast poke with healing or shields (Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage") against Kog'Maw's ranged skillshots (Caustic Spittle: "Kog'Maw launches a corrosive").
Vel'Koz
Counters youVel'Koz is ranged (Mage role) and can poke Garen, a melee champion (Fighter role).
2 more reasons
Vel'Koz deals true damage (Organic Deconstruction: "burst of true damage"), which ignores the resistances that Garen relies on (Fighter role).
Vel'Koz clears waves more easily (Void Rift: "then explodes for a") and can push the lane against Garen.
Watch out: Garen can outlast poke with healing or shields (Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage") against Vel'Koz's ranged skillshots (Plasma Fission: "Vel'Koz shoots a bolt").
Aurelion Sol
Counters youAurelion Sol deals damage based on the target's health (Singularity: "percentage of their maximum health"), which scales against a tough champion like Garen (Fighter role).
2 more reasons
Aurelion Sol has burst or execute damage (Singularity: "black hole executes enemies who") that can kill before Garen's healing (Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage") matters.
Aurelion Sol clears waves more easily (Breath of Light: "damage onto nearby enemies") and can push the lane against Garen.
Syndra
Counters youSyndra deals true damage (Transcendent: "Bonus true damage"), which ignores the resistances that Garen relies on (Fighter role).
2 more reasons
Syndra has burst or execute damage (Transcendent: "Executes low health") that can kill before Garen's healing (Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage") matters.
Syndra clears waves more easily (Force of Will: "or enemy minion dealing magic damage and slowing") and can push the lane against Garen.
Dr. Mundo
Counters youDr. Mundo deals damage based on the target's health (Infected Bonesaw: "based on their current health and slowing"), which scales against a tough champion like Garen (Fighter role).
1 more reason
Dr. Mundo has burst or execute damage (Blunt Force Trauma: "on his missing Health") that can kill before Garen's healing (Perseverance: "he regenerates a percentage") matters.
Who Garen is good against
The same rules, read the other way.
Kindred
You pressureGaren can silence (Decisive Strike: "damage and silencing them"), which shuts down Kindred's dash-based kit (Dance of Arrows: "Kindred tumbles and shoots").
Fiora
You pressureGaren can silence (Decisive Strike: "damage and silencing them"), which shuts down Fiora's dash-based kit (Lunge: "Fiora lunges in a").
Rengar
You pressureGaren can silence (Decisive Strike: "damage and silencing them"), which shuts down Rengar's dash-based kit (Unseen Predator: "Rengar leaps at his").
Wukong
You pressureGaren can silence (Decisive Strike: "damage and silencing them"), which shuts down Wukong's dash-based kit (Warrior Trickster: "Invisible and dashes in a").
Azir
You pressureGaren can silence (Decisive Strike: "damage and silencing them"), which shuts down Azir's dash-based kit (Shifting Sands: "briefly and dashes to one").
Counter picks under the consensus list are Analysis: rules over Riot's ability text, each with the words it rests on. They are not win rates.
Official story
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Champion video guide
Video by 3 Minute League of Legends · Watch on YouTube The player loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only after you press play.
Measured numbers
Numbers published or counted by a named source. Each row names the source and the patch.
| Stat | Level 1 | Per level | Level 18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 690 | +98 | 2356 |
| Armor | 38 | +4.2 | 109.4 |
| Magic resist | 32 | +1.55 | 58.35 |
| Attack damage | 69 | - | 69 |
| Attack speed | 0.625 | +3.65% | 1.013 |
| Attack range | 175 | - | 175 |
| Move speed | 340 | - | 340 |
| Health regen per 5 seconds | 8 | +0.5 | 16.5 |
Riot data Riot's Data Dragon, patch 16.21.1. Level 18 is calculated from Riot's growth formula on the same numbers.
Editorial estimates
Our reading of the data. These are not measured rates and they change when the rules or the data change.
- Counter picks
- 6 Editorial estimateNexus Lab rules over Riot's ability text, patch 16.21.1
- Good against
- 5 Editorial estimateNexus Lab rules over Riot's ability text, patch 16.21.1
- Typical lanes
- Top, Jungle Editorial estimateLanes of the class; Riot ships no lane data per champion
- Best class (relative)
- Assassins Editorial estimateWins minus losses over the class, compared with the other classes; counts of champions, patch 16.21.1
- Toughest class (relative)
- Supports Editorial estimateWins minus losses over the class, compared with the other classes; counts of champions, patch 16.21.1
What no source gives us
- Win rate, pick rate and ban rate. Riot publishes none we may print (the Riot API cards are switched off) and no third-party statistics site is read, so none is shown.
- Popular builds. Riot publishes no builds: the items and runes in Build & Runes are a fit to the kit, not a popularity ranking.
Sources
- Riot Games Data DragonOpen
Names, ratings, base stats, ability text, cooldowns, costs, range, items, runes and art.
Patch 16.21.1, file generated 2026-10-26 - Riot ability preview clips
Played from Riot's own server when you press play; never copied here.
Each clip checked with a request before it is offered - League of Legends WikiOpen
Release dates and skin prices in RP (CC BY-SA).
Committed data, see the skins page - Nexus Lab rules
Counters, matchups by class, item and rune fit: rules over Riot's ability text, each with the words it rests on.
Patch 16.21.1 - Riot UniverseOpen
The official story of Garen (a link, nothing copied).
