Game patch 26.20Data Dragon 16.20.1
Reference patch 16.20.1
the Missing Link
Gnar is a durable champion who creates space through control, protection or a committed front line. This overview keeps the explanation practical and leaves patch-sensitive numbers to Riot's structured data and the current in-game tooltip.
Usual roleTopStrengths and limits
These are kit-level patterns, not a promise that every lane or matchup plays the same way.
Managing your Rage is very important. Try to time out your transformations so you can get maximum benefit from both forms.
Position yourself next to walls to bait your enemies into getting stunned by your ultimate.
Know your strengths! Mini Gnar is fast, squishy, and has high sustained damage. Mega Gnar is slow, tough, and has high burst.
Gnar can't gain Rage for 15 seconds after he turns from big to little. Use this chance to engage on his team.
Gnar's animations and resource bar change as he gets closer to transforming.
Gnar's ultimate stuns if he hits you into a wall. Be careful when fighting him near one.
Practical champion reading
Use these patterns to ask better questions before choosing an item, target or commitment. They describe the kit, not a guaranteed result.
Armour can reduce the broad physical profile. Separate basic attacks from physical abilities before relying on an item passive that only affects attacks.
The threat grows while this champion can keep attacking a useful target. Break target access, create distance or use control before the repeated pattern settles in.
Ranged attacks are useful only while a safe line to the target remains. Flanks, hard control and blocked escape routes can remove that advantage quickly.
The kit is usually most valuable when it controls an entrance, protects a carry or begins a fight allies can actually reach. Durability does not make an isolated engage safe.
Tenacity can shorten only eligible control. Displacements, airborne effects and repeated slows need their own positioning, blocking or movement answer.
Reserve anti-heal and anti-shielding for a visible problem in the full team composition; they are not default answers to every champion.
A spell being available does not mean the complete sequence is sustainable. Watch the resource bar as well as the setup and escape cooldowns.
Defensive item reference
Start with the threat that is actually affecting the match. These are conditional comparisons, not an automatic counter build.
Armour and attack reduction address repeated physical basic attacks. The passive does not reduce every physical ability.
Choose Mercury's Treads instead when magic damage or reducible crowd control across the full team matters more.Normal Draft and Ranked role map
Each lane is assessed separately. Open a role to reach its queue-specific build and matchup preparation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Gnar has an established solo-lane plan with the income and space needed to trade, manage waves and influence a side lane.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Gnar is normally played Top and does not currently have a reviewed Jungle route. Jungle usually needs repeatable monster clear, safe pathing and objective control without lane income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Gnar is normally played Top and does not currently have a reviewed Mid route. Mid usually needs solo-lane safety plus wave control, roaming or reliable burst pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Gnar is normally played Top and does not currently have a reviewed Bot route. Bot usually needs dependable duo-lane scaling and sustained damage with shared early pressure. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Historical reference. Recommendation review pending. Gnar is normally played Top and does not currently have a reviewed Support route. Support usually needs useful engage, peel or utility while operating on low gold income. Treat this as a deliberate experiment, not a standard recommendation.
Kit reference
Ability names, descriptions and numeric fields come from Riot Data Dragon. Practical reads are independently written; the current in-game tooltip remains authoritative.
What it doesWhile in combat Gnar generates Rage. At maximum Rage his next ability will transform him into Mega Gnar, granting increased survivability and access to new spells.
Practical readRage Gene is the always-on rule shaping Gnar's normal trading and fight pattern. Watch its in-game state before committing.
What it doesGnar throws a boomerang that damages and slows enemies it hits before returning to him. If he catches the boomerang its cooldown is reduced. Mega Gnar instead throws a boulder that stops on the first unit hit, damaging and slowing everything nearby. It can then be picked up to reduce the cooldown.
Practical readBoomerang Throw / Boulder Toss is a ranged cast involving a slowing effect and damage. Respect its line or target area, and avoid spending it when the opponent can simply step away before the important exchange.
The first valid unit in the path receives or stops the effect, so minions, monsters or champions can change the result where the tooltip allows them.
What it doesGnar's attacks and spells hype him up, dealing bonus damage and granting him Move Speed. Mega Gnar is too enraged to be hyper and instead can rear up on his hind legs and smash down on the area in front of him, stunning enemies in an area.
Practical readHyper / Wallop contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.
What it doesGnar leaps to a location and bounces off the head of any unit he lands on, traveling further. Mega Gnar is too large to bounce and instead lands with earth-shattering force, dealing damage in an area around him.
Practical readHop / Crunch contributes damage. Its value changes with cooldown, range and target access; recognise the setup before moving into its effective area.
The cast changes position or access. Account for where the champion finishes, not only where the ability begins.
What it doesMega Gnar throws everything around him in a chosen direction, dealing damage and slowing them. Any enemy that hits a wall is stunned and takes bonus damage.
Practical readGNAR! is a ranged cast involving a slowing effect and damage. Respect its line or target area, and avoid spending it when the opponent can simply step away before the important exchange.
Levels 1–18
Base values exclude items, runes, temporary buffs and mode-specific modifiers. Cooldowns are the listed base cooldown before ability haste.
Cooldown Data Dragon 16.20.1
Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Can receive its first point from level 1. Later ranks normally become available at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.
First rank becomes available at level 6; later ranks normally become available at levels 11 and 16.
| Level | Health | Rage | Ability milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 540 | 100 Rage | Choose the first basic ability |
| 2 | 597 | 100 Rage | Add another basic ability or rank |
| 3 | 657 | 100 Rage | Add another basic ability or rank |
| 4 | 719 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 5 | 784 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 6 | 852 | 100 Rage | First ultimate rank normally available |
| 7 | 923 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 8 | 996 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 9 | 1,072 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 10 | 1,151 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 11 | 1,233 | 100 Rage | Second ultimate rank normally available |
| 12 | 1,318 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 13 | 1,405 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 14 | 1,495 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 15 | 1,588 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 16 | 1,684 | 100 Rage | Final ultimate rank normally available |
| 17 | 1,782 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
| 18 | 1,883 | 100 Rage | Spend one ability point |
Choose the next question
Choose a queue-aware build, compare a lane opponent, or return to the full champion library.
