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Top · SwiftplayMatchup guidePatch 16.20.1

Gragas vs Vex

Build, runes, abilities and practical pre-game checks in one queue-aware reference.

GragasVSVex

Matchup guide

Choose the matchup

Search every champion, choose the assigned role, then open the exact queue page.

VS
Role
Selected laneTop

Choose two champions from the list.

Role fit

TopGragas

Gragas has a reviewed secondary role here. It is less common than the primary roles, but it has a recognisable role-specific plan.

Reviewed secondary
Review patch unknownRecommendation review pending

These patches track recommendation review, build validation and item lookup separately. Updating item data does not complete a build review.

Recommendation patch
— Data Dragon
Build validation patch
16.19.1 Data Dragon
Item lookup patch
16.20.1 Data Dragon

Swiftplay · Top

Reviewed Gragas AP Top

Follow the completed-item order as a pre-game reference. Components and owned items do not create extra inventory slots.

Reviewed secondary
S
Swiftplay opening · separate from item 1

Guardian's Orb

950 gold

Adds ability power, health and mana regeneration for repeated spell use in Swiftplay; manaless champions receive health regeneration instead.

1
First item

Hextech Rocketbelt

2,650 gold

Adds health, movement and an active gap closer.

2
Boots

Sorcerer's Shoes

1,100 gold

Adds flat magic penetration against low-resistance targets.

3
Core

Lich Bane

2,900 gold

Rewards following an ability with a basic attack.

4
Second core

Shadowflame

3,200 gold

Improves magic damage against low-health targets.

5
Late power

Zhonya's Hourglass

3,250 gold

Adds armour, ability power and a player-timed stasis.

6
Flexible

Void Staff

3,000 gold

Adds percentage magic penetration after enemies buy meaningful resistance.

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build choices

Choose the route before play

Recommendation review pending

AlternativeToo much healingMorellonomicon applies anti-heal. Buy it earlier only when healing is already deciding fights.View full route

Best when: Morellonomicon applies anti-heal. Buy it earlier only when healing is already deciding fights.

  1. First itemHextech Rocketbelt
  2. BootsSorcerer's Shoes
  3. Morellonomicon
  4. Second coreShadowflame
  5. Late powerZhonya's Hourglass
  6. FlexibleVoid Staff

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeOne spell stops meBanshee's spell shield can protect the first important cast against you.View full route

Best when: Banshee's spell shield can protect the first important cast against you.

  1. First itemHextech Rocketbelt
  2. BootsSorcerer's Shoes
  3. CoreLich Bane
  4. Banshee's Veil
  5. Late powerZhonya's Hourglass
  6. FlexibleVoid Staff

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Complete build comparison

Complete build comparison

Recommendation review pending

Build review neededReviewed Gragas AP TopRecommendation review pendingView full route

Recommendation review pending

  1. First itemHextech Rocketbelt
  2. BootsSorcerer's Shoes
  3. CoreLich Bane
  4. Second coreShadowflame
  5. Late powerZhonya's Hourglass
  6. FlexibleVoid Staff

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeToo much healingMorellonomicon applies anti-heal. Buy it earlier only when healing is already deciding fights.View full route

Best when: Morellonomicon applies anti-heal. Buy it earlier only when healing is already deciding fights.

  1. First itemHextech Rocketbelt
  2. BootsSorcerer's Shoes
  3. Morellonomicon
  4. Second coreShadowflame
  5. Late powerZhonya's Hourglass
  6. FlexibleVoid Staff

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

AlternativeOne spell stops meBanshee's spell shield can protect the first important cast against you.View full route

Best when: Banshee's spell shield can protect the first important cast against you.

  1. First itemHextech Rocketbelt
  2. BootsSorcerer's Shoes
  3. CoreLich Bane
  4. Banshee's Veil
  5. Late powerZhonya's Hourglass
  6. FlexibleVoid Staff

Buy this only after selling the Guardian starter when all six permanent slots are needed.

Runes and summoner spells

Runes and summoner spellsGragasTop

Use repeated combat and durability rather than gambling the long solo lane on one short trade.

Swiftplay
Primary tree

Precision

ConquerorTriumphLegend: AlacrityLast Stand
Secondary tree

Resolve

Bone PlatingOvergrowth
Summoner spells
FlashTeleport
Long-lane safety

Teleport preserves recalls and side-lane access. Ignite is a deliberate pressure trade-off, not a universal upgrade.

Respect the matchup

Keep the defensive secondary runes when repeated poke or one committed trade can decide the lane.

Matchup notes

What changes when Vex is opposite you?

Pre-game kit comparison
Kit comparison

Respect the opponent's reliable threat

Track the cooldown and range of the ability that starts their safest trade. Do not treat this page as a statistical counter claim.

Your plan

Use the route you prepared

Treat Vex as one part of the map state. Their Jungler, nearby waves and which teammates can move determine whether the same trade or rotation is safe.

Ability reminders

Gragas reminders

  • The damage reduction from Drunken Rage is applied when you start drinking, try to use it when you see damage coming your way.
  • Try to knock enemies back into your towers with Explosive Cask.
  • Try to combo Body Slam with Explosive Cask to set up kills for your team.

Static alternatives

Compare the problem before changing the plan

These choices are not selected from live scores. Use one only after you identify the stated match problem yourself.

Only when enemy healing is deciding fights

Oblivion Orb

Oblivion Orb supplies healing reduction without committing to a completed Morellonomicon. Skip both when healing is not the problem or an ally already covers your target reliably. Healing reduction does not reduce shields.

Conditional component, not a core item. Complete Morellonomicon only when its stats and slot efficiency justify delaying another purchase.
One spell stops me

Banshee's Veil

Banshee's spell shield can protect the first important cast against you.

Ability reference

Compare both kits

Ability reference Data Dragon 16.20.1

Cooldown (s) / Cost / Listed range (units) Data Dragon 16.20.1

Gragas

  1. P
    Happy Hour

    Gragas periodically heals upon using a skill.

  2. Q
    Barrel Roll

    Gragas rolls his cask to a location, which can be activated to explode or will explode on its own after 4 seconds. The potency of the explosion increases over time. Enemies struck by the blast have their Move Speed slowed.

    Cooldown (s) 10/9/8/7/6 · Cost 80 · Listed range (units) 850
  3. W
    Drunken Rage

    Gragas samples his latest brew for 1 second. After finishing, he becomes boisterous and belligerent, dealing magic damage to all nearby enemies on his next basic attack and reducing damage received.

    Cooldown (s) 5 · Cost 30 · Listed range (units) 20
  4. E
    Body Slam

    Gragas charges to a location and collides with the first enemy unit he comes across, dealing damage to all nearby enemy units and stunning them.

    Cooldown (s) 14/13.5/13/12.5/12 · Cost 50 · Listed range (units) 600
  5. R
    Explosive Cask

    Gragas hurls his cask to a location, dealing damage and knocking back enemies caught in the blast radius.

    Cooldown (s) 100/85/70 · Cost 100 · Listed range (units) 1000

Vex

  1. P
    Doom 'n Gloom

    Vex periodically becomes empowered, causing her next basic Ability to fear enemies and interrupt dashes. Whenever a nearby enemy dashes, Vex applies a mark that can be consumed for bonus damage that also reduces the cooldown of her empowered state.

  2. Q
    Mistral Bolt

    Launch a damaging missile that accelerates mid-flight.

    Cooldown (s) 8/7/6/5/4 · Cost 45/50/55/60/65 · Listed range (units) 1200
  3. W
    Personal Space

    Gain a shield and damage nearby enemies.

    Cooldown (s) 16/15/14/13/12 · Cost 75 · Listed range (units) 475
  4. E
    Looming Darkness

    Summon a damaging and slowing zone that applies Gloom to enemies.

    Cooldown (s) 12 · Cost 70/80/90/100/110 · Listed range (units) 800
  5. R
    Shadow Surge

    Fire a missile that marks an enemy champion. Recast to dash to them and deal damage.

    Cooldown (s) 140/120/100 · Cost 100 · Listed range (units) 2000/2500/3000

Adapt the plan

What to do when the game changes

Judge the whole lane or map state, not only personal kills. Choose the situation closest to the current game.

Even plan

Trade around the wave and your strongest cooldowns

1
Lane

Keep health and minions balanced so one poor trade does not decide the lane.

2
Map play

Move after the wave is handled and communicate if the opposing Top laner leaves first.

3
Fights

Choose between front-line duty, side pressure and carry access according to the champion kit.

Pings, movement and objectives

Gragas Top map plan

Manage the long lane before leaving it. A useful move begins with a handled wave, a visible route and a teammate who knows you are coming.

Ahead

Use the side-lane lead without donating it

Ping
Ping Enemy Missing when the opposing Top leaves, then On My Way before a flank or objective move.
Stay or move
Push the wave before moving. Stay if leaving would hand several minions or your tower back to the opponent.
Objective
Arrive through a known route and mark whether you are front-lining, flanking or protecting a carry. Do not enter alone before the team can follow.
Even

Make the wave create the first move

Ping
Use Enemy Missing early, Danger on the route they may take, and On My Way only after your own wave is handled.
Stay or move
Move after pushing or on a shared recall. Do not follow through unwarded river merely because the opponent left first.
Objective
Tell the team whether you can move before the objective starts. Approach with vision and save the cooldown needed for the first real commitment.
Behind

Protect experience and communicate the pressure

Ping
Ping Enemy Missing immediately and Retreat if teammates are about to meet the stronger Top laner without you.
Stay or move
Do not match a stronger opponent through darkness. Clear the safe wave, then group by the shortest controlled route.
Objective
State early if you cannot contest. If the team still fights, provide control or protection instead of attempting an isolated flank.
Objective setup

Four calls, in order

Pings create a shared plan; they do not replace checking waves, vision and who can move.

  1. 1
    Handle the wave

    Push, catch or communicate the wave before leaving so the opponent does not gain a free move and free income.

  2. 2
    Signal the route

    Use On My Way for the route you are actually taking and Danger where an unseen opponent may arrive.

  3. 3
    Enter together

    Move through controlled vision with the Jungler or another ally instead of face-checking the objective alone.

  4. 4
    Choose the job

    Decide whether you are engaging, front-lining, flanking or protecting a carry before the fight begins.

Later objectives: Repeat the same process around later major objectives: handle nearby income, communicate the route, enter through vision and agree on the fight before committing.

Keep preparing

Use the champion page or choose another opponent

The matchup page is a pre-game reference. It does not predict the result or alter its recommendation from changing live match data.

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