Support Garen build with runes and items. Support Garen guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Support Garen build in League of Legends Patch 25.S1.4!
Even though Garen is not typical support, you are gonna support your team very effectively. With heals, shields and buffs:
Heal summoner spell.
Guardian rune.
Redemption, Locket of the Iron Solari and Moonstone Renewer and other items.
How to play
General
Your first rush is Redemption.
Your second rush can be Locket of the Iron Solari (vs AoE), Moonstone Renewer (sustain).
Also, Echoes of Helia is pretty good because you can proc it consistently.
Rush second Locket if your team already doing teamfights or when an enemy team has champions with super aoe damage (example: like Fiddle's ult). Otherwise, get Moonstone Renewer #2. The third item should be whatever you did not buy - Locket of the Iron Solari or Moonstone Renewer. That's your core.
Another decent item if you have carry/strong bruiser/strong tank is Knight's Vow.
Try to use summoner spell Heal on cooldown. With Moonstone Renewer, ideally there should be at least two people for maximum healing effect.
Later in the game, for maximum support - you can sell boots for sixth item.
You can get items like Ardent Censer (some auto attackers needed) or Staff of Flowing Water. It will be triggered often enough that it will be worth.
Interesting item is Cryptbloom. If you want to go full healing, you can get it like #4+ item.
Runes
With Cosmic Insight rune from Inspiration tree:
Redemption and Locked of the Iron Solari has 81.92 sec cooldown (down from 90 sec).
Shurelya's Battlesong has 68.12 sec cooldown (down from 75 sec).
Guardian is important rune. It is going to provide tons of shielding. Remember that you need to be close to your allies to proc it.
You can also manipulate it - for example, you can stick to one ally, or avoid some spells that's gonna only waste it.
Another important rule is Cosmic Insight, it reduces cooldown for your active items (so more heals/shielding) and Heal summoner spell.
Redemption
Try to use Redemption on cooldown, when your allies are missing some health. It is best to use when they are grouped. Especially if you already have Moonstone Renewer, it is best to wait (or ping) until they group together, so you can have them all healed.
Remember that you can use Redemption for the damage. However, in general, it is not worth it. Keep it to heal your team!
Be careful when using Redemption while you are dead, and you are about to be respawned. The camera will go to your position, and you can cast it in the spawning pool by mistake. Watch out for bad timing!
Champion
Stack Courage (W) whenever possible.
Even if you don't build damage, your R is still a great tool
You are a great peeler. Somebody is trying to kill your carry? Just stay close, Decisive Strike (Q) them to Silence them and Demacian Justice (R) them to finish them off.
You are an ultimate Tank killer. Your team cannot kill that super tanky champ? Keep your ult just for them.
Tips and Tricks
Champion
You can use Judgment (E) before taking portal (frost-gate). You will be spinning during travel, damaging everyone on your path. If you are playing Full Crit Garen or Lethality Garen, you will mow them over.
Riot
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.