Thornmail Garen Build

Thornmail Garen Build.

Thornmail Garen build with runes and items. Thornmail Garen guide offers in-depth how-to play, skill order and tips. Play Thornmail Garen build in League of Legends Patch 14.24!

Updated: 2024-12-18 ()

TLDR

Starting items
Bramble Vest should be final item in your build.
Ruby Crystal should be final item in your build.
Quick Skill Order
Garen ability Decisive Strike should be leveled first.
Q
Garen ability Courage should be leveled second.
W
Garen ability Judgment should be leveled third.
E
Final items
Thornmail should be final item in your build.
Abyssal Mask should be final item in your build.
Jak'Sho, The Protean should be final item in your build.
Sunfire Aegis should be final item in your build.
Randuin's Omen should be final item in your build.
Dead Man's Plate should be final item in your build.
Quick Runes
Major rune Grasp of the Undying from Resolve tree.
Minor rune Precision.
Summoner spells
Pick Mark as your Summoner Spell.
Pick Flash as your Summoner Spell.

Thornmail Garen Runes

Resolve
Resolve major tree Grasp of the Undying rune.
Resolve major tree Aftershock rune.
Resolve major tree Guardian rune.
Resolve major tree Demolish rune.
Resolve major tree Font of Life rune.
Resolve major tree Shield Bash rune.
Resolve major tree Conditioning rune.
Resolve major tree Second Wind rune.
Resolve major tree Bone Plating rune.
Resolve major tree Overgrowth rune.
Resolve major tree Revitalize rune.
Resolve major tree Unflinching rune.
Precision
Precision minor tree Absorb Life rune.
Precision minor tree Triumph rune.
Precision minor tree Presence of Mind rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Alacrity rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Haste rune.
Precision minor tree Legend: Bloodline rune.
Precision minor tree Coup de Grace rune.
Precision minor tree Cut Down rune.
Precision minor tree Last Stand rune.
Passive
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Attack Speed rune (+10% Attack Speed).
Passive tree Ability Haste rune (+8 Ability Haste).
Passive tree Adaptive Force rune (+9 Adaptive Force).
Passive tree Move Speed rune (+2 Movement Speed).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).
Passive tree Health rune (+65 Health).
Passive tree Tenacity And Slow Resist rune (+10 Tenacity and Slow Resist).
Passive tree Health Scaling rune (+10-180 Health (based on level)).

How it works

General
  1. You rush Thornmail.
  2. You go full Armor.
  3. Hit or miss. Works only if an enemy team is full of physical damage dealers (preferably auto-attackers).
  4. If an enemy team is full of mages/AP damage, play regular tank build instead.

How to play

General
  1. How is this Thornmail build for Garen different to regular tank builds? Item order, Armor stacking and countering enemy physical damage dealers!
  2. This build is aimed to counter AD comps. Since you don't know the enemy team, you need to adapt in game. It is hit or miss. If they are heavy AP - just play regular tank.
  3. Late game, you can consider selling boots for 6th item - for even more sweet Thornmail damage!
  4. Remember to consume your Grasp of the Undying procs!
Garen Thornmail specific
  1. You get extra spikey once you fully stack your Courage (W), thanks to increased Armor.
  2. Damage reduction from Courage (W) indirectly increases Thornmail's damage as it increases your effective HP and you can take more hits.

Tips and Tricks

General
  1. You can use 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
  1. Garen's regeneration greatly increases if he can avoid receiving damage for several seconds.
  2. Judgment deals maximum damage when only hitting a single target. For effective trading, try to position such that only the enemy champion is hit.
  3. Garen is only constrained by cooldowns, making items such as Black Cleaver very effective for him.

Skill Order

  • Garen [object Object] ability.
    Q
    Decisive Strike
  • Garen [object Object] ability.
    W
    Courage
  • Garen [object Object] ability.
    E
    Judgment
  • Garen [object Object] ability.
    R
    Demacian Justice

Items

Starting items
Bramble Vest item.
Ruby Crystal item.
Rush this
Thornmail item.
Good tank items
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Warmog's Armor item.
Good MR items
Abyssal Mask item.
Spirit Visage item.
Hollow Radiance item.
Force of Nature item.
Kaenic Rookern item.
Good Armor items
Randuin's Omen item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Thornmail item.
Unending Despair item.
Iceborn Gauntlet item.
Dead Man's Plate item.
Situational items
Titanic Hydra item.
For the last fight
Additional considerations for these items is advised!
Elixir of Iron item.
Elixir of Wrath item.
Example final build
Thornmail item.
Abyssal Mask item.
Jak'Sho, The Protean item.
Sunfire Aegis item.
Randuin's Omen item.
Dead Man's Plate item.