League of Legends Gnar Guide: Best Build, Runes & Combos

Gnar is a unique top lane champion in League of Legends who transforms between a ranged poke-heavy mini form and a tanky, crowd-controlling mega form. This duality makes him a flexible and powerful pick, capable of bullying lanes with range and dominating teamfights with AoE stuns. To play Gnar effectively, you’ll need to manage your rage bar, time your transformations, and know when to go all-in or play it safe. In this guide, we’ll cover the best build, runes, items, and combos to help you control the lane, time your engages, and become a game-changing force in teamfights.

Gnar Abilities Overview in League of Legends

Passive – Rage Gene
Gnar generates Rage while in Mini Gnar form through combat and movement. Upon reaching full Rage, he transforms into Mega Gnar on his next ability cast or after a short delay, gaining bonus health, resistances, and new abilities for 15 seconds before reverting.

Q – Boomerang Throw / Boulder Toss
• Mini Gnar: Throws a boomerang that deals damage and slows enemies, returning to him and reducing cooldown if caught.
• Mega Gnar: Hurls a massive boulder that stops on the first enemy hit, dealing damage and slowing in an area.

W – Hyper / Wallop
• Mini Gnar (Passive): Every third attack or ability hit deals bonus magic damage and grants a burst of movement speed.
• Mega Gnar (Active): Slams the ground to stun enemies in a small area.

E – Hop / Crunch
• Mini Gnar: Leaps to a location, bouncing off any unit hit for bonus distance. If he lands on an enemy, he slows them.
• Mega Gnar: Jumps and lands with a heavy impact, damaging and slowing enemies in an area.

R – GNAR!
• Mega Gnar Only: Smashes enemies in a targeted direction, knocking them back, dealing damage, and stunning them if they hit a wall. This is Gnar’s signature teamfight ability and can turn fights instantly.

Understanding Gnar’s forms and using his Rage wisely is key to mastering his dynamic and game-shifting playstyle.

How To Play Gnar In League of Legends

Best Summoner Spells for Gnar in League of Legends

The best summoner spell setup for Gnar is Flash + Teleport, giving him both playmaking potential and strong map control.
• Flash is essential on Gnar, letting you reposition for clutch Mega Gnar R stuns, escape sticky situations, or secure kills in lane.
• Teleport helps Gnar return to lane safely, farm efficiently, and impact side lanes or objectives with well-timed flanks—especially powerful when you transform mid-teleport for a surprise Mega Gnar engage.

In rare cases where you’re going for all-in kill pressure, Ignite can replace Teleport, but for most matchups and team comps, Flash + Teleport offers the safest and most versatile option.

Best Runes for Gnar in League of Legends

Gnar thrives with runes that boost his poke, mobility, and survivability. Here’s the optimal rune setup:

Primary Path: Precision
• Fleet Footwork – Offers sustain and mobility in lane, perfect for Mini Gnar’s poke-heavy playstyle.
• Triumph – Restores health on takedown, helping Gnar survive in teamfights and extended skirmishes.
• Legend: Alacrity – Increases attack speed, which helps stack Hyper (W) faster in Mini form.
• Last Stand – Gives extra damage when low on health—useful in both forms, especially during chaotic fights.

Secondary Path: Resolve
• Second Wind – Provides healing over time after taking poke, excellent against ranged matchups.
• Unflinching – Grants slow resistance and tenacity after using summoner spells, helping you stick to targets or escape when needed.

Bonus Stats:
• +Attack Speed
• +Adaptive Force
• +Armor or Magic Resist (matchup dependent)

This rune page keeps Gnar safe in the early game, enhances his trading power, and sets him up to scale into a strong split-pusher and teamfighter in both forms.

Best Build for Gnar in League of Legends

Gnar’s best build balances durability, damage, and utility to let him dominate lane, split-push, and shine in teamfights. Here’s the ideal item path:

Starting Items:
• Doran’s Blade + Health Potion – For strong early trades and sustain.
• Doran’s Shield – Better against poke-heavy ranged matchups.

Core Items:
• Stridebreaker – Great for sticking to enemies after Mega Gnar combos or chasing with Mini Gnar. The active slow plus mobility fits his kit perfectly.
• Black Cleaver – Provides health, AD, and armor shred—synergizes well with Gnar’s multi-hit abilities.
• Sterak’s Gage – Gives survivability and bonus AD, helping Gnar stay alive during all-ins.

Situational / Late-Game Items:
• Frozen Heart – Strong against attack speed-based champs.
• Randuin’s Omen – Great vs crit-heavy comps and for teamfight survivability.
• Thornmail – For dealing with high healing or melee threats.
• Maw of Malmortius – Solid defensive option vs heavy AP burst.
• Guardian Angel – For late-game insurance in teamfights.
Boots:
• Plated Steelcaps – Versus heavy AD or auto-attackers.
• Mercury’s Treads – Versus AP or crowd control-heavy teams.

This build keeps Gnar mobile, tanky, and dangerous in both forms—perfect for split pushing, engaging fights, and kiting enemies with confidence.

Best Combos to Learn for Gnar in League of Legends

Gnar’s strength lies in managing his transformations and executing well-timed combos in each form. Here are his most effective combos:

1. Mini Gnar Poke Combo:
Q → Auto → W
Use Boomerang Throw (Q) to poke, follow up with a basic attack, and trigger Hyper (W) for bonus damage and movement speed. Great for lane trades and kiting.

2. Mini Gnar Engage/Chase Combo:
E → Auto → Q → W
Leap with Hop (E) to close the gap, then quickly follow with auto-attacks and abilities to trigger W. Ideal for chasing squishies or extended trades.

3. Mega Gnar All-In Combo:
E → W → R → Q
Jump in with Crunch (E), instantly Wallop (W) to stun, use GNAR! (R) to slam enemies into a wall, then finish with Boulder Toss (Q). This is your bread-and-butter engage in teamfights.

4. Flash Ultimate Combo:
R → Flash (mid-cast)
Start casting GNAR!, then Flash mid-animation to reposition the knockback—perfect for catching multiple enemies off-guard and slamming them into a wall.

Mastering these combos and learning to manage your rage bar will let you control fights, dominate trades, and swing teamfights with massive AoE CC and damage.

Conclusion

Gnar is a powerful and versatile top laner who rewards smart decision-making, rage management, and well-timed engages in League of Legends. With the right runes, build, and combos, you can dominate lane in Mini Gnar form and turn the tide of teamfights as Mega Gnar. Whether you’re poking enemies down from range or slamming them into a wall with a perfectly timed ultimate, mastering Gnar gives you the tools to outplay your opponents and carry games with skill and timing.