League of Legends: AD Tank Garen Build Guide

I learn the following builds from expert players, browsing several trusted websites and of course testing and applying it.

The best Garen build

Garen works best as AD build that is capable of unleashing powerful physical damage.

This is not new. If you ask professional Garen players, they will also tell you the same. Try browsing at different trusted LOL strategies and the site will also tell the same.

Of course after trying it I testify too that AD build is the best for Garen.

Talking about disadvantage, I do have one observation. If your team loses, a blamer teammate will blame your AD Garen for not being a tank build.

Why pure tank Garen is not recommended?

No Crowd Control ability is the reason why Garen is not effective as tank. Experience players will just ignore a tank Garen during clash without worrying about his little damage.

Play AD and don’t worry about tank issues; Garen is hard enough not to die easily.

When to play tank Garen?

Play tank build Garen if:

Your Garen is the only potential tank in the team. Most of the times, you have no choice.

Or if you are really good in playing tank build Garen. It’s all about the play style that you are good at anyway.

Tank Garen

Pros

You can dive to enemies and turrets without worrying since you are very hard to kill.

Cons

Since Garen doesn’t have good crowd control abilities, enemies will just totally ignore you without worrying about your little damage.

AD Garen

Pros

Outstanding damage, Decisive Strike and Judgement can kill everything.

Cons

Needs good timing to dive or you will die quickly before you can reach the target.

Can you play it hybrid?

Yes! You can make a build where you can deal good damage while being hard enough to tank enemies. Call it, AD Tank Garen.

My Garen Build

For the main part of this article, I will share my AD Tank Garen Build.

Perseverance

This is an excellent passive skill during lane battle.

Decisive Strike

Garen’s bread and butter skill! Use this skill to:

Deal massive damage

Inflict silence on target

Increase movement speed for chasing or escaping

Removing slow on Garen

Courage

This skill is the reason why you should invest more on armor and magic resistance instead of HP. Activating this skill decreases all damage taken and crowd control duration.

Judgment

Garen’s main damage dealing skill! The skill deals huge amount of damage even if you build Garen as Tank.

Demacian Justice

The skill for finishing off enemies period!

Note: You can only choose 2.

Exhaust

This is great spell for Garen. Use it for chasing and weakening enemies.

Flash

Instant teleport is great for both offense and defense.

Ghost

Extra movement speed boost for 10 seconds provides unfair advantage when chasing or escaping.

Ignite

The spell’s true damage with reduce healing effects provide great assistance to finish enemy.

Teleport

Moving quickly from one place to another can really make the difference.

Mark

Greater Mark of Armor Penetration: 9

or

Greater Mark of Attack Damage: 9

or

Greater Mark of Hybrid Penetration: 9

Seal

Greater Seal of Armor: 9

Glyph

Greater Glyph of Magic Resist: 9

or

Greater Glyph of Scaling Magic Resist: 9

Quintessence

Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed: 3

The Mark of Attack Damage has more advantage during early game. The Mark of Armor Penetration has more advantage during late game. Choose Mark of Hybrid Penetration if you also want penetration from Sunfire Cape damage and Demacian Justice.

Seal of Armor and Glyph of Magic Resist are basic necessities of either tank or bruiser.

Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed is expensive. But it provides considerable movement speed boost.

Offense: 6

Double-Edged Sword: 1

Expose Weakness: 1

Sorcery: 4

Defense: 21

Block: 2

Unyielding: 1

Enchanted Armor: 2

Veteran Scars: 3

Juggernaut: 1

Hardiness: 3

Resistance: 3

Swiftness: 1

Legendary Guardian: 4

Tenacious: 1

Utility: 3

Fleet of Foot: 3

Combine Double-Edged Sword plus Expose Weakness and you have an unofficial Havoc effect. Cooldown reduction from Sorcery is important for Garen.

Tenacious stacks with active of Courage and tenacity from items. All bonus armor and magic resistance from masteries can be multiplied by passive of Courage.

Fleet of Foot provides 1 extra free Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed.

Offense: 23

Double-Edged Sword: 1

Sorcery: 4

Expose Weakness: 1

Brute Force: 3

Spell Weaving: 1

Martial Mastery: 1

Executioner: 3

Blade Weaving: 1

Warlord: 3

Dangerous Game: 1

Devastating Strikes: 3

Havoc: 1

Defense: 4

Recovery: 2

Enchanted Armor: 2

Utility: 3

Fleet of Foot: 3

This Mastery setup maximizes the damage potential of Garen from basic attack, Decisive Strike, and Judgement to Demacian Justice.

Fleet of Foot provides 1 extra free Greater Quintessence of Movement Speed.

Defense: 21

Enchanted Armor: 2

Tough Skin: 2

Veteran’s Scars: 3

Bladed Armor: 1

Juggernaut: 1

Hardiness: 3

Resistance: 3

Swiftness: 1

Legendary Guardian: 4

Tenacious: 1

Utility: 9

Phasewalker: 1

Fleet of Foot: 3

Summoner’s Insight: 3

Alchemist: 1

Culinary Master: 1

Essential Items

Mercury’s Treads

Sunfire Cape

The Black Cleaver

Early Game Items

Mercury’s Treads

Sunfire Cape

Mid Game Items

The Black Cleaver

Enchantment: Alacrity

Randuin’s Omen

Late Game

Spirit Visage

Infinity Edge

Final Items

Mercury’s Treads

Sunfire Cape

The Black Cleaver

Randuin’s Omen

Spirit Visage

Infinity Edge

Enchantment: Alacrity

Situational Items

Boots of Swiftness

Ninja Tabi

Thornmail

Guardian Angel

Banshee’s Veil

Locket of the Iron Solari

Atma’s Impaler

Frozen Mallet

Maw of Malmortius

Mercurial Scimitar

The Bloodthirster

Sword of the Occult

Executioner’s Calling

Spirit of the Elder Lizard (if Jungle)

AD Tank Garen Variant 2

Mercury’s Treads

Sunfire Cape

Frozen Mallet

Atma’s Impaler

Maw of Malmortius

Randuin’s Omen

Enchantment: Alacrity

Anti AD Carry Item Build

Ninja Tabi

Sunfire Cape

Thornmail

Randuin’s Omen

Guardian Angel

The Black Cleaver

Enchantment: Alacrity

Anti Mage Item Build

Mercury’s Treads

Maw of Malmortius

Mercurial Scimitar

Spirit Visage

Banshee’s Veil

Guardian Angel

Enchantment: Alacrity

If you really want to play it pure Tank

Mercury’s Treads or Ninja Tabi

Sunfire Cape

Warmog’s Armor

Randuin’s Omen

Spirit Visage

Guardian Angel

Enchantment: Alacrity

Situational items (Pure Tank Build)

Thornmail

Atma’s Impaler

Frozen Mallet

The Black Cleaver

Banshee’s Veil

If you really want to play it pure AD

Boots of Swiftness or Ionian Boots of Lucidity

The Black Cleaver

Infinity Edge

Frozen Mallet

Maw of Malmortius

BloodThirster

Enchantment: Alacrity

Situational items (Pure AD Build)

Guardian Angel

The Last Whisper

Youmuu’s Ghostblade

Phantom Dancer

Ravenous Hydra

Mercurial Scimitar

Atma's Impaler

Executioner’s Calling

In the end, you make your own version.

God Bless you more.