How to beat Gnar

Common role: Top

The best counter to Gnar in Top is Qiyana: 63.0% win rate over 61 ranked games on patch 26.17.

A ranged poke top who transforms into a raging tank with a game-ending AoE stun.

What makes Gnar dangerous

Mini Gnar pokes and kites from range with his boomerang and hops around. When his Rage bar fills he transforms into Mega Gnar — a beefy melee bruiser whose ultimate throws your whole team into a wall, stunning them for a wombo-combo. The danger is his transformation timing.

How to play against Gnar

• 1Track his Rage bar — engage on Mini Gnar (squishy, no reliable CC) and avoid all-ins when he's about to become Mega Gnar.
• 2Respect Mega Gnar's ult near walls — it stuns everyone thrown into terrain. Don't group near walls when his Rage is full.
• 3Mini Gnar can't be caught easily (he hops), but he's squishy — hard CC or a gap-closer punishes him before he transforms.
• 4Mega Gnar has no gap-closer. Once he's melee, kite him and don't fight in tight spaces where his ult lands.

Weaknesses to exploit

• ✓Mini Gnar is squishy with no reliable CC.
• ✓Transformation timing is predictable via the Rage bar.
• ✓Mega Gnar has no gap-closer — kiteable.
• ✓His wombo ult needs walls and grouped enemies.

Abilities & how to counter them

What each of Gnar's abilities does — and how to play around it.

• P
  Rage Gene

  While in combat Gnar generates Rage. At maximum Rage his next ability will transform him into Mega Gnar, granting increased survivability and access to new spells.

  Strong: the Rage bar transforms him into a beefy Mega Gnar with a wombo ult. Weak: track the bar — engage Mini form and avoid all-ins right before he transforms.

• Q
  Boomerang Throw / Boulder Toss

  Gnar throws a boomerang that damages and slows enemies it hits before returning to him. If he catches the boomerang its cooldown is reduced.Mega Gnar instead throws a boulder that stops on the first unit hit, damaging and slowing everything nearby. It can then be picked up to reduce the cooldown.

• W
  Hyper / Wallop

  Gnar's attacks and spells hype him up, dealing bonus damage and granting him Move Speed.Mega Gnar is too enraged to be hyper and instead can rear up on his hind legs and smash down on the area in front of him, stunning enemies in an area.

• E
  Hop / Crunch

  Gnar leaps to a location and bounces off the head of any unit he lands on, traveling further.Mega Gnar is too large to bounce and instead lands with earth-shattering force, dealing damage in an area around him.

• R
  GNAR!

  Mega Gnar throws everything around him in a chosen direction, dealing damage and slowing them. Any enemy that hits a wall is stunned and takes bonus damage.

  Strong: (Mega) throws your team into a wall for a group stun. Weak: it needs walls and grouped enemies — don't clump near terrain when his Rage is full.

Itemization

Gnar is a hybrid poke/tank. Armor helps vs his auto poke; the real key is timing — engage Mini form and respect Mega's ult near walls. Don't clump when his Rage is full.

This guide covers Gnar's core kit and playstyle — advice that holds up across patches.