Gwen counters (Top)

Common role: Top

The best counter to Gwen in Top is Singed: 61.1% win rate over 304 ranked games on patch 26.21.

An AP bruiser who shreds tanks with % health true damage inside her mist.

What makes Gwen dangerous

Gwen's Q snips deal % max-health magic damage, melting tanks, and her W creates a mist that makes her untargetable to enemies outside it and where she can't be targeted from range. She heals and scales, becoming an unkillable duelist that dives the backline with her needle ultimate.

How to counter Gwen

• 1Don't chase her into her W mist — she's untargetable to anyone outside it. Wait for the mist to expire or fight her outside it.
• 2Her Q shreds tanks with true damage — don't try to out-tank her. Burst her down or kite her instead of trading HP.
• 3Grievous Wounds cuts her healing, and hard CC before she can reposition in her mist catches her.
• 4Punish her weak early game before her items — Gwen is a scaler. Pressure her off farm and end before she comes online.

What are Gwen's weaknesses?

• ✓Weak early game; item- and scaling-reliant.
• ✓Untargetability only works inside her W mist.
• ✓Grievous Wounds cuts her healing.
• ✓Kiteable and punishable by hard CC when the mist is down.

Abilities & how to counter them

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

• P
  A Thousand Cuts

  Gwen's attacks deal bonus magic damage based on the targets health. She heals for a portion of the damage dealt to champions by this effect.

• Q
  Snip Snip!

  Gwen snips her scissors in a cone up to 6 times dealing magic damage. Gwen deals true damage to units in the center and applies her passive to them on each snip.

  Strong: snips deal % max-health true damage, melting tanks. Weak: don't try to out-tank her — burst or kite instead of trading HP.

• W
  Hallowed Mist

  Gwen summons mist that protects her from enemies outside of it. She can only be targeted by enemies who enter the mist.

  Strong: her mist makes her untargetable to enemies outside it, including from range. Weak: don't chase her into it — wait for it to expire or fight her outside.

• E
  Skip 'n Slash

  Gwen dashes a short distance then gains Attack Speed, attack range, and magic damage On-Hit for a few seconds. If she hits an enemy during that time, this Ability's cooldown is partially refunded.

• R
  Needlework

  Gwen hurls a needle that slows enemies hit, deals magic damage, and applies A Thousand Cuts to champions hit. This ability can be cast up to two more times, with each cast throwing additional needles and dealing more damage.

Itemization

Gwen is AP with % health true damage and healing. Grievous Wounds and magic resist blunt her, and burst/kite instead of tanking her Q. Beat her early before she scales.

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