Next week, when LoL Patch 11.8 hits, the newest LoL Champion, Gwen, will be available for everyone to play. To get you guys ready, we’ve decided to take a look at what items and runes should go best with her, as well as take a closer look at Gwen's abilities, so that you can start off with a positive win rate right off the bat.
So, you want to start playing Gwen as soon as she's released in LoL Patch 11.8, right? But going into Ranked Solo/Duo when having absolutely no idea how to play her isn't a good idea. EarlyGame got you, though. The Release Date for Gwen is April 14th. Until then, you'll be a Gwen Pro, as long as you follow our Gwen Guide!
What Are Gwen's Abilities?
We’ve already covered Gwen's abilities in a previous article, so check that out for a fully detailed ability breakdown. Here is just a quick refresher, so you don't have to re-read all the details:
- Q - Snip Snip!: Gwen rapidly snips her scissors between two and six times, dealing magic damage in a cone.
- W - Hallowed Mist: Gwen spins up the Hallowed Mist to surround her for five seconds, gaining some armour and magic resist. Enemies outside of the mist cannot target her
- E - Skip’n Slash: Gwen dashes a short distance and empowers her attacks with increased range, speed, and on-hit magic damage for four seconds.
- R - Needlework: Gwen can cast Needlework up to three times, but needs to hit an enemy within 8 seconds to unlock each subsequent cast. Each cast fires needles in a line that deals magic damage, slows enemies and applies Gwen's Thousand Cuts bonus magic damage.
It is best to max out her Q first, since it is her main damage attack. Then E, so she can dash forward and do some extra damage before maxing out W last.
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Which Runes Should Gwen Have?
The best rune choice for Gwen is probably Conqueror. Since she is a light fighter, rather than a bruiser, runes like Grasp of the Undying just won’t fit her – not to mention that the rune is pretty bad on AP champs to begin with.
Why Conqueror? To get the most out of Gwen, stacking her Q is the key, which is done by auto-attacking. This will also gain Conqueror stacks, which will only make her all the better. Therefore, by using Gwen's basic abilities and autos you’ll be able to get the most out of her.
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For the second slot, take Triumph for some extra sustain, since Gwen is a bit squishier than most other top laners.
For her second rune choice, go with Inspiration and pick up a Time Warp Tonic, as well as Biscuit Delivery, so she can stay safe and have some mana in lane. That way, she can go toe-to-toe with her opponents.
Are there other options? Sure, you can also choose to go with Ravenous Hunter to make her true damage shine, but we believe you can get more out of Conqueror.
Which Items Should Gwen Build?
When playing AD Champions, building a Seeker’s Armguard is going to be quite important to keep Gwen safe. Especially in her early game, which has shown to be quite weak. She will need to stay safe, so she can scale into a late-game monster.
Since opponents are able to escape some of her attacks and advances, building a Hextech Rocketbeltor Riftmaker can also be useful for gap closing. You don’t want to waste her dash, in case an enemy jungler is coming in for a gank. Remember it’s your only way out of a sticky situation, just like Camille’s hookshot.
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One of the best items you can build for Gwen is Nashor’s Tooth, since Gwen auto-attacks quite often. You need to auto to be able to stack her Q, which is her main damage outlet. The added attack speed and AP on the item are great for her.
Another option is Lich Bane, which works well in combination with her E and Q. Using her E – Skip’n Slash – will activate Spellblade. Auto Attack for those stacks and then press Q. This combination is extremely strong so make sure you choose wisely between the items.
Champion Insights: GwenCut from a different cloth... https://t.co/ZaX06r8JIx pic.twitter.com/d4t1Ud8mBj
— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) March 31, 2021
What to Remember When Playing Gwen?
- Gwen is a champion who is a rather weak and squishy early game. She gets most of her power once she has two items, which means it’ll take a while for her to get rolling. Until then, stay safe and farm away.
- Her ultimate resets when auto-attacking. This works up to three times, so don’t unnecessarily hack away at your R. Use R, then auto, then use R again, so you get more needles to stab your opponents with.
- Her W can shield attacks from outside the mist, even from abilities such as Jinx or Ezreal's ultimates, which can come from the other end of the map. Though, if an opponent is inside the mist with you, you become vulnerable and can be attacked! So make sure to stay safe when using this ability in a team fight.
So there you have it, a few tips and tricks on how to build and play Gwen, who is being released next week with LoL Patch 11.8.
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