Gragas Support





Best Overall Runes

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Spells

Skill Priority

E

Q

W

Best Overall Build

Intro / TL;DR

• IGN: Ferociousnerd, Server: NA, Currant Rank: D4



• I've been playing League since S5, support main, in Diamond for most of that time. (very hard-stuck)



• Stomping Round the Rift with Gragas is more fun that in should be and and a good de-tilter



• Avoid the lure of going AP

• Make the Most of your Passive



• Can engage and Peel (engaging preferable)



• Getting out-ranged is biggest counter



• THINK

Runes

• Aftershock and Biscuits are the bread-and-butter Runes, can change others depending on preference or Match-ups.



• Feels like everyone playing support with Glacial these days. I feel like tank-stats (i.e aftershock) are better on Gragas. However, Glacial could be good as it's strong right now, although i haven't found success.

• Standard
• Flavour of the Mouth
• Against Poke

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Summoner Spells

• Flash is especially important on Gragas since so much of his power is in the E flash Combo.



• Flash/Ignite is pretty much always going to be the best.



• You can take exhaust if the enemy is looking really dive heavy and all you can do is peel (I'm guessing champ select not looking too good if that's the case, dodging usually an option).

Skill Path/Abilities

Q - Barrel Roll: Start with Q as it gives the most wave control, helps get push for level 2 power-spike. Can't Spam off cooldown because the mana cost is too high. Managing your mana on Gragas is one of the biggest challenges when laning. It's important to note that if you hit your Qs on minions you'll get something, even if you miss your lane opponents. (So don't just mindlessly spam Q you're almost guaranteed to get something if you think.)



W - Drunken Rage: W is Gragas' lowest mana and lowest cooldown ability. This makes it great with his Passive. Keep an eye on you Passive CD and, when at all reasonable, take a swig'o the Barrel (press W). Note that W gives tank-stats along with the enhanced auto, this can be used for more aggressive posturing(get up there and be useful). Finally, you generally want to W before going in (obvious but forgetting can make a big difference).

E - Body Slam: The most beautiful, most important ability, the Magnum Opus of League. Take second if you have any threat level 2, if not, W is better for Passive sustain. Max first. E flash is Gragas' signature move. The AOE, which is Larger then Gragas himself, and speed of the engage makes it one of the best engages on a basic ability. It can be a little finicky, so get used to the Combo in the Practice Tool. Minions can be a real nuance as Body Slam can't get past them and since the hitbox is so big you can't really get around them, plan your engage accordingly. On that note Body Slam is not the best escape either, whether your surrounded by enemy minions or Champions you're not going anywhere(often you can R first then E away). Learning E hitbox is important as it's deceptively large.



R - Explosive Cask: Hardest ability to master as a slight miscast can lead to big consequences (angles and all that). If you're not sure just don't troll your team. Note that Gragas R can't knock over walls, a subtle but important point (pinning Enemies against walls can be a good combo). Overall, very high potential but you don't have to make big plays with R to be useful, I usually don't.



Passive - Happy hour: Very important passive, keep an eye on it so you can sustain efficiently. Gives % max HP so better on tank.

Gragas Healing



• Standard

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Items

• Going tank is pretty much the only way to go, building AP will just make you die faster, try to maximize utility not damage, building tank is the best way to do this.



• Support is the role where items matter the least. Largely, supports are champions that can have a big impact with not much gold. This is less true with enchanters (hence all the enchanters top) but is very true with tank supports like Gragas, what your abilities do (the utility they provide) is what matters.



• The specific build doesn't matter that much, as long as you're building tank and thinking about what you build it should be fine (i.e Building Locket, Abyssal, Thornmail etc. are fine items if the game calls for them).



• The exceptions to this are Relic Shield, and Vigilant Wardstone.



• You will rarely get more than 3 full items. Just how to goes when playing Support. The gold is better on others anyway.

Gameplay Overview

• Gragas is not very good at invading as he is low ranged and has low sustain damage level one. However, he is good at watching for invades with his Q Barrels.

• Get early wave control with Qs on the wave. Make sure you don't leash too long or your level 2 power spike is wasted. it's unlikely you will get level 2 first if you're very out ranged(i.e vs Caitlyn Karma).



• Look for fight (Zoning them off the wave is fine) at your level 2 power-spike similar, to Champions like Leona if you hit your abilities it's hard to lose this trade. At this point you'll have to start watching your mana.



• You should be thinking about how to play the from Champ Select, but with your first or second back it will be more clear how things are going and what you should do. This is when you'll buy your boots, which largely dictate your game plan. (roaming, lane focused, farm lane, front line, dive etc.) (see boots tab above)



• Support Gragas' most powerful spike is at level 6, with the unlock of your R utility, this is a big chance for you to make a play.



• Gragas is strong in 2v2/3v3 mid game fights, with your AOE CC you'll usually be able to control the fight quite effectively, by moving multiple opponents where you want them (a lot like Thresh).



• Late game, Gragas can: 1. Help facilitate a dive team by looking for flanks and setting up good vision and 2. Protect a carry by utilizing your E and R's great ability to Peel (hence the subtitle "League's Lineman").



• Usually, if a team has a good engage they'll win the fight. Gragas can stifle a good engage, as well as create one. Consider what you can and should do game to game, playing with the same game plan every time is not a path to success.



• Finally, there is no substitute for thinking. Have reasons for the things that you do.