Gragas

Overview

Gragas is an alcoholic. A functioning one. Probably. He’s a bruiser who brings a lot of sustain to the game and specializes in displacing enemy teams thanks to his ultimate. If you need a top laner who can guarantee that something happens, be it good or bad, then Gragas is the champion for you. Click here for the latest data on his best builds, including Runes, Items, Summoner Spells, and more. 

Keys to Remember About Gragas

1. Explosive Cask [R] has the potential to win the game for you, but it can also lose it if you aren't careful. There are a lot of combos you can do with it, including knocking enemies into a barrel or your own slam.

2. You're a bruiser with some solid sustain and damage, but in return you're not as tanky as some other top laners, so it can be more efficient to help peel for your carries than to dive onto the enemy backline.

Strengths

He’s great at making sure you can start fighting thanks to Body Slam [E] and Explosive Cask [R]. He also brings a good amount of damage to the table considering he’s a top laner, and if he’s able to land his E onto an enemy carry, then it’s very easy to follow-up with Explosive Cask and Barrel Roll [Q] to put a big dent into their HP if not outright kill them. The ultimate is also very good at splitting up enemy teams if you manage to place it correctly -- it’s a nice way to isolate them so you can pick them off one by one. 

Weaknesses

A lot of his abilities are telegraphed, which means they’re fairly simple to dodge by champions who have any type of dash. Body Slam [E] is also blockable, so as long as enemy carries make sure there’s always something -- be it a hero or a minion -- between them and Gragas, then it can be hard for him to access the backline. His Explosive Cask [R] has a lot of playmaking potential, but it’s pretty easy to avoid, and it can also aid enemies by pushing them further away from you (if you are chasing) or by knocking big enemy tanks directly onto your carries. 

Game Plan 

1. Early Game: You have great sustain thanks to Drunk Rage [W] and can look for repeated trades to build an advantage as opposed to committing to an all-in. Save your Body Slam [E] if you are unsure of the enemy jungler’s positioning, as it can be your saving grace. 

2. Mid Game: Continue to maintain control in a side lane and be ready to join your team for fights at neutral objectives. You can look to run at their back line with impunity at this point in the game.

3. Late Game: You’re not as strong at split pushing as other top laners, but you can manage waves just fine. Make sure to not let them split out of control, and in fights you can look to peel with your ultimate if there’s no easy way to hit the enemy backline.