// Recommended builds

The best trait and item combination at every level, 2 stars, by DPS.

Level 8Kraken's FuryKraken's FuryGuinsoo's Rageblade1,196DPS
Sprykin 5Sprykin rider
CalculatorFind the comp
Level 9Kraken's FuryKraken's FuryGuinsoo's Rageblade1,196DPS
Sprykin 5Sprykin rider
CalculatorFind the comp
Level 10Kraken's FuryKraken's FuryGuinsoo's Rageblade1,196DPS
Sprykin 5Sprykin rider
CalculatorFind the comp

Every level and star level below

// Top items

What each item adds on its own, in DPS, with no other item.

Deathblade+176
Guinsoo's Rageblade+152
Infinity Edge+151
Kraken's Fury+147
Blue Buff+140
Giant Slayer+135
Sterak's Gage+112
Spear of Shojin+103
Red Buff+102
Hand of Justice+101
Striker's Flail+88
Last Whisper+86

Builds by level

Every combination of Gnar's own traits that a comp of the chosen level can reach, ranked by the DPS of its best 3-item build against three dummies with the team's shred, sunder and burn already on them. Numbers open the DPS Calculator with the same inputs. Levels 4 to 7 only use champions you can find at that level: up to 2-costs at level 4, 3-costs at levels 5 and 6, 4-costs at level 7.

Level
Stars
Debuffs on the enemies
/ 20

// Cast timeline

0.97 smana lock per cast
0.97 scast windoweffect 0.70 s

From the mana bar filling until mana can come in again. No mana comes in during this time.

0 / 70mana at start / to cast
+10mana per attack
0.90attacks per second
0.14 sattack delay: from the start of an attack until it hits
0.31 safter the hit until it can cast or attack again
0.0 s0.90 attacks/s0/70
  • attack animation
  • attack lands
  • attack recovery
  • cast window (mana locked)
  • effect

First cast at 7.11 s with 0.90 attacks per second. Items, traits and damage taken change the mana pace; the cast, effect and channel windows do not.

Step by step, in words
  1. Mana reaches 70/70: the cast starts and the mana lock goes on (no mana from attacks, ticks or damage taken).
  2. 0.00 to 0.97 s: cast window. The unit plays its cast animation and its return to idle; it cannot auto attack.
  3. 0.70 s: the ability's effect fires (projectile launch, damage, shield...).
  4. 0.97 s: unlock. Mana starts again (overflow kept) and a fresh attack starts from zero; it lands at 1.11 s at base attack speed (the attack delay is 13% of the attack animation).
  5. Attack loop: the attack lands at 13% of the attack animation (mana granted) and unlocks at 40%; a cast that becomes possible at the landing starts at that unlock point, cutting the rest of the attack.
  6. Mana gain: 10 per attack; combat starts at 0/70.
  7. Overflow is banked: mana past 70 from attacks or regen is kept through the cast (68/70 plus 10 casts and comes back with 8). Same rule for every champion; only the amounts differ by role.

// Itemized Roles

Melee AD SupportPrimaryLast WhisperRed BuffTitan's Resolve

5-cost melee AD Specialist (game role tag, range 2). Melee damage dealers take the melee support set: team debuffs plus a survival item. Mana lock 0.97 s per cast against a 7.9 s fill (11% locked). Casts per minute at base speed 6.8; with Spear of Shojin 10.1, Blue Buff 9.9, a +45% attack speed item 9.3. Spear of Shojin and Blue Buff are within 2% of each other, so either keeps the loop rolling; the default mana-per-attack set stays. One Sunder item and one Burn item for the team, plus the survival item that keeps this melee unit alive longest while dealing the most calculated damage for Gnar (718 DPS at 2 stars against three 2-star tanks). Burn item Red Buff: its attacks benefit from the attack speed. Ionic Spark, Evenshroud and Sunfire Cape are left out: at range 2 their aura would not reach the enemies.