Pantheon vs. Garen: Which Champion is Best for Climbing the Ranks in League of Legends?

League of Legends is a fast-paced, team-based strategy game where players control powerful champions to battle across a dynamic map, aiming to destroy the enemy Nexus and achieve victory.

League of Legends (LoL) is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Riot Games. It involves two teams of five players, who battle to destroy the opposing team's Nexus, a critical structure located in their base, guarded by defensive structures. Players control "champions," each with unique abilities, and work together to achieve objectives on the map. When you embark on your journey, mmowow can lend a helping hand when you need help.

Pantheon and Garen: Champion Overviews

Pantheon: Known as the Unbreakable Spear, Pantheon is a versatile champion often played in the top lane or as a jungler. His gameplay revolves around aggressive engagements and quick burst damage.

Garen: The Might of Demacia, Garen is a durable and straightforward champion typically played in the top lane. He excels in sustained fights and is known for his resilience and powerful abilities.

Pantheon
Role and Position: Pantheon is primarily an assassin and fighter, thriving in the top lane or jungle. He excels in early-game skirmishes and can quickly take down squishy targets.

Abilities and Playstyle:

Passive - Mortal Will: Every 5th attack or ability cast empowers Pantheon's next ability.

Q - Comet Spear: Pantheon thrusts his spear, dealing damage. It can be tapped for a quick thrust or held for a longer throw.

W - Shield Vault: Pantheon leaps to a target, stunning them and dealing damage.

E - Aegis Assault: Pantheon braces his shield, becoming immune to damage from the front and dealing damage over time.

R - Grand Starfall: Pantheon leaps into the air and crashes down at a target location, dealing damage and slowing enemies.

Skill Order: Max Q first for poke and damage, then E for defense and sustained damage and W. R is leveled whenever available.

Rune Suggestions:

Primary Path - Precision:

Keystone: Conqueror
Triumph
Legend: Tenacity
Coup de Grace
Secondary Path - Domination:

Sudden Impact
Ravenous Hunter
Runes Explanation: Conqueror enhances Pantheon’s damage in extended fights. Triumph grants sustain after kills. Tenacity helps against crowd control, and Coup de Grace increases damage to low-health targets. Sudden Impact synergizes with W’s leap, and Ravenous Hunter provides sustain.

Item Build:

Core Items: Eclipse, Black Cleaver, Sterak’s Gage
Situational Items: Guardian Angel, Maw of Malmortius, Death’s Dance
Build Explanation: Eclipse provides burst and sustain, Black Cleaver shreds armor and adds health and Sterak’s Gage offers survivability. Guardian Angel gives a second chance in fights, Maw of Malmortius counters magic damage, and Death’s Dance grants lifesteal and reduces burst damage.

Early Game: Focus on poking with Q and trading with W. Use E defensively to mitigate damage. Look for roaming opportunities with R to impact other lanes.

Mid Game: Utilize your strong dueling and assassination potential. Participate in skirmishes and objective fights, leveraging your burst damage.

Late Game: Aim to catch out squishy targets and use R to initiate or flank in team fights. Position wisely to maximize damage and survivability.

Garen
Role and Position: Garen is a tanky bruiser, usually played in the top lane. He excels in sustained combat and can endure a lot of damage while dealing with significant DPS.

Abilities and Playstyle:

Passive - Perseverance: Garen regenerates health if he hasn’t been damaged recently.

Q - Decisive Strike: Garen gains a burst of speed and his next attack silences and deals bonus damage.

W - Courage: Garen passively gains armor and magic resistance. When activated, he gains a shield and damage reduction for a short duration.

E - Judgment: Garen spins rapidly, dealing damage to nearby enemies.

R - Demacian Justice: Garen calls down a mighty blow on an enemy champion, dealing damage based on the target’s missing health.

Skill Order: Max E first for damage, Q second for mobility and silence, and W last for durability. R is leveled whenever available.

Rune Suggestions:

Primary Path - Precision:

Keystone: Conqueror
Triumph
Legend: Tenacity
Last Stand
Secondary Path - Resolve:

Demolish
Second Wind
Runes Explanation: Conqueror provides stacking damage and healing, Triumph offers sustain, Tenacity reduces crowd control effects, and Last Stand boosts damage when low. Demolish aids in turret pushing, and Second Wind grants additional sustain in lane.

Item Build:

Core Items: Black Cleaver, Dead Man’s Plate, Sterak’s Gage
Situational Items: Spirit Visage, Thornmail, Randuin’s Omen
Build Explanation: Black Cleaver enhances damage and shreds armor, Dead Man’s Plate adds mobility and tackiness, and Sterak’s Gage offers survivability. Spirit Visage boosts healing effects, Thornmail counters heavy AD, and Randuin’s Omen reduces damage from crits.

Early Game: Use Q to engage and disengage from trades, E to deal damage, and W to mitigate incoming damage. Focus on farming and harassing the enemy laner.

Mid-Game: Look for opportunities to engage with your team, using Q and E for damage and W for tackiness. Push turrets with Demolish and participate in objective fights.

Late Game: Serve as a frontline tank in team fights. Use R to execute priority targets, and E to deal consistent AoE damage.

Playstyle and Combos

Pantheon Combos:

Basic Trade: Q (Comet Spear) -> W (Shield Vault) -> E (Aegis Assault)
All-in Combo: W (Shield Vault) -> Q (Comet Spear) -> E (Aegis Assault) -> Auto Attacks
Garen Combos:

Basic Trade: Q (Decisive Strike) -> E (Judgment) -> W (Courage)
All-in Combo: Q (Decisive Strike) -> E (Judgment) -> R (Demacian Justice)

Team Composition and Synergy

Pantheon: Best in teams that can follow up on his engages or benefit from his global presence.

Strong Engage Comp: Pantheon, Malphite, Leona, Miss Fortune, Orianna
Scaling/Utility Comp: Pantheon, Nasus, Lulu, Kog’Maw, Seraphine
Solo Carry Comp: Pantheon, Jax, Thresh, Lucian, Twisted Fate
Garen: Fits well in teams needing a durable frontline and consistent DPS.

Strong Engage Comp: Garen, Sejuani, Leona, Kai’Sa, Galio
Scaling/Utility Comp: Garen, Amumu, Janna, Vayne, Veigar
Solo Carry Comp: Garen, Xin Zhao, Morgana, Draven, Zed

Strengths and Weaknesses

Pantheon:

Strengths: Strong early game, good burst damage, high mobility, versatile
Weaknesses: Falls off late game, vulnerable to crowd control, reliant on abilities
Garen:

Strengths: Strong early and mid-game, high sustain, simple mechanics, tanky
Weaknesses: Limited crowd control, can be kited, less impact late game
Why Garen for Long-term Play: Garen is recommended for long-term play due to his simplicity and effectiveness at all levels of play. His straightforward mechanics make him accessible for new players, while his tankiness and sustained damage ensure he remains relevant even as players improve. However, when some players choose to explore further and become familiar with certain heroes, some players will choose to buy lol accounts.

Pantheon and Garen vs. Akali: Lane and Teamfight Strategies

Pantheon vs. Akali

Early Game:

Pantheon’s Advantage: Pantheon has a strong early game with high burst damage and a reliable stun. Use this to your advantage against Akali, who is weaker early on.
Lane Strategy: Look to trade aggressively with Q (Comet Spear) and W (Shield Vault). Pantheon’s passive, Mortal Will, enhances his abilities every 5th attack, providing extra damage and survivability. Use E (Aegis Assault) to block incoming damage and win trades.
Zoning and Harassment: Constantly poke Akali with Q to whittle down her health. Position yourself aggressively to deny her farm and force her to use her energy defensively.

Mid Game:

Pantheon’s Power Spike: Utilize Pantheon’s R (Grand Starfall) to impact other lanes and secure objectives. Akali gains more power mid-game, so continue to pressure her in the lane while looking for roaming opportunities.
Objective Control: Use Pantheon’s mobility to assist in securing dragons and Rift Herald. Pantheon’s burst can quickly eliminate squishy targets, making him a threat in skirmishes.
Late Game:

Teamfighting: In team fights, focus on diving the backline with R to take out key targets. Use W to stun and E to mitigate damage while dealing AoE damage.
Target Selection: Prioritize taking down Akali if she dives your backline. Your stun and burst can quickly eliminate her before she can wreak havoc.
Garen vs. Akali

Early Game:

Garen’s Advantage: Garen is tanky and has good sustain with his passive, Perseverance. Akali struggles against champions with a strong early-game presence.
Lane Strategy: Use Q (Decisive Strike) to silence Akali and prevent her from using her abilities, then follow up with E (Judgment) for damage. Activate W (Courage) to reduce incoming damage during trades.
Sustain and Pressure: Take short trades and back off to regenerate health with your passive. Keep the pressure on Akali to force her to use her energy on defensive abilities.
Mid Game:

Garen’s Power Spike: Garen becomes tackier and deals significant damage to E. Use this to control fights around objectives and skirmishes.
Objective Control: Push lanes and apply pressure to turrets with Demolish. Join your team for objective fights, using your tackiness to the frontline and disrupt the enemy.
Late Game:

Teamfighting: In team fights, Garen serves as a durable frontline. Use Q to silence and E to deal with consistent AoE damage. Save R (Demacian Justice) for executing priority targets like Akali.
Peeling and Engaging: Protect your backline from Akali by staying close to your carries. Use Q to silence her and disrupt her combo.
Teamfight Strategies

Pantheon:

Engage: Use R to initiate or flank in team fights. W to stun key targets, and E to block damage while dealing AoE.
Diving the Backline: Focus on eliminating squishy targets and disrupting the enemy formation.
Garen:

Front lining: Serves as the main tank, absorbing damage and protecting your team. Q to silence key threats and E to deal AoE damage.
Peeling: Use your abilities to protect your carries from assassins like Akali. Silence and execute threats with R.
Specific Matchup Techniques Against Akali

Pantheon:

Pre-6: Play aggressively and deny Akali farm. Use the Q poke and W-E combo for burst damage.
Post-6: Coordinate with your team to use R for ganks and map control. Catch Akali out of position with W stun and burst her down quickly.
Garen:

Pre-6: Use the Q-E combo to trade and back off to regenerate health with passive. Zone Akali off minions.
Post-6: Maintain lane pressure and join team fights. Silence and burst Akali with a Q-E-R combo to prevent her from executing your backline.
Conclusion

Playing Pantheon and Garen against Akali requires understanding their strengths and utilizing their abilities to suppress her in-lane and team fights. Pantheon’s early aggression and mobility contrast with Garen’s sustained damage and tackiness. Mastering these champions involves adapting to different phases of the game, focusing on key targets, and providing essential roles in team fights. By leveraging their unique attributes and playstyles, you can dominate your lane and lead your team to victory.

I hope this detailed guide helps you improve your gameplay with Pantheon and Garen. Whether you're diving into the enemy backline or standing strong as a frontline tank, these strategies will enhance your effectiveness and enjoyment of the game. Happy gaming!