Garen

Garen, The Might of Demacia is a Champion in League of Legends.

Story
Throughout Valoran, the resolve of Demacia's military is alternately celebrated or despised, but always respected. Their "zero tolerance" moral code is strictly upheld by civilians and soldiers alike. In combat, this means Demacian troops may not make excuses, flee, or surrender by example. Garen, the valiant warrior who bears the title "the Might of Demacia", is the paradigm to which these leaders are compared. Thousands of great heroes have risen and fallen on the bloody battlefields between Demacia and its preeminent rival, Noxus. It was beneath their mighty banners of war that Garen first met steel with Katarina, the Blade Mistress. The infantrymen who beheld this event (and survived) commented that it seemed as though the two were locked in a mortal waltz set against a symphony of clashing blades.

Garen, the pride of the Demacian military and the leader of the Dauntless Vanguard, returned from this battle breathless for the first time in his career, though some speculate this was due to reasons other than exhaustion. The plausibility of these rumors was bolstered when, in every instance thereafter, Garen seized the opportunity to encounter the Blade Mistress again. A paragon of Demacian ethic, Garen never entertained such allegations, for he knew others couldn't understand. Even simply the pursuit of a worthy opponent on the battlefield is, to a true warrior, the reason to rise each morning. The promise of one, particularly one so beautifully and diametrically opposed, is the validation of his existence.

"The most effective way to kill an opponent is to slice through the man next to him." Garen, on front line strategy.

Development

 * So, lately, I've been doing a lot of talking about how edgy our latest champions have been. There's been the mysterious Shen, the capricious Ezreal, the ominous Mordekaiser, etc. But, if you've been positively craving that feeling of being the awe-inspiritng, furious maelstrom at the forefront of an assault, be on the lookout for this gentleman here. Permit me to introduce: Garen, the Might of Demacia.


 * And if you'd like an exclusive first look at just how epic this champion can be, you should make some room in your schedule to join us on Xfire this coming Friday the 9th of April at 6PM PST. At this time, our Content Producer RiotJeffJew will be taking a moment out of his busy schedule to give you an introduction to this champion, his abilities, and his unique gameplay style. Be the first to see the Might of Demacia in action on the Field of Justice!

Xfire Stream Series
Garen was showcased on the Xfire Stream series on April 9th, 2010. It was shown for the first time to the community, with a look at his abilities.

Strategy

 * Garen's regeneration greatly increases if he can avoid receiving damage for several seconds.
 * Try to kill lots of minions to increase the effectiveness of Courage.
 * The extra damage from Decisive Strike affects Towers, and this ability is supposed to be able to proc critical damage, but currently says it does without applying the extra damage.
 * Garen is one of the few champions to have zero benefit from an AP build. As such, he benefits greatly from Attack Damage and Critical Strike items.
 * Judgment, Garen's third ability, removes slowing effects on him and causes him to be immune to them for the duration. Activating this ability just after a Decisive Strike can give you the speed boost and slow immunity you need to get away.
 * Using Decisive Strike to catch up with, silence, and deal damage to a fleeing champion is the perfect precursor to a killing blow with Demacian Justice.

Quotes
Upon Selection
 * "To the Fields of Justice!"

Movement/Attacking
 * "For Demacia!"
 * "I bring Justice"
 * "Fear not, I'm coming"
 * "Without delay"
 * "For the King!"
 * "I stand ready"
 * "To protect our land"
 * "Forge onward"
 * "In the King's name"
 * "At your service"
 * "I will lead the charge"
 * "Victory awaits"
 * "The scoundrel will pay!"
 * "Vile scourge."

Taunt
 * "Come forth, you shall find honor in death."

On Using Courage
 * "Charge!"
 * "DEMACIA!"

Joke
 * "Let's finish this quickly...I need to use the little soldier's room.
 * "Summon me, and you'll like the way you look. I Garen-tee it. Get it?"

Trivia

 * Garen is one of the two champions who are truly cooldown based: all of his abilities have no cost, either in health, mana or any other source. Both Katarina and Garen are considered Manaless.
 * One of Garen's skins, Sanguine Garen, is similar to the Warhammer 40K Blood Angel color scheme: this
 * Garen is the arch-nemesis of Katarina (Lorewise), who hails from the city state of Noxus.
 * Garen is one of the few champions to have two joke lines.
 * Garen's Joke and his taunt were changed from the Test Realm to Release. The previous joke were "I know you're in that bush!".
 * Garen's Desert Trooper skin is a reference to Duncan Idaho, the bladesmaster of House Atreides in the novel/movie Dune.
 * Garen's dance is a choreography by N'Sync in the music "Bye bye bye".
 * Garen's Joke is a reference to the Men's Wearhouse commercials and slogan: "You're gonna like the way you look. I guarantee it."
 * "Charge!" on attack refences Warcraft series knights.