User blog comment:Tails365/A true tank's role/@comment-4542190-20140122165635

Garen, if built tank, can out-tank most (if not all) other heroes. His Courage makes that every defensive item becomes that much better on Garen from the passive part and the active part significantly lowers receiving damage and CC duration (what more can a tank and his team want?) Bonus life is also good on Garen because it boosts your passive (aside from getting more HP).

Besides, Garen doesn't need many offensive items to deal good amounts of damage (a Black Cleaver/Yoummuu's Ghostblade or both and an Infinity Edge and you're covered).

Trust me, a strong and tanky Garen is a very good front-line for any team.