For a champion who has defined League's toplane metagames or been completely irrelevant through them, Gnar is suitably difficult to master. A niche choice, it plays both the lane bully and the team battle tank; an ultimate voucher of this Stone Age Relic from Runeterra can transform a game.
Gnar might be the missing link, but this guide will help you connect at least some dots.
Rabies management
The most crucial part of Gnar's kit is its liabilities. Gnar will transform into his bulkier, but strictly melee form once he has enough rage.
Letting go of the stick potential and the bonus range of its mini form is a bitter pill to swallow. However, the insane tankism and team combat potential granted by his mega-form makes this compromise a bit softer.
Keeping track of your rage bar is the way to win matches with Gnar. It involves both building it appropriately and knowing when it's about to fall. With no rage at all, Gnar has no access to his ultimate and is a ranged transport with generally poor damage. This will present an ample engagement opportunity for the enemy team, so be sure to use your rage while you still have it.
RaNge management
We talked about Gnar as a lane bully earlier in this guide. This is largely due to its copious amounts of self-peeling (including decelerations, automatic acceleration, and jumping), combined with its decent range.
Stand between the waves of crashing minions and the enemy toplaner to zone them. Whenever the enemy champion approaches in an attempt to make the final blows last, throw your boomerang and a few auto attacks their way. This business setup is both oppressive and difficult to answer.
Processing on demand
While most Gnar players prefer to transform with E - as the Hop ability will double and provide an easier path of engagement - don't be afraid to transform with W in a pinch. Stun is nice to land, but the ability to instantly access your transformation (W is a passive in mini form and will therefore still be able to activate when Gnar is raging) is too powerful a tool to completely ignore.
