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Karthus vs Gnar
Top Lane MatchupKarthus vs Gnar TOP matchup tips: who wins, how to trade, wave control and common mistakes.
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Who Wins
- Pre-6, you lose this lane clearly — Gnar's range, mobility with E, and Q poke all outclass your slow Q and lack of escape, and you have no reliable way to trade back at levels 1-3.
- Post-6, your R becomes a global threat that changes the game, but in a pure 1v1 at level 6, Gnar can still all-in you and kill you before your passive expires, so the lane itself does not flip in your favor.
How to Trade
- Your best trading pattern is to use W to slow Gnar when he overextends, then land Q repeatedly while he's slowed to deal meaningful damage, accepting that you will take poke in return.
- You should never hard commit to a melee fight — your value is in sustained Q damage and the threat of your passive, not in all-ins.
Wave Control
- You want to freeze the wave near your tower whenever possible to deny Gnar safe poke and to keep him in range of your jungler's ganks, since Gnar has limited escape tools when caught in your W slow.
- Avoid pushing the wave out because that gives Gnar free poke range and lets him control when and where trades happen.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not stand still trying to farm with Q when Gnar is at full fury, because he will transform and immediately R you into the wall for a full Mega Gnar combo that you cannot survive or escape.
- Also avoid using your passive as a crutch — dying just to deal passive damage is only worthwhile if it secures a kill, not as a routine trade.
Created on 07/11/2026
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