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Gwen is one of the few Fighters in League of Legends with the ability to dish out large amounts of Magic Damage. She provides teams with a lot more flexibility since Magic Damage is very uncommon to see in Top Lane, which allows her Mid Laner and Jungler the freedom to go Physical Damage Champions if they’d prefer to. However, before players can dominate the Rift with Gwen, they need to know the best items to equip her with so let’s get into it!
Build 1
Riftmaker Plated Steelcaps Nashor’s tooth Zhonya’s Hourglass Rabadon’s Deathcap Cosmic Drive Conqueror Keystone Presence of Mind Legend: Alacrity Last Stand Second Wind Unflinching Offense Flex Defense
This is the most common build for Gwen. This grants her way more than enough Magical Damage to carry games while also giving her defensive alternatives in case things aren’t going her way. All of Gwen’s abilities scale with Magic Damage, which makes these items even more efficient for her. The items in this build also synergize well with one another due to Attack Speed combined with On-Hit damage and Health Percentage damage.
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This makes it so even Tanks will have a very rough time surviving against Gwen, especially when her Attack Speed buffs, True Damage, and Max Health Damage are added into the mix. The Keystones and Runes couldn’t combine better with Gwen’s item build and kit. Conqueror shines most during extended fights, which Gwen loves, and she’ll be able to ramp up the stacks quickly and effectively due to all the extra Attack Speed she’ll have.
Build 2
Riftmaker Plated Steelcaps Zhonya’s Hourglass Nashor’s tooth Rabadon’s Deathcap Cosmic Drive Conqueror Keystone Presence of Mind Legend: Alacrity Last Stand Bone Plating Unflinching Offense Offense Defense
This build is extremely similar to the previous one, except it brings in the Bone Plating rune, and adds in a bit more offense while getting Zhonya’s Hourglass second item instead of third. This setup is more catered towards when Gwen gets matched up against Assassins or any Champion that relies heavily on Physical Damage and Burst Damage.
Having the Zhonya’s Hourglass earlier will come in clutch with the stasis effect it provides and will reduce incoming damage from Physical Damage dealers. Matchups like these also allow Gwen more room for offensive runes to make up for smaller power spikes from her items, but it will be worth it because her sustainability from her Q Ability, combined with these items will let her run away with a lead and bring her team to victory with ease.
Build 3
Riftmaker Mercury Treads Nashor’s tooth Zhonya’s Hourglass Cosmic Drive Rabadon’s Deathcap Conqueror Keystone Presence of Mind Legend: Alacrity Last Stand Bone Plating Unflinching Offense Offense Defense
This build is perfect for Gwen when battling against mostly Ability Power threats or multiple threats with hard CC (Crowd Control). The Mercury Tread’s Tenacity lowers the duration of all incoming forms of CC, while also providing players with bonus Magic Resistance. Rabadon’s Deathcap is stronger the later a player purchases it since the item is based on the total percentage of Ability Power accumulated throughout players’ Items and Levels. Snagging it as a final item will provide an extremely large power spike for players.
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Cosmic Drive and Riftmaker synergize wonderfully with Gwen’s abilities, allowing her to find success against any type of enemy players can encounter. The extra Offense points boost players’ damage up enough to help trading and farming in the Early Game, which is Gwen’s weakest point of the game, excluding level 1.
Build 4
Riftmaker Plated Steelcaps Nashor’s tooth Zhonya’s Hourglass Rabadon’s Deathcap Cosmic Drive Lethal Tempo Presence of Mind Legend: Alacrity Last Stand Second Wind Unflinching Offense Flex Defense
This build helps Gwen’s Early Game become much more powerful by using the Lethal Tempo Keystone. Gaining the extra Attack Speed will make Gwen’s already powerful level 1 unmatched due to how well on-hit damage synergizes with Attack Speed. Second Wind also provides extra sustain for Gwen, so she’ll be able to take trades more often, and combined with Doran’s Shield in tough matchups will allow her to level the playing field. Advancing the Early Game of a scaling Champion is game-changing and can catch a lot of enemies off guard.
Throwing in the Flex Rune also helps players gain a defensive advantage against all Physical Damage Dealers. With Top Lane being primarily filled with Physical Damage Champions, this Rune will be helpful in the majority of games for Gwen. Even though Gwen’s itemization is a bit more restricted and limited than most Champions, the true flexibility of the Champion can show through her skills, and with a few small adjustments to the Runes, Keystones, and item build order she takes.
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