How to win lane as Gwen against Olaf · 49.2% win rate over 187 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Olaf | Olaf out-trades you levels 1-3 — his Undertow slow plus the axe-pickup speed and his lifesteal walk you down before you have Mist or E to escape. |
| Level 2 | Even / skill | Still his edge but softening — you have E now; side-step his axe to deny the pickup and farm rather than trade autos you'll lose. |
| Level 3 | Even / skill | You get Q+E to poke-and-reset, but his axe-pickup sustain and lifesteal keep the all-in even — don't over-commit before Mist. |
| Levels 4-5 | Olaf | Your worst window if Mist isn't up — a melee with no untargetability against his slow-and-chase, so concede and farm to 6. |
| Level 6 | Gwen | Needlework plus full Q-W-E flips it — drop Mist on his all-in, deny the axe pickup, slow him with needles, and snip the percent-HP off his bruiser bar. |
| First item | Gwen | Nashor's into Riftmaker lands — your percent-HP Snip and ability healing out-grind his lifesteal in extended duels inside Mist. |
| Two+ items | Even / skill | Genuinely even — your percent-HP shred and healing scale, but his Ragnarok CC-immunity ignores your slows and his true-damage autos bypass Mist's resists, so whoever lands their window wins. |
Olaf owns the first three levels — his Undertow (Q) slows you and, if he picks the axe back up, the cooldown resets and he gets move speed to weave more autos and walk you down before you have Hallowed Mist or E mobility. Do NOT stand and trade autos here; your six-snip cone Q can't out-DPS his early all-in and he sustains through any chip with lifesteal. Side-step his thrown axe so he never gets the pickup speed boost, and last-hit at range — denying him that axe is the whole lane, and without it his pressure stalls.
The full Gwen vs Olaf report continues with the mid-game plan, the late-game and teamfight plan, every power spike to play around, and the win conditions for both sides — plus cooldown tracking and the live enemy-jungle tracker inside the app.
Become a Founding Member — $1.99/month →🔒 Secure checkout · 💰 7-day money-back guarantee · ✋ Cancel anytime
Early Access price — $3.99/month for new members after launch.
Playing the other side? Olaf vs Gwen guide →
All Gwen top lane matchups →