How to win lane as Olaf against Gnar · 55.62% win rate over 1,183 Emerald+ games · Updated 2026-07-27
| Stage | Favoured | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Even / skill | Mini-Gnar's boomerang pokes but your Q-slow-into-auto and passive answer his first contact — it's a genuine coin-flip skirmish at level 1. |
| Level 2 | Gnar | His boomerang return and hops let him kite your single Q before you have E, so he pokes you down and edges the level-2 window. |
| Level 3 | Olaf | With Q plus E you stick the slow and land a guaranteed true-damage burst mini-Gnar's poke can't trade against. |
| Levels 4-5 | Olaf | Axe-reset slows perma-stick him while W-omnivamp out-heals his boomerang chip in every short trade. |
| Level 6 | Gnar | Mega-Gnar's AOE stun can lock your commit and his hop chains the kill, so the transform window is his to take. |
| First item | Even / skill | Black Cleaver plus axe-reset slows and W make your all-in oppressive while he's still a squishy mini-form laner. |
| Two+ items | Olaf | Your early lead converts here — catch him in mini, Q-slow and E him down while Ragnarok ignores his one peel tool before his mega scaling takes over. |
Gnar in mini form is the early annoyance — his boomerang pokes and the return catch chips you, and his hops mean a Q I throw at his feet whiffs if he's already moving. Don't chuck Q at max range hoping; walk him into a wall or minion clump, then Q-slow and close so the slow sticks. Once I hit 2-3 with Q plus E, I land a guaranteed true-damage chunk his poke simply can't sustain back, and my passive attack speed ramps the longer the trade runs.
The full Olaf vs Gnar 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.
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Playing the other side? Gnar vs Olaf guide →
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