Rengar

Rengar

Master Tier Champion Guide

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Identity

Rengar is simply a blast to play in the top lane. What makes Rengar stand out is his adaptability and his nature as a versatile lane bully. He features aggressive trading patterns that allow early opportunities to gain leads and snowball through roams and skirmishes. You should play Rengar if you crave a champion with high snowball potential and a playstyle that can change dramatically from game to game due to flexible build paths. He can be built as a tank, a bruiser (often using items like Ravenous Hydra and Death's Dance), or the classic assassin. The sheer potential he offers to impact or take over games, even from the top lane, makes him a fantastic and rewarding pick.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

  • Strong Laning Phase

  • Flexible Build Paths

  • High Snowball Potential

  • Strong Roams

  • Strong Splitpush AND 5v5 presence

  • Battle Roar (W) being an extremely good survival tool.

Weaknesses

  • Struggles from Behind

  • Dependent on Bush Presence

  • Can be Kited when Without Bushes

  • Difficulty setting up dives

  • Inability to siege well.

Laning Phase

How you approach the laning phase depends heavily on the matchup, but Rengar is generally built for aggression.

Losing Matchups

  • When facing a difficult matchup or if you fall behind, don't panic; these situations are usually manageable.

  • Prioritize XP: Do not die for a little bit of CS. Focus on staying within XP range.

  • Prevent the Freeze: Work to keep the wave from slow pushing into you, which would allow the enemy to freeze the wave. If the enemy does freeze, you will need your jungler to break it.

  • Under Turret Play: Rengar is surprisingly effective under his own turret. Even without a bush, you can get the first Ferocity stack by hitting a minion with Savagery (Q) or Bola Strike (E) as it comes into range. Prepare the rest of your combo for when the enemy attempts a dive or trade under the turret; using Empowered Battle Roar (W) here can lead to a positive trade.

  • Roam: Look for opportunities to roam when the enemy laner conveniently recalls.

Winning Matchups

  • Rengar is a super aggressive pick in most lanes, and your goal is simple: snowball hard.

  • Stack Ferocity: Get up to 3 or 4 Ferocity stacks while avoiding poor trades. You can do this by last hitting with Savagery (Q) or by leaping from a bush (Unseen Predator) and immediately using Q to cancel the auto-attack windup on your opponent.

  • Trade Timing: The optimal time to trade is when the enemy is busy trying to last hit (CSing), as they will be down at least one auto or ability in the ensuing trade.

  • Wave Control: Aim for a slow push to crash on the third wave. Once you have wave control, use the bushes to zone the enemy laner off the wave.

  • Quick Combo: At 3/4 stacks, look for a quick trade: leap → Q/Empowered Q → optional auto → Q → continuous autos → back off. As you level up (level 3+), you can start using your standard combo and use Battle Roar (W) to mitigate tradeback damage.

  • Freezing: After properly crashing the wave, let it push back and look to freeze it on your side of the lane to assume complete control.

Macro and Teamfights

In the mid game, your primary focus is map pressure, rotation to objectives, and resource acquisition.

Mid Game Macro

  • Splitpushing: Split push a side lane. If your Teleport is down, split on the same side as the next neutral objective. If Teleport is available, consider splitting on the opposite side.

  • Vision: Ward your sides aggressively to avoid getting caught out.

  • Pressure Point: Once your wave is pushed up (at or past the river), you have options: look for a pick (vision dependent), invade and steal camps (vision control important), or group up with your team.

  • Gaining Advantage: After securing a successful pick or play, convert it into map advantage: secure jungle resources, set up objective wards, take neutral objectives, or push for turrets.

  • Resetting: Always reset after gaining a lead before the enemy team can punish your unspent gold.

Fighting Skirmishes and Teamfights

  • Proper target selection is crucial for Rengar.

  • Target Priority: Focus squishy targets that are separated from their team, the enemy backline, or any large enemy threats.

  • Access is Key: Avoid tunnel vision. Focus on hitting the people you actually have access to. Remember that you can leap onto one target to gap-close toward a different, more important target.

  • Skirmish Focus: In early skirmishes, just prioritize hitting whoever your teammates are already focused on to burst them down quickly and gain a numbers advantage.

Key Combos

Standard Combo (Max Ferocity, from Bush)

QQ
+
EE
+
WW
+
Auto
+
QQ

Empowered Savagery (Q) before the leap. Leap → Bola Strike (E) in midair. Battle Roar (W). (Optional) basic attack. Auto-attack reset with Savagery (Q). Follow up with your chosen empowered ability (Empowered Q, W, or E). Skip the optional basic attack if you need the fastest possible burst combo.

Tips & Tricks

Abilities

WW

  • Always remember that Empowered Battle Roar (W) cleanses Rengar of all crowd control. Use this as your survival tool.

EE

  • Against highly mobile champions (like Shaco with his Deceive), use Empowered Bola Strike (E) to root them and prevent their dash or escape.

QQ

  • Savagery (Q) resets Rengar's basic attack timer, which is vital for maximizing burst.

GeneralGeneral

  • You can use enemy wards as a free dash toward the enemy if they are positioned in a bush within leap range. Use a Sweeper or Control Ward to reveal it, then leap.

  • Always plan out your next Ferocity bar. Figure out how you will stack it and what Empowered ability you will use. Hesitating mid-fight can cost you the trade.

  • Always input a move command between each auto-attack, otherwise you risk getting kited out.

  • When leaping onto a target that has defensive cooldowns like Flash or Zhonya's Hourglass, consider delaying the use of your Ferocity ability so you can adjust your damage rotation based on their reaction.

  • The brush leap effect (Unseen Predator) lingers for 0.35 seconds after you exit the brush. However, this effect is lost immediately if you use Flash or Hexflash.

Item Synergies

Zhonya's Hourglass

This is not a troll item in the right circumstances! In bruiser or tank builds, it can be extremely useful for stalling, as it allows you to soak cooldowns and wait for a second round of W casts. It’s also useful against heavy divers like Tryndamere when you are far behind.

Anti-Shield

Serpent's Fang is an excellent situational anti-shield item that fits into almost any Rengar build. Use it against carries who rush Immortal Shieldbow or against teams with champions that rely on shields from items like Gargoyle Stoneplate or Sterak's Gage.

Spell Shield

Edge of Night is a very useful lethality option against teams that have 'denial abilities' (like Lulu's Wild Growth) or specific hard CC abilities you absolutely must avoid (like Lux's Light Binding).

Healing Amplifier

Spirit Visage is a standard Magic Resist (MR) option for Bruiser Rengar. It provides crucial Ability Haste (AH) for yourRengar WW and synergizes extremely well with Rengar's heal-heavy playstyle, amplifying a ton of your healing.