Garen vs Zaahen Top Matchup

Garen Top wins 54.2% of 1,545 Low Elo games against Zaahen Top, +2.0 points vs expected, 2-patch window 26.19-26.20.

Researched on LoL patch 26.20. Tips are written to hold at any rank; stats come from Low Elo ranked games up to patch 26.20.

Why Garen is favored

Garen's short trades limit the time Zaahen has to build Cultivation of War stacks, while Zaahen is more dangerous if a fight continues. Garen can also finish a low-health Zaahen with Demacian Justice(R) through the damage reduction on Grim Deliverance(R).

How to play as Garen

Favor short trades and back out before Zaahen builds many passive stacks. If he uses Grim Deliverance(R) at low health, Garen's true-damage execute can still finish him.

Zaahen's attacks and abilities build Cultivation of War(P) stacks that grant attack damage and can eventually revive him, so longer fights give him more time to build power.

Zaahen gains damage reduction while using Grim Deliverance(R), but Garen's Demacian Justice(R) deals true damage and bypasses that reduction.

How to play as Zaahen

Avoid extending every trade into a long fight where Garen can keep damaging you; use The Darkin Glaive(Q)'s recast and Aureate Rush(E) to disengage when he has taken a favorable short trade.

Sources

These notes come from r/GarenMains, checked against the champions' abilities.