Gwen ARAM Build and Guide

Updated for patch 26.20. Ability details come from Riot’s official game data for this patch; ARAM balance numbers come from the League of Legends Wiki’s champion data.

A Gwen ARAM build doesn’t have to account for any balance change: in ARAM, Gwen deals 100% damage, same as Summoner’s Rift. What changes is the fight itself. Teams stay grouped in one lane, and Gwen’s Hallowed Mist protects her only from enemies outside it, and that matters a lot more when all five enemies are standing right there.

Item suggestions here are editorial and based on what each item does in the current patch. We don’t use win-rate data.

How is Gwen changed in ARAM?

ARAM modifier	Gwen
Damage dealt	100% (no change)

No buff, no nerf.

Why does Gwen fit the Howling Abyss?

• A Thousand Cuts: bonus magic damage based on the target’s health, with healing against champions. Long ARAM fights give her plenty of time to heal.
• Snip Snip!: up to six snips in a cone, with true damage in the center, which hits grouped enemies well.
• Hallowed Mist: only enemies inside the mist can target her, so ranged poke from the back line can’t touch her while she stands in it.
• Skip ‘n Slash: a dash plus attack speed and range, so she can close the gap and drop mist where it counts.
• Needlework: three casts of slowing needles that apply her passive.

What should a Gwen ARAM build focus on?

She deals magic damage and wants long fights. Nashor’s Tooth (80 Ability Power, 50% Attack Speed) adds bonus magic damage on every attack. Riftmaker (70 AP, 350 Health) deals more damage the longer she stays in combat, and turns part of her bonus Health into Ability Power. Liandry’s Torment (60 AP, 300 Health) burns enemies for a percentage of their max health and also ramps up over time in combat.

For what it’s worth, the health on these items goes further in ARAM. You can’t back to base.

How do you play Gwen on the Howling Abyss?

• Drop the mist on top of the poke. Ranged enemies outside it can’t target you, so they have to walk in.
• Snip the center. The middle of Q deals true damage, so aim it at the carry, not the tank.
• Save Needlework for the chase. Three casts give you a long reach on fleeing enemies.
• Grab health relics before you dive. There is no recall in ARAM, so relics are your main way to top up between fights.

How do shopping and Mark change the plan?

Two things about ARAM change how you play Gwen here. You can’t recall to buy items, so you shop at the fountain at the start and each time you respawn (plan the next item before you die, not after). Health relics in the lane are the other way to recover, since there is no going back to base to heal. And the mode’s summoner spell, Mark, throws a snowball that lets you dash to the target it hits.

For Gwen, Mark is a way to reach the backline: a hit snowball puts her next to the poke, where Hallowed Mist does the most good. You pick it before the game loads, and it stays fixed for the whole match. Don’t sleep on that pick, it’s as important as your first item.

What does no change mean in practice?

Is a champion with no ARAM adjustment weak there? Not at all. It means Riot saw no reason to tune her for the mode, and her damage, healing and mist work exactly as on Summoner’s Rift (no hidden penalty on her passive heal, for example).

Her numbers are Rift numbers, but the fights look nothing like Rift. ARAM teams stand together, so the center of Snip Snip! hits more targets, and Hallowed Mist blocks poke from the ranged champions you always see in ARAM. Every enemy who wants to hit her has to walk into the mist first.

Who gives her the most trouble on the Howling Abyss? Melee divers who walk into the mist anyway, and teams that bring anti-heal early, since her passive heal is a big part of how she survives long fights.

Is Gwen good in ARAM?

Yes, because the mist neutralizes the poke that defines the mode. The thing is, enemies who step into the mist can hit her normally, so a team with several melee divers is harder for her. If you want the Summoner’s Rift side of things, see our Gwen counters guide. Her skins are on the Gwen skins page, and every item mentioned has stats and history in our LoL items database.

Put simply, a good Gwen ARAM game looks like this: mist on the poke, Q center on the carry, Needlework to run them down.

FAQ

Is Gwen buffed or nerfed in ARAM?

Neither. She deals 100% damage in ARAM, according to the League of Legends Wiki’s ARAM data.

What does Gwen’s mist do in ARAM?

Hallowed Mist makes her targetable only by enemies inside it, which blocks ranged poke from outside.

What items does Gwen build on the Howling Abyss?

Magic damage items with health, such as Nashor’s Tooth, Riftmaker and Liandry’s Torment.

Does Gwen still heal there?

Yes. Her passive heals her for part of the damage it deals to champions.

Is this build based on win rates?

No. It is an editorial guide based on item and ability effects in patch 26.20. We don’t use win-rate data.