Gnar vs Olaf TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Olaf

Gnar vs Olaf

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Use mini form to poke and kite Olaf, managing Rage to time mega form for key fights or wave crashes.
Control lane pressure by denying Olaf extended melee trades and avoid giving him easy all-in windows due to his high early agency and pressure.
This is a control vs snowball matchup where Gnar must prevent Olaf from snowballing through extended fights.

Trading pattern

Trade short-range poke with (Q) and (W) in mini form, then kite back using (E) to avoid Olaf's axe resets.
Avoid fighting Olaf when your (E) is on cooldown or Rage is low to prevent being caught in his all-in.
Punish Olaf after he misses (Q) axes by stepping forward to land poke and force him to retreat.

Danger windows

Olaf is dangerous when he lands (Q) axes and can pick them up to reset cooldowns; avoid extended trades during this window.
Be cautious when Olaf activates (R) as he ignores crowd control and can force straight-line fights.
Mini Gnar is vulnerable without (E); avoid fighting Olaf during this cooldown to prevent being locked down.

Early game

Abuse Gnar's ranged mini form poke to chip Olaf before he can engage with (Q) axes.
Preserve (E) in mini form to escape Olaf's low mobility all-ins and avoid fighting when (E) is down.
Time mini form trades to harass Olaf without letting him pick up axes for extended chases.

Power spikes

At level 6, use Rage to transform and engage with (R) near terrain for hard CC and durability; force Olaf to back off before mega form expires.
Manage Rage to enter fights with mega form ready, maximizing crowd control and tankiness to counter Olaf's all-ins.
Respect Olaf's level 6 (R) for CC immunity and extended fights; avoid committing when his (R) is active unless mega form is available.

Win conditions

Use mini form's range and poke to deny Olaf early lane control and prevent him from snowballing.
Time Rage to transform into mega form for impactful engages or wave crashes, leveraging terrain for (R) stuns.
Kite Olaf's melee all-ins by preserving (E) and punishing missed (Q) axes to maintain lane control and scale into mid-game teamfights.