Kennen vs Gnar TOP Matchup Guide | LaneStomp

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Kennen vs Gnar

Updated Jun 3, 2026

Overview

Kennen controls lane pressure by poking with (Q) and stacking marks to prevent Gnar from scaling safely.
Prioritize ranged poke and avoid extended trades without (E) or (R) ready to mitigate Gnar's burst windows.
This is a control vs teamfight matchup where Kennen must leverage ranged poke and flank engages to dominate fights.

Trading pattern

Trade short-range poke using (Q) and (W) to build mark stacks and stun before Gnar can retaliate.
Punish Gnar when his (E) is on cooldown by stepping forward for quick trades.
Avoid extended trades when (R) is down or (E) is unavailable to prevent being vulnerable to Gnar's follow-up engage.

Danger windows

Be cautious when Gnar's Rage is near mega form and (E) is available for aggressive engages.
Avoid grouping near walls during Gnar's mega form to reduce risk of his (R) wall stun.
Kennen is vulnerable after using (E) forward without vision or escape options; play safe until (E) resets.

Early game

Use (Q) and (W) to chip Gnar from a safe distance while preserving (E) for escape or repositioning.
Avoid committing when (E) is down to prevent Gnar's counter-engage or all-ins.
Maintain lane pressure to deny Gnar easy mini-form trades and force him to use Rage suboptimally.

Power spikes

At level 6, use (R) with flank or flash angles to threaten all-ins and objective fights; preserve health and resources for this.
Hold (E) and (R) for decisive teamfight windows rather than low-value trades.
Respect Gnar's mega form at level 6 with (R) and (W) stuns, especially near terrain where his engage is strongest.

Win conditions

Use ranged poke to control the wave and stack marks for reliable stuns.
Convert (R) flank or flash windows into impactful teamfight engages to secure kills and objectives.
Deny Gnar calm scaling by pressuring early and avoiding extended trades without key cooldowns to maximize teamfight impact.