Cho'Gath · Top

Cho'Gath Safe Play Guide

DefensiveData-drivenMediumPatch 16.19.1

4.9KUpdated 18 hours ago

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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.

Overview

This guide is about playing Cho'Gath safely and consistently. Safe top means freezing the wave near your tower, trading only when the enemy uses a key ability and waiting for your items. The kit brings crowd control (silence) with Feral Scream.

Strengths

Very durable: Riot rates it 7/10 in defense.
Crowd control: Feral Scream applies a silence to set up kills.
Clear job in the team: win a long one-on-one lane, pressure the side and matter in team fights.

Weaknesses

No dash or blink in the kit: vulnerable to ganks without vision.
Isolated lane: vulnerable to ganks when you push.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Defensive buildDefensiveRecommendedKeeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Jak'Sho, The Protean, Bandlepipes and Zeke's Convergence. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.
Against magic damageDefensiveSituationalFor a team that kills with abilities: magic resist boots and a magic resist item in the core.

Builds

Defensive build

DefensiveRecommended

Open build

When to use it

Keeps enough damage while adding health, magic resist and armor through Jak'Sho, The Protean, Bandlepipes and Zeke's Convergence. Choose it against dive, assassins or a lane you can't win.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Summoner's RiftRed side · bottom leftBlue side · top right

TopMain100% of matches

Starting items

Doran's ShieldHealth Potion

Core items

1Jak'Sho, The Protean
2Bandlepipes
3Zeke's Convergence

Boots

Plated Steelcaps

Situational

Dead Man's PlateAgainst heavy physical damage.Kaenic RookernAgainst heavy magic damage.Randuin's OmenAgainst burst and assassins.ThornmailCuts the enemy's healing.

Runes

Primary· Resolve

Secondary· Inspiration

Shards

Summoner spells

Flash
Teleport

Abilities

CarnivorePassiveWhenever Cho'Gath kills a unit, he recovers Health and Mana. The values restored increase with Cho'Gath's level.
QRupture6s50 mpRuptures the ground at target location, popping enemy units into the air, dealing damage and slowing them.
Cooldown
6
Cost
50
Range
950
WFeral Scream11/10.5/10/9.5/9s70/75/80/85/90 mpCho'Gath unleashes a terrible scream at enemies in a cone, dealing magic damage and Silencing enemies for a few seconds.
Cooldown
11·10.5·10·9.5·9
Cost
70·75·80·85·90
Range
300
Basic ability — applies a silence and hits an area. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
EVorpal Spikes8/7/6/5/4s30 mpCho'Gath's attacks release deadly spikes, dealing damage and slowing all enemy units in front of him.
Cooldown
8·7·6·5·4
Cost
30
Range
40
RFeastUltimate80/70/60s100 mpDevours an enemy unit, dealing a high amount of true damage. If the target is killed, Cho'Gath grows, gaining maximum Health.
Cooldown
80·70·60
Cost
100
Range
175
Ultimate. Plan your fights around its cooldown.

Strategy

1Safe laning

Safe top means freezing the wave near your tower, trading only when the enemy uses a key ability and waiting for your items. Short trades win lanes: hit, use one ability and step back before the enemy's full combo comes back.

2Surviving fights

In fights, reach the enemy backline or protect your own; Feral Scream is best used on the carry, not on the tank. You have no escape in the kit, so your position is your defence: stay behind someone who can protect you.

3Positioning and peel

Stand where the enemy has to go through your team to reach you, and protect whoever the enemy focuses. Hold Feral Scream for the enemy diver.

4Playing from behind

When the game goes badly, farm what's safe, defend with your team and wait for the enemy to make a mistake: a single won fight can turn it around.

Tips

Save Feral Scream for whoever jumps on your team.
Go back when your key abilities are down: a reset costs less than a death.
Never be the first to show on the map in the late game.
If enemies are missing from the map, back off before they appear.

Matchups

Weak against

Garen
Decisive Strike silences Cho'Gath, whose damage comes from abilities.
Blitzcrank
Static Field silences Cho'Gath, whose damage comes from abilities.
Kennen
Kennen attacks from 550 units and Cho'Gath from 125, with no dash in the kit to close the gap.