Cho’Gath is a great example of Riot’s impressive character design. Despite being one of the oldest champions in the game, his whole kit still holds up in the modern meta. Here’s everything you need to know to get you started playing the Terror of the Void.

Being one of the oldest champions in League, Cho’Gath’s kit and play style is rather simplistic. But instead of it being a weakness, it is actually his biggest strength. Players won’t have to deal with complicated mechanics to dominate with this champion. All you need to do is learn his abilities and have a solid understanding of the game’s fundamentals. He is best played in the Top Lane either as an AP Bruiser or a full on Tank. In our opinion, he is better off as a Tank since it suits him well and this way he can be useful to his team even when he is behind.

Abilities

Cho’Gath’s kit is very easy to use and understand. He’s a very beginner friendly champion that anyone can easily pick up and rack up wins in solo queue.

Passive – Carnivore

Whenever Cho’Gath kills a unit, it recovers Health and Mana.

Carnivore is an amazing ability to have on a champion like Cho’Gath. It’s one of the reasons why he is such a potent champion in the Top Lane. This passive gives him nearly infinite sustain which allows him to soak up a lot of gold and EXP. 

Q – Rupture

Ruptures the ground at target location. Enemies caught in the rupture are launched into the air for 1 second, take magic damage, and are slowed by 60% for 1.5 seconds.

Rupture is Cho’Gath’s main source of crowd control. The timing on this ability can be a little tricky to pull off when you’re new to using this champion but you’ll eventually get the hang of it. The CC on this ability is huge as it can set up a lot of things and open up opportunities for you or your team.

W – Feral Scream

Silences enemies in a cone and deals magic damage.

Feral Scream is Cho’Gath’s primary source of damage. There’s not much to say about it as it is a very simple ability. The silence is pretty good and you should strive to hit the enemy with it before they can make a move.

E – Vorpal Spikes

Cho’Gath’s next 3 basic attacks launch spikes that deal magic damage and apply a slow decaying over the next 1.5 seconds.

Vorpal Spikes is Cho’Gath’s source of wave clear. It’s also good for poking and trading with enemies who hide behind minion waves.

R – Feast

Ravenously feed on an enemy unit, dealing true damage to champions or 1,000 [+10% bonus] (+50%) true damage to minions and monsters. If the target is killed, Cho’Gath gains a stack of Feast, which causes him to grow in size and gain bonus health. Only 6 total stacks can be gained from minions and non-epic monsters.

Feast is Cho’Gath’s ultimate. It’s a single target ability that helps him become tankier or to secure kills. When you are called on to do so in key situations, you can even use Feast to secure certain objectives for your team like Baron or Dragon.

Runes and Item Builds

For your items, your focus should be to increase Cho’Gath’s survivability and durability.

Starting Items

You have two options when it comes to your starting items. The standard choice would be to go with Doran’s Shield as it can increase your survivability early on and would help you against ranged opponents. If you feel like playing a bit aggressively, you could start with Doran’s Ring for the mana sustain and ability power it provides.

Mythic Items

Most tank Mythic items are actually viable on Cho’Gath. However, out of all of them, two stand out as the best choices. The best overall choice is Frostfire Gauntlet. This gives Cho’Gath everything he needs plus the Snowbind passive makes it easier for him to stick closely to his targets. The other good alternative is Sunfire Aegis. It gives the same stats as Frostfire Gauntlet only better and without the Snowbind passive.

Full Build

After purchasing your desired Mythic, upgrade to tier 2 boots. The standard is Plated Steelcaps but you can change it depending on your situation. Next, go for Winter’s Approach since it can give you a lot of health and mana. Afterwards, you’ll need Thornmail for the armor, health, and return damage. At this point in the game, you’ll need a Force of Nature for the magic resist and additional durability. Top off your build with a Gargoyle Stoneplate for the stats and an active shield that essentially functions like a second life bar.

Other Viable Items

While the full build we’ve shown above is generally considered the standard for Cho’Gath, it is not set in stone. There are plenty of other items that you can purchase depending on your preference or what your situation currently needs. Items like Dead Man’s Plate, Warmog’s Armor, Rylai’s Crystal Scepter, Anathema’s Chains, and Spirit Visage are all good items to have especially if you’re leaning towards being more of a tank. Try to mix and match these item sets to see what works best for you. Doing so will help you develop a better understanding of the game’s deeper mechanics.

Runes

For your runes, go with the Resolve tree and take Grasp of the Undying as your keystone. This increases your sustain and overall late game durability. Next, take Demolish to help you clear towers, Conditioning for more resistances, and Overgrowth for more health. For secondaries, go with the Precision tree and take Triumph for sustain and Legend: Tenacity to help you stick to your targets better. For rune shards, take Attack Speed, and Double Armor.

Useful Tips

1. Try to line up Vorpal Spikes perfectly to help you clear minions while also damaging enemy champions. 
2. Cho’Gath is weak against champions like Volibear, Aatrox, Akali, Dr. Mundo, and Illaoi. Whenever you see yourself matching up against these champions, try your best to play it safe instead of being aggressive.
3. For your summoner spells, always take Flash and Teleport. Flash gives you additional utility while Teleport gives you a global presence around the map.

So there you have it! That’s all you need to know about playing Cho’Gath in League of Legends. Be sure to check back with us again for more awesome guides on your favorite games. Have fun and we’ll see you on the Rift!