Garen's ultimate ability, Demacian Justice (R), is a powerful single-target execution ability designed to finish off critically wounded enemies. It deals a massive burst of damage, with its effectiveness greatly amplified against targets with low health and especially against the designated "Villain" target.
Core Mechanics of Demacian Justice
When Garen activates Demacian Justice, he calls upon a divine judgment to strike a single enemy champion. This ability is renowned for its high damage output, which scales directly with the target's missing health, making it an ideal tool for securing kills.
Damage Type and Scaling
Demacian Justice's damage type depends on whether the target is the "Villain."
- Standard Targets: Against regular enemy champions, Garen's R deals magic damage. The damage output increases significantly as the target's health decreases, meaning it hits hardest when an enemy is very low on health. The damage also scales with Garen's Attack Damage (AD).
- The "Villain" Target: This is where Garen's ultimate truly shines. Garen's passive ability, "Villainy," marks the enemy champion who most recently killed one of Garen's allies as the "Villain." This mark is unique to Garen and allows him to deal bonus true damage with his basic attacks and Judgment (E). Crucially, against the "Villain" target, Demacian Justice's damage is converted into true damage. True damage ignores all of the target's resistances (Armor and Magic Resist), ensuring the full impact of the ability is felt.
The True Power Behind the Strike
When Garen presses R, he is said to be calling upon a powerful celestial entity, often associated with Kayle, to deliver an orbital smite for him. This divine intervention ensures judgment is swift and absolute. If the target happens to be the villain, this celestial aid is given an "extra thrust," delivering the strike with enhanced precision and devastating true damage.
Key Characteristics
- Targeted Ability: It can only be cast on a single enemy champion within range.
- Execution Focus: Its damage multiplier against low-health targets makes it primarily an execution tool.
- No Mana Cost: Like all of Garen's abilities, Demacian Justice costs no mana, relying solely on its cooldown.
Strategic Use and Practical Insights
Understanding how to effectively use Demacian Justice is crucial for maximizing Garen's impact in a game.
- Timing is Everything: The optimal time to use Garen's R is when an enemy champion is at low health, preferably under 30-40% of their maximum health, to maximize the missing health damage component.
- Focus the Villain: Always prioritize using your ultimate on the "Villain" target if they are within kill range. The true damage conversion means they have no effective way to mitigate the damage.
- Combo Potential: Demacian Justice is often used as the finisher in Garen's burst combo, typically after engaging with Decisive Strike (Q) and spinning with Judgment (E) to whittle down the enemy's health.
- Securing Objectives: It can be used to quickly execute enemy champions contesting Dragon, Baron, or turrets, creating an advantage for your team.
Damage Breakdown
| Target Type | Damage Type | Effect on Target | Optimal Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Magic Damage | Scales with target's missing health. | Finishing low-health enemies without Villain mark. |
| Villain | True Damage | Scales with target's missing health, ignores all resistances. | Prioritized execution on the marked Villain. |
Counterplay and Considerations
While powerful, Garen's ultimate does have counterplay:
- Shields and Heals: External shields (e.g., from Janna, Lulu, Karma) or strong healing effects (e.g., Soraka, Yuumi, Redemption) can absorb or negate the damage if applied in time.
- Invulnerability: Abilities that grant invulnerability (e.g., Zhonya's Hourglass, Lissandra's ultimate, Kindred's ultimate) can completely nullify Demacian Justice.
- Mobility/Flash: High-mobility champions can sometimes escape Garen's range before he can cast his ultimate, especially if he is slowed or immobilized.
For more detailed statistics and up-to-date information, you can refer to Garen's official ability page on the League of Legends Wiki.
