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Cho'Gath Tank (Heartsteel) Guide
Patch 26.19 Iron-Emerald·Difficulty:
The Heartsteel tank build is the Cho'Gath most players run: Hail of Blades, Heartsteel first, Boots of Swiftness and Dead Man's Plate. You are slow early and a raid boss late. Full clear every game, hit level 6 on time, and play every fight around R: it executes monsters and champions, and every stack makes you bigger, tankier and harder to escape. With R down you are a tank without a finisher, so you farm and restack instead of forcing.
Runes
Quick Tips
All phases
- •Once you are ahead, eat champions instead of saving R for camps.
- •Ping your R icon near an objective to show the team whether it kills.
- •In Emerald and above, the Rocketbelt build is worth learning as a second option; in Gold, stay on Heartsteel.
Skill Priority
E
›Q
›W
Q
·
2
·
·
·
W
·
·
·
4
·
E
1
·
3
·
5
Early Game
Before 1st item
- •Your first clear should have you level 4 by 3:01, and by 2:58 once you are Master; that is the mark for every jungler.
- •Clear top to bot.
- •Full clear every game. A gank that delays level 6 costs you your first stack and your R timing.
- •Put your second point in E at level 3, then W at level 4.
- •Kite camps when your spells are on cooldown: step back and wait instead of standing and taking free damage.
- •Ping your laners to push before you invade. Without lane priority behind you, an invade costs you camps.
First Back
Regular full clear & crab
Core Build Examples
Default
vs heavy AP
vs heavy AD
Long fights
Mid Game
1-3 items
- •Play with R on a timer. After you use it, clear camps, restack, then look for the next fight.
- •Stack before every objective. Walking in fully stacked is your whole win condition.
- •A minute before dragon or herald, stop side plays: clear your camps, get strong, then commit.
- •Dead Man's Plate plus movement speed lets you run anyone down. Getting to them is your only job.
Situational
vs sustain junglers
Good Vs
vs AP junglers
Good Vs
vs auto attack carries
Good Vs
vs hard CC supports
Good Vs
vs poke mages
Good Vs
vs AD fighters
Good Vs
Late Game
4+ items
- •Take herald after your camps are cleared and the side lanes can use it. Tempo without follow up wastes it.
- •A faster clear means faster tempo, and faster tempo is how you stop a losing lane from throwing.
- •If you can reach them, hold Q. Throw it only when you cannot.
D
Cho'Gath Tank (Heartsteel) Guide
Patch 26.19 Iron-Emerald·Difficulty:
Why Jungle Kingdom?
Most sites tell you what to build. We teach you how to win. Our guides are researched and written by Challenger junglers, breaking down the early, mid, and late game decisions that actually decide games.
Runes
Skill Priority
E
›Q
›W
Q
·
2
·
·
·
W
·
·
·
4
·
E
1
·
3
·
5
Core Build Examples
Default
vs heavy AP
vs heavy AD
Long fights
First Back
Regular full clear & crab
Situational
vs sustain junglers
Good Vs
vs AP junglers
Good Vs
vs auto attack carries
Good Vs
vs hard CC supports
Good Vs
vs poke mages
Good Vs
vs AD fighters
Good Vs
Quick Tips
All phases
- •Once you are ahead, eat champions instead of saving R for camps.
- •Ping your R icon near an objective to show the team whether it kills.
- •In Emerald and above, the Rocketbelt build is worth learning as a second option; in Gold, stay on Heartsteel.
Early Game
Before 1st item
- •Your first clear should have you level 4 by 3:01, and by 2:58 once you are Master; that is the mark for every jungler.
- •Clear top to bot.
- •Full clear every game. A gank that delays level 6 costs you your first stack and your R timing.
- •Put your second point in E at level 3, then W at level 4.
- •Kite camps when your spells are on cooldown: step back and wait instead of standing and taking free damage.
- •Ping your laners to push before you invade. Without lane priority behind you, an invade costs you camps.
Mid Game
1-3 items
- •Play with R on a timer. After you use it, clear camps, restack, then look for the next fight.
- •Stack before every objective. Walking in fully stacked is your whole win condition.
- •A minute before dragon or herald, stop side plays: clear your camps, get strong, then commit.
- •Dead Man's Plate plus movement speed lets you run anyone down. Getting to them is your only job.
Late Game
4+ items
- •Take herald after your camps are cleared and the side lanes can use it. Tempo without follow up wastes it.
- •A faster clear means faster tempo, and faster tempo is how you stop a losing lane from throwing.
- •If you can reach them, hold Q. Throw it only when you cannot.