Guide Sections (15)
- Champion Stats
- The Frontline Opener
- Ranking Chogath's Skins
- When They Ban Chogath
- Chogath's Keystone Choice
- Skill Max Order for Chogath
- Mastering Cho'Gath's Kit
- The Chogath Matchup Sheet
- Tanking Without Purpose
- When the Frontline Crumbles
- Soaking Damage for the Team
- The CC Machine Build
- When Chogath Comes Online
- The Immovable Object
- Recent Patch History
Champion Stats
Low Elo players have zero respect for 'Execution Thresholds'. They will stand in lane with 40% HP thinking they are safe, while Cho'Gath has Flash-R ready. Furthermore, Cho'Gath is a 'Walking Smite'. For a smurf, this means you never lose a Dragon or Baron. Your R deals more True Damage than Smite, making objective steals almost guaranteed.
The Frontline Opener
The 'Spike Harassment'. Start E (Vorpal Spikes). Most players expect Cho to be weak level 1. Walk up to the melee minions, trigger E, and hit the enemy through the wave. The % Max HP damage and slow are surprisingly high. By the time minions meet, the enemy top is already at 70% HP from just spikes.
E reset makes your level 1 trades better than most realize. Auto-E-Auto procs Grasp and chunks for a decent amount. Use it to win the level 1 lane agency and get the push. Cho is a lane bully if you play it right.
Ranking Chogath's Skins
'Gentleman Cho'Gath' is the only choice for a true smurf. The 'Up you go!' line when landing Q is peak tilt material. 'Dark Star' is for the visual flex, and 'Broken Covenant' offers the most modern and crisp hitboxes for Rupture.
'Gentleman' is the only skin. Every other skin is an imitation. 'Gentleman' has the best voice lines and the highest BM potential. 'Dark Star' is cool but it doesn't have the 'Up you go!' line. Stick to the classic.
When They Ban Chogath
If Cho'Gath is banned, Sion for the infinite scaling. Tahm Kench for the 'Eat them' mechanic. Malphite for the 'Press R to Win'.
Sion is the infinite scaling brother. Tahm Kench if you want the 'eat them' satisfaction. If you pick Malphite, remember you have no sustain. Garen is a decent backup for the simple 'run at them' style.
Sion offers infinite HP scaling and a massive shield. Tahm Kench gives you the 'Eat them' mechanic and tankiness. Malphite is the 'Press R to Win' alternative for teamfight impact. Sion is the best scaling pivot.
Chogath's Keystone Choice
Grasp of the Undying is standard for the 'Infinite HP' fantasy. Demolish (Tower shredding), Second Wind (Lane sustain), and Overgrowth. Secondary Inspiration (Approach Velocity) is CRITICAL to let you walk up and eat people after slowing them with Q or E.
Skill Max Order for Chogath
Max Q first for the damage and waveclear. Max W second for the 'Instant Silence'—this is what stops assassins like Katarina or Yone from playing the game. E is an auto-reset; it only needs one point early.
Mastering Cho'Gath's Kit
Rupture. Knockup Circle. Delay-based. It also slows. Great for catching people from Fog of War.
Feral Scream. Massive cone silence. It is instant. Use it to stop Yone E, Zed R, or any dash.
Vorpal Spikes. Next 3 autos deal % Max HP damage and slow. It is an auto-attack reset. Use it to trade effectively in melee.
Feast. The Button. True Damage execute. Increases HP and Size. Deals 1000+ damage to monsters. Always win the Smite battle.
The Chogath Matchup Sheet
Impossible. You are too big and too slow. She will kill you in 6 autos. Dodge.
Hard. She parries your Q. If she parries it, she stuns you and kills you. Stand near walls to hide vitals.
Annoying. He steals your Ult and grows larger than you. He heals more than you too.
Tanking Without Purpose
Stop missing Rupture (Q)! It has a delay. You need to predict where they are MOVING, not where they are standing. If you miss Q, you are just a big meatball. Also, don't hold your R for a 'kill' in the early game. Get your first 6 stacks on minions/monsters ASAP. Size is health, and health is power.
Your E range increases as you get bigger. Use this to harass from a surprisingly long distance in the late game. You can effectively zone their entire team just by standing near the wave.
When the Frontline Crumbles
Dodge Vayne or Fiora. They don't care about your 10,000 HP. They deal % True Damage. You are just a walking health pack for them. Dodge Kog'Maw too.
Vayne and Fiora are your hard counters. % True damage makes your 5k HP irrelevant. If you see them, buy Frozen Heart and pray your jungler ganks. Or just dodge. Life is too short to fight a Fiora as Cho.
Dodge Vayne or Fiora. They deal % Max HP True Damage. Your 10,000 HP means nothing to them; you are just a walking health pack. Also dodge Kog'Maw for the same reason. You cannot itemize against percent true damage.
Soaking Damage for the Team
You are a zone controller. Sit in the middle of the fight. Use Q to disrupt their backline. Use W to silence the mages. Most importantly, act as the executioner. If anyone gets below 25% HP, they are gone. You are also the anchor for Baron/Dragon—once the objective hits 1000 HP, it belongs to you.
You are a literal building in the late game. Use your size to block skillshots for your ADC. Your Silence (W) is one of the most underrated CCs in the game—use it on the enemy mage to stop their burst. Eat the carry.
The CC Machine Build
Full AP 'Void Terror'. Everfrost (if classic) / Luden's -> Stormsurge -> Shadowflame. Your Q has a 100% AP ratio. If you land Q, They die. You lose the 'Tank' title but gain the 'Terror' title. You literally delete people with E-Q-R.
Heartsteel is the standard for the 'I want to be big' fantasy. If you're in a hard lane, go Hollow Radiance for the waveclear. AP Cho is fun but you'll get blown up mid-game. Stick to the tank build for the win.
When Chogath Comes Online
Level 6 (The Feast Spike). Heartsteel completion (if Tank). 10+ Stacks of Feast where you become massive and cover half the lane.
Level 6 is where you start to out-scale everyone. 6 stacks is the baseline. Once you have Heartsteel and Sunfire, you are the raid boss. Cho scales with time—the longer the game, the more inevitable you become.
Level 6 is The Feast Spike—start stacking immediately. Heartsteel completion turns you into a raid boss. At 10+ stacks, your size physically blocks the enemy team from clicking your carry. Use your model as a wall.
The Immovable Object
Spamming 'Nom Nom Nom' in all-chat after eating the enemy Jungler. Pinging your 6000 HP bar when the enemy ADC deals 100 damage per auto. Standing on top of your ADC so the enemy literally cannot click on them.
Typing 'I'm still hungry' after eating the ADC is the highest form of BM. Pinging your HP bar while taking a full Lux combo and only losing 10% health is the ultimate flex. You are inevitable.
Spam 'Nom Nom Nom' in all-chat after eating the enemy Jungler. Ping your 6000 HP bar when the enemy ADC deals 100 damage per crit. Stand directly on top of your ADC so the enemy click-misclicks on you.
Recent Patch History
Recent Balance Changes
| Patch | Date | Type | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V14.14 | Jul 17, 2024 | BUFF | Q buffed, E adjusted |
| V14.10 | May 15, 2024 | BUFF | E adjusted |
| V14.6 | Mar 20, 2024 | BUFF | W buffed, E buffed |
| V14.2 | Jan 24, 2024 | BUFF | R buffed |
| V13.6 | Mar 22, 2023 | ADJUST | P adjusted |
