Wild Rift Galio guide: Best runes, items, tips, more

With the official launch of the open beta of League of Legends: Wild Rift in the Americas region, along with patch 2.2 a few days ago, the time has come to welcome new champions to the roster of the long-awaited mobile game.

To begin this new wave of champions, a symbol from the resplendent city of Demacia will make his arrival at Summoner's Rift, imposing his majesty and sense of justice in the face of all his enemies.

One of the best tanks around the game, known for his big resilience and stunning attacks, it’s time to introduce Galio, the Colossus.

Galio's active and passive abilities

(Picture: Riot Games)

With his passive ability, Colossal Smash, every few seconds, Galio's next basic attack will deal bonus magic damage in an area.

Let's move on to his active skills:

• Winds of War: Fires two wind blasts that converge into a large tornado that deals extended damage.
• Shield of Durand: Galio adopts a defensive stance, which slows his movement. Upon releasing the charge, Galio will taunt and damage nearby enemies.
• Justice Punch: Galio will step back a bit, then lunge forward and lift any enemy champions in his path into the air.
• Ultimate - Hero's Entrance: Galio designates an ally's position as his landing point, granting a shield against magic damage to all allies in the area. After a moment, Galio smashes down on the area and knocks nearby enemies into the air.

Runes and spells recommended for Galio

Galio is known within the Rift for his excellent sustain, which makes him an essential pick when taking on enemies and compositions based on magic damage, as well as working quite well as a counter-pick either in the mid lane or as a support.

We will have different rune options depending on what role you want to play with Galio.

As mid laner:

• Electrocute: Triggers on successful skill combos and trades, dealing bonus damage to affected enemies and increasing her burst damage.
• Brutal: Grants bonus attack damage and armour penetration.
• Hunter - Titan: Grants 20 max health, while unique champion takedowns adds an additional 20 HP and 4% tenacity.
• Manaflow Band: Increases your maximum mana when dealing damage to enemy champions.

As support:

• Aftershock: Immobilizing an enemy champion grants additional armour and magic resistance, as well as unleashing a barrage of magic damage to nearby enemies.
• Weakness: Increases your team's damage to opponents slowed or with crowd control effects.
• Loyalty: You and your closest ally gain 2 armour and 5 bonus magic resistance.
• Pack Hunter: Grants bonus movement speed when near an ally. Additionally, unique takedowns will grant you and the closest ally bonus gold.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Galio is a very flexible champion in terms of the options you can choose for his summoner spells, so in addition to the routine Flash, you can select what suits you best depending on the situation.

• Ignite: To play aggressive or finish off opponents.
• Barrier: Against enemies with a lot of siege power.
• Exhaust: In case you have to go Support or against very elusive enemies.

Best items for Galio

(Picture: Riot Games)

Going on the same tangent of his versatility, Galio's items will be based on boosting his magic damage, in addition to adapting his defences to the damage focus of the enemy team. Although it also does not hurt to take it with a tanky build when it is really necessary.

As mid laner:

• Rod of Ages: Restores mana depending on how much health you lose and vice versa. It also has a passive that increases your HP, Mana and AP every 30 seconds up to ten times.
• Infinity Orb: Grants movement speed, magic penetration, and bonus damage against low-health targets.
• Mercury’s Treads: Reduces the duration of stuns, slows, taunts, fears, silences, blinds, and immobilizes by 35%. Recommended using them with Glorious Enchant for siege situations.
• Rabadon's Deathcap: Dramatically increases ability power by 40%.
• Void Staff: Grants a tremendous amount of magic penetration.

You can complement this itemization with Liandry's in case you have to face a tanky enemy team, or a Morellonomicon, to increase your magic penetration and inflict Grievous Wounds.

As support:

• Zeke's Convergence: By using your Ultimate, you will activate an icy storm around you, which will slow enemies and burn them with magic damage for a few seconds.
• Force of Nature: Grants movement speed and magic resistance when you receive ability damage. This effect can be stacked up to five times.
• Warmog’s Armor: At 2,500 or more maximum health, you can regenerate 5% of this per second, if you have not taken damage in combat for six seconds.

You can complete this comp with two variants, based on the primary enemy damage:

• Physical Defense: Ninja's Tabi with Glorious or Gargoyle enchant, Randuin's Omen, and Dead Man's Plate or Frozen Heart.
• Magical Defense: Mercury’s Treads with Glorious or Gargoyle enchant, Adaptive Helm, and Spirit Visage.

Tips for Galio’s playstyle

(Picture: Riot Games)

Released in 2010 and undergoing a massive rework in 2017, Galio went from being one of the most overlooked champions in Summoner's Rift to one of the most influential in the metagame thanks to his defensive power and massive crowd control. making him a champion with too much utility in team fights.

During the early game, much of your strategy will focus on annoying the enemy with your Winds of War, causing them to back off their farming attempts and allowing you to easily clear out waves of minions.

When your enemy is unprepared or in a precarious situation, initiate your siege with his Justice Punch to hit him face-to-face to the air, and charge up his Shield of Durand so that they have no alternative escape route. These opportunities can be used by your allies to take down the paralyzed opponent or to give you time in the event of an enemy rotation.

(Picture: Riot Games)

Always try to save your Hero's Entrance for the appropriate moments, as it can change the course of any teamfight or save your allies from any danger, in case they are completely subdued by enemy champions.

As the game progresses, the passives of your Colossal Smash and your Shield of Durand will have a more substantial effect both on lane pushing and in terms of combat and survivability, which is why we previously recommended boosting his magic damage and defences, to get the most out of them.

• Read more: Wild Rift Dragon lane tier list: AD Carry champions ranked from best to worst

With the arrival of Galio, the overview of the Mid and Dragon lanes will change a lot, as some high-impact champions such as Jinx and Diana will encounter this colossus, who will make life difficult for anyone who stands in front of him while demonstrating his instinct for survival and justice to everyone in battle.