HOW TO PLAY BRIAR | The ULTIMATE Rank 1 Challenger Guide

Guide Summary

Builds

• Titanic Hydra first is recommended in high-elo games, where Briar needs the health to survive and frontline through heavier damage.
• Blade of the Ruined King into Black Cleaver can be effective in lower-elo games, where fights may allow more time for Briar to land basic attacks.
• Lethality or crit suits enemy teams with little crowd control or mostly squishy champions. It offers strong carry potential but leaves Briar vulnerable when she has to frontline.
• A crit build with Titanic Hydra is presented as a fun option, though not the most competitive. The guide also cautions against a Collector–Titanic setup at the time of recording.

Runes

• Press the Attack (PTA) is the recommended default.
• Alternatives include:
  • Lethal Tempo or Conqueror for more damage in longer fights.
  • Fleet Footwork for difficult lane matchups.
  • Hail of Blades for high-damage lethality builds.
• For precision choices, the guide favors Triumph, Legend: Haste—because Briar relies on having her abilities available—and Coup de Grace for damage against low-health targets. Other Legend and damage options remain viable depending on preference and matchup.
• For secondary runes, Domination offers burst and kill-focused value, while Inspiration can provide extra economy or utility. The guide considers the two pages similarly effective and leaves the choice to the player.
• Recommended stat shards are double adaptive force plus a defensive shard. Scaling health is the usual choice; early health, tenacity, or slow resistance can be better in particular games.

Jungle Plan and Decision-Making

• Usually full-clear before making a play so camps keep respawning and Briar continues earning gold and experience. A three-camp gank can work when there is a clear opportunity, but don’t abandon camps for a speculative play.
• Watch lanes and teammates’ health to spot fights. Then consider whether you can reach them in time and whether the enemy jungler could punish the move.
• Check whether teammates are actually moving to help before committing to a contested play. If they don’t come, adjust: take another camp or make a play elsewhere rather than forcing it.
• Use Briar’s W1 and Q dashes to close distance and reach targets. Save or buffer E when a fight turns dangerous: it costs health to cast but reduces incoming damage, and a fully charged E can heal her.
• Use pings to coordinate and signal danger. Teammates have their own jobs and cannot always follow the jungler.

Mid- and Late-Game Priorities

• When ahead, use Briar’s strength to pressure the enemy jungler and control objectives, but don’t confuse winning a fight with making a good map play.
• Value dragons, Dragon Soul, Rift Herald, Baron, and turrets over low-value kills when the objective offers more to the team. Prepare nearby lanes and camps so you can arrive on time.
• Track enemy positions on the minimap. If opponents group on one side, look for a play on the weaker side—but don’t leave a lane exposed if the enemy can take Baron quickly.
• Scuttle Crab provides vision, which can help set up neutral objectives. Clear or contest vision, and use flanks to reach enemy carries during team fights.
• After winning a fight or gaining a numbers advantage, turn it into an objective, turret, or push. With Baron, use the empowered minion wave to pressure structures; avoid chasing kills when taking turrets would help end the game.
• Briar’s Q can target units and other objects, including allies, minions, wards, and blast cones, giving her extra ways to reposition.
• When a game starts going badly, stay focused on the next useful play. The guide recommends muting or disengaging from chat rather than arguing.

The showcased match illustrates these ideas: the player adapts to teammates’ positions, contests objectives, helps secure Dragon Soul and Baron, and uses the resulting advantages to push and win.

Gamers and sources featured: L0ganJG (also referred to as Logan Jungle), the Briar player and guide narrator; the narrator’s Mobafire Briar guide.