CONQUEROR
This is the standard Conqueror page, and imo the most reliable set up for learning Rengar.
Conqueror is generally MID-HIGH economy with itemization, in order to get the most out of your set up you need to be farming well, and getting competitive amounts of XP.
Strengths:
Precision Tree -- which lets you use Legend: Alacrity (fluidity of AAs + combos) Triumph (AMAZING for turning close fights) and either Coup de Grace, or Last Stand, which are rather interchangeable imo but based on playstyle, and enemy champs in current meta I'd say Last Stand is superior most of the time.
Ease of use -- Conqueror is very easy to use. You hit them with abilities and item effects, and you get stacks. Simple! At 12 stacks you have lifesteal and hit like a truck.
Duel capability -- compared to other pages such as Grasp of the Undying or Fleet Footwork, Conqueror blows them out of the water in a full all-in scenario.
Imo, the lower the elo, the better this page becomes. Enemy players won't be able to identify scenarios where you have 1 shot potential, and ganks oftentimes (especially plat and below) will end up with the jungler handing you a double buff, Triumph proc, full conq stacks and sometimes a quick level up. Double Kill >:)
CONS:
Bad stick potential -- since you're Rengar you really just have brush or ultimate for gap closers, so if someone has a stun or other reliable disengage + Kite, they'll end up living.
Very linear -- and doesn't combo with Rengar's 'optimal' trade pattern of 4WW, walk away, re-engage (or reset).
Feast or Famine -- In lanes where you already lose 1v1, you will lose even harder due to lack of mix-ups in playstyle or build diversity.
Over-all, Conqueror is still fantastic for just about any lane, and going to be the most reliable for learning Rengar Top for anyone starting out on him up there.
GRASP
Grasp of the Undying is going to be the standard RELIABLE page, for any economy (gold/xp per min) vs any composition. As long as you understand how to properly time grasp procs during all-ins, kite using it, abuse 4WW for max heals + dps, it's VERY good for laning phase.
In general, if you expect to be camped or they have 3-4x Divers ( Diana, Xin Zhao, Fiora, Camille, etc.)
Grasp of the Undying will be very strong BECAUSE you will be spamming Battle Roar and Empowered Battle Roar, you will want the extra sustain from green tree, and you will be itemizing in general for stasis, since it counters their entire comp at that point.
Strengths:
Lane Dominance -- Melees who can proc
Grasp of the Undying reliably are already very, VERY oppressive in a lot of lanes, and Rengar is no exception. His Empowered Battle Roar + Battle Roar short trades are unbeatable in certain match-ups ( Jax, Wukong)
Flexibility -- Whether you go Battle Roar max, Savagery max, or a combo of the 2 with Fiendish Codex, D Seal, etc. or just straight up AD, or even HP Bruiser,
Grasp of the Undying synergizes with them very well. It's NOT the best for 1 shot, or HIGH ECON HP Bruiser, but it's always at the very least decent.
Teamfighting -- Stasis is one of the strongest tools in all of League, and its big strength is in teamfights, pulling resources and baiting cooldowns, ESPECIALLY if you've got double stasis, or your Empowered Battle Roar set up after Zhonya's Hourglass or Stopwatch wears off. It's HUGE in teamfights.
Reiterate, ECONOMY -- Sometimes the game simply does not go your way. You INT, you lag out, you're afk taking a Fat ****he for first 3 minutes, who knows. REGARDLESS, if you max Battle Roar, rush Zhonya's Hourglass + Guardian Angel, and just frontline, you'll always be useful in fights, but also as someone cleaning up sidelanes and gaining wave control.
Weaknesses:
All-ins and One Shots -- Grasp of the Undying is going to be a short trades rune, as opposed to having the kill/duel potential of something like Conqueror. Knowing this, remember if your lane opponent DOES have Conqueror, to kite them and avoid letting them stack it up (and when it IS stacked, reset for a few seconds and then go for next rotation).
High Economy -- If you have Grasp of the Undying compared to Hail of Blades, your 1 shots aren't as strong. Compared to Conqueror, your duels and split pushing will be weaker. Compared to Fleet Footwork, your stick onto mages and kiting will be weaker. In exchange for the most reliable rune page, you're giving up more synergy with certain item sets and playstyles.
Difficulty of Use -- Using Grasp of the Undying **optimally** isn't the easiest thing to do. In fights you need to proc Grasp of the Undying as often as possible, when taking turrets or poking you need to AVOID tunneling for Demolish procs etc. and these are habits that can be really difficult to avoid in a game like League where you're constantly wanting to take as many advantages away from your opponent as possible.
Clip: optimal grasp timing
HAIL OF BLADES
Hail of Blades is going to be your standard Lethality/1 Shot rune page. Vs lots of squishies, or 2-3 priority targets who don't have insta-peel ( Zhonya's Hourglass Abusers, Lulu, Gragas E, etc. things of that nature) then Hail of Blades is a strong choice that game in mid-late game.
For lane phase, it's generally outmatched by other runes since it doesn't provide sustain, and many of the meta champs in top lane counter assassins, as well as vs Rengar just about everyone takes bone-plating which counters Hail of Blades HARD.
It makes up for this weakness by being very good at 1 shotting the priority targets, and if you DO happen to snowball or have a good match-up, it's very very abusive.
Strengths:
High Economy -- Hail of Blades is the best rune for 1 shotting on Rengar, giving the highest amount of dps available in runes/keystones.
Carry Potential/Snowballing -- This strength goes hand in hand with High Econ, but just as a sidenote for many if you duo and have a jungle friend who can play around you, ( Ivern,,,,, Kreygasm) snowballing through top is incredibly easy with this rune page.
Weaknesses:
Feast or Famine -- Similar to Conqueror but EVEN WORSE, if they have self peel, the quick shields or even just boneplating, it's much more difficult to abuse them. You'll have to finesse multiple trades or get jg visits 1-2x vs most of the meta match-ups. For this reason I wouldn't particularly recommend HoB except for a minority of your games.
HIGH ECONOMY -- hand in hand with feast or famine, Hail of Blades is ONLY high economy. If you get camped? Misplay? You're absolutely screwed. Even just accidentally taking this rune page vs difficult match-ups will leave you in a Pit Of Despair,,,,
Clip: HoB free auto on leap, how to combo with it
LETHAL TEMPO
11.23 gave a HUGE BUFF to Lethal Tempo, so it's the new go-to rune page for mid-high economy.
Level 1 or level 2 you have enormous kill potential, and they can't really kite out of it without flashing due to the new +50 range buff at max stacks!
Strengths:
Precision Tree -- which lets you use Legend: Bloodline (with LT we get to use Legend: Bloodline, as alacrity isn't too necessary) Triumph (AMAZING for turning close fights) and either Coup de Grace, or Last Stand, which are rather interchangeable imo but based on playstyle, and enemy champs in current meta I'd say Last Stand is superior most of the time.
Dueling -- There is absolutely no better rune rn for dueling, teamfighting, etc. so really it's no contest. This is due to how good it is in general, but also due to Rengar ability to stack it quickly and abuse it hard with his Savagery and Empowered Savagery attack speed steroids/auto cancels.
Teamfighting -- In combination with the Turbo Chemtank + Titanic Hydra build, you'll find yourself completely dumpstering just about any teamfight due to how tanky you are but also how much sheer dps you put out. Abuse it!
Weaknesses:
Need to stack -- If you don't get to AA, you don't get stacks. Similar to Conqueror.
Stasis -- You lose your stacks with Stasis, which is counterintuitive/productive slightly similar to Sterak's Gage, or the new Crown of the Shattered Queen mythic (AP item, but your Battle Roar is a heal and that's the MAIN purpose of it, so you don't really get to use any of that when you have Ali ult do you?)
Probably getting nerfed VERY soon -- it's overloaded af. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't nerf it but it IS Riot.
