Early Game
Early game is also called the laning phase. During the first 15-20 minutes of the game, you should focus on farming and building as much items as you could. Don’t play too aggressively as an enemy jungler can come out of the shadows and outnumber you. This doesn’t mean however that you should play too passively, trade blows with your opponent every now and then. Try to keep away enemies from the minion wave to starve them of their gold. For tips on last-hitting minions and getting the most gold from minions, click here.
Remember to ward all bushes that other enemies can hide in. Make it a routine to check the map for missing enemies. Map awareness can give you the go signal whether you should push or retreat. When you see overextended enemies, you can gank towards that lane. For warding tips, click here.
A sign that you should be aggressive is if you’re sure that you have the advantage, level or build-wise. In the really early game, when you reach level 2 first, go all-in on your enemy and try to get the 400 gold-bonus from the First Blood.
Caution: Do not Tower-dive!
Mid Game
By now, a turret or two would have gone down already. Mid game is when both team plays aggressively, trying to gank lanes as much as they can. Enemies would team up in one lane and destroy your towers. You can either defend your turret and engage in a team fight or push in another lane. Keep in mind that an even trade (both you and your enemy dies) is not a good trade – unless it is a well-fed enemy champion and you’re only worth 100 gold or so.
Don’t go around the map alone as they can easily team up. You should now be able to determine which champions are dangerous – those who can deal out the highest damage or the healer. Focus on them first during team fights. Don’t forget the Rift Herald, Baron Nashor, and the Ocean Drake as these gives the team a clear advantage.
Late Game
Late game is when most of the turrets are down. Most champions should have a full build already. This is the time to be very cautious. Wait for your enemies to make the wrong move. Never go alone as one death can push your enemies to go aggressive. A 4v5 can easily be won by the enemy team. Revival also takes a longer time once you’re leveled up so be very careful.
If your enemy is playing too aggressively, use this to your advantage and try to bait or kite them under the tower to deal extra damage. Ward in your jungle camps as enemies will try to steal your Blue Sentinel and Red Brambleback. Vision and map awareness is very crucial in this phase. This can allow you to team up on a single enemy or two before pushing towards the Enemy Nexus.
Author’s Note: Pressure can prove to be your worst enemy so remember to just relax and try to enjoy the game!
Leave a Reply