Hi there, my name is gettingyanger and I am here with my first guide on Thresh, The Chain Warden. My main role is support and I have played Thresh a lot from season 3 up to now. I am currently Gold III in my ranked team and Gold V in solo queue. I can say that Thresh is one of the best supports in the game because you can either go aggressive or passive on him depending on your ad carry. He is also one of, if not, the best late game supports. One thing I love about Thresh is his ability make the lane easy to be ganked by your jungler. One amazing mechanics for Thresh is the "lantern play" in which you Q onto an enemy champion, W to your ally ( jungler/AD carry) and then E the enemy into your team. This can difficult to execute but once you master it, you'll leave the opponent no time to react.

PROS

Great cc
Naturally tanky
Great for teamfights
Great initiation
Has an ok AA harass
Easy to get kills with
Excels in the late game


CONS

No sustain whatsoever
Weak early game
Can be kited pretty easily
Bullied by poke type support
Little or no power till late game

1st combination :
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I like to cast my ulti before casting flay because usuallly when you QQ to an enemy you dash directly beside him while your ult surrounds yourself. After I cast my ult , I flay them into the box.

2nd skill combination ( for ganks ) :

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Tip:
For maximum cc, after landing your Q, try dragging your opponent 2 steps into your team and activate the second Q.

is the best initiation spell for Thresh, as you can combo it with your Q and then E,R. I took for securing kills and for the bonus damage it provides. You can also take on Thresh, that's also viable but I think that he has enough cc along with your carry to lock down onto your target. Also you can go with .

Thresh does not gain armor per level instead he collects souls from nearby dead units and converts it into bonus armor and ability power. Collecting souls should be one of your goals in laning phase as Thresh really benefits from this.
Ruby sighstone should be your first priority because vision control is very important .

Ok , Randuin's Omen is very important on Thresh because it synergies with his other abilities. Your enemies can't really react well if they get comboed by his slow and the Randuin's active effect.

Another important item on Thresh because he doesn't have a heal like Taric or Sona, only his shield offers protection to your team mates so adding this item to your inventory will be extra help during mid game skirmishes and teamfights.

Boots of Mobility with Captain enchantment bonus, for added mobility in warding the map . Also to allow your team mates to catch up to you when you want to initiate a fight.

This is an optional but good item for Thresh for added AoE damage.

Great initiation item for Thresh, good move speed bonus for the team. Can be used to engage or disengage.

Good against poke comps like Nidalee/Jayce, also this item has low cost for its passive.

For ward clearing and more vision control of the map, this item comes in handy.

Other viable items to consider:

Good against AA reliant enemies.

Late game item, consider buying this if you have enough hp to survive, instead opt for more health.

Great item if your team doesn't have enough hp and rely almost entirely on you to start a teamfight like, during Baron or Dragon.

Another optional support item. I prefer the though because you have a shield already coupled with a

provides enough shield for your team. Still a pretty good pick though.

Your primary objective is to protect your carry and let him farm and cs. Collect as much souls as possible as you'll be needing these for later. Avoid harvesting souls though if they're too far from you as you'll often get caught by the enemy. Just use common sense. Good to know the souls do not lose stacks so even if you die you'll still the bonus armor and AP. If you are able to shove your lane a bit and you feel like you can kill your opponent then go for it. Just remember to always ward the river and bushes before engaging as the enemy jungler might come fo a gank. Dragon spawns at about 5 min mark and re spawns 6 mins after it is killed so be ready to place a pink ward or just a regular stealth ward on the pit. Baron spawns at about 15 mins into the game and re spawns 7 mins after it is killed so you should be very aware of these timers as they could be game-changing .

You should always be the one to initiate if your team doesn't have an initiator like Jarvan or Vi. My strategy in game is to target their main cc source such as the opposing support or the enemy carries, whichever comes first . Once you land all your combo always try to stay close to your AD carry as they are the ones to be focused in a team fight and your role is to provide protection for them and grant enough time and space for them to provide damage for the team. You should not prioritize kills during team fights as you do not have enough damage instead you should peel for your carries. If enemies are low enough for you to kill then take it, it doesn't matter who gets the kill as long as you've done your job and did your best for your team.

Alistar : This champ can be a pain because of the cc he provides and he also has a heal so try to play passive until you hit lvl 6 and you can bait him after. Remember that you can stop his headbutt animation with your E so be sharp when engaging.

Annie : Her damage output out scales that of yours and she can't be ignored in lane. Try taking advantage if she doesn't have her stun available and if you can't win against her, consider buying the right items.

Blitzcrank : I have played many games against Blitzcrank before and I would say that it won't be a problem as long as you can avoid his hooks. If he doesn't land a hook punish him by using your Q and show him who's the king of hooks.

Leona : She can out trade you mid game if you engage all in on her. Just try to poke/harass her using AA and engage only if you have a clear advantage.

Lulu : Lulu's advantage relies on enemies over-committing . You will have difficult setting up your combo because of her silence ability . You should always try and focus her down pre 6 as she doesn't have any heal and relies on her shield for protection.

Morgana : This one is an easy match-up for you because Morgana is a squishy support, although she has a nice anti-cc ability. If you engage her, try to focus on the enemy that she didn't put the shield on and you'll win most of your trades against her.

Lux : Pretty easy match-up, you can bully her pre-6 until she has her R ability, always engage first against a Lux as you'll win most trades this way.

Nunu : Not much of a threat against a Thresh, most Nunu players tend to attack creeps to utilize their pasive. Take advantage of this, also you can cancel his ultimate with 2 of your abilities so you'll be fine as long as you don't over-extend because his his E does insane amount of slow.

Nami : Nami can be difficult to lane against because of her AoE stun and ultimate. She has no escape abilities though so try to poke/harras her as her abilities cost a lot of mana early game.

Warding, believe it or not is one of the most important part of any LoL game. Imagine walking into a very dark room, not knowing where you're headed. As a support, warding should be at the summit of your objectives. I have experienced a game in which we were losing and just by telling my team mates to ward the entire map we got to steal their baron attempt and went on to win the game. That's what map vision brings to the whole team. So don't forget to ward and manage your warding wisely. Don't just plant them anywhere. Be aware of the happenings around the map and place them in key locations where you can gain advantage later. Also, don't forget to tell your team to buy wards. It's not just your job, know.

Overall, Thresh is one of the strongest supports in LoL. If played in the right hands he can be a vital addition to any team comp as he provides a lot of cc in his kit. He is extremely good in team fights and can become a fortress late game. He is extremely versatile and I find him really fun to play. I hope you learned something from this guide and if you have something to add please feel free to comment and I will try and respond to it. Thank you and have fun playing Thresh!