Official Advice/Tips & Tricks Thread

[quote=jhoijhoi][columns][center][IMG]http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h380/thejhoijhoi/oat.png[/IMG][/center] [nextcol][indent][color=#0080ff][b]1)[/b][/color] League of Legends is a diverse game; what I know will be different from what you know, so let's share! [color=#0080ff][b]2)[/b][/color] Quoting directly from a guide is appreciated, don't forget to link back to the guide in order to give the author some exposure. [color=#0080ff][b]3)[/b][/color] If your tip is fabulous, it'll be featured in this post! Post your tips, tricks, advice and know-how here. There have been countless "help me" or "I'm new" threads. I want to consolidate every single useful tip possible here, in order to give people who are new or wanting to climb elo a place to read up on words of wisdom that have helped others improve their gameplay. So, if you have ever come across a piece of wisdom so profound that it has changed the way you play League of Legends, share it with us! :) Lastly, keep it short and sweet![/indent][/columns] [columns][nextcol width=300] [center][icon=talon size=60][/center] [quote=vapora dark][spoiler=WARding]Where do you put your wards mid lane? The basic place to put them is on one side of your lane in the brush, and then you stick to that side of the lane during laning phase. That way if the enemy jungler comes through that side, your ward will see him early, and you can walk back to your tower before he reaches you. If he comes through the opposing side, you're on the opposite side of the lane, and he can't reach you before you get away.[/spoiler][/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=katarina size=60][/center] [quote=wRAthoFVuLK][spoiler=Laning]When an enemy recalls, don't overstay your welcome. You have three options: 1) Push the next wave of minions, denying your opponent XP from creeps to their turret 2) Roam and gank a lane, which can result in potential kills for yourself or other teammates 3) Recall. If you just continue to sit in lane and allow your enemy to come back to lane with more items than you have, they are technically ahead of you and can potentially win a fight. When you have an advantage, you have to remember to push it.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=morgana size=60][/center] [quote=jhoijhoi][spoiler="jungling"]Increase your CS. Once you've cleared a wave, and the enemy mid is taking care of the minions at his tower, go and take enemy Wraiths. This can be dangerous if you don't have a ward in their jungle to tell you if someone is coming. If you are not confident stealing their Wraiths, GET YOURS. It's not the "jungler's Wraiths" - anyone can take the jungler's jungle after his first clear! Practice tanking the Wraiths in a custom game before you try it in a normal game.[/spoiler] [/quote][/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=hecarim size=60][/center] [quote=Xiaowiriamu][spoiler=Expectations]When jungling it's important to analyse their team and expect the unexpected. For instance, if the enemy team has a [[Blitzcrank]], expect a counter jungle (where the enemy team may attempt to invade your jungle). Sit around your red and ask your support to ward your blue.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=poppy size=60][/center] [quote=DillButt64][spoiler=Ganking]Don't force ganks. If people aren't ready for ganks on your team (due to any number of reasons, such as being low health, or have their abilities on cool down) don't run in and force it, it can only end poorly.[/quote][/spoiler] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=shyvana size=60][/center] [quote=IAmByakuya][spoiler=general tips]League of Legends isn't about who has the most kills or makes the most plays, it is about who makes the least mistakes. 1. Don't be greedy. You can easily get ambushed or fall in a trap (called "baiting") when you are trying to get an "easy kill". 2. Map awareness. Pay attention to the map so you can prevent yourself from getting ganked or overextended in the worst moment. 3. Stay with your team. It doesn't matter how fed you are you just can't be around the map 1 v 5ing the enemy team. Be a leader and learn how to communicate and coordinate with your team.[/spoiler] [/quote][/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=riven size=60][/center] [quote=embracing][spoiler=Top Tower Cons]There's a common misconception that destroying the top tower extremely early is good. In reality, destroying top tower early will only leave you zoned out from the minions once the lane is pushed. Leaving the top tower alive early denies your minion XP from the opponent early on if they are forced back or decide to roam. Destroy top tower when you want to push for group objectives together with your team or if you feel like your other lanes are having trouble and wish to roam around more. By destroying top tower you are letting the enemy top laner farm, but you are also leaving the rest of the map 4v5. Essentially you want to destroy the top tower when you want to pressure the enemy.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=nidalee size=60][/center] [quote=Mooninites][spoiler=Top Tower Pros]There are positives to destroying a tower early. You can continue to push on them and put a lot of pressure on the map, or if they decide to freeze the lane you punish them by roaming and/or forcing a dragon.[/spoiler][/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=ryze size=60][/center] [quote=sirell][spoiler=research everything]Just a very general tip about learning LoL. Take everything you hear or read about this game with a pinch of salt, REGARDLESS of who told you. Do the research yourself as well, confirm the facts, discuss with other people, reach your own conclusions. Even pros have been known to be wrong.[/spoiler][/quote] [/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=janna size=60][/center] [quote=missmaw][spoiler=pushing]Pushing means that your minion wave is moving towards the enemy tower. You can push by either constantly auto-attacking the enemy minion wave, or by using your abilities on the minion wave. So what use is there to pushing? Pushing is mostly for relieving pressure off of other lanes as it's common sense for the enemy team to go after you, to stop you from taking a tower. And if they don't come to get you? You just get the tower.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=caitlyn size=60][/center] [quote=luther3000][spoiler=Positioning/Targeting]The most important skill to work on when playing an AD carry (besides last-hitting) is positioning and kiting. This means ensuring that you are never in a position where the enemy team can stun and immediately kill you. Stay as far back as possible and target the enemies that are most threatening to you. It's likely that the at least one of the enemy team's tanks/offtanks/assassins will try to get to you and either kill you or force you out of the fight.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=vayne size=60][/center] [quote=shuru][spoiler=global objectives]League of Legends isn't all about kills. Farm, and global objectives are a driving force that can give your team a huge lead. Destroying turrets grants you more map pressure and allows you to control more of the map, including the enemy jungle. Taking dragon is a 1k gold spread across the team that can change the pace of lanes even if that lane didn't help take the dragon. Buffs are a huge advantage (particularly blue buff) to the team, having an adc with red buff allows them to do more damage and kite more efficiently, and having blue buff is a huge cooldown reduction boost and a lot of mana regen, controlling your buffs is a huge advantage, controlling the enemies even more so. When you have the option between chasing for a kill and getting a turret and dragon, it's usually best to take the objectives.[/spoiler] [/quote] [/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=sona size=60][/center] [quote=astrolia][spoiler=Cooldowns]Take note of when enemy champions use summoner spells like [[Flash]], and take note when you see them place wards. Enemy wards will temporarily show as little red dots on the map, wards make noises when they're planted, and minions will also attack you in bushes if the bush is warded. Observing these things will make your life easier, and also your jungler's. When your jungler ganks, you can let them know what area is warded so they know not to go that route, and they'll also know to focus the person who's [[Flash]] is down.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=lux size=60][/center] [quote=IceCreamy][spoiler=camp timers]Always write jungle timers in chat. There's no way you'll remember all of them. It's really useful to know when a buff will spawn, regardless if it's an allied or enemy buff, in order to steal or secure it. Especially important to time is Dragon and Baron; it's really helpful to know when to back off from a push and contest these objectives. Timing even helps with warding - there's no real use of warding the Dragon when it's just been taken.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=viktor size=60][/center] [quote=OTGBionicArm][spoiler=play what you know]Don't play a champion just because someone told you to. If they ask you to play [[Lux]] mid and you aren't comfortable doing so, use your favorite champion for mid instead. Playing within your comfort zone is always better than picking a champion by team demand. Try to reason with team mates to get the roles you are better at doing, but do not argue with them, you will have to play every role at some point, even if you don't want to.[/spoiler][/quote][/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=vladimir size=60][/center] [quote=throatslasher][spoiler=CS]Final thoughts: CS, CS, CS. If you have a choice between cs'ing and harassing, always take the CS.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=tristana size=60][/center] [quote=Warlemming][spoiler=last hit]Learn to successfully last hit minions. Don't just stand there endlessly hitting the enemy creeps, aim to only kill them when they're really low HP. Hitting the creeps endlessly pushes the lane, making it easier to be ganked from opposing players.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=teemo size=60][/center] [quote=PsiGuard][spoiler=super minions]If you want to farm safely when one of your inhibitors is destroyed, you can farm the small creeps and leave the super minions alive and they will push close to your base. This allows you to farm from the safety of your base and denies the enemy team a lot of farm.[/spoiler] [/quote][/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=nocturne size=60][/center] [quote=sirell][spoiler=brush]If the enemy is not visible on the map, and you have limited vision, avoid face-checking brushes if possible. If you have abilities like [[glitterlance]] or [[Mystic Shot]] which have a noise indicator to help you determine whether enemies are in the brush or not, use it![/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=veigar size=60][/center] [quote=psiguard][spoiler=MIA]Remember to call MIA (also known as SS), and let your team know if your opponent is late returning to mid lane. After you kill the enemy mid, you can expect their jungler to either gank or at least cover the lane to hold the tower.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=maokai size=60][/center] [quote=Lugignaf][spoiler=particle effects]Pay attention to your surroundings. There's a bunch of skills with particles visible, even if the champion isn't such as [[Deceive]] or [[Heightened senses]].[/spoiler] [/quote][/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=trundle size=60][/center] [quote=Shuru][spoiler=particle effects #2]Some champions have abilities that are visible through the fog of war, they leave particles on the ground that can be used for spotting them and where they are such as Vi's E or Nocturnes Q, this takes a keen eye to spot but if you get used to this, it'll help you as a midlaner, or jungler, when wanting to know where your enemy is (wraiths) or when invading buffs to see if they're taking it. this also helps for checking baron. If you're playing a jungler and want to avoid this, position yourself so your attack doesn't go over walls.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=kog'maw size=60][/center] [quote=Patch][spoiler=tower vision]When a tower goes down it is imperative to ward the nearby entrances to the jungle, or where the tower once stood. The amount of map control gained/lost by a tower going down is truly immense if you can capitalize on it. Make sure to ward the nearest buff and try to catch out your opponents. This applies for both your jungle and theirs, depending on which tower went down.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=annie size=60][/center] [quote=Ninja Trigger][spoiler=know thy enemy]"League of Legends is not about knowing what you can do to your opponents, but what your opponents can do to you." For example, [[Annie]]: if there is a whirlwind animation around her, her next ability will stun. Knowing your opponent will save your life.[/spoiler] [/quote] [/columns] [columns] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=blitzcrank size=60][/center] [quote=DKitten][spoiler=dragon]Earlier in the game, you will want AT LEAST your jungler and carry with you to take out [wiki=Dragon] and you preferably want your jungler to have [[Smite]] up, especially when you don't know where the enemy jungler is (who can therefore [[Smite]]-steal it). You will want to initiate [wiki=Dragon] when most of the enemy is either dead or in top lane, where it will be difficult for them to reach you before you finish off the [wiki=Dragon]. Things to note: He's immune to debuffs, including CC and some armor and MR-reducing debuffs; don't waste your mana by casting them. [wiki=Dragon] does no magic damage, instead relying on its physical damage AAs and it's true damage-over-time.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=singed size=60][/center] [quote=MyRepublic][spoiler]There is never a reason to chase. There is always something that would be more productive than chasing. If someone is at low enough health that they can't fight they are effectively dead. Chasing causes bad positioning, losses of objectives, and getting picked. Do it enough and you give the enemy a huge advantage. One kill is 300 gold if they have not died since their last kill. One tower is 150 gold for the whole team, and extra map control. Between the two always go for the tower. Dragon is 190 gold for the whole team. Again. Always go for the objective over the kill. When the enemy messes up you have to capitalize on it. Exploit mistakes, abuse bad play. Chasing is the opposite of this. It is allowing the enemy to get off freely for screwing up. You will never win a game because you decided to chase instead of taking towers, baron, or dragon. But you will most likely lose quite a few for doing so.[/spoiler] [/quote] [nextcol width=10] [nextcol width=300][center][icon=zilean size=60][/center] [quote=devdevil][spoiler=ultimate timer]On the left-hand side of the game screen you can see the champion icons, with the health and mana/other bar. Right next to those bars is a circle. When it's green, that means the champion's ultimate is up. Use this with your teammates to make sure everyone's ultimate is off cooldown, and make a successful initiate.[/spoiler] [/quote] [/columns][/quote]

[quote=PsiGuard]If you want to farm safely when one of your inhibitors is destroyed, you can farm the small creeps and leave the super minions alive and they will push close to your base. This allows you to farm from the safety of your base and denies the enemy team a lot of farm.[/quote]

[quote=Warlemming]Since this is aimed at new players, and as it hasn't been mentioned yet, always last hit. Don't stand there endlessly hitting the enemy creeps, aim to only kill them when they're really low HP. Hitting the creeps endlessly pushes the lane, making it easier to be ganked from opposing players.[/quote]

[quote=sirell]Remember to take the enemy Nexus. If the enemy is not on the map, and you have limited vision, avoid face-checking brushes if possible. If you have abilities like [[glitterlance]] or [[Mystic Shot]] which have a noise indicator to help you determine whether enemies are in the brush or not, use it![/quote]

[quote=IceCreamy]Always write timers in chat. There's no way you'll remember all of them. It's really useful to know when a buff will spawn, so you can be there in time, at least before the enemy jungler will steal your team's buff. This also works for Dragon and Baron, it's really helpful to know when to back off from a push and quickly grab a free amount of gold for your whole team. It even helps with warding - there's no real use of warding the Dragon when it's just been taken.[/quote]

[quote=Joshified]I really like this thread idea. Don't really have any tips off the top of my head, but I'll make sure to keep this thread in mind next time I see something! :D[/quote]

[quote=Lugignaf]Pay attention to your surroundings. There's a bunch of skills with particles visible, even if the champion isn't such as [[Deceive]] or [[Heightened senses]].[/quote]

[quote=Ninja Trigger]I heard this once before can't remember where or from who but it has improved my game immensely "League of Legends is not about knowing what you can do to your opponents, but what your opponents can do to you" like [[Annie]] for example when there is a whirlwind animation around her, her next ability has a 100% chance of stunning the next thing she hits knowing that she can do that to you may save your life.[/quote]

[quote=IAmByakuya]League of Legends isn't about who has the most kills or makes the most plays, it is about who makes the least mistakes. 1. Don't be greedy, this is for the weak because you can easily get ambushed or fall in a trap when you are trying to get an "easy kill". 2. Map awareness, always pay attention to the map so you can prevent yourself from getting ganked or overextended in the worst moment. 3. Always stay with your team, it doesn't matter how fed you are you just can't be around the map 1 v 5ing the enemy team so instead of that be a leader and learn how to communicate and coordinate with your team.[/quote]

[quote=Patch]When a tower goes down it is imperative to ward the nearby entrances to the jungle. The amount of map control gained/lost by a tower going down is truly immense if you can capitalize on it. Make sure to ward the nearest buff and try to catch out your opponents. This applies for both your jungle and theirs, depending on which tower went down.[/quote]