Hello all. I have been playing league for quite some time now, and while unfortunately I have not really "ranked up" (pretty much in EloHell.) With all the trolls, and people who suck. (Still in the "Perma-pick tryndamere top" teams... >.< Anyways. Even though I am still not as ranked as some people are, I know how to play League. And I can give more than enough pointers to people who are new. I frequently watch the LCS (League Championship Series.) So I see professional teams play, and I understand the meta-game. And I can play every role in the game proficiently

Anyways, I will try to give you beginners an idea of what to expect in League of Legends.

Welcome to the League!

Some people may not admit this, but CHAMPION SELECT is where the magic happens. Some team compositions (comps) are completely bound to lose. Examples of this are when you have little or no crowd control (cc), or when everyone on your team picks a champ that only THEY want to play. Example: You need a support, but instead of grabbing a support... the other person grabs some random useless champ (Fiora.) With almost nothing to add to the team. This greatly harms your team, as it makes the Attack Damage Carry (ADC) get very little farm. Which they require. The reason there are specific champions that are "Support champs" is because usually... these champions are useful to the team... REGARDLESS of how much gold they have. For Example: Alistar's kit consists of a Knockup (q) knockback (w) a heal (e), then his ultimate, which makes him VERY tanky. Alistair, can be a support SUPER tank. With literally, NO items. Because of the way his kit is. That is what decides a good support. Usually CC is best on supports, CC is greater than heals. I'll get into supports more later as well.

To conclude this chapter-- Consider your team, and select a champion that benefits the team.

My general belief is that the way to win games is CROWD CONTROL! Most teams you play against, don't know how to deal with some good chained cc (Chained CC is when you have several champions all with crowd control, and you hit one stun, then RIGHT when that stun expires, another champion applies his own CC... effectively keeping someone cc'd for 4-5 seconds consecutively.)

So the BEST way to win games with a good team composition is to typically try to aim to grab 4 champions with good AoE (area of effect) cc, then you have your ADC. Basically, those 4 champions destroy the enemy team by locking them up for so long... that if they fight, they'll be at such a health disadvantage that they can't fight.

"Laning" is a common term used in League. When players all go to their respective lanes, and then try to accumulate farm as effectively as they can. And then once capable, they try to kill their lane opponent. One important thing to recognize about laning is that it is not always your job to kill your lane opponent. For example: Malphite is quite challenging for many people to kill, and harass down... because of his passive shield. Enemy champions who you have little (or no) kill potential on, do NOT try to kill them. Try to out farm them. Only attempt kills with a jungler gank (If you do not know what a "jungler" is, I will have a section on that later.) Be sure to communicate with your other team mates. Not much is more annoying than a team mate who doesn't say anything.

Fairly simple when it comes down to it, in League... the most RELIABLE way to get gold is minions. 20 minions (approximately) equals a champion kill, unless the kill is first blood, or a shutdown. So, seeing as you can get those 20 minions MUCH easier (usually) than champion kills, you want to aim for those for a while... then go for kills when you're farmed up enough to get them.

League has three lanes. Each one has its on respective champion "type" that goes there. I will put the meta here:

Top - Tank, AD Bruiser, AP Bruiser,
Jungle - Tank, Assassin, AD Bruiser, AP Bruiser
Mid - Burst Mage, Assassin
Bot - Attack Damage Carry and Support

This is the current Meta. Professional LCS teams change with it, and mix it up sometimes in their games... but usually, it is best for us Non-professionals... to stick with the current Meta. As it works best with Solo-Que players. When you dont chose your team mates. Keeping this meta will help you win the most games. I am not saying NEVER to experiment. Because some experiments actually turn out QUITE well. (for example LEONA Jungle, was actually INCREDIBLY strong.) Some are total flops though. Remember that just like you're throwing your team off by doing something DIFFERENT, you're also messing the enemy team up too.

Alright, So as a top laner... you are a tank. No If's/And's/or Buts. Top laners must be tanky. Assume that if you're playing top, that you will be tanky. Only ever pick a non tanky top lane if you co-ordinate it with other team mates. For example, a squishy assassin top, with a Support tank (thresh, Alistair) and a tanky jungle, will work out alright. But under most circumstances, top must be a tank. And for all you tryndamere and fiora players... please. Refund those champs. (Sorry, probably should let you know-- have absolute disdain for Tryndamere and Fiora. Since they're useless in the game pretty much. They're just those champs that are only good if they get like 5-6 kills over their lane opponent... which lets face it... is rare.)

The best top lane champions are champions that can deal significant damage, while still being very hard to kill. Because as a tank, your goal is... well usually to die. To be quite honest... if your team will win a fight, but you will die. DO IT. As long as you're SURE you can win. A tanks job is to tank damage. You will never tank damage, if they know they shouldn't ever focus you (Focusing: All 5 enemy champions throwing everything they have on you, due to cowardice, and intelligence.) But if you can do damage, and kill them if left alone... they have no choice but to try to focus you. Which leaves your other team mates open to wreck them.

This is why my favorite top laners right now are Ryze, and Elise. Both can build almost pure tank, and still destroy in team fights.

Top lanes job is usually to farm up. Most often top lane is the biggest farm lane. Since typically both champions get so tanky, they can barely kill each other. Except for the first few minutes in lane. I will name some champions to be afraid of early game in top lane: Renekton, Elise, Ryze, Darius, Shen, Lee Sin, Xin Zhao, Rumble, Kha'Zix, Jayce and Zed

Those are just some that come to mind right now. I guarantee you there are more.

Jungling is one of the most important roles by far. If you play right, you can CARRY your team to victory just by making the opposing team succeed at literally nothing. I personally dislike jungling, just because it is the most stressful. League players have a tendency to blame EVERYTHING on the jungler. They forget that just like them, Jungle can only be in one place at a time. And they expect jungle to gank every lane equally. This is not the case.

Jungling is killing the neutral monsters inside your jungle for gold. Which then does 2 things: Allows your top laner to get all the cs (creep score) from top. Then also lets him gain more levels.

Jungles next job is to gank lanes (Ganking: Sneaking up on enemys and killing them.) So when choosing a jungler, think about that. ask yourself, Is this champion actually good at surprises? Some champions are really not all that good at ganking lanes and getting kills. Just because of what is in their Kit (kit: skills that a champion has) For example-- I absolutely hate Tryndamere jungle, and Master Yi jungle. Why? well, what does Tryndamere have to offer his team? a slow? not very much. Its also an unreliable slow at best. What does Yi have to offer? Just damage? This may sound dumb. But pure damage doesn't win games. The "pure damage" role... is filled by the ADC. And there can only be one of those in a game typically. Everyone elses job is to provide a moderate amount of damage, and then some CC to keep the opposing team locked up. Yi offers nothing to the team. Also, junglers NEED cc to have succesful ganks. The only jungler I can think of that is good, with no cc is Evelynn and that is just because her kit UNIQUELY allows her to gank lanes, when CC isn't necessary. She can walk right in a lane... in stealth, and wait for the PERFECT moment... then strike. And win the fight without huge cc.

Under most circumstances, you will want a jungle with CC, and a moderate amount of tankiness.

Again, assassin jungles work too-- just co-ordinate it with your team. People should be able to safely assume that both Top and jungle, are tanks.

Also, as a jungle-- Understand it is NOT your job to win your team mates lane for them. As heartless as this sounds, if you have a lane with 0 kills, and 3-4 deaths (0/4) leave them to keep dying. Ganking a lane with a fed champion, will result in him getting more gold... than if he kept killing the same team mate over and over. (The more deaths you have, the less gold you're worth.) There comes a point when you're doing your team a larger favor by helping their lanes get AHEAD, rather than helping ANOTHER lane CATCH up.

Also, a VERY strong tactic to use if your team is willing... ask a lane to be okay with NO jungle ganks! It is VERY powerful to have only TWO lanes that you gank. it makes you camp those lanes. And the opponents get very annoyed, and paranoid. As long as the lane that gets no ganks thinks they can handle it, it puts MUCH more pressure on the opposing team. (Usually, this is a decision you make 10 minutes or so INTO the game. And if you have a 2/0 or 3/0 lane... you ask them if they think they can solo that lane or not, and if they believe they can... you allow them to dominate Without your assistance.)

Finally Giving buffs to your team mates. The most important, is usually the blue buff. Blue buff gives massive mana regeneration, and 20% cooldown reduction (cdr) The first blue buff, is typically given to the jungler... 2nd blue buff should ALWAYS be given to Mid (and every once in a while, you should give it to your top lane. Depending on what champ he is running.) I had one game a while ago, with a jungler that insisted that he needed every blue buff. Because his jungler was "Dependent on blue buff." I was mid, and I needed blue. Mids lose a MASSIVE amount of damage and burst if their jungler doesn't give them blue buff. They will run out of mana (be useless. Everything mids do RELIES on mana. So if they run out, they are just a meat shield, and a squishy meat shield at that.) So also consider this-- does your jungler, *need* a blue buff? Will he be able to transfer it over to the Mid lane? You hurt your team if you never give blue to your mid. Oh, and you'll probably also get reported by Mid... since mids hate it when you do that. And they'll probably rage at you.

Red buff is typically handed over to the ADC once it hits the team fight phase of the game (i'll get into phases of the game later.)

Mid lane-- is my home. Mid lane is where I learned league. Its where I love playing. And while it isn't my main role (Unfortunately, i'm usually in teams when 2-3 people call mid. And all of them can't play. And I just fill a role that can carry just as well mid.) Also, you'll learn-- mid players... for some reason... very selfish, and usually rude. And demanding. For some reason, mainly mid players are like that.

Anyways, mid lane is usually a squishy (Squishy: Easy to kill) mage burster, or assassin. What is the difference between Mage burster and assassin? Easy. Dead opponents, or ALMOST dead opponents. Most "Burst mages" have awesome bursts, but usually can't 100% hp to 0% hp someone. They can 100-20% and such, but not usually 100-0. But, many burst mages have some form of CC which aids their team later in the game, where as... most assassins, don't have good cc. So there is a certain trade off there.

Mid should try to grab some form of CC. since most mids are selfish mids... and have nothing to offer the team other than pure damage, which doesn't usually work out that well for them. (sometimes it does, just more consistently, CC is stronger than damage. Especially as a mid... when typically, your cc ALSO does insane damage.)

Mid is very often a kill lane. And also very often junglers gank mid often. Since its close to everything. Also-- MANY mid champions hit power spikes at level 6. They may appear useless from levels 1-5... then once they're 6, they destroy you if you aren't careful. here are some mids like that:

Diana, Kassadin, Akali, Zed, Ahri, Lux, Lissandra and LeBlanc i'm sure there are more. But those are some VERY strong ones that come to mind.

Mid is the most scary lane to lane in. Since most of the time you're against a burster. Meaning, just cause you're at 100% hp. Doesn't mean you're safe. You over extend, or get caught out... and they can KILL you. Or make it so that in 20 seconds, they can just kill you again. That is why mid is one of the hardest positions to play properly. Because there is not much room for error.

Currently, my favorite mids are: Orianna, Lux, Karthus, Twisted Fate, and Ryze

Orianna is my go-to mid champ. I can carry most games with her. Her ultimate ability is overpowered. She is very difficult for most people to play though. But once mastered, she destroys. Orianna has burst just like most mids, the difference is ALL of her burst... is AoE. Meaning that while most mids can single out ONE champion, and absolutely destroy them... Orianna can do the same... but to a whole enemy team if they group up. Which is why in my opinion she is the best mid in the game.

ADC is the most important role in the game. If you see your adc about to die, and you can save him/her by suicide, do it in a team fight. Most often-- adc's can carry a fight... where as most other champs, can't. (there are some that can-- Karthus, Cassiopeia, Ryze, and Elise are some that come to mind. )

ADC's job is to farm up a huge amount, and then wreck late game with their auto attack damage. ADC's do all their damage with their auto attacks. So they focus on getting items that make their auto attack damage higher. ADC is the biggest game changing role in the game. If played right, you can destroy the enemy just merely because you're fed. ADC is also the ONLY role that I believe doesn't require ANY crowd control to benefit the team. This is the ONE role that the main thing you want is DAMAGE. But, if you can grab an ADC with good damage AND CC ( Ashe or Varus ) Then you're team is REALLY set if your other 4 team mates took champs with CC.

As mean as this sounds, ADC has to be selfish. They need as much gold as they can get. They need kills fed to them. They need minions fed to them. And they also-- need to NOT die. in a team fight, there is a technique called "peeling" it basically means to try to peel an enemy champ OFF of your adc. So if you have an enemy Renekton diving for your ADC... its your teams job to try to get him away from the adc. Honestly, the hardest thing to learn with adc's is POSITIONING. Most teams are smart enough to know to focus you, or they know they'll lose the fight. So you have to learn to place yourself in positions when FOCUSING you *WILL* make them lose. Once you master positioning, ADC really isn't too difficult at all.

Support. ADC is the only role in the game that needs a baby sitter! They needs someone to peel for them, someone to remove enemy junglers from wrecking their face. Since commonly, adc's lack abilities that can CC enemies. And when they do have them, its usually in the form of an ultimate ability (cant exactly use that every 30 seconds if the jungle ganks twice consecutively.) The supports main job is to protect the ADC. And secondary job, is to make the enemy adc's life... ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE. A well played support, will make it easy for his adc to farm, while making it impossible for the enemy adc to farm.

Supports... buy wards. Get a Sightstone It is critical to buy them. As they help protect the ADC. As it warns the ADC if an enemy is going to sneak up on them and kill them. Enough Said. Also, Supports unlike everyone else... they dont get creep score. They let the ADC get EVERYTHING. If you take CS as support... your adc will get very, very annoyed with you. Very quickly. As so he should, as if he doesn't get the feed he needs... the other 3 players of the team, will get upset at him for not being able to carry.

Also, supports... suicide for their carry. If its his life or yours, you give yours. No debating it. Sorry. If that means walking INTO the enemy team so they follow you, and ignore him... DO IT. you protect him, at all costs. This is your job. Supports also NEED cc. the only way you can protect your carry from the opposing team, is with crowd control. yeah, heals are nice too... but over-rated. When it comes down to it, if a jungle ganks. And its a 3v2... one heal that's on a 10 second cooldown... won't save your carry. They'll just keep the focus, and kill him anyways. But the ability to Crescendo and stun all the enemy champions that are chasing, will save your carry. That's why Sona is over-powered. She has a decent heal, and a good stun.

I don't main support. Dont even really enjoy it too much. But I will say that I do enjoy playing sona. And even if I dont main it, I know from playing ADC... what makes it hard for me to win, and what makes it easy. So I can tell you what a supports role is. Since I know from both ends, since i've both played against amazing supports, and played with them.

League of Legends is divided into 3 phases:
Laning Phase
Mid-Game Phase/Dragon Phase (Team Fighting)
Late Game Phase

Laning Phase
This is the phase of the game when you go into your lane, and try to accumulate as much CS as possible. When you duel your lane opponent, and try to win your lane. and get ahead (and make your opponent behind) So that when the team fight phase comes, you're stronger than he is.

Mid Game, Team Fight Phase
(One other reason this is sometimes called "Dragon Phase" is because usually what starts off this phase is a dragon fight. When its a 5v5 fight, over dragon.) This phase of the game is when you try to siege down towers. And try to stay with your team. As a 5 man unit. You siege towers, and wait for the perfect engage (or perfect counter engage) and then you fight the enemy team in an all out war. Communication is important. Tell your team who is fed, who needs to be killed first. That way you can fight as one. And that is when the most domination will occur.

Late Game
This is the Point of the game when usually quite a few towers are broken. The goal is to break the enemies nexus. You almost always want to be with your team as 5 at this point. Either you pick a tower, and siege it... or you're defending your base from siege. What is the difference between late game and mid game? Well, simple-- you die late game. You lose. Plain and simple. The respawn timer can be up to 70 seconds. If the enemy ace's your team, they can push to win in 70 seconds. So, late game-- DONT DIE. DONT GET CAUGHT OUT. If one person does, its okay. As long as the other 4 stay REALLY safe. Also, Please... dont be a jerk, and when YOU mess up and YOU get caught out... please do not blame your ENTIRE team, for not saving you. As when YOU are ridiculously caught out, sometimes them trying to SAVE you... can result in an ace (ace: your whole team dying.) and on that ace, they can win. Sometimes, you'll just have to accept that nothing could've been done. It is part of the game. Don't rage at your team for not saving you.

This goes the same for everyone. Myself included. If I get caught out, I try to be the first to admit that *I* Screwed up. That *I* threw the game. I just want to emphasize the importance of being careful lategame. Mistakes cost the game. Everyone makes mistakes. The good news is, sometimes if your team is good enough... YOUR mistake can be turned into an ace. If you get caught out and the enemy over-extends to try to kill the one that got caught out, your team sometimes can follow up. And win, and then the reverse happens... and you push to win. That's when everyone is happy. :)

One thing that totally annoys me like crazy, is when my team refuses to accept what our team is good at. Some teams are BAD at team fighting. and some teams are AMAZING at it. If you have say a: Malphite Top, with Jarvan IV Jungle, with Orianna mid, and Lulu support, with like Varus or Ashe as ADC. You have the ability to crowd control the enemy team... for maybe 7-8 seconds consecutively, Oh, and did I mention... ALL OF THAT IS AREA OF EFFECT!? This is a team that if you're going against... YOU DONT FREAKING FIGHT THEM. You AVOID them. And just push towers down. And wait to pick off one of them. If the enemy has a superior team fight comp, you know what you DONT do...? you DONT fight them. Or you'll lose. Now, if YOU are the team with a good team fight comp, you WANT to pick fights. So be aware of that, and don't let your team be poked down by Nidalee or Jayce.

If you have a poke comp, that is really only good at sieges, and killing towers and sniping champs to poke down their health... don't engage. Don't fight then when they can beat you in fights. Just keep up the siege, and you'll win eventually.

Be aware of your teams strengths, and your weaknesses. Not much is more annoying than 3 people wanting to team fight, and then 2 people wanting to poke. Then having a 3v5 team fight, those 3 dying. Then those 5 go and kill the other 2. In Champion select, decide if your team is a team fight comp, or a poke comp.

Do not rage at your team mate when they do what their champion is good at. For example-- Nidalee Not so great at fighting in the middle of a 5v5 fight. Unless she's built fairly tanky. So, if you engage... don't expect her to go in and suicide. Don't rage at her for "not helping" if she doesn't go in. Don't expect impossible things from champions. It will anger your team, and destroy your chances of a victory.

Buy wards. You can't fight what you can't see. It is critical to be able to know where the enemy is. If you see a 3 man gank top, then you can 1. Warn your top laner. 2. Decide to maybe push bot's tower down, and then prevent (possibly) top laners death, and top towers destruction as well.

Everyone should ward, other than ADC. In my opinion EVERY *lane* needs someone to ward. So, since there are two people in the Bot lane, and one of them is already dedicated to warding... the ADC doesn't need to ward. Top should ward. Jungle should ward his jungle. And mid should ward too.

Okay, in champion select-- COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TEAM. Even if you're first pick, you should say "Mid" or "Top" at least CALL what you want to do, that way the other 4 members, can plan accordingly. Saying NOTHING... then picking a position that's been called, and saying "I'm first pick, suck it." (That exact quote happened to me yesterday.) it screws up your whole teams plans. Also, DO NOT INSTALOCK. Unless you've already decided with your team, who you're playing. Instalocking is the best way to make everyone on your team hate you. You know how well teams work when everyone hates each other? Ehhhh... not so great. (Also, if you have Jarvan IV or Anivia as a team mate, don't anger them. They can trap you, and make you die. Be nice to them. >.< )

Everyone in this team, is FORCED to spend the next 20-45 minutes with you. You might as well talk, co-operate, communicate, and try to be a team. Do not waste their time and effort, by picking a champion that doesn't help that specific comp much. And don't waste their time by playing poorly, or trolling.

Do not say that its the "teams fault" for raging at YOU, when YOU were the one who did something that HURT THEM. And that affected the next 45 minutes of their life. They want to enjoy the game. DO NOT TROLL and play poorly just to make them waste their time. There is nothing more inconsiderate than that.

League is a Team game! When you have a team that plays right, and communicates... it is VERY VERY rewarding. When you have a team that doesn't, it is maddening. I welcome you to the league! And I hope you enjoy your time here! Please try to be a contribution to the community!

(Sorry if I appear very angry, or annoyed at certain things. I have had so many games when people are just bad, or rude, or troll, and selfish... and i've kinda concluded that the majority of players are just jerks, who don't care about anyone but themself. League wears on you after a while. When you're competitive and want to win games. I have no problem losing to a team that out plays all 5 of us. When all 5 of us are in it. I however, do have a problem losing to a team... that out plays 3-4 of us. When one of us might be afk, or rage quit. Or maybe just a feeder. That's something I take huge issue with.) also: My doing ALL CAPS on certain words, is not me yelling those out or anything-- but rather me putting emphasis on them, similar to Italics but I don't particularly like using italics :P

Anyways, welcome to League of Legends!

Nunu & Willump
Varus
Ashe
Garen
Tristana
Ryze
Xin Zhao
Sona
Caitlyn
Shen