Views: 280 Strategic Element: Time
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Strategic Elements: Time
Time is a dynamic advantage, which means if you do not use it, you lose it. Time is how much time your team has to move towards an objective or some other goal, such as placing vision before being confronted by the enemy who will attempt to deny you that goal or objective.
How to Gain a Time Advantage
A time advantage mostly comes from two places; death timers and lane pressure. For example, if you ACE the other team and the death timers are at 30 seconds, you essentially have free reign on the map to push an objective, take buffs, place vision or return to base, or regroup and buy more gear for the next clash. Time from lane pressure comes from minions or creep waves. For example, let’s say you have a massive creep wave pushing into the enemy base with super minions and it takes all five members to deal with the wave, meanwhile your team is split pushing mid and bottom. So, what is the best course of action when you have the advantage of time? There are a plethora of factors that will go into this decision, but let us look at some possibilities under the lens of another advantage, Power. Is your team more powerful than the other, either in levels or equipment, or are you on the back foot?
How to Use a Time Advantage
When you have an advantage in power and time from the death timers, you should seek to put as much pressure on the enemy as position as possible. You have free reign of the map, so if at all feasible, go for a primary objective, such as a tower or inhibitor. These ultimately lead to the Nexus and victory and thus should be your first consideration. If a tower is not feasible, then seek to use your time to put pressure on the enemy position through split pushing or taking Baron which will keep your power advantage alive. If your time advantage is from lane pressure, then seek to exploit your power advantage by split pushing, or going for a neutral objective such as Baron with the idea of creating multiple weaknesses in the enemy’s position or provoking a favorable team fight. By creating multiple weaknesses in the opponent’s position, it will force them into a desperate situation and possible team fight when power favors your team.
If you have a time advantage, but are weaker in power, then you should focus on primary objectives if feasible, more so because they will give you gold to buy more equipment and close the power gap. If you are unable to take a primary objective, seek to farm as much as possible and do not worry about pushing lanes too far. This may lead to over extending on your part and when the other team is alive again, it could be a very unfavorable team fight where they have a power advantage and the safety of their turrets to fall back on. Instead, farm as safely as possible, clear the jungle camps and try to go for neutral objectives like Baron, Dragon and the Red and Blue buffs to help close the power gap. Do not forget to set up vision as well. This will help a team on the back foot set-up for a defensive stance or fight and go for the all might comeback. Once you have applied maximum pressure safely, or the other team is about to re-spawn, it is time to recall, buy more gear and hopefully you have closed the power gap somewhat and are ready for a more fair fight.
Conclusion
This is a very high-level view of the advantage of time. It is a dynamic advantage, so seek to use it to maximum effect. There are other forms of time advantage on a micro-level such as noticing an enemy player out of position, giving you a numbers advantage and favorable circumstances for a fight. In future posts, we may delve deeper into these micro-scenarios, but this should give one a basic understanding of how to use time strategically. What do you think? Have you seen teams blunder away a time advantage or over stay their welcome?
Time is a dynamic advantage, which means if you do not use it, you lose it. Time is how much time your team has to move towards an objective or some other goal, such as placing vision before being confronted by the enemy who will attempt to deny you that goal or objective.
How to Gain a Time Advantage
A time advantage mostly comes from two places; death timers and lane pressure. For example, if you ACE the other team and the death timers are at 30 seconds, you essentially have free reign on the map to push an objective, take buffs, place vision or return to base, or regroup and buy more gear for the next clash. Time from lane pressure comes from minions or creep waves. For example, let’s say you have a massive creep wave pushing into the enemy base with super minions and it takes all five members to deal with the wave, meanwhile your team is split pushing mid and bottom. So, what is the best course of action when you have the advantage of time? There are a plethora of factors that will go into this decision, but let us look at some possibilities under the lens of another advantage, Power. Is your team more powerful than the other, either in levels or equipment, or are you on the back foot?
How to Use a Time Advantage
When you have an advantage in power and time from the death timers, you should seek to put as much pressure on the enemy as position as possible. You have free reign of the map, so if at all feasible, go for a primary objective, such as a tower or inhibitor. These ultimately lead to the Nexus and victory and thus should be your first consideration. If a tower is not feasible, then seek to use your time to put pressure on the enemy position through split pushing or taking Baron which will keep your power advantage alive. If your time advantage is from lane pressure, then seek to exploit your power advantage by split pushing, or going for a neutral objective such as Baron with the idea of creating multiple weaknesses in the enemy’s position or provoking a favorable team fight. By creating multiple weaknesses in the opponent’s position, it will force them into a desperate situation and possible team fight when power favors your team.
If you have a time advantage, but are weaker in power, then you should focus on primary objectives if feasible, more so because they will give you gold to buy more equipment and close the power gap. If you are unable to take a primary objective, seek to farm as much as possible and do not worry about pushing lanes too far. This may lead to over extending on your part and when the other team is alive again, it could be a very unfavorable team fight where they have a power advantage and the safety of their turrets to fall back on. Instead, farm as safely as possible, clear the jungle camps and try to go for neutral objectives like Baron, Dragon and the Red and Blue buffs to help close the power gap. Do not forget to set up vision as well. This will help a team on the back foot set-up for a defensive stance or fight and go for the all might comeback. Once you have applied maximum pressure safely, or the other team is about to re-spawn, it is time to recall, buy more gear and hopefully you have closed the power gap somewhat and are ready for a more fair fight.
Conclusion
This is a very high-level view of the advantage of time. It is a dynamic advantage, so seek to use it to maximum effect. There are other forms of time advantage on a micro-level such as noticing an enemy player out of position, giving you a numbers advantage and favorable circumstances for a fight. In future posts, we may delve deeper into these micro-scenarios, but this should give one a basic understanding of how to use time strategically. What do you think? Have you seen teams blunder away a time advantage or over stay their welcome?
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