League Of Legends Catch All

Game after game, we have problems during the laning phase. Don't know if it's the item changes, trying different champs out, or what, but I can't help but notice that we're constantly on the back foot by the 10 minute mark. In particular, we get lit up by roam comps and often struggle for map control. I know we're playing for fun and not sitting around brainstorming wombo-combo 5 man CC/AoE teams, but improving our fundamentals will make for smoother early-game phases, which leads to more enjoyable mid- and late-game phases.

First and foremost, we have to do a better job of listening on voice. It's very easy to get into a "selective attention" mode when laning, in which you focus purely on the game and tune out the voice chatter of everyone but your lanemate (or simply everyone, if you're mid or top). This is a big part of why roam comps stomp us so often. We repeatedly have situations where "Katarina going down river to bottom" is called, and then several seconds after that someone bot yells "Katarina is bot!" shortly before everyone dies. These types of deaths are completely avoidable, and roamers who fail to gank successfully quickly fall behind.

Secondly, if you're not a confident laner, pick someone who is strong in lane, and learn them. Play them over and over again with the intent of trying to win your lane convincingly, not simply coming out ahead in CS. You'll find if you play a single champion to the exclusion of others that you can do well even in matchups with champions that are considered counters to yours. At our skill level most of our opponents still make plenty of mistakes that you can capitalize on if you're so familiar with your champion that you instinctively know when you can trade successfully or win an all-in. There is a very strong mental game to laning about who is on the offensive and who is merely trying to survive/farm while awaiting ganks, and we need to do a better job of being the aggressor.

Finally, if you have heard a warning call or find yourself losing your lane, you may have to accept being zoned until your jungler can get there. It is not worth taking a few hundred points of damage or a death to get a single CS. Abandoning a wave or two of creeps is better than feeding your opponent 300G and leaving your tower undefended. Sometimes you're playing as safely as possible and fall victim to a 100-0 tower dive. That's understandable. Let's focus on avoiding following the creeps out to the river when you're down 2 kills and 20 CS, and the opposing player has just blown you up two times in a row in the exact same situation. What makes you think this time is going to be any different?

Finally finally, you don't have to kill your opponent to start snowballing the lane, just drive them back long enough to miss a couple of waves. We do not have a very successful history with tower diving; when the jungler appears there's a sudden pressure to secure a kill at any cost. Unless the enemy is on a killing spree, a 1:1 trade is not what we're looking for in those situations. Driving the other person back to the fountain is enough, and then the jungler is free to go pester another lane rather than waiting to respawn.

If we get better, our ELO will improve and we'll lose just as much as we did before. Just saying!

(Good points, though.)

Crinkle's post is obviously directed entirely at me. Sorry guys.

Dyni wrote:

Crinkle's post is obviously directed entirely at me. Sorry guys.

Dyni, I wish you were better. Both as a person and as a LoL player.

Seems my 2:30 has been rescheduled for 3:00, so more rambling from me!

Accepting ganks from the jungle is another area where we struggle. A few things to remember when the jungler is a-comin' your way:

-You HAVE to mind the creep wave in the early game. Creep lines can do tremendous damage. If you know the jungler is visiting soon, thin the wave as fast as possible without initiating a push before they get there. If you're facing a big wave, do NOT try to run through it to help with a gank unless you can get fully clear of it without drawing aggro and you're sure that your opponent is going to flee. Sometimes you have to wave off a gank if there's too much creep pressure, and hope that the jungler can just harass them a bit for you.

-You want to draw your opponent in just before the jungler arrives, while keeping yourself safe. If you can't do that, then you need to time your run so that you cover a few steps towards your opponent just before your jungler appears in their vision. Nothing leads to more blown ganks than people sitting at their creep line until their opponent has already seen the jungler coming and started running. In the case of junglers with weak early games against strong laners, this often leads to the jungler actually feeding the lane, because they can't win a 1v1 and you didn't get there in time to help.

-In mid lane, you want to try to sandwich the other player. If facing a passive player, and your jungler is going to come from the left, drift over to the right to try to nudge the other laner towards the bush. If facing an aggressive player seeking to trade, cheat towards the side where your jungler will appear, knowing they will follow. The real key to this against intelligent people is to establish it well before your jungler comes on scene, so they are not warned off by a sudden commitment towards a particular side. In the absence of other factors, your jungler will most often come from the ramp near your wraith camp, so plan and ward accordingly (you'll want a ward on the side which you intend to favor, so that you don't get ganked yourself).

-Don't give a 1:1 trade if you could have backed off safely and let the jungler finish them off. It's better to get assist gold, survive, and push the lane hard. I personally struggle with this quite a bit when I play top, as I focus too much on securing the kill.

oilypenguin wrote:
Dyni wrote:

Crinkle's post is obviously directed entirely at me. Sorry guys.

Dyni, I wish you were better. Both as a person and as a LoL player.

Who are you again? I can't remember ever seeing you in game.

that's fair.

mega snaps

Hmm, yeah I think I would like to try this guy as support. His passive sounds really odd though. I wonder if you need to click anything, or just be near minions/champions dying?

oilypenguin wrote:

that's fair.

Complex wrote:

Hmm, yeah I think I would like to try this guy as support. His passive sounds really odd though. I wonder if you need to click anything, or just be near minions/champions dying?

You need to be within 200 range. He doesn't have passive resist scaling, but he has this to compensate. It could be a very powerful passive, but if he gets pushed around early, it could mean he's weaker the entire game as a result. Souls cap at 255.

I think this guy is going to be very difficult to play effectively, so I shall patiently await release day so I can watch you feed with him Complex, Draekon, and Wizardcrab.

Dyni wrote:
oilypenguin wrote:

that's fair.

Complex wrote:

Hmm, yeah I think I would like to try this guy as support. His passive sounds really odd though. I wonder if you need to click anything, or just be near minions/champions dying?

You need to be within 200 range. He doesn't have passive resist scaling, but he has this to compensate. It could be a very powerful passive, but if he gets pushed around early, it could mean he's weaker the entire game as a result. Souls cap at 255.

I think this guy is going to be very difficult to play effectively, so I shall patiently await release day so I can watch you feed with him Complex, Draekon, and Wizardcrab.

i feel insulted!
How dare you lump me with those 2, I feed on an entirely different level!

Running off Crinkle's boring posts I give you all my self approved 100% legit OP secret laning strategies.

1. Go into every match up 100% confident in your ability to outplay the enemy. If you aren't confident you may as well just sit at fountain and cry. Or play jungle.

2. Be decisive and act on your initial instincts. You may not always be right but your instinctive play will get better and better and the ability to make decisions faster than the enemy wins entire games. GO BIG OR GO HOME SON. Remember that time when you walked forward and then walked backward and walked forward and then walked backward for 30 seconds while your jungler cried tears of death? Yeah stop that sh*t and just hit fools or peace out.

3. It's perfectly okay to buy items to help your lane phase in the first 15 minutes or so of the game. Don't just stick with cookie cutter builds for late game, if you get a first blood and buy a philo stone I will literally uninstall the game from your computer. THIS ALSO GOES FOR SUPPORTS! On the other side of the coin if you're getting harassed buy a defensive item. (buy an emblem of valor it's basically Jesus' bling)

4. Set up for your jungler. You can't hit an alley oop without a fellow b-balling cat so prepare for when your bro comes and the gold with flow.

5. If you get an advantage either A) Zone the other guy out of farm (note: this is pointless against heroes who will scale without farm like shen or olaf) or B) push down their sh*t and then ROAM or C) Push down their sh*t and then keep pushing until they send like half the team after you then peace out. This is called pulling pressure and basically gives you a free win if you dont die and end up feeding and your team can actually benefit from it. This doesn't really work if your other lanes are already losing.

6. If you misplay and end up on the ropes there are actually alternative to just playing scared and farming. You can roam and help another lane or even your jungler gain a huge advantage. Also an interesting thing is that junglers tend to prey on the weak so it's actually really easy to bait them into wasting their time on trying to keep you down. Play a bit over aggressive or play dumb while you have escapes up and you can actually help your team without even leaving the lane. OP MINDGAMES.

7. Test your capabilities and your hero's capabilities. If you never smash your face on the keyboard and right click the fountain you will never discover the magical genie that grants you free wins.

8. BE CONFIDENT. Seriously. I see people lose lane due to lack of confidence more than anything. It's a video game who even cares just fight badguys and win baby.

Addendum to Fedora's post:

1. Olaf does not scale without farm.
2. If you spot someone on your team playing in a manner which you feel is sub-optimal, regardless of how you are doing you need to take time to tell them that they are not playing correctly. If they acknowledge their mistake, re-iterate that they f*cked up, and repeat that they didn't do it correctly several times over the next twenty minutes. When the game ends, repeat it again.
3. Remember that in spite of the obligatory ball-breaking I have to direct his way, Fedora (once upon time, before he got a real job) did used to win his lane a lot, and his advice is good. Playing balls-out aggressive and repeatedly trying to make big plays will teach you a lot more than passively farming game after game.

Addendum to Crinkle's post:

1. Mr Crinkle is trash
2. "used to"? 1v1 me scrublord

"Inhouse us, bro"

nooblord "clan" team we spanked the other day

Lots of good advice flying around, and also some sick burns. I'm loving this GWJ gumption!

Squee's Thoughts: Most of our problems can be solved by a bit more pregame communication. If you want to try that OP Talon mid you've heard so much about, but you're a bit rusty, just let your team know. Everyone can then pick someone new to try, and we'll enjoy a fun--but perhaps short and lopsided--test game. If we're feeling competitive, we can pick champs like vlad top (who doesn't really need ganks), and Blitz bot (who wants the enemy jungler to come rumble), to afford the GWJ jungler more time to help out mid, and ensure that we're still all strong later in the game.

Note: We did this exact thing last night as a GWJ four man + one acolyte and snuffed some fools. Homeguard boots are still OP.

The time's when I get most frustrated is when I feel like I'm doing everything I can to win, but something or someone is holding me back, or not playing along wiht the group. There are plenty of times when I feel like goofing around, but gotta make sure everyone has the tryhard or the goofman boots on at the same time, or that people have the time to make picks to account for my goofness.

Squee9 wrote:

the tryhard or the goofman boots

IMAGE(http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/357/0/1/a_boot_on_the_head__by_silver_moonling-d35iowm.jpg)

But seriously squee, don't ever take your goofman boots off. We couldn't win games without them.

After seeing a few of Dyni's Sejuani's in games i was in and watching an ocelote game today with a sejuani jungler in it i'm startin to wonder where all the Sejuani's have been....that Female Doggo is rediculous at ganking and counter ganking and drops crazy CC.

FedoraMcQuaid wrote:

Addendum to Crinkle's post:

1. Mr Crinkle is trash
2. "used to"? 1v1 me scrublord

He would 1v1 you if you ever logged in to play with us! Seriously man, where you been?

http://www.own3d.tv/ocelote

Ocelote is putting together a sick looking custom 5 on 5 right now! Could be fun!

edit: didn't seem to happen:(

I know I have most you guys on my buddy list, and have been invited to games before and tend to deny them because I am playing with another couple friends. However, I would not mind trying to get in some of your games and building some rapport with you guys.

Do you guys mind a drunken homosexual ginger joining in every once in awhile Who tends to start things up and need to keep an eye out for?

He's tryin again: http://www.own3d.tv/ocelote

Woot! and it looks like it's happenin! 4SK 3CRS and 3 fillers of high quality.

Cheeto1016 wrote:

I know I have most you guys on my buddy list, and have been invited to games before and tend to deny them because I am playing with another couple friends. However, I would not mind trying to get in some of your games and building some rapport with you guys.

Do you guys mind a drunken homosexual ginger joining in every once in awhile Who tends to start things up and need to keep an eye out for?

Unfriended.

NathanialG wrote:
Cheeto1016 wrote:

I know I have most you guys on my buddy list, and have been invited to games before and tend to deny them because I am playing with another couple friends. However, I would not mind trying to get in some of your games and building some rapport with you guys.

Do you guys mind a drunken homosexual ginger joining in every once in awhile Who tends to start things up and need to keep an eye out for?

Unfriended.

Do you even have a soul to consume?

I think we tend to do well when people revert to the roles they are best at and characters they are comfortable with, I know for myself I just try to fill in wherever people don't want to play and can be "servicable" everywhere. But I agree that we always do better in teamfights then in the laning phase, but I think that's part of the way that we play. I don't think I can really pick one person and give them a role that they always play, with the exception of Squee as Blitz, and that's not even a role since he plays it everwhere.

Draek is a top/jungle/adc?
Raven is an adc/cho/lee/eve/elise/every role
Complex is a support that's forced to play top whenever fuzz is playing.
Fuzz is a top that steals Complex's support?
Kanou is a mid/support
Wizard is elise.
Dyni is a mid/jungle?
Jimmy is a mid?
Squee is a blitz/adc?

I just don't think that we adjust or build teams to adjust for our weaknesses. I know i've felt left out in the cold top sometimes because we end up with a mid that needs help to get going or a bot that is going to get pressured because of how we did our picks. And I know I've left complex out in the cold multiple times top because I play naut when he plays singed and that lane isn't going to kill anyone early, or late, or really unless they chase him and I show up to plant them under a tower.

IntangibleFate wrote:

I think we tend to do well when people revert to the roles they are best at and characters they are comfortable with, I know for myself I just try to fill in wherever people don't want to play and can be "servicable" everywhere. But I agree that we always do better in teamfights then in the laning phase, but I think that's part of the way that we play. I don't think I can really pick one person and give them a role that they always play, with the exception of Squee as Blitz, and that's not even a role since he plays it everwhere.

Draek is a top/jungle/adc?
Raven is an adc/cho/lee/eve/elise/every role
Complex is a support that's forced to play top whenever fuzz is playing.
Fuzz is a top that steals Complex's support?
Kanou is a mid/support
Wizard is elise.
Dyni is a mid/jungle?
Jimmy is a mid?
Squee is a blitz/adc?

I just don't think that we adjust or build teams to adjust for our weaknesses. I know i've felt left out in the cold top sometimes because we end up with a mid that needs help to get going or a bot that is going to get pressured because of how we did our picks. And I know I've left complex out in the cold multiple times top because I play naut when he plays singed and that lane isn't going to kill anyone early, or late, or really unless they chase him and I show up to plant them under a tower.

Actually I jungle alot too, just never with you because if you dont snag it, someone else does. Top, Jungle, and support are my roles. Preference on support depends who the ADC is, some people I prefer not to support anymore. I have my own style that works well with some people's play style and just annoys other people's play style.

IntangibleFate wrote:

I don't think I can really pick one person and give them a role that they always play, with the exception of Squee as Blitz, and that's not even a role since he plays it everwhere.

Nobody does a single role 100% of the time; that would be boring. Still, if I was going into a tournament with plans to win, I don't have to think very long about who goes where.

Crinkle or Free is mid
Dyni is jungle
Draek, Fedora, or Wizard is top
Complex, Fuzz, or Kanou are supporting me while I'm bot on ADC

And almost everyone has enough diversity that I would trust you to competently fill a role we didn't already have a natural for. Raven, you do as you please. Sorry carrot, there's no room for Heimy in my team comps.

I am a jack of all trades and master of none. I am putty. Mold me, Cathadan, mold me.

Cheeto1016 wrote:
NathanialG wrote:
Cheeto1016 wrote:

I know I have most you guys on my buddy list, and have been invited to games before and tend to deny them because I am playing with another couple friends. However, I would not mind trying to get in some of your games and building some rapport with you guys.

Do you guys mind a drunken homosexual ginger joining in every once in awhile Who tends to start things up and need to keep an eye out for?

Unfriended.

Do you even have a soul to consume?

It is stuck in contract negotiation.

Cheeto1016 wrote:

I know I have most you guys on my buddy list, and have been invited to games before and tend to deny them because I am playing with another couple friends. However, I would not mind trying to get in some of your games and building some rapport with you guys.

Do you guys mind a drunken homosexual ginger joining in every once in awhile Who tends to start things up and need to keep an eye out for?

I stopped inviting you because you always decline my invites. STOP IT!

JOIN US! I like gingers.