In this second installment of our LoL Beginner’s Guide we’re going to delve a little deeper into the strategies you need to employ to ensure you are improving in LoL and your team is victorious on the Rift. From choosing a Champion to Trading & Farming techniques used by pro gamers. These League of Legends tips were created with the assistance of Chillblast partners, Fnatic, who are one of the oldest and most successful teams in competitive League of Legends play. You can find the first part of this LoL beginner’s guide here.
In This Beginners Guide To LoL
Choosing a Champion
In League of Legends there are five primary roles on a team, the top laner, middle laner, the jungler, ADC and – lastly – support in bottom lane. Choosing a Champion depends on the role you are playing, so is very much a huge part of the strategic choices at the start of a match, and has always been one of the most sought after League of Legends tips. This is probably why there are so many websites dedicated to Champion stats, counters and success rates.
We’ll look at the type of Champions that are best suited for each area of the map, and why they make sense in an overall game strategy.
Each of the roles you play in the game dictate the type of Champion you choose, so you need to understand the type of action you are going to see and the type of strategy you’ll need, depending on where you’re playing.
Top Lane
Playing Top is mostly a solo affair, though there are opportunities to employ tactics like split-pushing, which will have the Top laner dashing to Bot lane for periods of time. For the most part, Top is a pivotal role, less suited to newcomers, and can result in you solo carrying a game if you make life difficult enough for the enemy team.
Tanks make excellent Top lane Champions, with excellent CC (Crowd Control) capabilities. Sure, Tanks do not offer the same level of map pressure as other Champions, but can make use of their burst attacks and ability to sustain themselves during the laning phase. Another benefit of Tanks is they can build up defensive items and enable them to hold positions for longer.
Bruisers have the mix of toughness and high damage, and play a solid role in teamfights on the front line, and can build items that offer both defensive and offensive pressure.
Split-Pushing is a popular tactic when playing Top, and involves dashing to a lane that is unattended by the enemy, tackling undefended towers and increasing map dominance whilst group fights and skirmishes are taking place. The opposition is then faced with a difficult decision of taking you on, and sending a Champion from a late-game fight, or worse still, sending more than one Champion if you’re wreaking havoc in the Bot lane.
Mid
Assassins and Control Mages are the popular picks for Mid, and having the most action on the map means you will rarely have time to rest and regroup. Mid players have the ability to farm relentlessly and increasing CS (Creep Score); this can easily swing the game your way by having more items and offering a stronger trading position.
A Mid player will always be required to support other teammates, and rotate when needed, which means you should pick Champions that are good at roaming.
The overarching skill you need to possess as a Mid laner, is to understand Champion matchups and counters. This means it’s a good idea to research Champion counters and applicable win rates on websites such as LoLCounter.com, CounterStats.com and ChampionCounter.com. As a duelist, you will be playing against your opposing Mid laner very often, and have little backup when things turn nasty.
Junglers/Jungling
Easily one of the most demanding roles in any game. Jungling means you are going to need to be aware of other areas of the Rift. You will use initiative at the drop of a hat with opposing junglers, and support the tactical moves of your team. It’s no mean feat, and taking on the jungler role in a team is one of the most complex and intense roles of LoL.
It is important to know which Champions are a good pick for jungling. The player tasked in this role will be pivotal in the Baron Pit and the Dragon Pit, and with neutral monsters in other camps in the jungle.
In each enemy jungle there are six neutral monster camps. These monsters can be traded (fought) and defeated in return for gold and experience, and as an extra bonus, you will receive unique buffs that can often make the difference between a win and a loss in any given game.
Note:
Jungle – Small Monsters
Raptor
This is one of the two monsters that will spawn in the Raptor camp. A total of five Raptors spawn in the same camp.
Mini Krug
Three levels of monsters spawn in the Krug camp, and this is the first. These are the smaller of the camp, but are no less annoying and troublesome than minions. Two will spawn once you have defeated the medium Krugs in the camp.
Murk Wolf
One of the two monsters that spawn in the Murk Wolf camp. Two Murk Wolves spawn in the camp, and they are subservient to the tougher Greater Murk Wolf.
Jungle – Medium Monsters
Krug
The Krug spawns second in the Krug camp. One Krug spawns in the camp, and two further will spawn after the Ancient Krug is defeated.
Jungle – Large Monsters
Ancient Krug
Of the three monsters spawning in the Krug camp, this is the strongest. The Ancient Krug has the highest HP, and most damage. Once you defeat this monster, two medium Krugs will split from it.
Crimson Raptor
One Crimson Raptor spawns in the camp along with five lower strength subservient Raptors.
Rift Scuttler
The Rift Scuttler does not spawn, but rather runs alongside the river that weaves through the jungle. Rift Scuttlers are not confrontational and will flee immediately.
Buff: Speed Shrine – Lasts for 90 seconds & provides vision and increased movement speed for other team members.
Greater Murk Wolf
One Greater Murk Wolf spawns in the camp with two smaller subservient Murk Wolves.
Blue Sentinel
A large neutral golem-type monster that melee attacks.
Buff: Crest of Insight – Grants increased mana or energy regeneration and ability haste.
Gromp
Gromp is a neutral Monster whose basic attacks deal magic damage. Defeating the Gromp will restore some of your health and mana.
Red Brambleback
Bramblebacks are a magical combination of both flora and fauna. The Red Branbleback is a melee attacker.
Buff: Crest of Cinders – Increases health regeneration and grants basic attacks the ability to slow and do true damage over a period of time.
Jungle – Epic Monsters
Cloud Drake
A ranged attacker who deals damage to a single champion while trading.
Buffs: Cloud Dragon Soul & Cloudbringer’s Grace (if slain while the Rift is dominated by the Cloud). Also grants a stack of Cloudbringer’s Grace upone defeat.
Hextech Drake
The Hextech Drake’s attacks are non-projectile ranged attacks. Every fourth attack can chain to up to three of the closest nearby targets and slow them.
Buffs: Hextech Dragon Soul & Hextech Prowess
Infernal Drake
A ranged attacker that can also damage multiple opponents within range.
Buffs: Infernal Might. Infernal Dragon Soul granted if Infernal Drake dominates the Rift.
Mountain Drake
A tough but slow drake that can damage multiple Champions with ranged attacks.
Buffs: Each slain Mountain Drake grants a stack of Mountainous Vigor. If the Rift is dominated by the Mountain, and if 4x Dragon Slayer stacks have been obtained, Mountain Dragon Soul is granted.
Ocean Drake
Ocean Drake attacks will slow Champions by 30% for 2 seconds, though can only attack one Champion at a time.
Buffs: Slaying an Ocean Drake grants a stack of Oceanic Will. If the Rift is dominated by Cloud, and if 4x Dragon Slayer stacks have been obtained, Ocean Dragon Soul is granted.
Rift Herald
The Rift Herald is a tough melee attacker, but is vulnerable from the rear.
Buff: Slaying the Rift Herald drops Eye of the Herald, granting Empowered Recall and ability to summon the Rift Herald when pushing lanes.
Q. Which monsters are often underestimated in the jungle?
“Rift herald has a mean right hook, look at him wrong and he can knock you out“
YamatoCannon, Head Coach
“Rift Herald – His swing does a lot of dmg if not dodged and his HP pool is a nightmare if his ‘eye-mechanic’ is not used well. Dragon’s early on do seem like a freebie at times but create danger situations – Ocean & Cloud in particular will put anyone in 1v1 into lethal range. Treat it with care, all of them have different abilities.”
Shaves, Assistant Coach
Elder Dragon
Elder Dragon is the most powerful of all dragons. A ranged attacker that can do damage to multiple Champions at once.
Buff: Slaying an Elder Dragon will grant Aspect of the Dragon to all teammates for 150 seconds.
Baron Nashor
Baron Nashor is the most powerful monster on Summoner’s Rift, with a variety of attacks that can damage an entire team.
Buff: Killing Baron grants the Hand of Baron to living members of the team. This grants a large amount of attack damage as well as ability power. Hand of Baron significantly increases the power of the team’s nearby minions.
Note: See below for pro tips on defeating Baron Nashor.
Jungle Strategies
The Jungler is a very important role on the team, having no specific lane or main duty, other than roaming the map battling the neutral monsters, and jumping out on unsuspecting enemies (ganking). With such a wildcard presence, it is no wonder that a game can be won based on the tactics employed by the jungler.
On the subject of ganking, opportunities for surprise attacks are presented and executed by the jungler. Sometimes alongside a roaming laner. There are early and late game opportunities for ganking, aiming to catch the enemy laner off guard, and kill them before they reach defense objectives or their team.
Q. Which monsters can often trip up a player, and make them think it will be an easy kill… only to be ganked or caught out by the monster’s attacks?
“Rift herald has a mean right hook, look at him wrong and he can knock you out“
YamatoCannon, Head Coach
“Rift Herald – His swing does a lot of dmg if not dodged and his HP pool is a nightmare if his ‘eye-mechanic’ is not used well. Dragon’s early on do seem like a freebie at times but create danger situations – Ocean & Cloud in particular will put anyone in 1v1 into lethal range. Treat it with care, all of them have different abilities.”
Shaves, Assistant Coach
Carry and Tank junglers fair best, as these offer the most opportunity to deal damage to monsters and enemies, but they require different tactics to use effectively. Carry will have more damage capability, and avoid early trading or ganking, but will take any opportunity to farm. Tanks use low cost health and defense, and go for an early gank to enable the team to push objectives.
As a jungler, you should prioritise Vision, and have awareness of the opposing team – not just their jungler. Vision Score is a post-game statistic that tracks how much vision players have influenced in the match, including vision provided as well as denied.
This is where Warding is extremely important. A well placed Control Ward will enable you to spot enemy junglers early, and alert Mid to any roaming.
Tactical Jungling
The order in which LoL players take on neutral monsters changes often, due to nerfs by Riot or changes in the amount of gold a monster kill offers. The core principles remain the same, however: you should prioritise earning gold and attaining Level 3 as quickly as possible. Level 2 Champions are able to carry an extra spell, so achieving this level is important. Earning easy gold and attaining buffs early is paramount. Using tactics such as clearing red or blue buff, killing Rift Scuttlers and then Gromps should enable you to get Level 2/3 fairly quickly.
Once you start accruing buffs, you are able to provide an assist to the lanes, and start wrecking the strategies of the enemy. This means ganking opportunities wherever possible, and looking out for enemy ganks as you roam. Keeping your eye on enemies with low health and singling out solo junglers and roaming laners will see you getting an easy kill here and there, and building your Champion up for late-game fights.
Trading
Wave Management is at the top of any player’s list when thinking about trading strategies, and tactics such as Pushing and Freezing can be pivotal to the game.
Keeping a close eye on your Mana as well as HP is important, as well as checking your opponent’s, too. If you have the higher Mana, for instance, you may trade with the enemy quite easily, and not have many problems getting the kill. Trading with lower Mana most likely results in being outplayed due to the onslaught of the enemy’s abilities.
Jungle awareness is important for trading in lanes. Taking on an enemy who has low HP could well be a trap, and see a player get outnumbered by a roaming jungler in the area.
The best strategy for trading is knowing your Champion matchups, and ensuring your pick directly counters the opposing team, whichever lane you are taking on. The Draft Pick is where this happens, and essential for players to understand.
The Laning phase (early part of the game) is when all players do not yet have the best equipment or abilities for fighting. Everyone is increasing their stats farming waves of minions or jungling weaker monsters.
The Laning phase and mid part of the game is used to farm and increase access to abilities, and will give way to objective based gameplay once the players have achieved their goal of maximising their stats.
Q. What is a powerful trading strategy during the Laning phase?
“When champions use their basic attack and spells they are weaker momentarily and this is your moment to strike, predict the enemies move by watching your owns minions health.“
YamatoCannon, Head Coach
“As the name is implying Trading means you trade, literally. It means you trade your HP pool for killing minions , trade your mana pool for waveclear / dmg onto your lane opponent, trade resources to have the wave pushed in that your jungle has freedom to enter enemy jungle / dive your opponent or well you just trade and fistfight. It is not black and white it can go very in depth. Depends on the lane matchup (1v1) and jungle matchup sometimes even on the matchup of a different laner close to you. League of legends is an awesome game!”
Shaves, Assistant Coach
Farming
Farming involves taking on waves of minions or monsters and employing auto-attacks for last-hitting to “farm” gold and earn abilities. Heading into the jungle will offer early opportunities for farming, though most trading often occurs in the lanes, CSing with minions (see Trading above).
Q. During the early part of a game, what are some good strategies for farming in the jungle?
“It is easier if you start at one end of the map and path into the other side to make sure you clear everything in close proximity and limit the amount of time you move between camps.“
YamatoCannon, Head Coach
“If you want to minmax gold and experience the best strategy is to kill the non-buff camps first and kill the buffs last for every side i.e Raptors -> Krugs ( smite ) -> Red buff -> Wolves -> Gromp & Blue ( if possible same time + smite the Gromp) The reasoning for that is the respawn rate of the camps. All the buffs respawn in a 5minute cycle while the non-buff camps respawn way shorter opposed to that ! You want to kill your non-buff camps literally the moment they spawn and continue on this pathing until action is needed, your teammates ask for help or you hit your ultimate for action.”
Shaves, Assistant Coach
League of Legends Tips
What PC Do I Need For League of Legends?
Although League of Legends is not an incredibly resource hungry game, when playing at a competitive level, performance is everything. Esports professionals and those who aspire to go pro require a gaming system that ensures low latency, and can deliver high framerates regardless of how much action is going on during battle. For that reason, one of the most important League of Legends tips is to make sure you have the right gear moving forward.
For superior performance in titles such as League of Legends, DOTA 2, Apex Legends, VALORANT and other popular Esports games, Chillblast have developed and curated a range of gaming rigs to give you an edge over the competition. Designed with and influenced by the Fnatic team, specifically for the competitive gamer – Chillblast is “The Choice of Champions”.
Chillblast x Fnatic Recommends: Chillblast Fnatic Boost Gaming PC
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Processor: Intel Core i5-12400F
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 8GB
- Memory: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
- Storage: 500GB M.2 Gen 3 Solid State Drive
This Chillblast Fnatic Boost is the perfect PC for Esports enthusiasts who want to upgrade their gameplay and enter the world of competitive gaming. The Boost delivers high frames per second (FPS) and low latency in the latest Esports titles such as CS:GO, League of Legends and DOTA 2 allowing you to focus on becoming a league winning champion.
What does it mean when a monster dominates the Rift?
When an Epic monster “dominates” an area of the map, you will see subtle changes to the terrain – meaning the Drake is dominating the Rift. Extra rewards and buffs are granted for slaying a Drake when the map is dominated by certain Drakes.
Mastering the Baron Pit
Baron Nashor, or Baron for short, spawns at 20 minutes, and is the most powerful neutral monster on the Rift that usually requires a team effort for an expedited and effective kill. Slaying Baron grants Hand of Baron buff, meaning empowered Recalls (for faster Recalls), and increased AP and AD for the team. Hand of Baron also increases stats of nearby minions, making them stronger and giving an advantage to lane pushing and taking objectives, especially at the end of a game.
Is it possible to solo Baron Nashor?
So, you want to solo Baron Nashor? This is no mean feat, but has certainly been done before my many pro players. We asked the Fnatic League of Legends team their strategies:
“You can solo nashor with a lot of champions that have max % damage and are itemized tanky/life steal oriented. Blade of the Ruined King and Sunfire Aegis is perfect for this.
“Nashor gets increased stats post minute 20. This means if you are ahead of the curve pumped up with many items there is a way to kill him with ease minute 20. That does not happen usually though. Importance here is that the champion going for the solo angle has a lot of sustain in form of durability (armor) or lifesteal to regen through the dmg. Another bonus is having true dmg in the kit i.e Master Yi , Gwen [true dmg] ; Tryndamere , Warwick , Nunu [form of sustain]”
For this reason, killing Baron is often the main objective in a match. Other tactics often lead to the climactic teamfight at the Baron Pit. There are some Champions that can solo Baron (Master Yi, Warwick and Yasuo for example), but for speed alone, a team effort is most successful.
Q. What are some LoL Pro Tips and strategies for defeating Baron Nashor?
“Walk up close to the Baron with the champion that deals the least damage. He applies a debuff that reduces your damage output so make sure your biggest dps is not the ones he targets.“
YamatoCannon, Head Coach
“The best strategy is to let the one with the lowest amount of DPS tank Baron Nashor. The reasoning is to soak his debuff he applies on every hit, it will reduce the dmg done of this target by 50%!! Very important to avoid your main carry getting hit by that unless it is free.”
Shaves, Assistant Coach
There is no one way to defeat Baron. For instance. one tactical strategy is a player Tanking the monster’s ranged and melee attacks. This is quite popular among pro players. This sucks up all of the dealt damage, whilst the rest of the team deal constant, consistent damage to the Baron.
This can only take place if the enemy is busy with their own team attack on an Epic monster in their own jungle. It also works if they are individually busy with objectives and waves.
Next: League of Legends – Absolute Beginner’s Guide Part 3
In Part 3 of this guide, you will learn: –
- What pro players wished they knew before playing competitive LoL
- Is competitive LoL right for you?
- League of Legends Esports in 2022
Useful Links
Most popular Champions for Top/Mid/Jungle/Support/ADC/Bot Lane:
Champion matchups & Champion counters:
From League of Legends Beginner’s Guide Part 1:
