Play League of Legends

League of Legends, also known as LoL, is a free-to-play MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena). If you're new to the game, you can read below for a basic break-down of how things work, the goals of the game, and strategies for play.

Steps

Choosing Your Gameplay

  1. Play PvP. In this game type, all champions (or controlled characters) are played by actual players, rather than the game’s AI. There are a few different options in this game mode:
    • Classic - In this mode, the players work to destroy the enemy’s Nexus (or base structure).
    • Dominion - In this mode, the point of the game becomes about taking control of a number of capture points or locations (which are very similar to the turrets encountered in Classic mode. This gamemode was removed in February 22, 2016.)
    • ARAM - In this mode, all of the player’s champions are chosen at random, and it is intended for all players to fight together in the central road (or lane).
  2. Play Co-op vs AI. In a co-op vs. AI game, you will play on a team with other player controlled characters against computer controlled opponents (or bots).
    • Only Classic mode is available when playing this type of game.
  3. Play a custom game. In a custom game, you can choose the number of players, as well as password protect it to ensure that only your friends can play. The opposing team can either be other players or bots.
  4. Choose the map. Choosing the map means choosing what environment you play in. It also affects how many players will be on a team and what game types are available. These are easy to see, so choose whatever map fits the criteria you want.
  5. Choose Game Type. The game type determines how the champions are chosen. In a blind pick, players cannot see which champions have been chosen. In a draft pick, players take turns banning the use of and then choosing certain champions. Ranked games are more competitive in nature and consist of game-ranked players being matched according to experience.
  6. Invite your friends. You can play with your friends in any game type. Simply click "I will invite my own teammates" when prompted in the bottom right corner after choosing the last option (either game type or difficulty).
  7. Use Riot Points. Riot Points, which are purchased with real money and viewed at the top right of the screen next to your name, are used to buy new champions (other than the rotating free champions), new appearances or skins for your champions, or boosts (which increase the rate at which you earn Influence Points).
  8. Use Influence Points. Influence points are the other type of in-game currency, except that they are earned by playing games. These can be used to permanently unlock champions, purchase Runes, or purchase additional Rune Pages.
    • It's highly suggested that you don't build any runes until you have unlocked several champions due to the high costs. However, if you must buy runes for any reason, start with level 1 runes.

Choosing Your Character

  1. Choose a character. After joining a match you will choose your champion (or have one chosen for you). What character you choose is really important, so don’t choose one just because they look cool. Choose your character based on how you play best and based on what your team needs. There are many roles[1] but here are a few:
    • Tanks are champions with high health and magic resistance, who should generally be on the front lines. They deal low damage, but aid their team by drawing the enemy’s attention.
    • Fighters are similar to tanks but deal more damage. Their usual purpose is to backup weaker champions.
    • Marksmen are champions who are relatively weak, in terms of defense, but do great long range attacks. They are frequently targets for the enemy, so they will likely need to be protected. Mages are highly similar to marksmen.
    • Support champions are there to help any member of their team who needs help. They usually have an ability to shield or heal their allies.
    • Assassins are champions who do a high amount of damage in short bursts. They focus on killing enemies quickly and remaining hidden between kills.
  2. Pay attention to character attributes. Attributes determine the effectiveness of the armor, the amount of health your champion has, and the amount of magical power (or mana) that they can draw from. Each character has a major attribute (one which is higher than the others) which greatly determines how they will play. Attributes increase with level.
    • Attack power determines how much damage a champion can do with basic attacks. A high attack power generally makes for a good marksman.
    • Defense power determines characteristics like the champions armor level, making them harder to damage. Characters with high defense power make good tanks.
    • Ability power determines how often the champion can use their abilities. This is similar to mana or stamina in other games. Characters with a high ability power are generally meant to use abilities often, so be sure you are acquainted with how to use your characters abilities.
  3. Purchase items. When you first enter the map, you will be placed next to the store, where you should buy some items. You can purchase consumables (potions and similar items), items which fortify your attributes, armaments to protect yourself with, and magical items (if your character is so inclined).
    • The type of items you should buy depends on what your champion's strengths are.
      • Marksmen should only look at Damage items or items with Attack Damage, Attack Speed, Critical Strike chance, or armor penetration. The only defensive item that should be built is life steal since health is being generated by the damage dealt to enemies.
      • Fighters and assassins should also consider building AD, although building items with defensive stats, like Magic Resist, Armor, or Health, is recommended.
      • Tank builds are similar to fighter builds, but damage items are a much lower priority than defensive items.
      • Mages are similar to marksmen except instead of Damage items, Magic items, or items with mana, mana regen, Ability Power, or Magic Penetration, are the priority
      • Junglers need to make sure they build a jungler item, such as Tracker's Knife, Skirmisher's Sabre, or Stalker's Blade first before any other items.
      • Finally, supports need to have a Relic Shield with them at the start of the game. The other items they build should depend on what their strengths are.

Beginning to Strategize

  1. Choose a strategy to win. There are three main roadways on the classic Summoner’s Rift map (two in Twisted Treeline, no defined ones in Crystal Scar). These are called lanes. During the game, you and your enemies will largely be positioned in these lanes, in varying numbers, where you will fight for control in order to reach and destroy each other’s turrets and eventually the Nexus. You and your teammates will need to figure out how you want to handle your lanes.
    • To know what type of champions to pick for each role, there are "meta" choices that govern what champion type goes where.
      • Tanks and fighters are usually played in the top lane.
      • Mages and assassins should be chosen for mid-laners.
      • Champions who have gap-closers and good waveclear are played in the jungle.
      • Finally marksmen and support champions play in the bottom lane.
  2. Work with your teammates. Work together with your teammates to slowly kill the enemy. Remember, the goal is not to kill them but to instead destroy their turrets and Nexus. Remember that Minions, the little guys that you can’t control, are also part of your team. They are the key to winning the game and protecting yourself. They fight with enemy Minions and turrets, protecting you from damage, as both will default to killing them over you.
    • Stay behind the Minions as they are your line of defense.
    • Minions will spawn every 30 seconds and come in waves down the lanes.
  3. Win by destroying enemy turrets and their Nexus. The game is won when the enemy’s main structure, called their Nexus, is destroyed. This structure is located on the opposite side of the map from where you begin. Progress your way there by destroying the intervening turrets that block your progress.
    • The other side of this, of course, is that the enemy team will be trying to destroy your turrets. Protect your turrets.
  4. Destroy enemy inhibitors. Once you've destroyed 3 enemy turrets in one lane, you can destroy one of their inhibitors the same way. This one will not attack back. Once you have destroyed one, you will spawn waves of super minions. These are stronger than normal minions and have increased health. Use these to distract and eventually destroy the enemy base turrets and also their Nexus.
  5. Attack the enemy. Mostly you’ll be dealing with enemy Minions but you will also fight enemy champions and turrets. Attack the enemy but remember your focus on getting to their turrets (and eventually their Nexus). Don’t be stupid and don’t be impatient. Take your time and make smart kills.
    • Right clicking on enemies performs basic attacks.
    • Use and advance abilities over the course of the game. Abilities will be different for every character. They are assigned to keys which are defaulted to Q-R (each is labeled on the screen). Experiment with abilities and find the best ways to use them. Use them to help your teammates as well as yourself.
  6. Make sure to get last hit. Last hit is a very important part of playing League of Legends. Only the player who gets the last hit on an enemy or turret gets gold. Make sure you’re getting the last hit if your character is one that benefits from gold. One way to do this is to go in for the kill when you see an enemy’s health is low. Timing last hit is a learned skill.
  7. Don’t forget about Baron Nashor and the jungle monsters. Don’t forget that there are neutral monsters in the jungles between the lanes who will attack you given opportunity. There is also the monster Baron Nashor lurking just off the lanes. He is powerful and deals a high amount of damage but killing him will give you several worthwhile rewards. Never take him on alone.
  8. Heal yourself to stay alive. Your health is represented by the green bar in the lower left as well as above your character. The easiest way to heal yourself is by returning to base, which is done by pressing the “B” key. You can also buy health potions but these are only helpful at the beginning of the game, when your overall health is low. Sometimes supporting characters can help with keeping you alive as well.
  9. Stay alive. The goal in strategy games like this one is not to get the most kills, but rather to stay alive. Doing this requires skill and patience. Dying is punished, as you will be missing out on experience and gold, and your teammates are going to take serious damage while they wait for you. If faced with the choice of making a kill or staying alive, always choose staying alive.
  10. View your results. When the game is over you will be shown the results screen. Here you can see every player's kills/deaths/assists during the game, as well as items purchased and minion kill amount. Also, if you look at the header you will see the amount of xp (or experience) your account gained and the amount of IP (influence points) your account gained. Also, the more XP you gain, the more levels your summoner account will gain, allowing you points in your masteries (which gives you extra help during games) and more rune pages (which are basically the same thing.) Another thing xp gives you is more options for summoner spells.



Tips

  • If someone is typing negative comments about you or your team, mute them right away. At the end of the game, report them.
  • Do not buy Runes until level 20 when you can buy Tier 3 runes, they do not make much of a difference at the lower levels.
  • Never, I repeat, NEVER get desperate for kills. This drives you to madness, and thus getting the double deaths. The fanbase may be rude with killstealers, but they all go easy in all beginners. They all were beginners once.
  • PLEASE BUY WARDS. Or upgrade your trinkets. Map vision and awareness can help you win the game easier by alerting yourself before an ambush or let you set up a surprise attack.
  • If you ever get to below 30% health, have no pots and you don't have Heal / It's cooling down, run to cover and quickly teleport back to Spawning Pool.
  • Don't jungle until you are more familiar with the game, the jungle monsters and your champions. Also, on early levels, without the proper masteries, jungling will be hard.
  • Build your masteries and Runes depending on what Champion and Summoner spells you are going to be using most.
  • Keep an eye on the enemy champions. If you see someone missing from their lane, they may be preparing to gank(helping a teammate in another lane to kill an enemy champion).Inform your teammates.
  • Dashing into a group of Champions is the worst thing you can do, even if you're a Tank. As a melee fighter, you should stick to 1v1 for now, and avoid the pros.
  • Do not attack enemy Champions on their turrets or the turret will attack you and kill you VERY fast. Only do this if you are certain you will kill them and SURVIVE. If no Champions are at the turret, wait for your Minions to get attacked by it and use them to distract the turret while you try to destroy it. Another thing you may do is kill their approaching minion wave while the turret focuses on your minions. Odds are, you will destroy their minions and then your minions will concentrate the turret, dealing more damage to it than you will. Just be careful, for an ambush!
  • Use pings to send command to your team. You do this by holding the "G" key and sliding your cursor to the command you want.
  • Only play against bots if you are new to the game or are trying a champion for the first time. Playing against bots regularly will leave you stunningly unprepared for actual games.
  • Follow the Summoner's Code! When following the code, you are more likely to win more games, and fellow Summoners view you as a better teammate, who has teamwork skills, and is very cooperative and WILL honor you!
  • Don't try to get kills early on in the game. Stick to minions for some time.

Warnings

  • Never follow an enemy Champion near a turret or an Inhibitor, as the Turret will give you the necessary blow to cripple you, and then the enemy Champion will most likely finish you off. But hey, You can use that tactic too, if you want!
  • If you’re the kind of person who can’t handle criticism, this is not the game for you. Brutal honesty comes standard with games like this.
  • Never lash out against people who criticize you or call you stupid. Doing so might get your account suspended in the future.
  • Do not EVER play Teemo, unless you are not a nice guy at all.
  • If you don't obey the Summoner's Code, you'll most likely to lose the match and get reported by your teammates, which can follow to getting banned for a long period or forever!
  • Do not feed your enemy team. Feeding is when you allow yourself to get killed very often to the point where the enemy is essentially earning free gold. Play defensively or get some help from your jungler or support.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/Champion_attributes
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