For the bigger picture and full context, make sure you read our main guide on Guide to LoL: Your First Steps on Summoners Rift.
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Starting League of Legends can feel overwhelming. With over 160 champions and a complex web of items, strategies, and terminology, knowing where to begin is tough. This article provides actionable beginner tips for League of Legends to help you thrive from your very first match.
At a glance:
- Learn basic champion roles and lane assignments for better team compositions.
- Master last-hitting minions to maximize gold income early game.
- Understand simple warding strategies to improve map awareness and avoid ganks.
- Learn when to focus on objectives like towers and dragons.
- Experiment with different champions to find your preferred playstyle.
Conquer the Basics: Roles, Lanes, and Champions
Before diving into intense strategies, understanding fundamental roles and lane assignments is critical. League revolves around two teams of five, each player typically fulfilling a specific role: Top, Jungle, Mid, ADC (Attack Damage Carry), and Support.
- Top Lane: Often occupied by durable fighters or tanks. Example: Garen, Dr. Mundo.
- Jungle: Roams the jungle, killing monsters and ganking lanes. Example: Master Yi, Warwick.
- Mid Lane: Typically mages or assassins with high burst damage. Example: Ahri, Zed.
- ADC (Attack Damage Carry): Focuses on dealing consistent damage with auto-attacks. Example: Ashe, Jinx.
- Support: Protects the ADC and provides vision. Example: Sona, Leona.
Experimenting with different roles helps you understand team dynamics and find where you excel. Don't be afraid to try a mage in mid lane one game and a tank in top lane the next. Learn LoL: First Steps provides a broader context on the game's fundamentals and how roles fit into the overall game strategy.
Maximize Gold Income: The Art of Last-Hitting
Gold is the lifeblood of League of Legends. It allows you to buy items that increase your stats and power. The primary way to earn gold in the early game is by "last-hitting" minions – dealing the final blow to them. Simply put, your goal is not just to damage the minion, but to ensure you are the one who gets the killing blow.
Practical Tips for Last-Hitting:
- Practice in the Practice Tool: Spend 5-10 minutes before each play session focusing only on last-hitting.
- Understand Minion Health: Pay attention to how much damage your auto-attacks do and estimate when a minion is low enough to kill.
- Use Abilities Wisely: Some champions have abilities that can help secure last hits, especially under turret fire.
- Manage the Wave: Sometimes, you might want to "freeze" the wave near your tower to farm safely. This involves only last-hitting and not pushing the wave forward.
Pitfalls to Avoid:
- Auto-Pushing: Continuously attacking minions can push the wave towards the enemy turret, making you vulnerable to ganks.
- Ignoring Minions Entirely: Focusing solely on harassing the enemy champion and neglecting minions will put you behind in gold.
Ward Wisely: Mastering Basic Vision Control
Vision control is crucial for preventing ganks, tracking enemy movements, and securing objectives. Wards provide temporary vision in a specific area, revealing enemy champions and jungle camps.
Beginner Warding Strategies:
- Use Your Trinket: Each player starts with a Warding Totem (yellow trinket), which places a temporary ward. Use this frequently!
- Warding Key Spots: When playing in a lane, common warding spots include the river bushes to prevent ganks from the enemy jungler, or tribush (a small area of brush between the lane and jungle). As the game goes on, warding around objectives like Dragon and Baron becomes increasingly important.
- Upgrade Your Trinket: As you level up, you can upgrade your trinket to provide better or longer-range vision.
- Control Wards: Purchase Control Wards (pink wards) to deny enemy vision in key areas. These wards are visible but disable enemy wards within a small radius.
When to Ward: - Before pushing your lane forward.
- When the enemy jungler is likely to gank your lane.
- Before attempting to take an objective.
Objective Focus: Towers, Dragons, and the Nexus
League of Legends is not just about getting kills; it's about destroying the enemy Nexus. Towers, inhibitors, and dragons are all important objectives that contribute to this ultimate goal.
Prioritizing Objectives:
- Towers: Destroying enemy towers opens up the map and provides gold to your team.
- Dragons: Each elemental dragon grants a permanent buff to your team. Infernal Dragons increase damage, Ocean Dragons increase healing, Cloud Dragons increase movement speed, and Mountain Dragons increase armor and magic resist.
- Rift Herald/Baron Nashor: These monsters provide powerful buffs that can help your team push to victory.
When to Take Objectives: - After winning a teamfight.
- When the enemy team is distracted elsewhere on the map.
- When you have a numbers advantage.
Objective Call-Out Quick Start:
| Situation | Recommended Objective | Rationale |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Enemy bot lane is dead | Dragon | Capitalize on their absence to secure a valuable team buff. |
| Your team just wiped the enemy team | Towers/Inhibitors | Push your advantage and destroy key structures to open the map. |
| Enemy jungler is top | Dragon/Rift Herald | Secure an objective on the opposite side of the map while they are distracted. |
Master Your Champion: A Focused Approach
Each champion feels different and suits a unique playstyle. Experimenting is key, but avoid spreading yourself too thin.
Champion Learning Roadmap:
- Choose 2-3 Champions Per Role: Focus on mastering a small pool before learning new ones
- Read a Guide: Websites like Mobafire provide champion guides with builds, abilities, and playstyle tips.
- Practice in the Practice Tool: Familiarize yourself with your champion's abilities, combos, and damage output.
- Play Normal Games: Put your knowledge to the test in real games without the pressure of ranked.
- Watch Replays: Analyze your games to identify areas for improvement.
Finding Your Ideal Champion:
- Do you prefer dealing high burst damage? Try an assassin like Zed or a mage like Ahri.
- Do you enjoy being a tank that protects teammates? Try a tank like Ornn or Maokai.
- Do you like dealing consistent damage from a distance? Try an ADC like Caitlyn or Jinx.
Quick Answers for New Summoners
Q: What is "CS"?
A: "CS" stands for "Creep Score" and refers to the number of minions you've last-hit. Monitoring your CS is a good way to gauge your gold income and overall performance. Aim for at least 6-8 CS per minute in the early game.
Q: What does "gank" mean?
A: A "gank" is when a jungler unexpectedly appears in a lane to assist their laner in killing the enemy laner. Warding effectively can help you avoid ganks.
Q: What are "power spikes"?
A: A "power spike" is a specific level or item acquisition that significantly increases a champion's strength. Recognizing power spikes is key to knowing when to be aggressive or play defensively. For example, many champions gain a significant power spike at level 6 when they unlock their ultimate ability.
Q: Is it better to get kills or farm minions?
A: While kills provide gold and experience, consistently farming minions is generally more reliable for long-term gold income, especially in the early game.
Your First Steps to Victory
Starting League of Legends is a journey. Focus on mastering the basics, experimenting with different champions and roles, and constantly learning from your mistakes. Don't be afraid to ask for help from more experienced players or watch educational content online. The Summoner's Rift awaits!