Figuring out how to start playing League of Legends can feel like staring at a mountain of information. Don't worry, it's climbable! This guide will break down the essentials so you can jump into Summoner's Rift with confidence.
At a glance:
- Learn the fundamental game elements like gold, experience, and objectives.
- Understand the basic roles and laning strategies.
- Discover champion suggestions tailored for beginners.
- Optimize your in-game settings for a smoother experience.
- Grasp key terms and avoid common newbie pitfalls.
Downloading & Account Creation: Step One
The first step toward starting your LoL adventure is getting the game itself. Head to the official Riot Games website and download the League of Legends client. Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the prompts. Next, you'll need to create a Riot Account. This account is your key to not only League of Legends but also other Riot Games titles, so choose a username and password you'll remember. Make sure to use a valid email address as you will need to verify it.
Your First Log-In: The In-Game Tutorial
After creating your account and logging in, you'll be prompted to complete the in-game tutorial. This isn't just filler; treat it as boot camp! It covers the very basics:
- Champion Control: Moving your champion, using abilities, and auto-attacking.
- Last-Hitting: Securing gold by delivering the final blow to minions.
- Item Shopping: Buying items to enhance your champion's stats and abilities.
- Objectives: Understanding the Nexus, turrets, and other map elements.
Pay close attention, even if it seems simple. Mastering these core mechanics is crucial.
Summoner's Rift 101: The Map and Lanes
Summoner's Rift, the primary map in League of Legends, can seem daunting at first, but its structure is quite logical. It’s divided into three lanes: Top, Mid, and Bot. A jungle area sits between the lanes. Each lane is typically occupied by specific roles, forming a team composition.
Lane Assignments: A Quick Overview
- Top Lane: Often features tanky fighters who excel in one-on-one combat. They tend to be relatively self-sufficient.
- Mid Lane: Usually populated by mages or assassins, who have high damage potential and can roam to other lanes to help their teammates.
- Bot Lane: A duo consisting of an ADC (Attack Damage Carry) and a Support. The ADC focuses on dealing consistent damage, while the Support protects and empowers the ADC.
- Jungle: The Jungler roams the jungle, taking down neutral monsters and 'ganking' (surprise attacking) lanes to help teammates secure advantages.
Your LoL journey starts here. This article provides a broader overview of the game, and it's a great complement to this guide as you learn how to start playing League of Legends.
Understanding Roles: Finding Your Niche
There are many roles available, but each role has a unique way to play the game. Understanding the purpose and the responsibilities of each role will make selecting the right champion easier.
The Top Lane Bruiser
The Top Lane Bruiser is one of the solo lanes and requires strong, tanky champions
- Playstyle: Usually plays alone on an "island" and requires good 1-on-1 fighting skills.
- Champions: Darius, Garen, or Renekton.
The Mid Lane Mage
The Mid Lane Mage is one of the solo lanes and often requires champions with good map awareness and damage potential.
- Playstyle: Is in the middle of the map and roams to help support other lanes when needed.
- Champions: Annie, Ahri, or Veigar.
The Bottom Lane Marksman (ADC)
The Bottom Lane Marksman (ADC) works together with a support to take on the enemy bot duo.
- Playstyle: Relies on the support to protect them to scale into the late game.
- Champions: Miss Fortune, Ashe, or Sivir.
The Bottom Lane Support
The Bottom Lane Support works together with the Bot Lane Marksman (ADC) to take on the enemy bot duo.
- Playstyle: Keeps vision control and helps the ADC scale safely into the late game.
- Champions: Sona, Leona, or Soraka.
The Jungle Assassin
The jungle roams around the map and helps each of the lanes as needed.
- Playstyle: Requires a deep understanding of the map to effectively gank each lane to help snowball a lane.
- Champions: Warwick, Master Yi, or Xin Zhao.
Essential In-Game Elements: Gold, Experience, and Objectives
Mastering these elements will make all the difference in matches as knowing how to farm and get ahead of the other team is crucial to success.
Gold: Powering Up Your Champion
Gold is the in-game currency used to purchase items that enhance your champion's stats and abilities. You earn gold by:
- Last-Hitting Minions: This is your primary source of income. Aim for consistent last-hitting.
- Killing Champions: Award a significant chunk of gold.
- Destroying Turrets: Grants bonus gold to the team.
- Slaying Monsters: Jungle monsters offer gold and buffs.
Example: If you consistently last-hit minions in the early game, you'll be able to buy a crucial item like a "B.F. Sword" for your ADC, giving you a significant damage advantage.
Experience: Leveling Up and Unlocking Abilities
Experience (XP) allows your champion to level up, increasing stats and unlocking new ability ranks. You gain XP by:
- Being near Minions: You don't need to last-hit to gain XP, but you must be in range when they die.
- Killing Champions: A substantial XP boost.
- Assisting in Kills: You gain XP even if you don't secure the final blow.
Example: Reaching level 6 is a major power spike for many champions as it unlocks their ultimate ability.
Objectives: The Path to Victory
League of Legends isn't just about killing champions; it's about destroying the enemy Nexus, located in their base. The path to the Nexus is guarded by turrets and inhibitors. Other key objectives include:
- Turrets: Defensive structures that protect lanes. Destroying them grants gold and opens up the map.
- Inhibitors: Destroying an inhibitor spawns super minions in that lane, putting immense pressure on the enemy base.
- Dragons: Grant powerful team-wide buffs.
- Baron Nashor: A powerful monster that provides a significant damage and sustain buff to the team that slays it.
Laning Phase: Your First 15 Minutes
The laning phase is the early portion of the game where players focus on farming, gaining experience, and harassing their lane opponents. It typically lasts for the first 15 minutes or so. Winning your lane creates an advantage for your entire team.
Key Strategies for Laning
- Last-Hitting Priority: Focus on securing last hits to gain gold. Don't get too distracted trying to harass your opponent if it means missing out on gold.
- Warding: Place wards in strategic locations (bushes, river entrances) to spot incoming ganks from the enemy Jungler.
- Trading Stance: You need to know when to apply pressure, when to farm, and when to trade.
- Map awareness: Watch your mini map to see if the enemy jungle is moving into your area.
Example: As a Top Laner, placing a ward in the river bush early on can prevent the enemy Jungler from sneaking up on you and securing an easy kill.
Beginner-Friendly Champions: Easy to Learn, Hard to Master
Choosing the right champion when you start playing will make a big difference in your initial enjoyment. Here are some suggestions:
- Top Lane: Garen (Tanky, straightforward abilities) or Darius (Aggressive, high damage potential).
- Mid Lane: Annie (Simple abilities, strong burst damage) or Lux (Long-range mage with crowd control).
- ADC: Ashe (Easy to learn, good utility with her slowing arrow) or Miss Fortune (High damage output, easy to understand abilities).
- Support: Sona (Healer, easy to play) or Leona (Tanky, provides crowd control).
- Jungle: Warwick (Good sustain, easy ganking with his ultimate) or Amumu (Tanky, strong teamfight potential).
Why These Champions?
These champions are relatively easy to pick up and play, allowing you to focus on learning the core mechanics of the game without being overwhelmed by complex abilities.
Recommended Settings: Optimizing Your Experience
Tweaking your settings can significantly improve your gameplay:
- Quick Casting: Cast abilities instantly by pressing the key, rather than clicking.
- Show Champion Names Above Health Bars: Helps you quickly identify champions in teamfights.
- Show Spell Cost: Displays the mana cost of each ability.
- Highlight Champion on Camera Center: Highlights your character when you center the camera.
LoL Jargon Buster: Key Terms You Need To Know
- LoL: League of Legends.
- CS: Creep Score (number of minions killed).
- Gank: A surprise attack by the Jungler on a lane.
- Drag: Short for Dragon.
- AFK: Away From Keyboard (not actively playing).
- Recall: Teleporting back to your base.
- Trade: Exchanging damage with an opponent, usually with the goal of gaining an advantage.
Potential Pitfalls to Avoid
- Chasing Kills: Don't tunnel vision on getting kills and neglect farming or objectives.
- Ignoring the Map: Pay attention to the minimap to track enemy movements and avoid ganks.
- Flaming Teammates: Toxicity creates a negative environment and hurts your team's chances of winning.
- Not Warding: Failing to ward leaves you vulnerable to ganks.
- Underestimating Minions: Minions can deal significant damage, especially in the early game.
Quick Answers: Common Beginner Questions
Q: What do I do if I'm getting destroyed in lane?
A: Don't be afraid to play defensively. Focus on farming safely near your turret and avoid unnecessary risks. Ask your Jungler for help.
Q: How do I know which items to buy?
A: Start by following recommended item builds. As you gain experience, you'll learn to adapt your build based on the specific game. Websites like Mobafire and Probuilds can offer some insights.
Q: What if my teammates are being toxic?
A: Mute them. Seriously. There's no point in engaging with negativity. Focus on your own game and try to play your best.
Your First Steps: A Practical Playbook
- Complete the Tutorial: Don't skip it!
- Play Co-op vs. AI: Practice against bots to get comfortable with your chosen champion and the game mechanics.
- Choose a Beginner-Friendly Champion: Focus on learning the fundamentals rather than struggling with complex abilities.
- Focus on Last-Hitting: Aim for consistent last-hitting to maximize your gold income.
- Place Wards Regularly: Protect yourself from ganks and gain vision of the map.
- Watch Experienced Players: Watch streams or YouTube videos to learn from experienced players.
- Don't Be Afraid to Experiment: Try different champions, roles, and strategies to find what works best for you.
- Mute Toxic Players Immediately: Keep a positive attitude.
Starting League of Legends can be challenging, but by focusing on the fundamentals and taking it one step at a time, you'll be well on your way to mastering Summoner's Rift. Remember to have fun and don't be discouraged by losses—they're part of the learning process!