So, you're ready to dive into the world of League of Legends? Millions consider it the ultimate test of strategy and teamwork, but with its massive roster of champions, items, and intricate gameplay, knowing where to begin can feel daunting. Luckily, the best place to start is the league of legends tutorial, a guided experience designed to gently introduce you to the core mechanics of this popular (and yes, complex) game.
At a glance:
- The tutorial is automatically offered to new accounts when you first log in.
- It covers champion control, farming, leveling, objectives, item shopping, and summoner spells.
- You'll play as beginner-friendly champions like Miss Fortune, Master Yi, or Lux.
- Completing the tutorial earns you rewards to help you get started in the game.
- After the tutorial, try Co-op vs. AI matches, beginner missions, and the Practice Tool.
Getting Started: Creating Your Account and Launching the Game
Before you can even think about last-hitting minions or mastering your ultimate, you'll need an account. Think of it as your summoner's license!
- Head over to leagueoflegends.com.
- Create a free Riot Games account. You’ll need to choose a summoner name (this is your in-game name), select your region, and create a secure password.
- Download the game client, which is available for both Windows and macOS.
- Once the client is installed, launch it and log in with your newly created account. That first login kicks off your League of Legends journey.
Diving Into the Tutorial: Your First Taste of Summoner's Rift
The game automatically offers you the League of Legends tutorial upon first login. Don't skip it! This isn't just some hand-holding exercise; it's your foundation for understanding the game. If, for some reason, you don't see the tutorial pop up, here’s how to find it:
- Open the League of Legends client.
- Look for the "Play" button in the top-left corner.
- Click "Training" from the game mode list.
- Select "Tutorial." (Make sure it's the tutorial, and not the "Practice Tool" or "Co-op vs AI" mode).
The tutorial is usually broken down into two or three parts. Each part focuses on different fundamental aspects of the game.
What You'll Learn: Core Mechanics Explained
The League of Legends tutorial zeroes in on the essential gameplay elements that every player needs to grasp. Here's a breakdown of what to expect:
- Champion Control: This segment teaches you how to move your champion around the map, execute auto-attacks (basic attacks), and cast abilities. Think of it as learning to walk before trying to run a marathon.
- Minions and Farming: This is all about "last-hitting" minions – delivering the final blow to earn gold. Gold is crucial for buying items, which make your champion stronger. It's like learning to manage your resources effectively.
- Leveling Up: As you gain experience (XP) by killing enemy units and completing objectives, your champion levels up. Leveling up allows you to unlock new abilities or strengthen existing ones. This is your character's core progression mechanic.
- Basic Objectives: The tutorial introduces you to the primary objectives in the game, such as destroying enemy turrets (defensive towers) and ultimately, the enemy Nexus (the main structure in their base). This is the key to victory.
- Item Shopping: You'll learn how to recall to your base, access the shop, and purchase items using the gold you've earned. Item choices are critical for tailoring your champion's strengths and countering enemy strategies.
- Summoner Spells: These are special abilities that are separate from your champion's kit. The tutorial usually introduces you to Flash (a short-range teleport) and Heal (restores health). These spells can drastically alter the course of a fight.
Beyond these specific mechanics, the tutorial also provides an overview of the map layout (Summoner's Rift), basic enemy AI behavior, and the overall structure of a League of Legends match.
Meet Your Teachers: The Pre-Selected Champions
To keep things manageable, the League of Legends tutorial preselects champions for you. Don't worry; these champions are carefully chosen for their simplicity and forgiving playstyles:
- Miss Fortune (Marksman): A ranged damage dealer who excels at dealing damage from a distance.
- Master Yi (Melee Jungler): A fast-attacking melee champion who is powerful in close combat.
- Lux (Mage/Support): A ranged mage with powerful abilities, who can also support allies.
These champions have straightforward kits and relatively simple mechanics, making them perfect for learning the ropes.
Leveling Up: Understanding Experience and Gold
Champions in League of Legends aren't static. They grow stronger as the game progresses, and that growth hinges on two key resources: experience (XP) and gold. Staying ahead in both of these areas is crucial for dominating your opponents.
Experience (XP):
Think of XP as your champion's personal growth meter. You gain XP primarily by:
- Killing enemy minions
- Killing enemy champions
- Assisting in champion kills
- Destroying enemy turrets and other structures
As you accumulate XP, your champion levels up, allowing you to: - Unlock new abilities
- Strengthen existing abilities
- Increase your base stats (health, attack damage, ability power, etc.)
The maximum level a champion can reach in a game is 18. Levels reset at the start of each new match (League of Legends Tutorial Info).
Gold:
Gold is your currency for purchasing items, which significantly enhance your champion's power. You earn gold through: - Last-hitting minions (the primary source of income in the early game)
- Killing enemy champions
- Assisting in champion kills
- Destroying enemy structures
- Passive gold generation (a small amount of gold is automatically granted over time)
- Using champion specific abilities that grant bonus gold.
The more gold you accumulate, the stronger your items will be, and the more impactful you'll be in team fights and objective control.
Navigating Summoner's Rift: Understanding the Map
Summoner's Rift, the main map, might seem overwhelming at first, but it's actually quite structured. Understanding its layout is key to effective gameplay.
- Lanes: These are the main pathways connecting the two bases. There are three lanes:
- Top Lane: Typically occupied by durable, solo fighters.
- Mid Lane: Usually home to mages or assassins with high damage potential.
- Bottom Lane: Features a marksman ("ADC" or Attack Damage Carry) and a support champion.
- Jungle: The area between the lanes, filled with neutral monsters. Junglers clear these camps to gain XP and gold, and they also gank (ambush) lanes to help their teammates.
- Nexus: The heart of each team's base. Destroying the enemy Nexus wins the game. Your Nexus is where minions spawn. Behind your Nexus is the Fountain, where you can quickly replenish health and mana and access the Shop.
- Turrets: Defensive structures that guard the lanes, dealing damage to enemy minions and champions. Each lane has three turrets and one Inhibitor, and each Nexus is guarded by two turrets.
- Inhibitors: Located at the end of each lane in each base. Destroying an inhibitor spawns "super minions" in that lane for your team, putting pressure on the enemy.
- Neutral Objectives: Powerful monsters in the jungle that grant significant buffs to the team that kills them. The two most important are:
- Baron Nashor: Grants bonus attack damage, ability power, empowered recall, and greatly increases the power of nearby minions.
- Drakes (Dragons): Grant various permanent buffs depending on the type of dragon slain (e.g., increased attack damage, magic resistance, health regeneration). Mastering dragons is crucial for victory.
The Champion Roles: Finding Your Playstyle
League of Legends champions are diverse, but they generally fall into a few core roles. Understanding these roles will help you choose champions that suit your playstyle and contribute effectively to your team. Here's a quick rundown:
- Tank: Melee champions with high health and defense. They soak up damage and protect their teammates.
- Fighter: Melee champions with balanced stats. They can deal damage and survive in close combat. Top laners are the tough solo fighters of the team. It’s their job to protect their lane and focus on the enemy team’s most powerful members.
- Mage (APC): Ranged attackers who deal magic damage. They often have high burst damage but low survivability. Mid laners are your high burst damage champions who can do it all—solo and as a team. For them, combat is a dangerous dance where they’re always looking for an opportunity to outplay their opponent.
- Marksman (ADC): Ranged attackers who deal physical damage. They are fragile but deal consistent damage over time.
- Assassin: High-mobility, high-damage champions who excel at quickly eliminating key targets.
- Support: Champions focused on protecting and enhancing their allies. They provide healing, shields, crowd control, and vision.
These champion types have five core abilities, two special spells, and up to seven items at a time. League of Legends: Getting Started
Essential Controls and HUD Elements
Learning the controls in League of Legends is like learning the alphabet. Once you know them, everything else falls into place more easily. The game uses standard RTS (real-time strategy) controls:
- Right-click: Move your champion to a specific location or attack an enemy unit.
- Q, W, E, R: Activate your champion's abilities. Most champions have a unique kit made up of five abilities: a Passive, three Basics, and an Ultimate. These abilities are mapped to the Q, W, E, and R keys.
- D, F: Use your summoner spells. Summoner spells are abilities with unique effects that champions can use. They are mapped to the D and F keys. There are many spells, but a few commonly used ones are Flash, Teleport, Smite, and Ignite.
- B: Recall to your base (after a short channel time).
- 1-6 (Number Keys): Activate item actives (items with special abilities you can trigger).
- Ctrl + Q/W/E/R: Level up your abilities.
Familiarize yourself with the in-game HUD (Heads-Up Display) as well: - Minimap: Located in the bottom-right corner, it provides a bird's-eye view of the map, showing the location of allies, enemies, and objectives.
- Champion Portrait: Displays your champion's health, mana/energy, and current level.
- Ability Icons: Shows your available abilities, their cooldowns, and their mana/energy costs.
- Item Slots: Displays your equipped items.
- Chat Window: Allows you to communicate with your teammates.
Rewards and Progression: Why Bother With The Tutorial?
Completing the League of Legends tutorial isn't just about learning the basics; it also provides valuable rewards that will help you get started on your League journey. Riot incentivizes new players to complete the tutorial with:
- Blue Essence: Used to unlock champions.
- XP: Helps level up your account to reach level 30 for ranked play.
- Champion Unlocks: In some regions, finishing tutorials and beginner missions unlocks free champions.
The rewards help you unlock new champions, level up your account, and generally get a head start on building your champion pool and mastering the game.
Beyond the Tutorial: What's Next?
Once you've completed the League of Legends tutorial, you're ready to venture further into the game. Here are a few recommended next steps:
- Intro Co-op vs. AI Matches: Play against bots to reinforce what you've learned in a less stressful environment. They are a great way to practice your skills and experiment with different champions.
- Beginner Missions: A series of challenges that teach you additional mechanics, such as warding (placing vision wards), teamwork, and jungle basics. These missions provide guidance and rewards as you progress.
- Practice Tool: A solo sandbox environment where you can test any champion, ability, or build without any pressure. This is an excellent tool for experimenting and refining your skills.
- Watch Pro Players: Streamers like Faker and Doublelift dominate on Summoner’s Rift and provide educational commentary that can help improve your gameplay.
Common Questions About the League of Legends Tutorial
- Is the tutorial mandatory? No, but it's highly recommended for new players. It lays the foundation for understanding the game's mechanics.
- Can I skip the tutorial? Yes, but you'll miss out on valuable rewards and a structured introduction to the game.
- Can I replay the tutorial? Not easily. The tutorial is designed for first-time players. However, you can create a new account to replay it.
- What if I'm still confused after the tutorial? Don't worry! League of Legends has a steep learning curve. Experiment, watch videos, read guides, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Your Journey Begins Now
The League of Legends tutorial is just the first step on a long and rewarding journey. Embrace the challenge, learn from your mistakes, and most importantly, have fun. The Rift awaits!