Yasuo’s Splash Art in League of Legends

How to Play Mid Lane in League of Legends

Table of Contents

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Hi! This tutorial will teach you how to play mid lane in League of Legends. It’s meant for the newbies out there and even the advanced players. The article has everything you need to know to become a very powerful mid laner.

The Role of a Mid Laner: What You Need to Know

Being a mid laner in League of Legends is like being the central conductor of a team. You guide the team’s rhythm, lead the strategy, and play a pivotal role in the game’s outcome.

Understanding the Mid Lane Role

  • Central Hub: The mid lane is at the heart of the game map, Summoner’s Rift. This central position allows easy access to top, bottom, and jungle areas, making it a hotspot for action.
  • Strategic Impact: A skilled mid laner can shape the game. They can help secure key objectives, quickly join fights across the map, and create game-changing plays.
  • Teamwork: Communication is key. Mid laners must work closely with their jungler for objectives and ganks, and coordinate with other lanes for potential support.

The mid lane role is both challenging and rewarding, demanding a mix of skill and strategy. While the game has evolved since its early days, the mid lane’s significance remains unchanged. It’s not just a position; it’s a game influencer.

Remember: the middle position demands a disciplined, creative mind that can take the proper decisions in a matter of milliseconds for his team.

Exploring the Different Types of Mid Laners

Now let’s see what types of champions can suit this role and position. In all honesty, we can safely say it’s the most versatile when it comes to picking your champion meaning you can pick almost any champion with some minor exceptions. 

We’ll organize them into 2 most played categories:

  1. The AP Carry (APC)
  2. The Assassin

1.The AP Carry

APC List in League of Legends

AP Carry (APC), short for Ability Power Carry, is a term that represents champions dealing a majority of their damage through magical abilities. This type of mid-laner is typically the primary damage dealer in a team, specializing in delivering ‘burst damage’ – high damage dealt within a fraction of a second.

Key Attributes and Responsibilities of an AP Carry

AP Carries are tacticians of crowd control and area-of-effect spells. Their abilities to deliver substantial damage to multiple enemies at once is a deciding factor in team fights. The ability to apply consistent pressure on the enemy team, dictate the pace of the laning phase, and secure key objectives are some of the crucial responsibilities of an APC.

Surviving as an AP Carry: Balancing Power and Safety

However, their powerful abilities come with a caveat. APCs generally have lower defense and health, making them susceptible to quick eliminations if not positioned correctly during engagements. Thus, it is of paramount importance for APC players to maintain an optimal balance between aggression and caution, staying at a safe distance yet close enough to unleash their potent abilities.

I’ll give you a list of easy powerful APC champions to have in your mind:

  • Brand
  • Khartus
  • Malzahar
  • Ryze
  • Veigar
  • Zyra

2.The Assassin

Assassins in League of Legends

In stark contrast to AP Carries are the Assassins – champions who embody the epitome of the ‘hit and run’ playstyle. Assassins are characterized by their exceptional mobility and lethal burst damage, specifically against single targets. They excel in isolating and swiftly eliminating high-value targets, usually the carry of the enemy team.

Assassins’ Strengths and Tactics

Unlike APCs who are potent in multi-target confrontations, Assassins thrive in one-on-one situations. Their design allows them to infiltrate enemy lines, deliver a high damage output, and retreat before retaliation. This methodology requires a blend of precise timing, map awareness, and an aggressive yet strategic playstyle.

Challenges of the Assassin Role

However, this high-risk, high-reward approach carries its set of challenges. Assassins are generally low on defense and highly vulnerable to crowd control. Engaging without a proper strategy or picking incorrect targets often leads to an Assassin’s rapid downfall. Therefore, an understanding of strategic engagement and disengagement is vital for mastering this role. 

The list below will help you start with an easy to play powerful assassins:

  • Ashkan
  • Ekko
  • Irelia
  • Le Blanc
  • Talon
  • Yone

Whether you’re drawn to the overwhelming magic power of AP Carries or the agile precision of Assassins, mastering these roles requires in-depth knowledge of their unique playstyles and a keen ability to adapt to the complex, fast-paced dynamics of League of Legends. Approach with a strategic mindset, and these roles can be the key to dominating the mid lane.

Remember: AP Carries do a lot of damage to multiple enemies and must always keep distance when dealing damage and assassins are doing a lot of damage to a single enemy and are mobile; stay with one of these 2 categories until you get more experienced.

Picking Your Champion: A Crucial Step in Learning How to Play Mid

Understanding the Basic Principle

Selecting the optimal champion for the middle lane adheres to a primary rule: Utilize the champion you are most familiar with. For beginners, the focus should be on choosing the type of champion that brings you enjoyment during play.

This principle is paramount as enjoyment often translates to quicker learning and more accurate gameplay.

If you already have a few preferred champions, selecting the best one for your team should be influenced by your expertise and understanding of their gameplay mechanics.

Good Team Setup: The Composition

A balanced team composition is a cornerstone of successful gameplay. Many seasoned players and coaches recommend a configuration of:

  • 2 tanks
  • 1 APC
  • 1 ADC
  • 1 Buffer Support

This formation provides a solid baseline for champion selection. Alternatives do exist, with a personal preference towards:

  • 2 APCs
  • 1 AD
  • 1 tank
  • 1 hybrid tank (with some AD)

The Significance of Team Composition: Unpacking Balance

A balanced team composition is paramount in a MOBA like League of Legends. It’s a strategic choice that directly impacts the team’s ability to successfully navigate different game phases and react to enemy tactics.

The concept of team balance refers to a diverse mix of champion roles:

  • Tanks provide durability and initiate fights.
  • APCs and ADCs, as the main damage dealers, focus on taking down enemies.
  • Supports enhance the team’s performance with healing, protection, and utility.

This mix allows a team to respond effectively to various threats, ensuring that both damage types – AP and AD – are present in your lineup. This prevents opponents from solely stacking armor or magic resistance.

A balanced team also facilitates better control over the game map and objectives, including Dragon, Baron Nashor, and Rift Herald. It paves the way for versatile team strategies, offering flexibility to adapt to evolving game situations.

Remember, balance doesn’t always necessitate sticking to a standard formula. Occasionally, game conditions might require deviating from the usual setup. In these cases, understanding the importance of balance equips you with the knowledge to make those crucial decisions. While following the meta is often beneficial, being open to new strategies is equally crucial in pursuing victory.

Understanding Champion Abilities and Team Synergies: Strategies for Success

Grasping the intricate details of your chosen champion’s abilities is not merely beneficial—it is indispensable. Each champion in League of Legends is endowed with distinctive abilities, which, when aptly employed, can considerably shift the balance of the game.

Moreover, the concept of synergy is a cornerstone of triumphant strategies. Champions in League of Legends are designed with a diverse array of abilities. When these are strategically harmonized, they can yield remarkably potent effects. By aligning strategies with your team and comprehending their chosen champions, you can cultivate formidable synergies to refine your gameplay.

The diversity of a team’s composition introduces an element of unpredictability, confounding opponents and providing your team with a strategic advantage. This diversity can be achieved by selecting champions based on the team’s collective requirements and gameplay objectives.

Counter Picking: A Key Strategy

The strategy of ‘Counter Picking‘ can also be crucial, wherein a champion is chosen specifically to counter an adversary’s pick. Although this demands a comprehensive understanding of various champions, the rewards can be substantial. Remember, a key criterion should always be your familiarity and proficiency with the selected champion.

Synergies

Also, when choosing your champion for the middle lane you must also take into consideration the abilities of your allies. Talk to them, and check what they plan to play to see if you can create a synergy with their champions or not.

I will give you a solid base of champions that do well together creating good synergies. 

We’ll go with the champions that were suggested for starters as APC and Assassins to give you an idea of how to think before choosing a champion.

Note: the more champions you can make synergies in your team the better.

APC Synergies

Champion Synergies
Brand Amumu, Diana, Galio, Jarvan, Kennen, Khartus, Lux, Malphite, Sett, Syndra, Yone, Ziggs
Khartus Anivia, Brand, Lissandra, Mordekaiser, Morgana, Singered, Swain, Teemo, Thresh, Varus, Zyra
Malzahar Blitzcrank, Evelynn, Fiddlesticks, Gwen, Malphite, Nunu, Rammus, Shaco, Skarner, Talon, Vi
Ryze Ahri, Darius, Gnar, Neeko, Nocturne, Taliyah, Tham Kench, Twisted Fate, Vladimir
Veigar Annie, Irelia, Jarvan, Jax, Leona, Lux, Nunu, Syndra, Thresh, Xerath
Zyra Amumu, Anivia, Diana, Heimerdinger, Kennen, Neeko, Nunu, Orianna, Rammus, Sett, Thresh

Assassin Synergies

Champion Synergies
Ashkan Evelynn, Kled, Lulu, Nidalee, Ornn, Rammus, Rengar, Sivir, Twitch, Viego, Yuumi, Zilean
Ekko Darius, Diana, Fiddlesticks, Jarvan, Kennen, Poppy, Rakan, Rammus, Renekton, Shen, Thresh
Irelia Aatrox, Amumu, Anivia, Darius, Diana, Fiddlesticks, Galio, Kennen, Malphite, Seraphine, Sett, Syndra, Veigar, Xerath, Yuumi, Zilean
Le Blanc Alistar, Anivia, Ashe, Elise, Fizz, Kayn, Kha'zix, Lux, Nidalee, Nocturne, Pantheon, Pyke, Qiyana, Quinn, Rengar, Shaco, Talon, Zed
Talon Ahri, Camille, Karma, Kassadin, Kayn, Kha'zix, Le Blanc, Lee Sin, Lillia, Malphite, Malzahar, Nocturne, Neeko, Qiyana, Quinn, Rammus, Samira, Shaco, Tryndamere, Warwick, Xayah, Yuumi, Zeri, Zoe
Yone Alistar, Amumu, Anivia, Ashe, Azir, Cassiopiea, Diana, Heimerdinger, Jarvan, Kennen, Lissandra, Malphite, Orianna, Seraphine, Sett, Swain, Syndra, Thresh, Wukong, Zac, Ziggs, Zyra

Remember: play what you love most, talk with your allies before choosing your champion, look for synergies when picking, diversity is key.

Summoner Spells: Choosing the Right Tools for Mid Lane

When it comes to picking the right summoner spells before any match, take a look at the enemy team composition.

Try to see the bigger picture. I’ll give you examples below to teach you how to choose your summoner spells.

To understand more about the different summoner spells available in League of Legends, refer to this comprehensive list.

You Play Ziggs Versus Veigar

Ziggs it’s a champion that does a lot of damage to towers and can afford to be very aggressive because of his skills and because he can use his W – Satchel Charge to escape in case the enemy jungler or support tries to gank you.

That being said a very good strategy is to over-push Veigar. The Teleport summoner spell can teleport you back on lane very fast versus a Veigar that has no mana or life. He will be forced to recall and in that time you can damage the tower. Ziggs often destroys the first tower because of his passive and W – Satchel Charge and gain a big payment of 400 g.

You Play Syndra Versus Zed

Syndra is immobile and to get away she relies on her positioning in case she gets ganked. That, and because she plays against a deadly mobile champion like Zed she needs to play with defensive summoner spells like Barrier, Flash, Ghost, and Exhaust.

You Play Xerath Versus Fast Movement Champions

Xerath is also immobile and can’t get away if he is getting focused. If the enemy team is formed by champions like Hecarim, Talon, Ahri, Trundle, etc. the only option here, and the best one is to make sure you are going to have Ghost picked as one of the summoner spells.

You Play Fizz Versus Lux

Fizz is a mobile champion that can completely dodge dangerous shackles like Lux’s Q – Light Binding for example. It would be a good idea for Fizz to have Cleanse as a summoner spell to empower his dodging style giving him even more space to finish a kill or to get away if there are too many enemy champions with crowd control abilities.

The examples are meant to give you a base on how to choose your summoner spells wisely so you can develop on them. Always check what the enemy picked and form a strategy in your head. 

Another very good practice that I’m encouraging is: always have the same 2 summoner spells because you will learn to create many strategies around them. 

Strategic Use of Summoner Spells

Summoner spells are a crucial aspect of League of Legends gameplay, providing unique abilities that can significantly influence the course of a game. Understanding the strategic importance of summoner spells is vital in optimizing your champion’s effectiveness and adapting to different in-game scenarios.

  • Spell Utility: Spell Utility encompasses the different uses and benefits of each summoner spell. These can range from offensive advantages, such as Ignite’s true damage, to defensive benefits, like Heal’s HP restoration and speed boost. Furthermore, summoner spells can serve utilitarian purposes – for instance, Teleport can enable split pushing or quick returns to lane, while Smite is essential for junglers contesting for neutral objectives.

  • Cooldown Management: Cooldown Management is the practice of using your spells optimally, based on their cooldown durations. High impact spells like Flash have longer cooldowns and must be used wisely, lest you find yourself vulnerable to enemy aggression. Balancing aggressive plays with defensive needs is crucial in utilizing your spells effectively.

  • Spell Timing: Spell Timing refers to when you choose to activate your summoner spells during a game. Using a spell too early or too late can lead to missed opportunities or even your champion’s demise. Timing your summoner spells in sync with your team’s actions can turn the tide of team fights and objectives.

  • Spell Synergy: Spell Synergy considers how well your chosen spells complement your champion’s abilities, as well as your team’s overall strategy. For example, the Cleanse spell can greatly augment champions who already possess evasive abilities, like Fizz, by providing an extra layer of protection against crowd control.

The understanding of these strategic elements of summoner spells can turn a close game in your favor or provide the edge your team needs to seize control of a match.

Remember to create always a plan when picking your summoner spells. 

The Art of Roaming: A Key Skill for Mid Lane Mastery

As a core strategy within the realm of advanced gameplay, roaming provides an unparalleled avenue for mid laners to dictate the pace and outcome of the game.

This comprehensive section demystifies the intricacies of roaming, outlining its tactical nuances, inherent risks, and the rewarding potential it possesses.

By thoroughly understanding and adeptly employing the principles expounded within this guide, an astute mid laner can manifest the profound impact of roaming—directing the flow of gameplay, shaping team dynamics, and securing the upper hand in the unfolding match.

The Strategic Imperative of Roaming in Game Dynamics

Roaming, in essence, extends beyond a mere change in position; it is a strategic maneuver with significant implications for the unfolding of the game. By leveraging roaming opportunities, mid laners can exercise greater control over the map, pressure lanes, and dominate game objectives. These elements combined confer a remarkable advantage for a well-orchestrated team.

  • Map Control: Roaming serves as a strategic lever to attain superior map control. By venturing beyond your designated lane and infiltrating other regions of the map, you effectively augment your team’s field of vision and control over critical zones. This control facilitates early warnings of enemy movements, swift response to imminent threats, and can be pivotal in securing key objectives.

  • Gank Opportunities: Roaming unveils lucrative gank opportunities. Situated in the mid lane, you are strategically positioned to support both the top and bottom lanes, facilitating unexpected attacks on unsuspecting adversaries. The element of surprise coupled with supplemental damage can result in successful kills and assists, thus tilting the balance in your team’s favor.

  • Lane Pressure: Roaming empowers you to exert lane pressure on your opponents. Your sudden appearance in their lanes compels them into a defensive mode, alleviating pressure off your allies. This assertive stance can lead to damage on enemy turrets, force adversaries to recall, or even secure a successful kill.

  • Objective Control: Roaming is a potent tool for objective control. Your mobility across the map bolsters your team’s efforts in securing key objectives such as the Dragon, Baron Nashor, or Rift Herald. By securing these, you not only gain benefits for your entire team but also deny these potential advantages to the enemy team.

Because you are playing on the center of the map you can leave your position and reach for any skirmish battle a lot faster than anyone on your team. The act of leaving your position is called roaming. And roaming is done with great impact during laning phase or the first 14 minutes of the match. Roaming is an aggressive playstyle. 

Roaming is a crucial skill to master for the mid laner because if done properly it can set the game in your team favors with just one roam. You must know when to roam, where to roam, how to roam.

Needless to say is that every roam must have a purpose. A win. You must be conscious about the fact that if you are going to roam you are going to trade something. 

Understanding the Benefits and Drawbacks of Roaming

As a mid laner you must accept the heavy responsibility of taking the right decisions for your team. You must constantly seek to improve your roaming decisions. This is one of the key elements that make a difference between a good mid laner and an excellent one.

The Drawbacks of Roaming

So let’s lay out some knowledge now. To make it clear from the start, you are always going to sacrifice something when you decide to roam. The list below will teach you the potential drawbacks:

  1. Your towers Health Points
  2. Damage to the enemy tower
  3. Gaining gold from damaging the enemy tower
  4. Resetting for purchasing items and spending your gold
  5. Placing a deep ward
  6. Losing gold by missing out on enemy minions 
  7. Losing XP
  8. Gaining advantage versus your enemy mid laner with a good engage
  9. Risking getting killed when leaving your lane
  10. You are risking shutdowns on you 
  11. You can put the other lanes in danger if you are roaming

As you can see there are a lot of risks involved when roaming. You must act cautious and, your roaming must be successful and worth it!

 

The Benefits of Roaming

So we want to roam because the rewards are high. Some of them can win the game, which is always our goal when we decide to leave our lane. Let’s see what are the benefits:

  1. You and your allies are getting ahead in level and gold
  2. Your team can place more wards deep into the enemy jungle
  3. You and your team can kill an enemy dragon or herald

How to Think Before Taking the Decision of Roaming

To get things our way with roaming you need to stop and do a very quick calculation in your head if it’s worth leaving your lane or not. The list below will teach you about the things you must take into consideration for a successful roam.

1. HP/Mana of Both Allies and Enemies on the Side You Are Going to Roam

Before roaming check the HP and MANA of both allies and enemies and see if you can make a favorable play for your team. This should become habit.

2. Summoner Spells Ready or Not

Summoner spells play a really important role when roaming. They can make a roam successful or unsuccessful. For example, if you have no summoner spells ready when roaming and the enemy has them you might lose the fight.

Always keep tracking of your enemies summoner spells because it will come very useful when you are going to roam.

3. The State of the Map Where You Want to Roam

Before roaming you need to understand what’s currently going on with your allies, vision, enemies, and pushing state in the particular area where you are planning to go.

 

For example, if your allies are already an advantage you will come right on time to score the kill/s. This works if your allies are on a tie with the enemies also. On the other hand, if your allies are losing and are at a disadvantage you shouldn’t consider roaming toward them because the risk is too high to put your team in a very bad spot.

 

Another good and common example to talk about is visibility. Can the enemy team see you coming? Do you have visibility ? Do you have visibility granted from a control ward that also denies normal wards visibility?

If the enemy team can’t see you coming and you know you don’t walk into a trap because the area is visible you should go ahead with your roaming plan.

As a note here, if the enemies retreat when you are moving towards them then That’s an indicator they’ve spotted you with their deep wards and you should head back as soon as possible to your position.

4. Enemy Teleport

You need to pay attention to the enemy’s teleport cooldown in the laning phase. You don’t want to initiate a surprise attack and get surprised instead.

5. The Amount of Burst Damage and Moving Speed Your Champion Has

When roaming you must also assess your champion’s moving speed and their burst damage power. The faster you move and inflict damage the better.

6. Are You Playing On Your Power Spike or Not

Power spikes are one of the hidden weapons of players that master their champions. A power spike will significantly help you achieve a kill or assist when roaming.

7. Enemy Jungler Location

Jungler’s role is to stay hidden as much as possible and surprise attack. You must constantly play your roaming with this in mind. Can he take you by surprise when roaming? Always try to locate the enemy jungler on the map.

Remember: roaming means responsibility; act disciplined, think about the drawbacks and benefits before jumping into a roam, and think about how fast your champion in movement and burst. 

Warding in Mid Lane: A Guide to Better Map Control

Another skill that you must master over time is knowing how to ward when to ward, and where to ward. Maintaining proper map visibility will result in a win rather than a loss. You want to constantly improve your warding abilities. That being said, let’s dive into it.

Laning Phase Warding

Before starting I want to educate you on an important matter when warding because it’s crucial for laning phase. 

When warding in bushes always try to ward on the edge towards the unknown. To make it crystal clear you have under 2 images that describe perfectly what I’m teaching.

How to Ward Better on Mid Lane in League of Legends part 1
How to Ward Better on Mid Lane in League of Legends part 2

Warding in the First 14 Minutes (Laning Phase)

To keep things simple we’ll make a list of warding must do’s that must be applied in all your games:

  1. Don’t use both wards simultaneously. Place one and play around that ward.
  2. Never sit on two trinkets at the same time.
  3. Don’t place wards without thinking. Don’t waste a single ward, especially in the laning phase.
  4. Take the necessary time to place the wards in better spots. This helps you and your team because you have lot higher chances to spot the enemy jungler. The image below gives you a very good example of a better warding location. With time you learn about all these because the “better locations” are defined by what’s currently happening in the match.
Blue Mid Lane Warding During Laning Phase in League of Legends
  1. Always place a control ward on the map. Again, you are helping yourself and your team.
  2. Place the control wards towards the side that is winning.
  3. Be ready to ward against a level 2 jungler gank when you start farming under minute 2. Keep your eyes open if you are playing against like Rek’Sai, Lee Sin, Nunu, Shaco, Camille, Jarvan, or Elise. They are deadly level 2 gankers and you should consider placing wards like this:
Warding Locations Against Level 2 Gankers as Mid Lane in League of Legends Videogame
  1. For a solid defense consider warding around minute 2:30 like this:
Warding Locations Against Level 2 Gankers as Mid Lane in League of Legends Videogame
  1. When you are behind place your control wards defensively. It will help you defend yourself from ganks and you will be able to fight for them.
  2. To avoid sitting on 2 wards when you are playing a champion that is not strong early game, use your ward at level 1 somewhere deep in the enemy jungle.
  3. If you are winning your lane it’s always a good ideea to move your line of vision deeper into the enemy jungle like this:
Mid Deep Warding Example When Winning During Laning Phase in League of Legends
  1. And like this if you are losing:
Mid Warding Example When Losing During Laning Phase in League of Legends
  1. To stop the enemy mid laner that constantly pushes you in your tower to gank your team, place a ward in the middle of the lane like this:
Warding Example to Stop the Enemy Mid Laner from Ganking Your Team, Mid Warding in League of Legends
  1. If no one dominates the lane these are the best locations to place wards:
Best Warding Locations When Even with your Mid Opponent During Laning Phase in League of Legends
  1. When playing assassins use control wards on the river to deny enemy visibility and to bait them in your trap for a full discharge of your skills when they are passing by or trying to clean them in these locations:
Control Warding Locations as an Assassin to Setup Traps and Deny Visibility in League of Legends
  1. If you are playing a non mobile champion and/or you and your jungler are behind, place a control ward in this hard to contest area to protect you and your blue buff:
Control Warding Locations as a Non-mobile When Behind During Laning Phase in League of Legends
  1. If you are playing mobile champions like Fizz, Talon, Qiyana, etc and push your enemy mid-laner into his tower, you can recall and when you return to your lane place deep wards into the enemy jungle to locate the foe jungler and go for a kill if he is on low HP. I’ve marked the locations in the image below.
Deep Warding Locations as Mobile Champions During Laning Phase in League of Legends

Middle and Late Phase Warding

In the realm of expert gameplay in League of Legends, achieving victory requires more than mere mastery of individual champions, strategic combat, and wave management. One crucial aspect that distinguishes top players is their adeptness in gaining superior vision control through the art of ward placement. This skill set enables players to possess comprehensive map awareness and secure objectives, significantly impacting the outcomes of the game.

The Importance of Vision Control

Vision control entails maintaining visibility over critical areas on the map, primarily accomplished through the strategic deployment of wards. These items grant vision of the surrounding territory where they are placed, allowing players to monitor the movements of the enemy team, anticipate their strategies, and thwart surprise attacks effectively.

Strategic Ward Placement

Ward placement is a meticulous and context-dependent skill that necessitates strategic thinking. By positioning wards in high-traffic areas, near pivotal objectives, or within enemy territory, players can acquire invaluable information. During the laning phase, for example, such wards enable early detection of incoming ganks from the enemy jungler. In the later stages of the game, well-placed wards surrounding objectives like the Baron Nashor or Dragon serve as vital sources of information on enemy movements and intentions.

Enhancing Map Awareness

Effective ward placement goes hand in hand with comprehensive map awareness. This term refers to the ability to comprehend and interpret the current state of the game based on the information conveyed by the minimap and wards. A keen sense of map awareness empowers players to make informed decisions regarding when to push, when to retreat, and when to contest objectives.

Securing Objectives

Objective security stands as a critical facet of vision control and ward placement. Establishing strong vision around major objectives such as Baron Nashor, Dragon, and the enemy’s jungle buffs confers a significant advantage to the team. This knowledge allows players to set up traps, safely secure objectives, and preempt the enemy team from surreptitiously obtaining these valuable buffs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the significance of vision control and ward placement should never be underestimated, as these elements play a pivotal role in exerting map pressure, securing objectives, and ultimately emerging victorious. It is vital for all players on the team, not solely the support role, to actively contribute to vision control and maintain unwavering map awareness. Regularly employing trinket wards, investing in control wards whenever feasible, and cultivating a commitment to sustained map awareness are imperatives for every player seeking success in League of Legends.

We cannot have organized warding during the middle and late phases because everything happens very fast and also depends on what champion you are playing. 

However, there are things you can do in these phases:

  1. If you are playing a mage you should consider swapping to blue trinket (farsight alteration) in case you are playing against deadly champions like Zed or Talon.
  2. As a mage, you must never get close to a bush with no visibility because you can instantly die to an assassin or enemies that are waiting for you.
  3. Supplement your support with visibility whenever possible.
  4. Ward in such a way to protect you and your team from death.
  5. If you’re playing an assassin, arrange your wards so that you can score kills.

During these phases ward over the walls as frequent as needed. I’m teaching an often warding over the wall used locations here.

Remember that visibility can give you a win instead of a loss and you must be as serious as you can with it. Always have a control ward  on the map and always seek to complement your support with your wards.

Mastering Wave Management in Mid Lane

Minion pathing representation in League of Legends

In the image above, the orange area depicts where minions meet on a new match.

Creep waves are programmed to collide on the map and fight for the first time at:

  • 1:30 on Middle Lane
  • 1:40 on Bottom Lane
  • 1:40 on Top Lane

And in the images below you have a visual representation of minion waves.

The mid lane is the most important lane in the game. It’s where all of your options for winning come from, and it’s also where you can lose the game. If you don’t know how to manage your wave correctly, then there’s a good chance that your entire team will be behind by 15 minutes into a 45-minute game!

The mid lane is unique in its wave management, because of the way it acts as a bridge between both sides of the map. This means that if you’re playing well and doing your job as a mid laner, you’ll be able to help out your team in all three lanes: top, bot, and jungle.

And also, by having good wave management skills and knowing how to use them effectively, you’ll be able to maximize your potential in farming, roaming, and trading.

It’s important to understand that every game is different and that you shouldn’t aim for a perfect farm count.

Important: your main goal when it comes to farming mobs or cs it’s to kill as many as possible for that particular match because every game is unique and you will never have the perfect farm not even for the minute 1:35 sometimes.

And speaking of the perfect farm char table here you have it and it’s just to have something to aim for:

Perfect Farm Chart Table in League of Legends.

To get close to the numbers above for each minute we 4 wave management mechanics:

  1. Pushing the wave
  2. Pulling the wave
  3. Freezing the wave
  4. Slow pushing the wave

1. Pushing the Wave as Middle Laner

To keep it simple, pushing the wave means that you are attacking the enemy minions more than he does yours.

This can be done through a variety of means such as hitting and last-hitting minions, using abilities, or even item actives.

You can say that you’ve successfully pushed the wave if your champion needs to cross the yellow line that is right in the center if your lane to attack the enemy creeps:

Invisible Line Delimiting Wave Pushing in League of Legends Middle Lane

Here is an example of pushing the lane as red team:

Example of Pushing the Lane as Red Team on Middle Lane in League of Legends Videogame

Advantages of using the pushing the wave strategy

  • if you use this method, you can level quicker than your opponent and have more health and skills than him if you chose to fight
  • if your jungler decides to assault the opponent jungler, you can assist him
  • as long as your opponent is farming with his attacks and skills, you may harras him if you pushed him under the tower
  • if your opponent is farming under his tower he might lose valuable early gold income
  • when recalling, pushing the wave toward the opponent tower will reduce your gold loss; because when you return to your lane, the creep wave will be in front of your tower

Disadvantages of using the pushing the wave strategy

  • you are becoming a target for the enemy jungler

TIPS on how to play pushing the wave strategy

  • always be on alert and have your escape skills ready in case of ambush
  • when pushing the wave try to have your escape summoner’s spells like ghost or flash ready
  • put wards in places to help you spot enemies that try to ambush you; this will help you being safer when you are pushing the wave
  • if your opponent wishes to use the same pushing the wave strategy, you must attack the creeps more than he does

Pulling the Wave as Middle Laner

You are pulling the wave when you attack the enemy creeps less than your enemy. To achieve that give only the final blow to the enemy creeps.

With abilities and auto-attacks, force your opponents to over the yellow line in the image below in order to reach your minions, and you’ve pulled the wave:

Invisible Line Delimiting Wave Pulling in League of Legends Middle Lane

Below you have an image showing you what pulling a wave or pulling the lane looks like:

Example of Pulling the Lane as Blue Team on Middle Lane in League of Legends Videogame

Advantages of using the pulling the wave strategy

  • adopting this strategy puts you in a very safe spot and makes it almost impossible for any enemy to gank or ambush you
  • by pulling the wave you may force the opponent to come towards your tower and kill him with a member of your team usually the jungler
  • this tactic is very useful for champions that are immobile or that are not strong early game

Disadvantages of using the pulling the wave strategy

  • the enemy might level faster than you
  • pulling the wave too much may result in losing some gold because it can become harder to last hit the enemy creeps under your tower that also hits them

TIPS on how to play pulling the wave strategy

  • try to cooperate with your jungler when choosing your champions and tell him that you are going to pull the wave; by doing so he may pick his strong early jungler and come to aid you and even if you don’t manage to kill your middle enemy you will put him in a disadvantageous situation with his health
  • pay attention to your jungler as much as possible and if you spot him coming to your lane to kill your middle enemy be ready with your skills and summoner spells to assist him
  • hit your opponent a bit before any of your allies arrives to aid you to kill him
  • it’s often a good practice to play the victim role if any of your allies are around and act as if you miss playing your skills and that you are afraid to engage in a skirmish with your middle enemy; this serves as bait and you will make him fall into a trap and kill him with your nearby ally
  • if you notice that your opponent also wants to pull the wave, you will have to give up gold and not attacking the creeps at all to successfully pull the wave

Freezing the Wave as Middle Lane

Freezing the wave is a manipulation strategy to influence where the fight between red and blue minions happens on the lane.

This mechanic is also known as freezing the lane.

Two methods exist to make this happen. Check them below.

Freezing the Wave - Method 1

Depending on where you want the freeze to happen you can keep alive 1 or more enemy creeps. The more enemy creeps that are kept alive, the closer you will be to your tower. You are playing for the blue team mid in the example below.

Lane Freezing as Middle Lane on Blue Side in League of Legends Method 1

Freezing the Wave - Method 2

Until your creeps arrive, tank the enemy wave creeps with your champion in the place where you want the freeze to happen. You are playing for the blue team’s mid again in the example below.

Lane Freezing as Middle Lane on Blue Side in League of Legends Method 2

Advantages of using the freezing the wave mechanic

  • freezing the lane saves you from losing gold to your tower
  • you can use this mechanic to farm safely near your tower
  • can be used if you are planning to push more than one lane

Disadvantages of using the freezing the wave mechanic

  • you will lose some health when you are tanking the enemy minions
  • it allows the opposing middle lane to leave his lane and assist his team

TIPS on how to play freezing the wave mechanic

  • freeze the wave in front of your tower to achieve a very fast pulling wave
  • you can also freeze the wave in front of the enemy tower to achieve a very fast pushing wave as well
  • while tanking the enemy creeps you can drag them to a comfortable spot

Slow Pushing the Wave as Middle Lane

Slow pushing the wave is a technique for controlling the speed of your push. It’s a strategy that results in you having a lot more creeps than your opponent that advance slowly toward the enemy tower.

 

In the examples below you are playing on the blue side.

 

To achieve a slow “slow push” kill 2 or 3 enemy caster minions:

How to Have a Slow ‘ Slow Push ‘ in League of Legends Videogame

And, to achieve a faster ” slow push ” kill the fighter minions:

How to have a faster ' Slow Push ' in League of Legends Videogame as Middle Lane

Advantages of using the slow pushing the wave strategy

  • it puts the enemy middle laner under pressure
  • you can hit the enemy tower and gain extra gold
  • it can force the enemy jungler to reveal its position
  • slow pushing is useful when sudden fights happen because you’ll have more minions than your opponent
  • by using this strategy you are creating an opportunity to attack the enemy middle laner with your jungler

Disadvantages of using the slow pushing the wave strategy

  • vulnerability to attacks from the enemy jungler

Strategic Wave Management for Optimal Control

Wave management is not a monolithic concept, but rather an ensemble of strategies employed for different situations. The tactics you adopt should align with the current flow of the game, your champion’s strengths, and the composition of both your team and the enemy’s. Wave control, lane pressure, farm efficiency, and lane control are four aspects of wave management that guide your choice of strategies.

Wave Control

Wave control is a critical aspect of the mid lane gameplay, and mastering it can give you a significant edge over your opponent. It’s all about manipulating the minion waves to your advantage, dictating the pace of the game, and putting your opponent in an uncomfortable position. Remember, every decision you make should aim to either secure a lead or extend an existing one.

Lane Pressure

Applying lane pressure is another important factor in wave management. By forcing your opponent to continuously respond to your actions, you limit their options and potentially open up opportunities for your team. Remember, the pressure doesn’t necessarily come from champion combat alone. Effective wave management can be just as, if not more, impactful.

Farm Efficiency

When it comes to farm efficiency, it’s not merely about last-hitting minions. It’s about maximizing the amount of gold you gain while minimizing the amount of resources you expend, whether those are abilities, health, or even time. In conjunction with other wave management strategies, farm efficiency enables you to effectively snowball your advantage.

Lane Control

Lastly, lane control refers to your ability to maintain dominance over your lane. Proper lane control means you have the freedom to roam for objectives or help other lanes without significantly compromising your own. Good wave management plays a crucial role in achieving this by allowing you to safely and efficiently respond to the state of the game

Remember, wave management is key in winning. Your goal is to learn with time which of the 4 wave mechanics to choose for each match. This is influenced by your champion’s type and/or by your team’s champions or playstyle.

Positioning in Mid Lane: A Guide to Safer and More Effective Play​

Positioning is entirely dependent on what type of champion you play. We talked about them at the start of the lesson in the Types of Mid Laner in League of Legends chapter: the AP Carries or Assassins.

And because the middle lane is home to those with lethal, high-impact skills that are coming in the form of a devastating AoE spell or those that can kill an enemy in less than 3 seconds with a combo we need to acknowledge the fact that positioning when engaging in any type of fight is crucial. 

Because positioning is easily understood visually, the video below will teach you exactly that.

A Visual Guide on How to Position as Mid Laner

Remember, positioning enables you to escape, make a kill, make a push properly, allows you to farm safely and helps you win team fights; positioning is also key in winning matches.

Top Tips for Mid Lane Players

  1. Buy always 2 health potions League of Legends Health Potion Icon if you want to be effective on lane.
  2. Use your auto-attack more instead of your skills in the lanning phase for a potential gank from your jungler or a potential attack from the enemy jungler.
  3. Buy the item more expensive first when going to base 1st time or 2nd.
  4. Watch the map constantly to see if you can roam and help your team.
  5. When roaming, defend if possible that lane.
  6. Do a roam again on a enemy that you know you burned summoner spells.
  7. Don’t die trying to ward in the better spots or warding in general, it’s not worth it.
  8. Always help your team with objectives. Cancel your recall to base and go in and help.
  9. Play 1 champion for longer to understand when your champion is weak and when he is strong.
  10. When playing an assassin, act like one. Be always on the hunt. Lose some farm in favor of hunting down enemies.
  11. Don’t lose yourself on farming. Common deadly mistake.
  12. Try to do as few recalls as possible.
  13. Don’t fully finish items when they are not efficient. Invest your gold into something useful.

Remember: take your time in learning how to apply the tips above; with enough of practice you will get there

Owner of understandinglol.com Website

Written By Epicnoob

..grandmaster 6 years in a row.. challenger sometimes if he's feeling cute..

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