League Of Legends holds a special place in my heart. I began playing LoL when I was 14, way back in Season 1. The game was very different back then, and so was I. My friends and I played together for hours on end. It was where we would come together and bond over our shared love of the game. I am 28 now and have changed nearly as much as LoL has. But my love for the game has never changed.
LoL is one of the most popular PC games ever made. It averages 8 million active players a day. And it was responsible for bringing eSports into the public eye in a way no other game ever did. Riot Games, the creators of LoL, have created a number of spin-off games and even an extremely successful Netflix show.
LoL is a very competitive game. It can be quite daunting for new players to break into. So we have put together this beginners guide to help you break through all the jargon and better understand the mechanics. With our help you will soon be dominating the Rift.
Champions
League of Legends is a MOBA, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. It pits two teams of players against one another in a fight to destroy the opposing team’s Nexus. And to do this you will step into the shoes of a powerful Champion! The Champions of LoL are powerful beings of legend. Wizards, fighters, monsters, fluffy animals. LoL has a diverse cast of characters for you to choose from. Each with their own unique playstyle and abilities.
There are a few metrics by which you can find the champion that is right for you. You could simply go for whichever one you think looks coolest. Or you could sort them by Role. In LoL there are five main roles players can take up. ADC, Support, Mid, Top, and Jungle.
Roles
ADC stands for Attack Damage Carry. This is the player that will output the most damage with their basic attacks. They are essential for killing opponents and pushing lanes.
Support, as the name suggests, will provide assistance to the team. Usually the ADC and Support will spend most of the game together.
Mid is the player who will be in the middle lane of the map. Often a powerful spellcaster who can change the tide of battle with their abilities.
Top is the player who will play in the top lane. This will often be a tankier character. One that can soak up a lot of damage and keep the enemy from pushing through.
Jungle is a roaming player. They move through the middle of the map, killing minions to grain strength and then ambushing enemy players when they least expect it.
Each of these roles can be carried out by a variety of different champions. So you have a lot of variety to play around with. We recommend giving each role a try and finding the one that best suits your playstyle.
Minions
Minions are small NPCs that spawn periodically in waves. Each lane on the battlefield will have minions traversing it. Each team’s minions will eventually meet in their lane and fight to the death. The winning side will continue on, putting pressure on the lane’s towers.
The main use for minions though is experience and gold. Killing a minion will provide you with some gold and xp. Gold is used to buy items that boost your stats or provide you with new abilities. Xp is used to level up, unlocking new abilities or upgrading your unlocked ones.
Minions are integral to your success within a match. Even pro level coaching for League of Legends will put a huge focus on how important minions are. You need to strike a delicate balance between killing enemy minions, but not letting your own minions overextend too early.
Items
Every champion in LoL has their own abilities and base set of stats. As you level up those stats and abilities will improve. But items are the key to victory. LoL has hundreds of items you can buy in a match.
Some items are designed to be good for any champion, such as boots or health boosting items. Others are designed to work for specific champion types. For example, attack speed items won’t be useful for a mage. While AP boosting items won’t be that useful for a tank.
Items don’t carry over between matches. As you learn more about your favorite champion and role you will create what is called a Build. This is a set of items you work towards during each match. A build, ideally, will optimize your champion and make them as powerful as they can possibly be.
