There are a number of junglers for whom hitting level 6 is a gigantic turning point. Whether they gain ganking utility, mobility, or sheer strength the acquisition of their ultimates pushes them into a whole new level of power.
Hitting level 6 as a jungler, however, has never been more difficult. It used to be that a wide array of junglers could easily hit level 6 as soon as 6:20 game time. Post-remake a jungler is lucky if they can hit level 6 at 7:30, with times such as 8:30 being much more common. For this reason junglers who are almost wholly reliant on their ultimates for their early game effectiveness, such as Warwick, have become unpopular.
That said, in the new jungle it is possible for a jungler to hit level 6 by 6:30 game time or sooner, faster than even a solo lane. For this to happen two conditions must be met. First, you must successfully gank a solo lane after finishing your first clear. Second, your ally must recall and cede all exp/farm in the lane. Only in these conditions, or those far more favorable, can this be done.
At the end of a clear (Wolves -> Blue -> Wraiths -> Wolves -> Red -> Wraiths -> Golems) a jungler will have obtained a total of ~1320 exp, more than enough for level 4. Successfully ganking a solo lane, who should also be level 4, will yield ~230 exp for both the jungler and their ally. If the ally recalls at this point the jungler will easily have two waves they can clear, netting a total of ~530 exp. At this point if the jungler clears their small camps once more, worth ~440 exp, they'll hit level 6.
This situation can happen unintentionally, such as when your laning ally is too weak following a successful gank to keep laning. However, I suggest the possibility of intentionally ceding the lane to a jungler with a strong level 6, even if the laner might otherwise be able to keep farming.
In this scenario the sacrifice made by the solo lane is outweighed by the team-wide advantage of having a stronger jungler, especially in the case of the isolated top lane. Giving Warwick, Nocturne, Skarner, Hecarim et al their strong ganking ultimates early allows them to apply huge amounts of pressure across the map. The sacrificing lane is already ahead thanks to their kill/assist, and because their laning opponent is dead they won't fall behind on farm in the meantime. It's still a sacrifice, but in this situation I suggest it is a worthy one.
There are other ways to do it, but they are either much rarer situations or require a sacrifice where your lane is actively put at a disadvantage. While you can attempt to use your advantage to remedy that, it's a much greater risk and far more difficult to accomplish intentionally.
In conclusion, I strongly believe there's a place for ceding lanes to junglers just as they often cede their own camps to their lanes. Teams already practice this in more mundane forms through the covering of lanes. Advanced applications, such as the one I've outlined, are simply the next step.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Quote: On Morde
"The Morde is my mid lane; I shall not feed. He maketh me to CS in green pastures: he leadeth me to push the still towers. He stealeth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of QWER for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the isles of the shadow of death, I will fear no jungler: for thou art with me; thy Needlessly Large Rod and thy Void Staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a penta before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my ult with Ignite; my shield runneth over.
Surely Yorick and Hecarim shall follow me all the days of my undeath: and I will dwell in the house of the Morde for ever."
-Psalm 23
Friday, April 27, 2012
Quote: On Ragers and Forums
"He who argues with ragers should look to it that he himself does not become a rager.
And when you post long into the forum the forum also posts into you."
-Friedrich Nietzsche
And when you post long into the forum the forum also posts into you."
-Friedrich Nietzsche
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Jungler: Akali (Part 2 of 2)
The revised jungle Akali video is out, which means it's time to talk about the specifics of her setups.
This is my first video with a leash. I did this specifically because I wanted to show the early gank potential of the setup. It's easy to say, "With a leash your health levels will remain high and you can transition straight into a gank" but many people need to see it to understand. It's still possible to complete the route without one, though it's obviously slower and you'll only be at half health by the end.
The setup shown in the new video was made possible by the buff to Flat AP Glyphs. Prior to this buff it was not possible to reach 19.5 AP with just one AP Quint unless you also put at least 19 points in Offense masteries. While a 21/X/X setup can work for jungle Akali, it's significantly less safe and misses out on the excellent Spell Vamp mastery in the Utility tree. The ability to choose from a wider variety of mastery setups is the most notable gain from before the patch.
I would only use this new setup, however, if I was intent on starting boots. Trading a Spell Vamp Quint for AP does not make sense when you're starting with an Amplifying Tome. The small amount of damage you gain early does not make up for the sustain and late-game usefulness of Spell Vamp.
While the new setup is novel I actually prefer the old setup. The extra sustain allows for a greater variety of item choices as it's easier to grab Sorc Boots or Sheen early instead of Hextech Revolver. You can still start boots as well if you use Ignite at level 1 in conjunction with the Offense mastery for its AD/AP boost, and Ignite will come off cooldown just in time for a level 4 gank. The old setup is simply is equal for the first clear, better thereafter, and more versatile overall.
In conclusion, jungle Akali has reached the point where there is no longer one preferred method. There are now multiple viable setups, and possibly many more I haven't discovered. While this doesn't make her any less of a black sheep, it seems less impossible that she might one day be recognized as a jungler.
This is my first video with a leash. I did this specifically because I wanted to show the early gank potential of the setup. It's easy to say, "With a leash your health levels will remain high and you can transition straight into a gank" but many people need to see it to understand. It's still possible to complete the route without one, though it's obviously slower and you'll only be at half health by the end.
The setup shown in the new video was made possible by the buff to Flat AP Glyphs. Prior to this buff it was not possible to reach 19.5 AP with just one AP Quint unless you also put at least 19 points in Offense masteries. While a 21/X/X setup can work for jungle Akali, it's significantly less safe and misses out on the excellent Spell Vamp mastery in the Utility tree. The ability to choose from a wider variety of mastery setups is the most notable gain from before the patch.
I would only use this new setup, however, if I was intent on starting boots. Trading a Spell Vamp Quint for AP does not make sense when you're starting with an Amplifying Tome. The small amount of damage you gain early does not make up for the sustain and late-game usefulness of Spell Vamp.
While the new setup is novel I actually prefer the old setup. The extra sustain allows for a greater variety of item choices as it's easier to grab Sorc Boots or Sheen early instead of Hextech Revolver. You can still start boots as well if you use Ignite at level 1 in conjunction with the Offense mastery for its AD/AP boost, and Ignite will come off cooldown just in time for a level 4 gank. The old setup is simply is equal for the first clear, better thereafter, and more versatile overall.
In conclusion, jungle Akali has reached the point where there is no longer one preferred method. There are now multiple viable setups, and possibly many more I haven't discovered. While this doesn't make her any less of a black sheep, it seems less impossible that she might one day be recognized as a jungler.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Jungler: Akali (Part 1 of 2)
I've completed a new jungle Akali video, but due to technical difficulties I wasn't able to upload it last night. The video showcases a new rune setup made possible by the changes in the Hecarim patch. I'll save the discussion of said setup until tomorrow. For now I'd like to talk less about the specifics of jungle Akali and more about the jungler herself.
Jungle Akali has been viable for a long, long time, yet is rarely played even by enthusiasts such as myself. Despite becoming stronger with the recent patch changes I doubt this state of affairs will change. For all her strengths and uniqueness, jungle Akali faces a number of problems which have held her back as a competitive pick.
The most crippling of these issues is her rune setup. Jungling as Akali requires a specifically tailored rune page just for her. While this rune page can be used by a handful of other junglers they are equally happy using any number of alternative rune pages. Moreover, the Spell Vamp Quintessences and Flat Ability Power Glyphs are not common runes, meaning jungle Akali requires a hefty investment of at least 16140 IP. For someone like me who has played the game forever and thus has had plenty of time to amass IP and rune pages that isn't a problem, but for the average player these costs are extremely prohibitive.
The second key factor is that of team composition; jungle Akali is hard to fit on a team. As the only AP assassin who can effectively jungle you might think she'd have a niche, but there simply isn't much demand for assassin junglers in general let alone a specialization within that category. The vast majority of junglers are bruiser/tanky types, so picking anything else defies expectations and requires your team adapt.
There are other, less critical factors, such as community awareness/preconceptions or Akali's window of effectiveness. However, these are relatively minor and many junglers have similar shortcomings without being left in obscurity.
In a vacuum jungle Akali is very strong. She clears and sustains well, can donate blue buff like all manaless junglers, has multiple routes, is a slippery duelist, and of all the junglers she even makes the best use of Smite because it acts as a self-heal once you've reached sufficient levels of Spell Vamp. She's also very fun, which is a critical component of any champion. However, we do not jungle in a vacuum, and so Akali isn't used because you can not separate her from her costs and composition troubles.
Someday Akali will be recognized as a good jungler. Until then she'll remain true to her ninja way, hidden in the shadows.
Jungle Akali has been viable for a long, long time, yet is rarely played even by enthusiasts such as myself. Despite becoming stronger with the recent patch changes I doubt this state of affairs will change. For all her strengths and uniqueness, jungle Akali faces a number of problems which have held her back as a competitive pick.
The most crippling of these issues is her rune setup. Jungling as Akali requires a specifically tailored rune page just for her. While this rune page can be used by a handful of other junglers they are equally happy using any number of alternative rune pages. Moreover, the Spell Vamp Quintessences and Flat Ability Power Glyphs are not common runes, meaning jungle Akali requires a hefty investment of at least 16140 IP. For someone like me who has played the game forever and thus has had plenty of time to amass IP and rune pages that isn't a problem, but for the average player these costs are extremely prohibitive.
The second key factor is that of team composition; jungle Akali is hard to fit on a team. As the only AP assassin who can effectively jungle you might think she'd have a niche, but there simply isn't much demand for assassin junglers in general let alone a specialization within that category. The vast majority of junglers are bruiser/tanky types, so picking anything else defies expectations and requires your team adapt.
There are other, less critical factors, such as community awareness/preconceptions or Akali's window of effectiveness. However, these are relatively minor and many junglers have similar shortcomings without being left in obscurity.
In a vacuum jungle Akali is very strong. She clears and sustains well, can donate blue buff like all manaless junglers, has multiple routes, is a slippery duelist, and of all the junglers she even makes the best use of Smite because it acts as a self-heal once you've reached sufficient levels of Spell Vamp. She's also very fun, which is a critical component of any champion. However, we do not jungle in a vacuum, and so Akali isn't used because you can not separate her from her costs and composition troubles.
Someday Akali will be recognized as a good jungler. Until then she'll remain true to her ninja way, hidden in the shadows.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Jungling: Warding
In a duel between junglers, wards are supreme. A jungler's ability to gank, counter-jungle, and control the map are largely dictated by where each team has placed wards. Knowing where to place wards and where the enemy has placed theirs is critical to the role of a jungler.
It's the uncertainty that junglers bring to a game that makes wards so important. Simply by being shrouded in the fog of war a jungler exerts pressure, curbing offensive action by forcing opponents to second guess whether engaging is safe. Any information that allows you to know or estimate the position and intention of the enemy jungler is extremely valuable.
From just one small piece of information you can infer many things. For example, consider a level 2 gank. By ganking so early a jungler reveals not only their position but that they have yet to clear half their jungle. An enterprising opponent will therefore beeline for the undefended jungle, punishing the ganker. The enemies in other lanes can also rachet up their aggression as they know they are safe. Simply by knowing a jungler's location a team gains a significant advantage.
With that in mind, here are some important ward locations:
Location #1: Wraiths
Warding the enemy's wraiths is possibly the single best investment a jungler can make. Because wraiths are the easiest camp the clear, the fastest to respawn, and centrally located a ward placed there is extremely likely to spot the enemy jungler. It also allows you to know if wraiths are available to be stolen, and provides early warning if someone is coming to stop your counter-jungling. You shouldn't ward your own wraiths unless it's too dangerous to ward a more advantageous location.
Location #2: Opposite from Wraiths
Any time you go to ward your own wraiths, think about warding here instead. These locations provide more information by also covering most of the river, protecting mid from jungle ganks, and protecting sidelanes from roaming opponents. The wards still cover the entirety of the ramp leading to wraiths, so it is impossible for an to sneak by them (without stealth).
With both locations 1 and 2 warded the most convenient paths for enemy junglers to counter-jungle are closed off. If you warded these locations first you can also guess when and if the enemy is placing similar wards. Combined with wards from top and bottom lanes it becomes impossible for the enemy jungler to leave their jungle unnoticed.
Location #3: Dragon
This is typically your support's responsibility, but in solo queue you can't guarantee that they'll consistently keep it warded. I've marked a few spots because dragon wards largely depend upon your side, blue or purple, and where your other wards are located. Pink wards, however, should almost always go in the marked spot. There are very few useful dragon ward locations which can't be seen from that spot.
There are many other good warding spots, but as a jungler these three are the most critical. With wards in these locations it becomes much easier to control the enemy jungler and their jungle. It's remarkable how much can be done when you know something as simple as the location of the enemy jungler.
It's the uncertainty that junglers bring to a game that makes wards so important. Simply by being shrouded in the fog of war a jungler exerts pressure, curbing offensive action by forcing opponents to second guess whether engaging is safe. Any information that allows you to know or estimate the position and intention of the enemy jungler is extremely valuable.
From just one small piece of information you can infer many things. For example, consider a level 2 gank. By ganking so early a jungler reveals not only their position but that they have yet to clear half their jungle. An enterprising opponent will therefore beeline for the undefended jungle, punishing the ganker. The enemies in other lanes can also rachet up their aggression as they know they are safe. Simply by knowing a jungler's location a team gains a significant advantage.
With that in mind, here are some important ward locations:
Location #1: Wraiths
Warding the enemy's wraiths is possibly the single best investment a jungler can make. Because wraiths are the easiest camp the clear, the fastest to respawn, and centrally located a ward placed there is extremely likely to spot the enemy jungler. It also allows you to know if wraiths are available to be stolen, and provides early warning if someone is coming to stop your counter-jungling. You shouldn't ward your own wraiths unless it's too dangerous to ward a more advantageous location.
Location #2: Opposite from Wraiths
Any time you go to ward your own wraiths, think about warding here instead. These locations provide more information by also covering most of the river, protecting mid from jungle ganks, and protecting sidelanes from roaming opponents. The wards still cover the entirety of the ramp leading to wraiths, so it is impossible for an to sneak by them (without stealth).
With both locations 1 and 2 warded the most convenient paths for enemy junglers to counter-jungle are closed off. If you warded these locations first you can also guess when and if the enemy is placing similar wards. Combined with wards from top and bottom lanes it becomes impossible for the enemy jungler to leave their jungle unnoticed.
Location #3: Dragon
This is typically your support's responsibility, but in solo queue you can't guarantee that they'll consistently keep it warded. I've marked a few spots because dragon wards largely depend upon your side, blue or purple, and where your other wards are located. Pink wards, however, should almost always go in the marked spot. There are very few useful dragon ward locations which can't be seen from that spot.
There are many other good warding spots, but as a jungler these three are the most critical. With wards in these locations it becomes much easier to control the enemy jungler and their jungle. It's remarkable how much can be done when you know something as simple as the location of the enemy jungler.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Quote: On Teams
"You may carry all your team part of the time, and part of your team all the time, but not all your team all the time."
-Abraham Lincoln
-Abraham Lincoln
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Jungler: Kayle
A few days overdue, but as I've posted a revised jungle Kayle video I should take the time to comment on jungle Kayle
Kayle is an extremely unique jungler. She is not only one of a very small list of junglers who fall back on a support role if they are aggressively counterjungled, but she is also one of the only ranged junglers. While you can jungle a number of AD carries, Kayle stands head and shoulders above them in terms of clear speed, sustain, and simple usefulness on jungle levels of farm. Similarly, she makes better use of jungle farm than most supports who can jungle. She can even become a bruiser with the right build. By being versatile and strong in both adverse and advantageous situations Kayle can fit into many team compositions.
Despite her versatility most teams are used to running tanky junglers designed either for initiation or for diving the enemy carries. Kayle, even when built like a bruiser, does neither of these things. What she can do, however, is make one of your carries impossible to kill, all while doing significant damage herself. Your team needs to keep this in mind during picks and while playing.
Kayle can be a very fun jungler. I recommend trying her out, there's little that beats watching Karthus running around invulnerable in the middle of the enemy team.
Kayle is an extremely unique jungler. She is not only one of a very small list of junglers who fall back on a support role if they are aggressively counterjungled, but she is also one of the only ranged junglers. While you can jungle a number of AD carries, Kayle stands head and shoulders above them in terms of clear speed, sustain, and simple usefulness on jungle levels of farm. Similarly, she makes better use of jungle farm than most supports who can jungle. She can even become a bruiser with the right build. By being versatile and strong in both adverse and advantageous situations Kayle can fit into many team compositions.
Despite her versatility most teams are used to running tanky junglers designed either for initiation or for diving the enemy carries. Kayle, even when built like a bruiser, does neither of these things. What she can do, however, is make one of your carries impossible to kill, all while doing significant damage herself. Your team needs to keep this in mind during picks and while playing.
Kayle can be a very fun jungler. I recommend trying her out, there's little that beats watching Karthus running around invulnerable in the middle of the enemy team.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Jungler: Hecarim
Now that my jungle Hecarim video is finished it's time to discuss him as a jungler, and to illustrate the process I followed while investigating his abilities.
The first thing I noticed about Hecarim is that he's not particularly durable during his first clear. In fact, my initial attempts at jungling on him were all failures; he was unable to clear without dying or recalling. The challenge, then, was to figure out a setup which would allow him to at least finish. It became obvious after a few tests that that it was necessary to take W at level 1 and run at least 12 in Defense masteries.
The next step I took was to examine Hecarim's skillset, which seems well suited to a gank-heavy playstyle. Using that assumption as an anchor made refining skill order, runes, and masteries significantly easier. I chose to max Q first, use APen quints, and take the buff duration mastery in order to strengthen Hecarim's ganks, while incidentally also speeding up his clear.
After a few more runs and tweaks the final remaining issue was Hecarim's item build. Because he uses abilities more than auto-attacks to clear Wriggle's is somewhat awkward. Instead I decided to build Philosopher's Stone, Avarice Blade, and Brutalizer for early items. These items provide everything Hecarim is interested in, sustain, mana regen, CDR, APen, and build into items with movement speed boosts.
Everything up until this point was mostly theory. I hadn't actually played a game as Hecarim, only tested, observed, hypothesized, and tested again. After actually playing him in games with my setup I took away the following impressions.
First and foremost, Hecarim is an extremely strong ganker. His movement speed is such while E is active that there's very little time to react. As long as you don't run into a ward you are guaranteed to force summoner spells. With Q he also does a great deal of damage, which you can dish out even if an enemy is just outside of auto-attack range. His ganks only becomes stronger once he gets his ultimate.
Second, Hecarim can do well without blue. Like Skarner and Olaf he really loves to have blue, but with Philosopher's Stone I found him more than capable of dealing without. In fact, the effect was so good I've reconsidered purchasing those items on his aforementioned peers.
Finally, Hecarim is simply fun. He looks cool, sounds cool, and there are few things as fun as zooming into a lane at Mach 5 before leaping halfway across the screen, blades whirling, to crush a fleeing enemy.
Whether or not he's truly viable or a top tier jungler is difficult to say so soon after release, but at the very least I felt well rewarded for my efforts when I went 8/1/8 in my first ever game as him. That sort of success doesn't always happen with a new jungler, but when it does it's a great feeling.
The first thing I noticed about Hecarim is that he's not particularly durable during his first clear. In fact, my initial attempts at jungling on him were all failures; he was unable to clear without dying or recalling. The challenge, then, was to figure out a setup which would allow him to at least finish. It became obvious after a few tests that that it was necessary to take W at level 1 and run at least 12 in Defense masteries.
The next step I took was to examine Hecarim's skillset, which seems well suited to a gank-heavy playstyle. Using that assumption as an anchor made refining skill order, runes, and masteries significantly easier. I chose to max Q first, use APen quints, and take the buff duration mastery in order to strengthen Hecarim's ganks, while incidentally also speeding up his clear.
After a few more runs and tweaks the final remaining issue was Hecarim's item build. Because he uses abilities more than auto-attacks to clear Wriggle's is somewhat awkward. Instead I decided to build Philosopher's Stone, Avarice Blade, and Brutalizer for early items. These items provide everything Hecarim is interested in, sustain, mana regen, CDR, APen, and build into items with movement speed boosts.
Everything up until this point was mostly theory. I hadn't actually played a game as Hecarim, only tested, observed, hypothesized, and tested again. After actually playing him in games with my setup I took away the following impressions.
First and foremost, Hecarim is an extremely strong ganker. His movement speed is such while E is active that there's very little time to react. As long as you don't run into a ward you are guaranteed to force summoner spells. With Q he also does a great deal of damage, which you can dish out even if an enemy is just outside of auto-attack range. His ganks only becomes stronger once he gets his ultimate.
Second, Hecarim can do well without blue. Like Skarner and Olaf he really loves to have blue, but with Philosopher's Stone I found him more than capable of dealing without. In fact, the effect was so good I've reconsidered purchasing those items on his aforementioned peers.
Finally, Hecarim is simply fun. He looks cool, sounds cool, and there are few things as fun as zooming into a lane at Mach 5 before leaping halfway across the screen, blades whirling, to crush a fleeing enemy.
Whether or not he's truly viable or a top tier jungler is difficult to say so soon after release, but at the very least I felt well rewarded for my efforts when I went 8/1/8 in my first ever game as him. That sort of success doesn't always happen with a new jungler, but when it does it's a great feeling.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Thought: New Junglers
Whenever new champions are released, or old ones revamped, the perennial question is, "Are they a good jungler?" It's not an easy question to answer for any number of qualities makes a jungler good. As I'll be releasing a few new jungle videos over the next few days I thought this would be an excellent time to discuss how I evaluate junglers.
The primary test for any jungler is their ability to clear the jungle safely and securely. A jungler's mobility, ganks, and utility hardly matter if they can't take on the jungle itself. While you can always run Cloth Armor and 5 Potions and be essentially guaranteed a safe clear, I prefer to test using boots and sustain items. If a jungler can clear with out the "crutch" of Cloth Armor, they have a high chance of being strong and effective.
Once a jungler's basic competency is verified, the more time-consuming task of developing a build begins. It can take many, many runs to zero in on an optimal build due to number of independent variables. Runes, masteries, skill order, route, and execution all play a significant part, and minor changes to any of them can give significant returns. The effort doesn't always pay off, but it's gratifying to find a setup that takes an otherwise "okay" jungler and makes them strong.
Only after finding an "optimal" build do I begin testing the jungler in games, assuming they seemed viable. Keeping everything in context during this phase is important, as it's easy to draw bad conclusions from games where you were outright amazing or horrible. It's also easy to overestimate a jungler by forgetting the intrinsic benefit of being new and unfamiliar. This stage is the most fun, especially if the jungler turns out to be strong.
Those are the basics of evaluating a jungler. I'll go into more depth tomorrow as I discuss my setup and build choices for Hecarim.
The primary test for any jungler is their ability to clear the jungle safely and securely. A jungler's mobility, ganks, and utility hardly matter if they can't take on the jungle itself. While you can always run Cloth Armor and 5 Potions and be essentially guaranteed a safe clear, I prefer to test using boots and sustain items. If a jungler can clear with out the "crutch" of Cloth Armor, they have a high chance of being strong and effective.
Once a jungler's basic competency is verified, the more time-consuming task of developing a build begins. It can take many, many runs to zero in on an optimal build due to number of independent variables. Runes, masteries, skill order, route, and execution all play a significant part, and minor changes to any of them can give significant returns. The effort doesn't always pay off, but it's gratifying to find a setup that takes an otherwise "okay" jungler and makes them strong.
Only after finding an "optimal" build do I begin testing the jungler in games, assuming they seemed viable. Keeping everything in context during this phase is important, as it's easy to draw bad conclusions from games where you were outright amazing or horrible. It's also easy to overestimate a jungler by forgetting the intrinsic benefit of being new and unfamiliar. This stage is the most fun, especially if the jungler turns out to be strong.
Those are the basics of evaluating a jungler. I'll go into more depth tomorrow as I discuss my setup and build choices for Hecarim.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Quote: On the Meta
"Every generation laughs at the old meta, but follows religiously the new."
-Henry David Thoreau
-Henry David Thoreau
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Challenge: Garen
At some point you might have seen this amazing Garen video. Through a little luck, a modicum of skill, and a lot of bravery he goes legendary with only a Doran's Blade. It's highly amusing, but it also can teach us a few things about League of Legends.
Thinking about how and why things work the way they do is how great players stay on top of meta changes and adapt to new strategies and champions. Whenever you see something amazing like that Garen video, pause (sometime after you've stopped laughing) and analyze why it worked. Your analysis may not be spot on, but as always practice leads to improvement.
If you think you understand what it is about Garen that enabled him to perform so phenomenally with just a Doran's Blade, try it out for yourself in a Coop Vs AI match. You don't have to end with just a Doran's Blade if you don't want to, but see how far you can go without giving in and arming yourself to the teeth. Test your theory, and then examine it again when you have some experience.
I did this myself last night, and had an absolute blast. My setup is spoilered below, but I encourage you to try it yourself before opening the spoiler. You can always compare and analyze what I did later, after you've already exercised your brain coming up with and trying out your own solution.
Thinking about how and why things work the way they do is how great players stay on top of meta changes and adapt to new strategies and champions. Whenever you see something amazing like that Garen video, pause (sometime after you've stopped laughing) and analyze why it worked. Your analysis may not be spot on, but as always practice leads to improvement.
If you think you understand what it is about Garen that enabled him to perform so phenomenally with just a Doran's Blade, try it out for yourself in a Coop Vs AI match. You don't have to end with just a Doran's Blade if you don't want to, but see how far you can go without giving in and arming yourself to the teeth. Test your theory, and then examine it again when you have some experience.
I did this myself last night, and had an absolute blast. My setup is spoilered below, but I encourage you to try it yourself before opening the spoiler. You can always compare and analyze what I did later, after you've already exercised your brain coming up with and trying out your own solution.
Setup :
Monday, April 16, 2012
Thought: Life Without Leashing
Leashing has not always been a part of League of Legends. Long ago jungle creeps would not change targets after reaching their leash range, but would simply reset. In addition, the range for shared exp from jungle creep kills was once three times what it is now. It is only because these mechanics changed that leashing became possible.
Today it is easy to take leashing for granted, and many players now find it pointless to practice jungling without a leash. As receiving a leash is almost certain, practicing without one can seem counterproductive. Don't fall into this mental trap, it will cause you to lose games.
For the same reason that one should practice blue-dependent junglers without blue buff, one should practice junglers without leashing. If you aren't prepared to jungle in adversity you aren't truly prepared to jungle. It may not happen frequently, but there will be games where you will not get a leash. Competitive players need to be ready not only for normal and ideal scenarios, but also for the worst-case.
Though it may seem odd, past a certain point leashes actually become less likely as your Elo increases. This is because level 1 team fights and invasions become much more common. It is often awkward for anyone to leash for you following an invasion, as doing so will cost them farm and put them at a disadvantage. Being prepared to jungle effectively without a leash and at varying health levels is the mark of a veteran jungler.
Practicing with a leash is not a bad idea, but shunning leashless practice is a mistake. There's a lot to learn from adversity that can't easily be found elsewhere.
Today it is easy to take leashing for granted, and many players now find it pointless to practice jungling without a leash. As receiving a leash is almost certain, practicing without one can seem counterproductive. Don't fall into this mental trap, it will cause you to lose games.
For the same reason that one should practice blue-dependent junglers without blue buff, one should practice junglers without leashing. If you aren't prepared to jungle in adversity you aren't truly prepared to jungle. It may not happen frequently, but there will be games where you will not get a leash. Competitive players need to be ready not only for normal and ideal scenarios, but also for the worst-case.
Though it may seem odd, past a certain point leashes actually become less likely as your Elo increases. This is because level 1 team fights and invasions become much more common. It is often awkward for anyone to leash for you following an invasion, as doing so will cost them farm and put them at a disadvantage. Being prepared to jungle effectively without a leash and at varying health levels is the mark of a veteran jungler.
Practicing with a leash is not a bad idea, but shunning leashless practice is a mistake. There's a lot to learn from adversity that can't easily be found elsewhere.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Quote: On Elo
"Elo does nothing; it does not possess champion rosters, it does not win lanes. It is players, real, living, who do all this."
-Karl Marx
-Karl Marx
Friday, April 13, 2012
Guide: Advanced Leashing
Late last night I uploaded a guide to advanced leashing, and I thought I'd add a few additional comments here.
Advanced leashing is not something particularly new. You can find videos of it, including one by Dyrus, that are three or four months old. Despite this you will vary rarely see anyone employ this technique in an actual game.
Normally we might chalk this up to the natural propagation time of ideas, but in this case I think that's too simple. Advanced leashing is rare because it requires effort to learn, and has a potential personal cost. The risk of losing CS and exp, even though it is low, makes the time and effort needed to learn the skill unpalatable, particularly in solo queue where you may not know and trust your jungler.
It's a shame as so many junglers benefit immensely from an advanced leash. Blue buff contributes a huge chunk of the damage a jungler takes on their first clear, as much as three or four hundred damage. For junglers with little or no innate sustain such as Jarvan, Shyvana, or Mundo removing that damage entirely is incredible.
While you may not need to employ it for every jungler, advanced leashing is an extremely potent skill and well worth learning. The huge benefits you give to your jungler far outweigh the single creep you might, on occasion, miss.
Advanced leashing is not something particularly new. You can find videos of it, including one by Dyrus, that are three or four months old. Despite this you will vary rarely see anyone employ this technique in an actual game.
Normally we might chalk this up to the natural propagation time of ideas, but in this case I think that's too simple. Advanced leashing is rare because it requires effort to learn, and has a potential personal cost. The risk of losing CS and exp, even though it is low, makes the time and effort needed to learn the skill unpalatable, particularly in solo queue where you may not know and trust your jungler.
It's a shame as so many junglers benefit immensely from an advanced leash. Blue buff contributes a huge chunk of the damage a jungler takes on their first clear, as much as three or four hundred damage. For junglers with little or no innate sustain such as Jarvan, Shyvana, or Mundo removing that damage entirely is incredible.
While you may not need to employ it for every jungler, advanced leashing is an extremely potent skill and well worth learning. The huge benefits you give to your jungler far outweigh the single creep you might, on occasion, miss.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Practice: Last-Hitting
Last-hitting is the most basic and important skill a player can have in League of Legends. Thankfully it's also one of the easiest to practice. Here's one exercise you can use.
SETUP:
Last-hitting without an opponent to harass you may seem pointless, but it is actually very important. If you can't last-hit without an opponent, how are you ever going to last-hit with one? By practicing mechanics in a controlled environment you commit them to instinct and muscle memory. What you practice will manifest itself when you play in a real game.
Practice just a little bit every day, it only takes a few minutes. If you stick with it you'll soon notice the difference it makes.
SETUP:
- Create a custom game without bots.
- Pick a champion to practice.
- Grab your starting item and take the mid lane.
- Last hit for 9 creep waves (the final wave will be a cannon minion wave arriving around 6 minutes).
- Compare your score to the maximum possible (57).
Last-hitting without an opponent to harass you may seem pointless, but it is actually very important. If you can't last-hit without an opponent, how are you ever going to last-hit with one? By practicing mechanics in a controlled environment you commit them to instinct and muscle memory. What you practice will manifest itself when you play in a real game.
Practice just a little bit every day, it only takes a few minutes. If you stick with it you'll soon notice the difference it makes.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Thought: Never Give Up, Never Surrender
League can be a very frustrating game, and I do not begrudge anyone for wishing to end their suffering quickly. However, if your goal is to improve surrendering is a great way to stunt your progress. Surrendering is a mistake not because you might still win (though this is often true), but because you cut yourself off from vital experience.
The only way to gain late game experience in League is to first play through the early game. No matter how much you play you will always have more early game experience, and even without surrendering many games won't reach the late game. This makes late game experience a premium commodity, each minute being more valuable than the last.
I've met a lot of otherwise good players who, for various reasons, habitually surrender when a game takes a turn for the worse. The difference between their late game play and that of their peers is striking. They may win their lanes frequently, but they lack the knowledge to close out a victory if the game doesn't end quickly.
By playing games out you learn much that the early game can only foreshadow. You learn the radically different priorities of the late game, how to punish teams that fail to group up, and how easy it is to take Baron when the enemy sends a couple vital members bottom to farm. You learn the importance of map control, the implications of revealing your position, and the dangers of the fog of war to a degree the early game simply can't match. You learn far more about team fighting, roles, and how team compositions work together than any skirmish over dragon can teach. The late game is practically a different game entirely, its knowledge specialized and largely separate from that of the early game.
For these reasons you shouldn't surrender if your goal is to become a better player, save in the most dire of circumstances (e.g. 3v5 with two AFKers in the fountain, whee). You may not win the game, but the experience you gain will be far more valuable than another win in your match history.
The only way to gain late game experience in League is to first play through the early game. No matter how much you play you will always have more early game experience, and even without surrendering many games won't reach the late game. This makes late game experience a premium commodity, each minute being more valuable than the last.
I've met a lot of otherwise good players who, for various reasons, habitually surrender when a game takes a turn for the worse. The difference between their late game play and that of their peers is striking. They may win their lanes frequently, but they lack the knowledge to close out a victory if the game doesn't end quickly.
By playing games out you learn much that the early game can only foreshadow. You learn the radically different priorities of the late game, how to punish teams that fail to group up, and how easy it is to take Baron when the enemy sends a couple vital members bottom to farm. You learn the importance of map control, the implications of revealing your position, and the dangers of the fog of war to a degree the early game simply can't match. You learn far more about team fighting, roles, and how team compositions work together than any skirmish over dragon can teach. The late game is practically a different game entirely, its knowledge specialized and largely separate from that of the early game.
For these reasons you shouldn't surrender if your goal is to become a better player, save in the most dire of circumstances (e.g. 3v5 with two AFKers in the fountain, whee). You may not win the game, but the experience you gain will be far more valuable than another win in your match history.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Quote: On Carrying
"Grant me the serenity to accept the games I cannot carry,
Courage to carry the games I can,
And wisdom to know the difference."
-Reinhold Niebuhr
Courage to carry the games I can,
And wisdom to know the difference."
-Reinhold Niebuhr
Inauguration
I am Montegomery, LoL player and dedicated eccentric. This is my blog. Expect the following:
- Thoroughly abused historic quotes.
- Extended thoughts on my jungle videos and other topics.
- The odd bit of theorycraft.
- Documentation of my attempts to improve my Elo, my play, and my understanding of the game.
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