Thought: The Brush Crutch

As I've been duo queuing around the 1300 Elo range with Miscue a lot recently, I've noticed an addiction nearly all aggressive support players suffer from at that level. Because Miscue is a champion wardmeister, every Blitzcrank, Leona, or Thresh we come across finds themselves largely useless. These players are utterly reliant on the uncertainty of the brush to use their champions, and once that is taken away from them there's very little they can do but pray for horrible misplays (which, unfortunately, do happen).

It's easy to see how these players reach this point. Inexperienced or particularly stingy opponents avoid warding as much as possible, and when they do it's to spot incoming ganks. The idea of dropping 75g to ward the inconsequential lane brush is unthinkable. Because so few players ward brush at low levels of play, even with a Sightstone, it's easy for aggressive support players to rely heavily on the brush to exert pressure.

Unfortunately, it all falls apart as you move upward in ranking. By simply positioning well and/or using wards, good duos will nullify the efforts of any support relying too heavily on brush. It quickly becomes impossible to exert pressure without moving into the open. There the brush-reliant players flounder, having largely failed to learn the skills necessary to exert pressure outside the tall grass.

This goes back to the concept of zones of control. Brush allows you to extend your zone of control because your opponents can't quite be sure where you are and what angles you might attack from. It also allows you to enter into an opponent's zone of control without much risk of incurring damage. When these advantages are nullified, the players who rely on them are forced into an uncomfortable position. Unused to being subject to the full extent of their opponents' zones of control, and to the reduced effectiveness of their own, these players either become too cautious or too heedless of danger.

All aggressive supports are perfectly functional outside of the brush. Learning to play them there is critical to being effective in the higher echelons of ranked play. It takes time, attention, and patience, but learning how to pressure opponents without relying on brush will make you a better support, even when the brush is available.