League of Legends, Riot Games’ popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, boasts a diverse roster of champions, each with unique abilities and roles. One of the essential roles in League of Legends is the support role, which plays a crucial part in helping the team secure victory. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into How to play support in League of Legends, exploring the key principles, strategies, and tips to help you become a formidable support player in League of Legends.
Understanding the Support Role
Before diving into the intricacies of support play, it’s essential to grasp the fundamental role and responsibilities of a support champion. In League of Legends, the support role is primarily focused on providing utility, protection, and crowd control for their team. Here are some core responsibilities of a support player:
1. Protecting the ADC (Attack Damage Carry):
The ADC is a fragile but high-damage champion who relies on their support for protection and lane control. As a support, your primary objective during the laning phase is to ensure the safety and success of your ADC. This involves warding the map to prevent ganks, zoning out the enemy, and engaging in favorable trades.
2. Vision Control:
Warding is an integral part of the support’s role. Placing wards in strategic locations not only helps prevent enemy ganks but also provides valuable information about the enemy team’s movements. Invest in control wards and a sweeper to deny the enemy vision and secure objectives.
3. Crowd Control and Initiations:
Many support champions excel at crowd control (CC) abilities, such as stuns, slows, and knock-ups. These abilities are crucial for engaging fights, peeling for your carries, and disrupting the enemy team’s plans. Learning when and how to use your CC spells is essential for success.
4. Roaming:
Supports should also have the ability to roam and influence other lanes. If your ADC is safe in the bot lane, consider helping your mid laner or assisting the jungler in invading the enemy jungle. Roaming effectively can lead to advantages across the map.
Champion Selection
Choosing the right champion is the first step in excelling as a support player. Support champions come in various styles and flavors, each offering unique abilities and playstyles. Here are some common categories of support champions:
1. Enchanter Supports:
Enchanter supports focus on healing, shielding, and buffing their allies. Champions like Janna, Lulu, and Soraka excel in this category. They provide sustainability and utility to their team and are often paired with ADCs who benefit from their protective abilities.
2. Tank Supports:
Tank supports are known for their durability and crowd control. Champions like Leona, Alistar, and Thresh are popular choices in this category. They engage fights, soak up damage, and provide lockdown for the enemy team.
3. Mage Supports:
Mage supports bring damage and crowd control to the bot lane. Zyra, Brand, and Morgana are examples of mage supports. They can deal significant damage while still offering crowd control and utility.
4. Utility Supports:
Utility supports, such as Bard and Rakan, offer a mix of crowd control, mobility, and utility. They can be versatile additions to a team composition, adapting to different situations.
Your choice of support champion should align with your playstyle and the needs of your team composition. It’s essential to have a diverse pool of champions to adapt to different matchups and situations.
Laning Phase Strategies
The laning phase is where support players have the most significant impact. Here are some strategies and tips to excel during this phase:
1. Warding:
Warding is not just the responsibility of the support but also a critical part of your role. Place wards in river entrances, tribushes, and the dragon and Baron Nashor pits. This provides valuable information and prevents ganks.
2. Trading and Zoning:
During the laning phase, focus on poking the enemy and creating opportunities for your ADC to farm safely. Use your abilities to harass the enemy duo and zone them away from the minion wave. However, be mindful of your positioning to avoid getting caught by the enemy.
3. Map Awareness:
Constantly monitor the minimap for enemy movement. Ping your team when you spot the enemy jungler or mid laner rotating to the bot lane. Effective communication can prevent ganks and secure kills.
4. Roaming:
As mentioned earlier, roaming can be a game-changer. If your ADC is safe and the wave is pushed, consider roaming mid to assist your mid laner or help your jungler invade the enemy jungle. Always prioritize roaming when it won’t leave your ADC vulnerable.
5. Objective Control:
Coordinate with your team to secure dragon and Rift Herald. Your crowd control abilities and vision control play a crucial role in securing these objectives.
Mid to Late Game
Once the laning phase is over, the support’s role evolves. Here’s how to make the most impact in the mid to late game:
1. Teamfight Engagements:
Your crowd control abilities are essential in teamfights. Initiate fights when your team has an advantage or peel for your carries when they’re under threat. Good timing and positioning are key.
2. Vision Control:
Continue to prioritize vision control throughout the game. Control wards and sweepers should always be part of your inventory. Denying the enemy’s vision is crucial for setting up ambushes and securing objectives.
3. Protecting Carries:
Your primary duty remains protecting your ADC and other carries. Use your abilities to shield, heal, or peel for them. Keep an eye on their positioning and respond quickly to threats.
4. Shot Calling:
Support players often have a good overall view of the game due to their roaming and warding activities. Don’t hesitate to make shot calls for your team, such as when to push, when to back off, or when to contest an objective.
5. Build Flexibility:
Adapt your item build to the game’s circumstances. For example, consider building items that provide grievous wounds if the enemy team has strong healing champions. Your build should cater to your team’s needs.
Communication and Cooperation
Lastly, communication is key to success in League of Legends. Maintain open and respectful communication with your team. Coordinate engages, rotations, and objective control through pings and chat. A well-coordinated team is often more likely to secure victory.
Conclusion
Becoming a proficient support player in League of Legends requires a combination of game knowledge, champion mastery, and effective communication. By understanding your role, champion pool, and adapting to the flow of the game, you can have a significant impact on your team’s success. Remember that the support role is not just about protecting your carries but also about creating opportunities and facilitating your team’s path to victory. So, grab your favorite support champion, hit the rift, and lead your team to glory through your exceptional support play. Good luck!
