Expert Tips To Get Better At Warding In League Of Legends
Warding is crucial in "League of Legends," as it grants players and teams visibility, helping with everything from facilitating enemy ambushes and obtaining objectives to dodging would-be deadly scenarios. It's so important that players automatically begin matches with a trinket ward or oracle lens in hand, though that's just the beginning of the warding possibilities.
Selecting proper warding items, placing them in the best locations, replacing them once they expire or are destroyed, and eliminating those that belong to the enemy team are all important aspects of warding strategy in "League of Legends." For new players, it seems easy enough until they find themselves swept up in the excitement of battle, only to have let the opposition get ahead by neglecting their vision.
Launched in 2009, "League of Legends" has undergone many transformations since its inception, and though it may be complex, the right knowledge can make it much easier. That said, these warding tips are tried, true, and relevant even in special scenarios, so long as gamers keep an analytical perspective and adapt to the needs of each unique game. Without further adieu, here's how to ward like a pro in "League of Legends."
Ward for your role
As soon as players spawn in "League of Legends," they'll want to grab their starting items, including wards. It's generally recommended that top take yellow trinket wards, bottom lane take blue wards for increased range (after they unlock it at level 9), and junglers and supports take oracle lenses to clear and destroy enemy wards. For mid laners, there's a lot more flexibility given their map position, though often mages go with a blue ward, fighters stick with a yellow trinket ward, and assassins grab an oracle lens.
Regardless of role, control wards are the best option to buy throughout the game, given their ability to reveal and disable enemy wards, their eternal lifespan (until destroyed), and the fact that they also reveal traps and camouflaged enemies. Players will have to budget their currency and decide just how aggressively to invest in these wards depending on how they prioritize the other items they plan to buy. After all, there are still free options that also need to be carefully selected based on the roles described above.
Work warding into the routine
Starting out, it's key to ward where one is playing to help prevent ganks. That means popping a ward in the brush nearest your lane. While it may be tempting to sneak into the enemy's jungle early on to ward aggressively, it's best to start defensive, gain some traction, and save the higher-risk warding – i.e., in the enemy jungle – for later.
After warding the general starting area is taken care of – and maintained – players should focus on warding objectives since these are crucial to overall game success. Though staying on top of these two tasks may seem easy, it takes a lot of focus when the match starts heating up, requiring an expert mentality to see the big picture and maintain vision consistently even in the midst of battles, ganks, and dynamically changing game conditions.
Two great objective-related spots to ward are behind where the objective will spawn to prevent steals, as well as right where the objective spawns for a guarantee that a team won't miss the enemy's presence at the objective. It's important to keep a rough tally of what wards one has on the map so that their disappearance is noted – this is an immediate sign of an enemy's location that is easy to miss for newer players. Gamers are also well-advised to keep an eye out for ward rubble, which lasts five minutes after a ward is destroyed, offering a valuable clue.
Stay flexible while warding
In the ever-growing "League of Legends" world, there's no better advice than to stay flexible and up-to-date with both changes to the game and shifting circumstances in each individual match. Though warding as part of a routine is effective, that's not to say there's no room for improvisation. No two sessions of "League of Legends" are alike, meaning no strategy is guaranteed to work every time. Flexibility is paramount, as it allows players to pivot based on what's actually happening.
For example, let's say a gamer is stuck with a teammate not pulling their warding weight – this can be especially devastating when it happens with a lackluster jungler or support player. The rest of the team may have to compensate for this deficit by focusing extra hard on warding objectives, and perhaps even warding other areas – for example, a jungler may have to step up and help a bottom lane player ward if their support is slacking, which makes sense given the map mobility of the jungler role.
It's worth checking out teammates' items to get a feel for how they're warding, as well as keeping an eye on their vision scores. Though playing one's lane is crucial to success in "League of Legends," feeling confined to it when the team needs help can be detrimental.
Learn about special abilities and situations
Given the large pool of Champions with various abilities, frequent content updates, and a multitude of items (just to name a few of the game's variables), "League of Legends" has extra complicating factors that can affect warding. It's wise to stay attuned to possibilities that could impact your strategy, which can be done by reading up on Champions, items, and abilities and playing as Champions other than your main to gain expertise and experience.
As a head start, here are a few things to look out for. Jax and Lee Sin have the ability to dash to wards and other units they target, while Senna can fire a laser at a ward or other target unit that heals her and her surrounding teammates. There's also the fact that some Champions like Shyvana and Renekton deal bonus damage to wards. In terms of items, Umbral Glaive grants the power of disabling nearby wards and revealing hidden ones as a passive ability – certainly a vision advantage.
With all of these tips combined, "League of Legends" players should be well on their way to developing warding expertise. It may not seem hard, but it's easier said than done – it's all about practice, precision, and consistency.