League of Legends is arguably the most popular multiplayer game in the world. Having boasted over one-hundred and ten million players at its peak month, the game has continuously evolved and attracted countless new fans, from all sexes, ages, countries and familiarity to games. With over one-hundred and fifty heroes, numerous updates, new items, and heroes the game can feel daunting for newcomers, especially when you add every steep learning curve that is attached to the game. Thankfully, at its core League of Legends remains the same, and we’ll give you a quick intro to its concepts.
League of Legends is defined as a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, or MOBA as everyone refers to it. The first MOBA ever released was a Starcraft modded version, called Aeon Strife, while Riot’s League of Legends is not the first of its genre it certainly became the one that pleased fans the most. Throughout games of the genre the objective remains the same: you need to destroy the enemy’s base, everything that happens up to that point can be extremely complex. Let’s break it down.
Summoner’s Rift is the name of the fictional arena from League of Legends, and before you even get to the arena there are a lot of choices to be made. For starters you need to determine what type of game you’d like to play, the original Summoner’s Rift map, or the ARAM (All Random All Mid version).
Summoner’s Rift is the original mode of the game, and it is the only one that allows players to play competitive matches, also known as Ranked Matchmaking. Every single match is played in a 5v5, this means that players start by choosing to play alone, or with a party of up to five players. After your party is assembled each player has to choose a hero to join the battle field, every hero fits one of the following categories: Controller, Fighter, Mage, Marksman, Slayer, Tank, or Specialist. A big part of the strategic portion of the game is drafting (picking heroes), a well-balanced team comp (composition) that can alleviate the weaknesses of other heroes, and work well in synergy to overcome the opposing team.
Now we come to the load-out phase, this one can be extremely daunting and hard for newcomers, but in a simplified way load-outs are specific to the style of champion you want to play.
They are broadly divided in runes that amplify tankiness, magic damage, physical damage, and supporting spells.
Players also have the options to equip different runes to try and circumvent bad matchup against enemy players. During this phase we also have spells that the game provides to all players, which help you amplify your damage, reduce your damage, and a mobility one (probably the most famous spell called “flash”) which teleports champions a short distance. This is probably where most research has to be made, since this can be complex and is not very intuitive, but thankfully there are countless websites that provide guidance to newcomers.
After drafting, and customizing your load-outs, as well as your hero (through skins that can be bought using Riot Points), you are ready to enter Summoner’s Rift. The main objective of all matches will be to destroy the enemies Nexus, this is accompanied by endless waves of minions that spawn countless times as their objective is also to destroy the Nexus.
This means they will perpetually run towards turrets to try and destroy them, so it is your job as a champion to tip the scales. When you enter the game, you will see that there are three lanes connecting both Nexus’, there is also a jungle filled with objectives, buffs and Neutral Camps (monsters that won’t attack turrets, or attack champions from either team).
To get to your objective the basic things you have to do are: take down turrets, last hit minion for gold and experience, purchase items, kill enemy champions, acquire buffs from the jungle and secure the Dragons and Baron Nashor. Arguably the most important thing you have to do is acquire more resources than the opposing team so you can execute your game plan, and having farmed champions (champions with items/levels) is the best way to ensure that. All the intricacies of the basic can be expanded upon their own article, but for now we’re covering the basics.
League of Legends has a symmetrical map unlike other MOBA’s meaning that they are mirrored exactly in the same manner, having the same number of neutral camps, lanes, objectives and turrets regardless of the side of the map you are playing from. Here’s a break-down of the everything you need to know on the map:
Dragons - Are very strong monsters that reside on a pit, and are usually a team effort objective, each dragon provides a different permanent buff.
Mountain - Provides Armor and Magic Resistance
Wind - Provides Move Speed
Infernal - Buffs Attack Damage and Ability Power
Ocean - Restores a percentage of Health Points
Elder - Attacks apply burn to enemies, and if they fall below 20% they shatter.
The Rift Herald - Upon death it drops the “Eye of the Herald” item, that can only be used by the team that killed it. When used he allows the player to have reduced recall time, and the ability to summon the Herald to help destroy a tower.
Baron Nashor - Most powerful neutral, an Epic Monster that usually requires a full team to slay, he provides:
Bonus Physical and Magical Damage
Reduced Recall Time in 50%
Aura that Powers Up Minion (More Tanky, More Damage)
Everything above is something provided, designed or created by the game. The following words and terms will be focused on gameplay, skills/spells, and effects applied during the game, it will also encompass the most important movements, warnings and some of the community’s lingo.
Farm - Kill minions (also known as Creep Score or CS)
Aggro - Range of where the enemy AI, tower or minion will attack a player
Babysit - Stand-by and closely protect your core
Split-Push - Avoid fights and pressure lanes to force a response
Teleport - Quickly traverse a distance to base, structure or champion
Flash - A long-cooldown mobility skill that travels a short distance (can go through some walls)
Gank - Making a rotation to overwhelm an enemy player with numbers
Jungle - Outside lanes, Neutral Camps, or home to Dragons and Baron Nashor
Ultimate - A champion unique and most powerful ability
Cooldowns - The downtime, or time you need to wait to use an item, or ability again.
Positioning - Being in the optimal location for your champion at any given time
Feeding - Intentionally dying repeatedly to harm your team
Surrender - A voting mechanism that allows teams to give-up if everyone agrees the game is unwinnable
Ward - A sentinel that provides vision, blocks vision, and reveals invisible units
Vision - Everything a champion can naturally see
Fog of War - Places where you can't see without a ward, behind bushes, walls, or jungles.
Juke - Escaping, dodging attacks or spells, by moving quickly or using the fog of war to your advantage.
Kite Back - Lure enemies towards your turrets/base, while controlling them
Control - Any form of disable or status effect that restricts a champion's ability to use their spells, or items.
Debuffs - Status Effects that hinder your champions performance
Buffs - Status Effects that amplify your champions performance through items, spells, or by killing Dragons/Baron Nashor
Miss - When a player is off-map, not showing anywhere
GG - Good Game
WP - Well Played
There are countless other terms unique to League of Legends, and their wiki does a great job of covering almost everything, so if you’re interested you can find more here. Nonetheless, you can only fully understand the game by playing it, and experiencing how communication works among friends, or random players.
All Random All Mid is regarded as a casual mode known as ARAM by the community. It serves as a manner to practice champions, understand matchups, and mess around with builds and playstyles. Players usually take the mode less seriously, and as a form to relieve stress from ranked matchmaking.
The map here is called Howling Abyss, and unlike Summoner’s Rift, it consists of a single lane in a 5v5 scenario with all Random Heroes. It strips away most of the nuances of the original mode, no jungle, no neutral creeps, no Dragons, or Baron, the only thing that remains is turrets and a Nexus which needs to be destroyed.
League of Legends is one of the most addictive, complex, frustrating, fun games of all time. Alone or with friends there’s plenty to enjoy, and plenty do hate as well. While Riot provides continuous support, and manages the community to the best of its ability, be warned that the learning curve is very steep, and you will be awful at the game for a long time. Along with that players are not very friendly towards newcomers and there’s a lot of toxicity going around, thankfully you can silence all communication and focus on learning and developing your game. I highly recommend you start playing with a friend, or find yourself a friend that can guide you and help you take your first steps.
There’s no coming back once you join our community, I guarantee you’ll keep coming back time and time again. If you want to have a LoL account with full access to various champions from the get-go, are looking for skins, or credit we are here to help. Eldorado has the best sellers, and prices in the market and want to welcome you to League of Legends.
