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League of Legends World Championships 2016 Primer Part 2: Understanding the Basics of LoL (1/2) Prepared by: Luc Ryu

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League of LegendsWorld Championships 2016 Primer

Part 2: Understanding the Basics of LoL (1/2)

Prepared by: Luc Ryu

This Primer is meant for individuals who are interested in learning about the basics of

League of Legends – both as a game, and as a spectacle.

The 2016 World Championships are just around the corner (October 29, 2016), and

awareness of the game is at an annual high. With that, comes a large influx of individuals

who are interested in watching, but have no idea what the game is, how its basic gameplay

functions, or even how to properly watch the game.

This Primer will be comprised of multiple sections, each designed to explain a unique

component of League of Legends – be it its history and growth, its basic gameplay, or the

head-to-head matchup at the 2016 World Championships.

Altogether, the goal of this Primer is to help beginners learn the basics of League of

Legends, such that they can enjoy the experience of watching the 2016 World

Championships.

The biggest barrier to entry for any video game is the steep learning curve involved in

learning the fundamentals. It is my hope that this Primer will help to break down those

barriers, and help introduce the fascinating world of competitive League of Legends to new

viewers.

About This Primer

Understanding the Basics of LoL

Welcome to Summoner’s Rift.

This is the Rift!

…but, of course players

don’t play with a bird’s-eye-

view of the entire map.

That would make it too easy

to see everything that’s

happening on the map.

Although players can move

their cameras to anywhere on

the map, they can only zoom

out to the size of this square!

Although players can move

their cameras to anywhere on

the map, they can only zoom

out to the size of this square!

And so, this is the

amount of the Rift a

player sees on their

camera at any time.

But, they do also have this thing

called a “Mini-Map”.

The areas of vision that any

teammates have will be illuminated

on the Mini-Map.

So essentially, a player can see what’s

directly on their screen through their

camera, but…

…they can also see what their

teammates see indirectly through the

Mini-Map!

But, they do also have this thing

called a “Mini-Map”.

The areas of vision that any

teammates have will be illuminated

on the Mini-Map.

All the un-illuminated portions of

the map are called the “Fog-of-War”.

That means that no one on the team

currently has any vision of this area.

So, Fog-of-War can be illuminated if

anything from the Blue team is

around it!

“Why is any of this important?”

Good question! It’s because LoL is

a decision-based game.

In order to make good decisions,

you need information. At the most

basic level, you need to know

where your enemies are!

You wouldn’t want to walk into the

entire enemy team!

Now, back to the Rift…

There are two teams in every game of LoL, and

they start on opposite ends, as highlighted on

this bird’s-eye-view of the Rift.

You have the Red team on the top-right, and you

have the Blue team on the bottom-left.

A team wins when it destroys the opposing

team’s main structure (their “Nexus”), as

highlighted.

There is no time limit.

There are three pathways that connect the two

teams together (“Lanes”).

Top Lane

Mid Lane

Bot Lane

There are also portions of the Rift that aren’t

covered by the Lanes.

This entire area is generally known as the Jungle.

Jungle

Remember that the goal is to destroy these

things (the Nexuses)!

So, in a standard game of LoL, the two teams

will start by splitting their team up into the

different Lanes and the Jungle, in order to start

working their way towards the Nexus.

I’ll explain why it’s

ineffective to send

the entire team into

one Lane later!

So, in a standard game of LoL, the two teams

will start by splitting their team up into the

different Lanes and the Jungle, in order to start

working their way towards the Nexus.

I’ll explain why it’s

ineffective to send

the entire team into

one Lane later! With that said, players are

not forced to stay in a

specific Lane.

They can move around and

help their teammates in

other Lanes if they want!

However, it’s not as easy as simply avoiding the

enemy team, running to the Nexus, and

smacking it a few times.

Each team has two defensive structures in each

Lane (“Turrets”).

You can think of these as checkpoints.

A team can’t destroy a Turret if the one

immediately before it hasn’t been destroyed.

Think of each Lane as its own onion!

Each Nexus also has two Turrets guarding it

(“Nexus Turrets”).

The Nexus can’t be destroyed until both Nexus

Turrets are destroyed.

And the Nexus Turrets can’t be destroyed until

at least one of these things are destroyed

(“Inhibitors”).

…which you can only destroy after you destroy

the Turrets directly guarding them

(“Inhibitor Turrets”).

So essentially you just have to destroy a lot of

things in a sequential order…

Outside – inside!

But don’t worry – you get help!

To help the teams out, the Computer will

generate lesser units (“Minions”) at regular

intervals.

Each Lane spawns its own set of equally strong

minions, and they are programmed to walk down

the Lane and attack the first thing they

encounter – be it an opposing player, opposing

Minions, or an opposing structure.

This could eventually mean

the Nexus if there’s nothing

left in front of it!

When a Lane’s Inhibitor is destroyed…

(remember, it’s these circled things!)

…the opposing team’s Minions in that Lane will

be much stronger (“Super Minions”) until the

Inhibitor fixes itself over time.

This will eventually put

pressure on that Lane since

the opposing Minions will get

to the Nexus!

So we know what the Computer does…

…and we know how to win…

…so what does a player do?

Each player selects a unique character to play

for the entire duration of the game

(“Champion”).

Along with a standard basic attack, most*

Champions have four unique abilities (“Skills”). Teemo The Swift Scout

* Some have more!

There are currently 133 Champions

and 724 Skills in LoL.

Professional players, and even most

competitive players, probably have

the basic details of most of these

memorized.

By controlling their Champion and using a

combination of skills and basic attacks, players

look to destroy the opposing team’s Nexus…

…and of course, any of the opposing

Champions, Minions, and Turrets, that stand in

their way!

Teemo The Swift Scout

It might be a good time to explain that…

If a Champion ever dies, they will

eventually respawn back in their

base. The dead player is not

penalized, other than the fact that

they are dead for a period of time.

By controlling their Champion and using a

combination of skills and basic attacks, players

look to destroy the opposing team’s Nexus…

…and of course, any of the opposing

Champions, Minions, and Turrets, that stand in

their way!

Teemo The Swift Scout

It might be a good time to explain that…

If a Champion ever dies, they will

eventually respawn back in their

base. The dead player is not

penalized, other than the fact that

they are dead for a period of time.

For you hockey fans out there, think

of this as a Powerplay - the enemy

team is one player down, so you have

to take advantage of it!

Teemo The Swift Scout

Every source of experience (killing a

Minion) gives a set amount of

experience.

This means that if you have

teammates around that that

experience is split!

Champions all start at level one.

A Champion levels up by gaining experience

(from killing, or assisting in the killing, of

opposing Champions and Minions, etc.).

Teemo The Swift Scout

Every source of experience (killing a

Minion) gives a set amount of

experience.

This means that if you have

teammates around that that

experience is split!

This is why having all five team

members push one lane won’t

work.

You’ll all still be level one when

your opponents are all level

three!

Champions all start at level one.

A Champion levels up by gaining experience

(from killing, or assisting in the killing, of

opposing Champions and Minions).

Teemo The Swift Scout

Skill One: Blinding Dart

Skill Two: Move Quick

Skill Three: Toxic Shot

Every time a Champion gains one level, they

can make one of their Skills stronger.

“Hey, but why would anyone

use basic attacks if they have

these special skills!?”

Well, because Skills are so

special, they require more

energy! In LoL, this is usually

called “Mana”.

More impactful Skills usually

use up more Mana.

Don’t worry, though - Mana

replenishes over time!

Teemo The Swift Scout

Skill One: Blinding Dart

Ultimate Skill: Noxious Trap

Skill Two: Move Quick

Skill Three: Toxic Shot

“So can players just buy items

that give them lots of Mana

then?”

Nope! After using a Skill, it

can’t be used again for some

time (a “Cooldown”)!

Stronger Skills usually have

longer Cooldowns.

Ultimate Skills typically have

the longest Cooldowns, so

it’s important to use them

wisely!

At level six, they gain access to a special

Skill, called an Ultimate Skill.

It’s important to keep an eye out for when

Champions hit level six, as it typically

results in a big spike in power!

Furthermore, all players are allowed to select

two unique abilities (“Summoner Spells”).

There are 10 Summoner Spells that can be

selected. The following are the ones I believe are

the most important to know as a new viewer:

Furthermore, all players are allowed to select

two unique abilities (“Summoner Spells”).

There are 10 Summoner Spells that can be

selected. The following are the ones I believe are

the most important to know as a new viewer: Flash

Instantly teleports a Champion a short

distance.

Can use every 300 seconds.

Useful for escaping from enemies, or

for surprising them by instantaneously

positioning yourself in a new location.

Almost all players will select Flash as

one of their two Summoner Spells.

Furthermore, all players are allowed to select

two unique abilities (“Summoner Spells”).

There are 10 Summoner Spells that can be

selected. The following are the ones I believe are

the most important to know as a new viewer: Heal

Instantly heals and speeds up the

player and the most wounded nearby

ally.

Can use every 240 seconds.

Useful for keeping the player and/or

their teammate alive and running away

or chasing an enemy.

Heal is typically selected by ADC*

players, and situationally, Mid players.

* ADC is explained in Part 3.

Furthermore, all players are allowed to select

two unique abilities (“Summoner Spells”).

There are 10 Summoner Spells that can be

selected. The following are the ones I believe are

the most important to know as a new viewer: Smite

Instantly deals damage to a neutral

monster or Minion.

Can use every 15 seconds.

Only selected by Jungle players, as it

helps them clear Camps* faster.

Used to deal the killing blow on neutral

monsters, such as Drakes and Baron

Nashor*.

*Explained soon!

Furthermore, all players are allowed to select

two unique abilities (“Summoner Spells”).

There are 10 Summoner Spells that can be

selected. The following are the ones I believe are

the most important to know as a new viewer: Teleport

After 4.5 seconds, teleports the

Champion to an ally ward, unit ,or Turret.

Can use every 300 seconds.

Can be used to return to Lane quickly,

or to surprise enemies by teleporting to

a ward behind enemy lines.

Used primarily by Top Lane players

since they are so far from the Bot

Lane. Can situationally be taken by Mid

Lane players as well.

A ward is a special item that

can be placed around the

player to provide vision for a

few minutes!

A player could, for example,

go deep into the enemy

team’s half of the Rift, and

place down a ward.

The vision from the ward

would illuminate a portion of

the Mini-Map!

Furthermore, all players are allowed to select

two unique abilities (“Summoner Spells”).

There are 10 Summoner Spells that can be

selected. The following are the ones I believe are

the most important to know as a new viewer: Teleport

After 4.5 seconds, teleports the

Champion to an ally ward, unit , or

Turret.

Can use every 300 seconds.

Can be used to return to Lane quickly,

or to surprise enemies by teleporting to

a ward behind enemy lines.

Used primarily by Top Lane players

since they are so far from the Bot

Lane. Can situationally be taken by Mid

Lane players as well.

A ward is a special item that

can be placed around the

player to provide vision for a

few minutes!

A player could, for example,

go deep into the enemy

team’s half of the Rift, and

place down a ward.

The vision from the ward

would illuminate a portion of

the Mini-Map!

If a ward is placed in a

good spot, it could help

you see an enemy from

another Lane try to

come flank you for an

ambush (a “gank”)!

You’d have to be

looking at your Mini-

Map, though!

Players can also empower their Champions by

purchasing items in their base with gold.

Gold accumulates over time, but can also be

earned from killing opposing Champions, killing

opposing Minions, and destroying opposing

Turrets*.

*Among other things…

There are over 175 items available for

purchase, each with their own unique

effects.

A Champion can have six items, max.

Stronger items cost more gold, and are built by

combining multiple items.

The items a player buys will depend on the

strengths of their Champion, but also how well

they’re doing and how much gold they have!

If they’re dying a lot and not earning gold, they

might have to settle for weaker items.

Here’s a brief summary on the different sources of

gold, and how much gold they pay out!

Source Notes Gold

Start of Game 500

Minion [1] 19

Champion Kill [2] 300

Assist on Champion Kill [2] 150

Outer Turret [3] 250

Inner Turret [3] 175

Notes

[1] Average of melee and ranged Minions.

[2] Represents minimum.

[3] When nearby at time of destruction.

One last thing!

Remember that there’s an area of the Rift called

the Jungle.

Jungle

Minions do not spawn in the Jungle. Instead,

neutral monsters spawn (“Camps”).

Camps also provide gold and experience.

Securing the killing blow on certain Camps

provide power-ups (“Buffs”).

Drakes(Fire, Cloud, Mountain, Ocean)

• Securing the killing blow on the Drakes will provide

the team with a permanent Buff.

• The first Drake spawns 2:30 into the game.

• After the first / previous Drake is killed, the next one

will spawn after six minutes.

• There are four types of Drakes, and the type of

Drake spawned is random.

Because Drake Buffs are permanent,

they’re hotly contested!

Look for lots of fights around this area

early on in the game.

Increases the damage done by the

entire team.

Infernal Drake

Increases the team’s damage to

structures, and monsters in Epic Camps*.

Mountain Drake

Increases the team’s Health and Mana

regeneration when not fighting.

Ocean Drake

Increases the team’s movement speed

when not fighting.

Cloud Drake

Elder Dragon

• The Elder Dragon takes the place of Drakes after the

35 minute mark.

• If a Drake already exists, it must be killed before the

Elder Dragon can spawn.

• The Elder Dragon increases the power of all

previous Drake Buffs by 50%, as well as the

damage of the team that dealt the killing blow for

two minutes.

• After it is killed, a new Elder Dragon will respawn after

10 minutes.

In most games, about four Drakes will have been

killed by the time the Elder Dragon spawns.

That means four Buffs that can be amplified!

• The Rift Herald first spawns at the 6:00

mark.

• One member of the team that secures

the killing blow on the Rift Herald will

have their basic attack empowered for

20 minutes.

• There is only one Rift Herald per game.

Rift Herald

• Baron Nashor replaces the Rift Herald at

the 20 minute mark.

• After it is killed, it will respawn every seven

minutes.

• For 3.5 minutes, grants bonus damage

to the team that secured the kill, and

empowers all Minions around members

of the team that have the Buff.

• If a Champion dies they will lose the

Buff, regardless of how much more

time they had with it.

Baron Nashor

Sometimes all a team needs is some empowered

Minions in order to take down the last few Turrets

and get to the Nexus!

Look for big fights here as teams try to close out

the game!

And with that, you know enough to sit down,

watch a game of LoL, and actually have an

idea of what’s happening!

You don’t need to know everything…

…but the more you know, the more you

understand, and the more you understand,

the more fun you have watching.

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• http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/1/1e/Rift_Herald.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151213174828

• http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/5/5b/Baron_Nashor_VU.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140618120136

• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uxnxaxOC-aw/VM_lNb9qsdI/AAAAAAAAjMc/vcW6c8eXJzM/s1600/blueeoff.jpg

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Sources Used

League of LegendsWorld Championships 2016 Primer

Part 2: Understanding the Basics of LoL (1/2)

Prepared by: Luc Ryu