If you’re like anyone else with a Netflix subscription, you’ve likely just finished the last episode of Arcane and are hungry for more of the world of Runeterra and its characters. Or perhaps you’ve just played the recently released Ruined King and have a similar desire to immerse yourself in this newfound fantasy world. Luckily for you, Ruined King and Arcane are merely fruits born of the original source for the characters and stories of Runeterra: A humble little MOBA game known as League of Legends.
If by some miracle you haven’t heard of it, League of Legends is a 5v5 competitive MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) in which two teams of players compete across three lanes on Summoner’s Rift to destroy each other’s Nexus (essentially each team’s home base). This is done through a combination of taking down defensive towers, farming minions for free gold, a little strategy, and some good old-fashioned brawls. However, with a roster size boasting 157 champions (for now) it can be intimidating for new players to know where to jump in. Thankfully, 5 is a much more digestible number than 157, which is why we’ll be breaking down each of the game’s individual roles and their playstyles. Even if you’re not sure which champion you’d like to play first, this should help give you some direction when deciding what type of role you’d like to fill when you make your first jump onto Summoner’s Rift. So without further ado, let’s start from the top!
Top
As the name suggests, this is the uppermost lane on the Rift, stationed directly above Mid. Though a variety of different champions can find success in Top Lane, the lane is typically home to those of the tankier variety. This can include pure tanks such as Ornn, Malphite, or Sion, as well as more carry-oriented bruisers such as Aatrox, Camille, or Jayce. In teamfights, you’ll likely be frontlining for your own team, or diving the backline carries of the enemy team depending on your champion.
Affectionately referred to as ‘The Island’ of League, Top Lane is a mostly 1v1 experience in the laning phase. Your goal here should be to generate a lead against your opposing laner, either by farming more minions than them or scoring an early kill if you’re able to outplay them. Grow strong enough to be a bit of a problem for the enemy team, and they’re likely to send someone up to stop you. However, this gives the rest of your team some crucial breathing room to generate their own gold leads. Top Laners who are able to absorb pressure for their team through their own 1v1 skills will find fast success on the Rift. If you enjoy playing tankier characters, showing off your mechanical prowess in a fight, and being the anchor for your team, Top Lane is always looking for new recruits. Beware though, many a Top Laner has thrown away a hard-fought lead by not remembering the danger lurking in the brush.
Jungler
The General of the team, The Jungler has a fairly unique role on Summoners Rift. While most players will spend their time in one of the Rift’s three lanes, Junglers exist in the space between lanes. Their job is to roam around the map, farming camps for gold and ganking for their laners. ‘Ganking’ refers to the act of entering a lane from the Jungle with the purpose of killing an enemy champion. Since Junglers don’t have to worry about a 1v1 lane scenario, the role can house a huge variety of champions. Tanks like Maokai and Sejuani, Assassins such as Khazix and Evelynn, Mages such as Fiddlesticks and Taliyah, or even ranged carries like Kindred: No matter your playstyle, there’s a Jungle champion for you.
As far as their function in-game goes, Junglers have arguably the greatest ability to affect the map of any role. Through ganking, Junglers can shut down a potential threat before they have a chance to become strong. They can boost a teammate’s progress by pressuring their lane opponent, or killing them if possible. They can even use ganks to snag a few kills for themselves, though a more damage-centric Jungle champion is recommended for this playstyle. Pathing is crucial for proper Jungling, and a good Jungler will always have a plan of where to go next on the map. Keeping a steady rhythm of farming, ganking, and general map control allows Junglers to dictate the pace of the game, all while staying one step ahead of the enemy Jungler. If you prefer more of a strategic playstyle, or aren’t quite confident enough in your mechanics for a 1v1 lane yet, you’ll find a welcome home in the Jungle.
Mid
Smack dab in the center of Summoner’s Rift, Mid Lane is one of the more fast-paced roles. Being the shortest of the three lanes, Mid Lane allows minions to arrive more quickly. This means Mid Laners typically gain experience faster than other lanes, allowing them to level up their abilities at a steady pace. Because of this, Mages have often found their home in Mid Lane. Often possessing high damage AoE (Area of Effect) abilities, Mages are a huge threat in teamfights. Staying in the shorter lane allows them to level up their abilities more quickly, increasing their damage and letting them win fights more easily. Ahri, Ryze, and Velkoz are just a few mages you’re likely to see in Mid Lane.
Due to its position on the map, Mid Lane also has access to both the Top and Bottom Lanes. A smart Mid Laner will take advantage of roaming to score easy kills on unsuspecting opponents. You’ll also be in a unique position to assist your Jungler more often simply due to how much of the map is accessible from your lane. Because of this roaming potential, Assassins such as Zed, Talon, and Fizz are common faces in Mid Lane as well. As a Mid Laner, you’ll have to be skilled in both 1v1 fighting as well as map awareness. Mid Laners who are able to kill their opponents and spread their lead to neighboring lanes can carry games almost singlehandedly. If you like having more options during laning phase, being a major damage threat, or simply don’t like to stay in one place too long, just run it down Mid Lane.
Bot
Though Mages have seen some scattered play here, the Bot Lane position has almost always been the place for ranged champions known as Attack Damage Carries (ADC). Accompanied by the team’s Support player, Bot Laners are one of the weaker roles in the game early on. However, if they are able to farm consistently and survive long enough to manage to buy a few items, they become a force to be reckoned with. While they do have abilities just like any other champions, most of their damage is packed into their Basic Attack. Through building a combination of Attack Speed, Crit Chance, and raw Damage, Bot Laners are arguably the greatest source of high, sustained damage in the entire game. Because of this, they are crucial for winning mid to late-game teamfights, as well as securing objectives such as Towers and Dragons. However, this also means you’re likely to be the first target the enemy team sets their eyes on.
As one of the most mechanically demanding roles in the game, Bot Laners will need to balance dishing out as much damage as possible with actually staying alive. Bot Laners who can walk this delicate balancing act will be able to single-handedly turn fights around, weaving and dodging while reducing the enemy team to floor decoration for Summoner’s Rift. Though the role is fairly limited in terms of champions and saturated with ADCs, there are a few variations in playstyle to be found. If you prefer to poke enemies down from afar with abilities, Varus is an option. If you want high mobility and a bit more skirmishing power, Lucian is for you. If you want a classic, old-school Attack Damage Carry with high-skill expression and tank shredding capabilities, Vayne is the only choice. Though your early-game may be weaker than other roles, and you’ll pretty much always have a target on your back, Bot Lane is a crucial role in League of Legends. Hitting your late-game and becoming a damage-dealing monster is a high that keeps Bot Laners coming back despite the punishment. If that sounds like your kind of ride, we’re always seeking new victims.
Support
It’s a thankless job, but someone’s got to do it. The unsung heroes of the team, Supports are the utility players of Summoner’s Rift. With Enchanters such as Nami and Sona, along with Tanks such as Braum and Alistar, Support is all about facilitating your teammates. Support is often regarded as a good place to start for new players, as they don’t need to farm minions for gold income. This allows them to focus more on things such as map awareness and fighting enemy champions. In the early-game, your job will be to baby-sit your Bot Laner, making sure they can reach their power spike without dying and falling behind. You can do this by healing or tanking damage for them, depending on your champion. Or you can fight the enemy Bot and Support with your partner to try and snowball an early lead from kills. Regardless, given how weak Bot Laners tend to be early on, it falls to the Support to dictate the pace of the lane. But you’ll need to pay attention to the map as well.
With double the laners means double the chance to score a kill, making you a prime target for Jungle ganks and Mid Lane roams. Thankfully, Supports build an item that bestows you with Wards, items you can place around the map to provide vision and information for your team. Though they’re usually lacking in damage save for a few specific champions, Supports can turn teamfights in their favor through their high-utility abilities. Landing a stun or snare on an enemy carry can swing the momentum of a fight in an instant. Blocking a skillshot meant for your Bot Laner can allow them to survive and turn a losing fight into a victory. Admittedly, there is a bit of faith required to play Support. You can land all the hooks or stuns in the world, but if no one on your team follows up, you might as well have whiffed it. But those moments when you land a crucial stun in the middle of a fight and proudly watch your carries unleash damage on the enemy make it all worth it. If you like enabling your team, being a playmaker, and never getting the credit you deserve, Support could always use more helping hands.
Regardless of which role you pick, every player in a League of Legends match has something to contribute. Whether you’re dishing out damage from afar, tanking from the front, roaming the Jungle, or smacking your ADC with a newspaper when they try to dive into 4 enemies, everyone has a part to play. Once you’ve selected a role, all that’s left is to pick a champion, queue up, and start playing. See you on the Rift!