Everyone who has played League of Legends knows the importance of the laning phase. Whether you are a midder, support, ADC, or something else, the League of Legends laning phase is something you need to pay close attention to.
Even though Riot’s decision regarding the lane-swapping mechanism could change the way some people lane, there’s no arguing that this continues to be among the key components in the game. Therefore, learning how to control control your lane in League of Legends is extremely important.Blix.gg’s LoL team has enough experience and did plenty of testing, so it’s time to share some of the most effective tips and tricks regarding lane control.
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Wave Timing
When talking about League of Legends laning, among the things you need to learn is how minions spawn. Generally speaking, they become available at 1:05 after the game starts and will spawn every 30 seconds until the match ends. Usually, they will also take around 32 seconds before they reach the side lanes and close to 22 seconds for the mid-lane.
Although this information may seem excessive, the reality is that it can help you a lot. Now that you know when to expect the wave, you can work around it and make the most of your time. For example, you may decide to gank or do something else and risk losing a few creeps and experience in the process.
When talking about wave timing and controlling your lane in League of Legends, recalling when there’s a cannon is not a good idea (more about it later). This is one of the essential creeps in the game because it provides more XP and gold. In other words, it’s not a good idea to miss it because if your opponent does not, he will have an advantage in the lane.
Controlling the Creep Aggro
When it comes down to the League of Legends laning phase and controlling the lane, the creep aggro is very important to understand. But what does that mean? Well, creep aggro is a term that shows how the creeps choose which targets to attack. Here is a quick overview of how it works:
- The creeps will attack the enemy champion when he is attacking their allied champion.
- They will attack the minions, focusing on the allied champion
- They will attack minions on allied minions, and so on
In other words, unless you are in their sight and tanking the damage, the enemy’s minions will attack your minions. Once you auto-attack on your opponent, however, this changes, and they will start focusing on you. The same is true when you decide to use a target ability.
This mechanic is extremely important when it comes down to controlling your lane in League of Legends. You need to be careful and precise when to attack your opponent because doing this will result in your wave pushing forward. This is the enemy’s creeps will start attacking you, meaning they won’t do damage to your own creep wave. Consequently, the latter will be able to bring the enemy minions faster and ultimately push that lane.
There are many advantages and disadvantages to pushing your lane, so you need to decide which is the right option in your situation. If you decide to push, you will pressure your opponent and maybe do some damage to the buildings. However, this will allow him to be in a safer position and farm, which could give him an advantage.
Freezing Your Lane
One key aspect we must mention in this League of Legends laning phase guide is freezing your lane. This is a complicated wave-management technique, but it can make a huge difference when playing.
Freezing your lane means is a technique that allows you to keep your lane in its current position. To do that, players must focus on the last hitting in the last possible second. Even though this may not seem that complicated, the reality is that it takes tons of practice because you need to do two things:
- Learn how to last-hit properly
- Match your opponent’s damage
A lot of people forget about the latter, but it is essential when it comes to controlling your lane. Once your opponent does damage, his lane will push, so you need to do the same to keep it in the same position. This is one of the reasons why freezing your lane is usually done when you are with some of your teammates.
Needless to say, freezing your lane in League of Legends is complex, and it will require a lot of practice. Some champions will be better at this than others, so don’t be surprised if you are having more problems when facing certain opponents.
When to Recall?
Recalling is one of those things in the League of Legends laning phase that not a lot of people think about. Most people decide to recall when they feel like it, but this is not advisable.
The best time to recall in League of Legends will depend on your lane. If we look mid, for example, we will see that the best time to do it is when the wave is outside the inhibitor and your T1. Doing this will minimize the gold you will lose, but keep in mind you should push your opponent’s wave before that because this will “buy” you more time.
You can also try to play around with the caster minions and use them to freeze your wave. This is a common approach from some of the best professional League of Legends players, but it is harder to execute.
Slow Pushing
Regardless of the League of Legends lane champions, one thing you can do to control your lane is slow pushing. The idea here is simple – you must create a big creep wave and slowly pressure your opponent’s wave.
Securing the number advantage can allow your wave to last much longer and do more damage overall. Setting up a slow push requires you to try to secure a minion advantage. Most people decide to do that slowly until they have a significant minion advantage (4+).
If you decide to use slow pushing to control your lane in League of Legends, you can secure space for yourself and your team. Once you start pushing, they will have to go and defend, giving you time to act.
Conclusion
Learning how to control your lane in League of Legends is not easy and requires much practice. Fortunately, you can use some of the suggestions here and implement them once you start playing. Don’t forget to follow Blix.gg’s LoL guides for more amazing guides and the latest LoL News.
