Playing support is one of the easiest and most fun ways to learn the ways of League of Legends. With no farming required and more room for error, the support role is one of the least stressful, especially in a game known for its steep learning curve.
Nevertheless, sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what to do as a support in League of Legends, and there are some mechanics and concepts that only apply to this unique role. These tips are ideal for players taking their first steps as a support.
10 Level 2 Power Spike
Getting level 2 first is a big deal in League of Legends, as a player has more stats and access to two spells as opposed one. In the bot lane however where there are four champions, an early level 2 is the difference between four spells and two, and can often result in quick kills.
As experience is shared in bot lane, reaching level 2 takes a little longer than in solo lanes. If both players are receiving experience then the entire first wave of six minions needs to die, followed by all three melee minions from the second wave. By saving Relic Shield or Steel Shoulderguards stacks for when the last two melee minions reach half health, a quick surprise level 2 can be achieved and followed up by a deadly engage.
9 Prioritize Your Support Item Quest
Every support starts the game off by buying their support item which helps them gain gold as a substitute for farming. Other than providing gold, support items upgrade after reaching 500g from the quest and then once again at 1000g. With each upgrade come a plethora of extra stats, but the most important thing is that after 500g, players get three wards that are refreshed with each trip back to the fountain.
The earlier these wards can be acquired the better, thus prioritizing gold from the support quest is key. At 1000g a fourth ward is also unlocked, and the item now counts as a Legendary Item, meaning that it will count towards the bonus on a player's Mythic Item.
8 Complete Support Item Quests Faster
There are four different support items available and to complete quests faster, players must know how each works. Relic Shield and Steel Shoulderguards are primarily designed for melee supports and can be used to execute minions to secure gold for both laners. The amount of gold gained is the exact same as the minion is worth normally, so always prioritize canon minions and then melee minions which give more gold. Players will have a maximum of three stacks at once, so can normally save one for a canon minion.
Spectral Sickle and Spellthief's Edge on the other hand are better for ranged supports and provide gold when hitting enemy champions, so if it is safe make sure to trade, especially when all three charges are available. It is also important to note that these charges can only be used when an ally is nearby. In tough matchups where it is hard to trade or poke, ranged supports can opt for the melee items instead.
7 Deny Minions
In lane, supports should not only look to help their fellow laner farm and hopefully secure kills, but they should also aim to deny the enemy bot laner as many minions as possible. This can be achieved on ranged supports by firing out skill shots as the enemy moves in to last hit, or by aggressive positioning from melee engage champions.
Often just the threat of a strong ability such as Blitzcrank's hook can be enough to zone the enemy from farm, and hiding in bushes where the enemy does not have vision is equally effective. All of this is more powerful when ahead.
6 Play As The Bot Laner
As the Support bot lane duo it is important that they understand exactly what their bot lane carry wants from them. The easiest way to find out, is to play some games as a bot laner and learn the other side of the lane.
Additionally, by playing alongside other supports, players will identify both good and bad things their support does, which can then be applied to their own support games. Even watching high elo bot laners and listening to the things they praise or scold their supports for can help.
5 Buy Boots Early
Moving around the map fast is essential for supports, as it allows them to create number advantages, turning the tides of fights with their extremely useful abilities. It also allows them to reach allies in need of help faster. Therefore, buying boots early, ideally on the first back, is of upmost importance.
Basic boots by themselves are perfectly fine at first and should be prioritized above other components, especially considering the limited income a support receives.
4 Support The Team
A common misconception is that supports only exist to look after their bot lane carry. While this is certainly one function of the role, and can turn into a primary goal in games where the carry is fed, supports are actually there for the entire team. At the end of the day all that matters is destroying the enemy's Nexus, and if supporting other teammates helps achieve that, then it's the right call.
Helping the team can come in many forms, from roaming during the laning phase to get kills, save allies or just drop wards, to following round an extremely fed player and making sure they carry in the mid and late game.
3 Understand The Basics Of Warding
Warding and vision is as complex as any fundamental skill in League, but if a beginner support understands at least the basics of vision and what is expected of them, then that is enough for the time being. After completing their support item quest, the support will have access to the most wards on their team, and can swap out their trinket ward for a sweeper if they haven't done so already.
Due to their builds not being as important, supports can also afford to spend more gold on Control Wards. With all these vision tools available the key thing to remember at first is to constantly drop wards, either in bushes or on the entrances to important paths. Also try to destroy enemy wards before objectives, or before the jungler ganks.
2 Peel Or Engage?
In teamfights and skirmishes, supports have two main options, to either start the fight with big multi-man engages, or to peel and protect their carries. Sometimes a support champion will be restricted by their kit to just one of these, for example enchanters like Janna and Lulu excel at peeling, whereas engage champions like Leona only know how to go in.
Some champions however such as Thresh and Rakan are equally proficient at both engaging and peeling, meaning the decision is dependent on the situation. To identify which play style should be prioritized, think about the win conditions of each team. If the enemy has one or two key carries that could be picked off, or your team has lots of area damage, then engaging might be the way forward. However, if your team is dependent on one hyper carry, make sure they stay alive at all costs.
1 Die For The Team
One of the most fun aspects of playing support in League is taking on the role of sacrificial hero. As supports have the lowest income in terms of both gold and experience, they are also the most expendable. The important thing to do is take down as many of the enemy with you as possible.
Trading deaths with an enemy carry will almost always be worth it, and in teamfights as long as a support gets off their key abilities before going down, they have done their job. Supports can also block skill shots for allies or distract an enemy while their teammates make a hasty exit. If dying for the team will win the game, do it!
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