Top 10 Laning Tricks

This week's Top 10 list focuses specifically on advantages you can gain while laning in the form of tips and tricks! Hopefully some of you will learn something new...

Introduction

While laning phase appears to be a relatively simple game of "Don't Die/Plz Farm", old veterans know there are a myriad of small laning tips and tricks that can be used to one's advantage. Check out our top 10 below!

1. Identify Enemy Jungle Starting Position

If you know where the jungler started, you'll understand how long you have until they're likely to gank and when to play safe. If they don't gank by 2:20ish, they're likely going to finish both buffs before attempting a gank. Watching your own jungler's clear speed, stay alert to jungle ganks as he finishes up his second buff.

There are three main ways to figure out where the enemy jungler started:

• Place Ward(s) - By far the most obvious, warding will let you see exactly where the enemy jungler started.
• Watch Leashers - Laners that arrive late are likely the enemy players that helped the jungler leash the camp closest to them. 
• Check Enemy Mana - Some leashers are a bit more savvy, and will delay walking to lane to prevent you from seeing where the enemy jungler started. However, if they aren't missing any they may just be throwing you off. If they are missing mana, they almost definitely helped the enemy jungler leash.

2. Push and Gain Level/CS Advantage

Pushing to enemy turrets nets an early level 2 advantage that can be used to punish the enemy laner. Doing so can also deny them CS, which translates to an advantage after the first shop.

Tip for Pushing:

• Ranged minions deal more damage, have less health, and are closer to the enemy champions. Kill these first if possible, they will secure your minion advantage. Don't take free harass while trying though.

3. Freeze At Turret for Safety

Opposite from Tip #2, if you're confident in your CSing abilities and have strong engagement/jungle strength, freezing the minion wave close to your turret is actually the optimal strategy. Doing so keeps your opponent in a vulnerable position, and also allows you to farm safely.

Tips for Freezing:

• Leave three enemy ranged minions up. More than this will push too hard, less may break the freeze.
• Don't let your opponent push you all the way to turret. This will reset the wave.

4. Start at a Jungle Camp

This tip is more for top laners. With teleport, most top laners can do either wolves or raptors safely to hit level 2 and quickly teleport back up to top lane for a slight level advantage. This is ideal for melee fighting ranged match-ups who would otherwise take too much level 1 harass while CSing. 

Bot lane can also run this strategy, but tend to get interrupted more often since their starting position is more predictable.

5. Control Side Bushes

For both top and bottom lanes, the side bushes pose a very interesting strategic objective. By controlling the bush, it allows for free harass or to close the gap without being harassed. It also opens up the ability for teammates to lane gank with the jungler and/or teleport gank from top/mid.

6. Throw Harass During Last Hitting

Most champions have a skillshot that they can use to harass the enemy player. The optimal time to harass is right when they're about to last hit a creep. If you do this often, it throws off their last-hitting skills and can easily net you some free damage as well.

Even if your harass isn't a skillshot, auto-attacks can be just as effective.

7. Beware the Siege Minion

This is also a jungler tip as well. If you see a siege minion in the lane you want to gank, it's best to wait until it dies before trying to go aggressive on the enemy champions unless they're already mid-initiation.

Fighting with the siege minion up means:

• Extra damage while fighting, especially if you're behind their minion line; and
• Losing out on enhanced gold from the siege minion.

8. Kite Large Waves Diagonally Away From Turret

If you have a large enemy wave arriving, kite them diagonally towards your turret instead of letting them walk straight. When your creeps arrive you'll have a much easier time last-hitting without your turret hitting the creeps. This also allows you to freeze your lane by preventing it from resetting at tower.

9. Find Value in Pink Wards

The best thing you can do in a winning lane is to make sure you have a pink ward up somewhere important. A pink ward allows you to stay aggressive while always watching out for the enemy jungler. It also allows you to take advantage of the enemy laner if they try and kill the pink ward.

With the amount of durability a pink ward has compared to early game enemy attack speeds, it's fairly likely that enemy junglers will also be in danger if they try and destroy your ward. Doing so may even net you some kills for your investment.

10. Understand Jungler Perspectives

If you have two teammates with their lanes frozen at their turrets and you have your lane pushed up, make sure your lane is warded. You know that jungler is going to make a beeline for you. You can also let your jungler know to keep his eyes peeled to counter-gank, but he'll likely be busy ganking for the other two lanes. If you can stay alive on your own in this situation, it's much better in the long run.

Got more tips? Comment below!