Top 10 Ways to Initiate Fights

Starting a fight is an art form. It involves quickly analyzing the terrain, individual player positions, and overall game flow in order to successfully achieve end goals.

Some champions have a variety of methods that have proven more effective than others over the course of time via the utility they were gifted from the Riot Gods. However, there is still quite a large pool of potential engagement methodologies work if you know what you're doing.

Check out this top 10 list below!

Introduction

Starting a fight is an art form. It involves quickly analyzing the terrain, individual player positions, and overall game flow in order to successfully achieve end goals.

Some champions have a variety of methods that have proven more effective than others over the course of time via the utility they were gifted from the Riot Gods. However, there is still quite a large pool of potential engagement methodologies work if you know what you're doing.

Check out this top 10 list below!

1. Short Range Gap Closer

The most common form of initiation, this involves a champion using a gap closer from within fog of war range to jump onto an enemy champion. It can also be done from an unwarded area, but generally initiation is possible even if enemies can see you.

Tip: If you have more than one gap closer or CC, lead with the easier one to land.

Examples: Amumu, Irelia, Jarvan IV, Malphite

2. Face Tank

The second most common form of "tank" initiation, this method involves running straight at the enemy team with some sort of speed boost. 

Generally this causes the initiator to take quite a bit of damage as they try and reach the back line. As a result, this type of champion should try and flank from the side or back. 

Tip: Depending on how fed the champion is, most champions of this type choose to split-push instead.

Examples: Garen, Olaf, Udyr

3. Assassination

This method of initiation is extremely popular at the moment, and generally involves a short range gap closer or two into the back line to quickly burst down a target with massive damage. 

Where Type I initiation generally results in the initiator soaking a lot of damage on purpose, this type of initiation requires extremely high speed in order to minimize the damage taken before reaching the intended target. 

Tip: Most champions of this type are AOE based champions, so despite being single-target assassination oriented, good players try and maximize their AOE.

Examples: Leblanc, Talon, Zed

4. Bringing Targets Closer

Type Four initiation generally involves considerably more skill than other forms of initiation, but can be extremely valuable if the correct target is isolated from his team.

The prime example of this would be a Blitzcrank pull, but there are also other champions that can pull it off with a bit more difficulty and resulting in two sets of 1v4 fights that quickly turn into 4v4s.

Tip: Make sure your target is more valuable than your initiator. 

Examples: Blitzcrank, Gragas, Lee Sin (Insec), Janna (Monsoon)

5. Bush Camp

By far my favorite type of initiation method, this involves using sweepers and pink wards to block out enemy sight, then waiting in an unwarded bush for an enemy to walk through and face check.

Tip: This works at every division.

6. Poking/Sniping

This method is the 100% fool proof method of initiation with nearly no risk required. On a team with strong kiting and counter engagement potential, pushing side lanes and sieging with champions like Nidalee and Ezreal results in a slow whittle of enemy HP bars and structures.

Tip: Watch out for the other forms of initiation and stack some CDR.

Examples: Ezreal, Lux, Nidalee, Ziggs

7. Tower Diving

The most aggressive and high risk form of initiation, sometimes you're forced to do it against high wave clear high poke teams (Type 6). Generally you'll need good coordination to pull it off along with a good mixture of initiation methods.

Tip: Make sure to ping before jumping in so your team has time to prepare a follow-up.

Examples: Any of the Type 1-3 champions can work.

8. Long Range CC

This is a time proven method that works quote well. Simply launching long range AOE CC into an enemy clump generally results in solid performance.

Tip: Even if the enemy is densely packed, make sure to prioritize high value targets rather than just sheer champion number.

Examples: Leona, Sejuani, Zac

9. Global Initiation

This initiation method differs from the short range gap closer since you're almost guaranteed to be striking from a spot without wards.

Tip: This is best used as a counter-initiation method since enemies will play more passively in lane if they know there could be an impending gank.

Examples: Pantheon, Nocturne

10. Bait/AFK Bait

The highest risk initiation method, sometimes the enemy simply has too much waveclear and it's difficult to get them to leave base, especially when all the objectives are down. If this is the case, it may be time to whip out the AFK bait.

Steps:

1. Place a target somewhere the enemy team can see. Face champion away from enemy champions (if they see your back turned you look tastier)
2. Utilize Bush Camp technique
3. Wait for greed
4. Profit.

Got more of your favorite initiation techniques to share? Comment below!