As a support in League of Legends, your impact can be game-changing, yet it often goes unnoticed. Macro play is the secret sauce that elevates your performance from good to great, intertwining your skills with a deep understanding of the game’s flow. Whether you’re coordinating early invades or making pivotal decisions in the late game, your role is all about strategy and awareness. This guide will break down essential macro strategies that every support should master, helping you to better navigate the map and support your team effectively—whether you’re starting fresh or boosting your League of Legends account. Let’s dive in and discover how to enhance your gameplay and influence the outcome of each match!
Understanding Macro Play
Before we get into the specifics, it’s essential to define macro play. According to Dignitas, macro gameplay combines your individual skills (micro) with information gathered during the game to pursue victory conditions on the map. While micro play focuses on individual mechanics and actions, macro play is about broader strategies, team actions, and utilizing information effectively.
As a support, your role is especially unique because you’re responsible for delivering crucial information, creating opportunities for your team, and maintaining a strategic advantage throughout the game.
Early Game Macro Strategies
At the start of the match, your focus should be on various strategies based on your team composition, the enemy team, and the current map situation. Right off the bat, consider organizing an invade or securing your jungle entrances.
One effective early strategy is the “Five-Point” strategy, where each player positions themselves at one of the jungle entrances to scout for enemy invasions. This proactive approach gives your team valuable intel on the enemy’s movements and helps prevent early-game surprises.
Identifying the Enemy Jungler’s Starting Position
Determining where the enemy jungler begins is crucial for avoiding early ganks. If your top laner arrives late to lane, for example, it’s likely the jungler started on the top side. To prevent ambushes, place a ward in the river around the third wave of minions, allowing you to anticipate ganks before they occur.
Fighting for Level 2 on Bot Lane
In the bot lane, securing level 2 first can be a game-changer. You and your ADC will hit level 2 after clearing the first wave and three melee minions from the second wave. As a support, especially if you’re playing a ranged champion, aim to achieve this advantage to initiate a fight.
Remember, if you have a minion-executing ability (like with Leona or Thresh), save it for the second wave to avoid pushing the lane into a precarious position.
Lane Priority
Gaining lane priority is essential after the initial waves. Lane priority allows you to leave the lane first to assist in fights or objectives. For instance, if you’re playing Janna with Caitlyn and your team pushes the wave under the enemy tower, you can leave the lane to help your jungler secure the scuttle crab or engage in skirmishes.
With lane priority, the enemy team faces a tough choice: they can either miss minions under their tower or react to your actions on the map, giving your team a significant tactical edge.
Roaming: When and How
Effective roaming is a vital part of macro play for supports, and knowing when and how to execute it can significantly impact the game. The best time to roam is typically when you have lane priority or after a successful recall. If your ADC is safe and the enemy bot lane is pushed back, seize the opportunity to move into the jungle or to another lane.
Start by assessing the situation in other lanes for potential skirmishes. Communicate with your team using pings to signal your intentions, ensuring they’re aware of your movements. However, be cautious—poorly timed roams can leave your ADC vulnerable in a 1v2 situation.
If you decide to roam, try to ward enemy jungle entrances as you move, providing vital vision. Before roaming, consider your itemization; completing a significant item may make it the perfect moment to make a play. Upon returning to your lane, push the wave if necessary to deny the enemy ADC farm and experience. Effective roaming enhances your team’s chances of winning fights and showcases your strategic thinking as a support player.
Importance of Proper Recall Timing
Recall timing is another critical aspect of early macro play. A good time to recall is when you have enough gold for key items and can do so without losing lane control. Ideally, you should push the wave under the enemy tower before recalling, ensuring they lose gold and experience.
If pushing isn’t feasible, it’s often better to recall without doing so to avoid putting your team at a disadvantage.
Mid-Late Game Macro Strategies
As the game transitions to the mid-late phase, your role as a support evolves significantly. Your primary objectives now focus on playing around your most fed player and setting up for key objectives.
Identify Your Strongest Player
Throughout the match, one player on your team typically stands out as the strongest. This can vary, so it’s crucial to regularly check the scoreboard. Adapting your strategy to focus on your strongest player helps avoid falling into autopilot mode, which can be common for supports after the laning phase.
Abandon the “Babysitting” Mindset
Once the laning phase concludes and the first tower falls, it’s time to shift your focus from babysitting your ADC to providing assistance wherever it’s needed most. This change is vital for maximizing your team’s potential, allowing you to support whichever player is leading the charge.
Playing Around Your Most Fed Player
To support your strongest player effectively, you must provide and deny vision strategically.
Ward Placement: Position your wards according to the wave state of your fed player. This allows them to see enemy rotations and play more aggressively. For instance, if your fed champion is in a risky position, deep wards in the enemy jungle can offer critical information.
Timing and Information Gathering: As you exit the base, assess the scoreboard to identify your strongest player. If champions like Jax or Sylas are fed, consider warding the red side jungle, particularly if they are vulnerable.
Avoiding Ambushes: When placing deep wards, ensure you’re not spotted by the enemy. Navigate around enemy wards to clear them and secure a better vision for your team.
Objectives: Dragons, Heralds, and Barons
Understanding how to approach objectives is crucial for mid-late game success. Your decisions should align with your team’s positioning and the enemy’s.
Assessing the Situation: Before an objective spawns, evaluate whether your team can contest it. Aim to provide or deny vision about a minute to a minute and a half before it appears.
Warding the Area: If you have the advantage in position, place wards around the objective and look for chances to surprise enemies. For example, if you’re attempting to take a dragon, adequate warding can help you secure an easy kill on the enemy jungler.
Engagement Strategy: If your team is contesting an objective, engage in a way that allows your team to follow up effectively. Avoid 50-50 smite situations where both junglers have an equal chance to secure the objective.
Navigating the Map
During the mid-late game, navigating your team’s positioning concerning objectives and enemy champions is essential.
Retake Control: If the enemy takes an objective, shift your focus to the other side of the map. For example, if they secure the Herald, reposition yourself to set up vision around the upcoming dragon.
Blind Jungle Entries: When entering the jungle without vision, use minions or vision cones to minimize risk and avoid potential ambushes.
Map Awareness: Continuously assess the map for enemy champion locations. This information is crucial for guiding your movements and ward placements.
Ward Efficiently: Place wards in key locations that deny enemy vision while providing you with information about their movements.
Siege and Defense Strategies
In the late game, your focus often shifts to sieging and defending.
Sieging: If your team is on the offensive, prioritize placing wards deep in the enemy base and deny vision outside of it. This strategy hinders their ability to respond effectively.
Defending: When defending, use an initial ward to regain vision around your base. Move with your team to reclaim control gradually and ensure safety.
Leveraging Objectives
Whether you’re sieging or defending, always consider your fed player’s position and engage accordingly. Focus on supporting your strongest teammates as you secure objectives.
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Conclusion
Mastering macro gameplay in League of Legends is vital for a successful support player. Whether in the early game or mid-late game, always think about the enemy jungler’s position, how to gain lane priority, and when to roam or recall.
By following these strategies and focusing on your strongest player, you can create opportunities for your team and significantly enhance your effectiveness as a support. Remember, the better you understand these core principles, the more influence you’ll have on the outcome of your games. Thank you for tuning in, and may your support skills elevate your gameplay to new heights!