What are the roles?
Riot·7/22/2014, 1:26:38 AM·0 votes·11,567 views
So we’ve got our team composition set. Now what? Sure, we know what everyone will be playing, but where are they going? What’s the plan here?
To answer that, we’ll have to go into the roles. Let’s start with the simple guys: ADC and support.
The late-game damage dealers of the team, AD carries (or just ADCs) are ranged champions that look to survive long enough to become powerhouses. Look for the champions with guns (Jinx or Caitlyn), bows and arrows (Ashe and Ezreal when he feels like it), or other, more creative forms of artillery (looking at you, Kog’Maw), and you’ll usually have your eye on the AD carry.
Typically found in the bottom lane, AD carries are known for being extremely weak in the early game, but capable of doing insane damage in the late game. They remain easy to kill throughout, however, as they rarely pick up many defensive items, instead opting to maximize their destruction potential. As a result, they need a bit of protection from their teammates.
That’s where the support comes in.
Support
AD carry
The late-game damage dealers of the team, AD carries (or just ADCs) are ranged champions that look to survive long enough to become powerhouses. Look for the champions with guns (Jinx or Caitlyn), bows and arrows (Ashe and Ezreal when he feels like it), or other, more creative forms of artillery (looking at you, Kog’Maw), and you’ll usually have your eye on the AD carry.
Typically found in the bottom lane, AD carries are known for being extremely weak in the early game, but capable of doing insane damage in the late game. They remain easy to kill throughout, however, as they rarely pick up many defensive items, instead opting to maximize their destruction potential. As a result, they need a bit of protection from their teammates.
That’s where the support comes in.
Support
Need a clutch stun in a critical moment? The support Leona’s got you. How about a shield to give you that little extra health to survive the duel? Your support Lulu’s got your back. Want someone to dive deep into the enemy team, opening up an opportunity to pick someone off? The support Thresh can even do that. Supports are your bro, your buddy, your protective pals.
Because ADCs tend to be a bit weak early game, supports usually tag along with them as they go a’farming. When opponents try to pick the ADC off, it’s the support’s job to keep them safe. If they’re feeling aggressive, they can even start fights with the hopes of getting their lane buddy off to a strong start. Basically, supports rule the lane in the early game, providing anything their friends need as they work to get strong.
Once the late game starts, supports have the added responsibility of keeping their squishier friends safe while creating opportunities for the rest of the team. They throw vision wards to scout out the enemy team and become forces to be reckoned with in teamfights, where their stuns, slows, and other crowd control is vital to taking five-on-five victories. They may not do much damage, but the utility of their skills keeps them relevant all game long.
Jungle
The other “supporting” role of the team comes in the form of the jungler. Typically a bruiser - champions that can take a decent amount of damage while throwing out a solid amount of their own - they exist to play mind games with their opponents and make sure the laners are safe.
Spending most of their time in the area between the lanes, a zone fittingly called the “jungle”, junglers try and keep the other side guessing as to their location up until the point they jump into the lane to grab a kill. Some achieve this by hiding in bushes before leaping onto their prey (Rengar), some by leaping around the map with their amazing mobility (Lee Sin), while still others ignore all the funny business and just turn invisible (Evelynn). They thrive on creating map pressure by way of surprising their opponents.
When they’re not killing unsuspecting champions, junglers spend their time killing the monsters in the jungle and finding opportunities to push down objectives when their opponents leave portions of the map neglected. Junglers are all about pressure.
Mid
This is where things start to get complicated. While ADCs, supports, and junglers tend to fill very specific roles, mid lane champions have a bit more variety.
Right now, mages are the most prevalent style of champion to hang out in the middle of the map. Focusing on huge amounts of magic damage being thrown out from a distance, mages love to sit behind their more formidable teammates and snipe away. Champions like Ziggs or Xerath provide huge amounts of area of effect (AOE) damage to take down enemy health bars.
And then there’s the assassins. If a team is looking to blow up a single target, assassins are the way to go. Rather than having a lot of AOE damage, assassins aim to get in, kill someone, and get right out. Whether its Fizz slicing through, Kha’Zix leaping in, or Zed ninja’ing away, assassins make sure to get their opponents on their heels by creating 4v5 situations.
Finally, there’s utility mid laners. Essentially a support champion that happens to be able to do a ton of damage, utility mids can both dish the hurt and protect their team from it. Recently, the most popular champion to fit that role would be Lulu, with her ability to shield her teammates while simultaneously casting high-damage spells. They may not be able to always take enemies one-on-one, but be careful when the rest of their team is around.
Top
Formerly the realm of gigantic tanks like Renekton, Shyvana, and Dr. Mundo, the top lane has become one of the more diverse and complicated places on the Rift as the 2014 season has rolled on. Sure, the strategy of throwing up huge health bars to stand in the way of incoming damage is still viable, but there has definitely been a good amount of innovation in recent months.
Notably, there have been a few mages that have snuck their way up top. In order to take advantage of the short range of those tanks, champions like Lulu and Ryze have headed north. The wizards can sit back, cast spells, and slowly wear away opponents while they get stronger themselves. If they’re looking to garner a bit of an early lead, the mage top laner is a good way to go. Plus, when the late game arrives, those with the appropriate spells can help out the support in the crowd control department. Not such a bad deal for their team.
Bruisers have also made appearances. While they may not be able to soak up as much damage as some of their tankier counterparts, Jax and Aatrox can provide huge amounts of sustained damage while living long enough to take advantage of it.
So there you have it, the five positions. While they may not always hang out in their titular lanes due to lane swaps and the like (we’ll talk more about this in the future), you’ll still see players referred to by their roles on the team.
Next time: What happens during the laning phase?
Last time: What’s in a team comp?
Related Articles
Need a clutch stun in a critical moment? The support Leona’s got you. How about a shield to give you that little extra health to survive the duel? Your support Lulu’s got your back. Want someone to dive deep into the enemy team, opening up an opportunity to pick someone off? The support Thresh can even do that. Supports are your bro, your buddy, your protective pals.
Because ADCs tend to be a bit weak early game, supports usually tag along with them as they go a’farming. When opponents try to pick the ADC off, it’s the support’s job to keep them safe. If they’re feeling aggressive, they can even start fights with the hopes of getting their lane buddy off to a strong start. Basically, supports rule the lane in the early game, providing anything their friends need as they work to get strong.
Once the late game starts, supports have the added responsibility of keeping their squishier friends safe while creating opportunities for the rest of the team. They throw vision wards to scout out the enemy team and become forces to be reckoned with in teamfights, where their stuns, slows, and other crowd control is vital to taking five-on-five victories. They may not do much damage, but the utility of their skills keeps them relevant all game long.
Jungle
The other “supporting” role of the team comes in the form of the jungler. Typically a bruiser - champions that can take a decent amount of damage while throwing out a solid amount of their own - they exist to play mind games with their opponents and make sure the laners are safe.
Spending most of their time in the area between the lanes, a zone fittingly called the “jungle”, junglers try and keep the other side guessing as to their location up until the point they jump into the lane to grab a kill. Some achieve this by hiding in bushes before leaping onto their prey (Rengar), some by leaping around the map with their amazing mobility (Lee Sin), while still others ignore all the funny business and just turn invisible (Evelynn). They thrive on creating map pressure by way of surprising their opponents.
When they’re not killing unsuspecting champions, junglers spend their time killing the monsters in the jungle and finding opportunities to push down objectives when their opponents leave portions of the map neglected. Junglers are all about pressure.
Mid
This is where things start to get complicated. While ADCs, supports, and junglers tend to fill very specific roles, mid lane champions have a bit more variety.
Right now, mages are the most prevalent style of champion to hang out in the middle of the map. Focusing on huge amounts of magic damage being thrown out from a distance, mages love to sit behind their more formidable teammates and snipe away. Champions like Ziggs or Xerath provide huge amounts of area of effect (AOE) damage to take down enemy health bars.
And then there’s the assassins. If a team is looking to blow up a single target, assassins are the way to go. Rather than having a lot of AOE damage, assassins aim to get in, kill someone, and get right out. Whether its Fizz slicing through, Kha’Zix leaping in, or Zed ninja’ing away, assassins make sure to get their opponents on their heels by creating 4v5 situations.
Finally, there’s utility mid laners. Essentially a support champion that happens to be able to do a ton of damage, utility mids can both dish the hurt and protect their team from it. Recently, the most popular champion to fit that role would be Lulu, with her ability to shield her teammates while simultaneously casting high-damage spells. They may not be able to always take enemies one-on-one, but be careful when the rest of their team is around.
Top
Formerly the realm of gigantic tanks like Renekton, Shyvana, and Dr. Mundo, the top lane has become one of the more diverse and complicated places on the Rift as the 2014 season has rolled on. Sure, the strategy of throwing up huge health bars to stand in the way of incoming damage is still viable, but there has definitely been a good amount of innovation in recent months.
Notably, there have been a few mages that have snuck their way up top. In order to take advantage of the short range of those tanks, champions like Lulu and Ryze have headed north. The wizards can sit back, cast spells, and slowly wear away opponents while they get stronger themselves. If they’re looking to garner a bit of an early lead, the mage top laner is a good way to go. Plus, when the late game arrives, those with the appropriate spells can help out the support in the crowd control department. Not such a bad deal for their team.
Bruisers have also made appearances. While they may not be able to soak up as much damage as some of their tankier counterparts, Jax and Aatrox can provide huge amounts of sustained damage while living long enough to take advantage of it.
So there you have it, the five positions. While they may not always hang out in their titular lanes due to lane swaps and the like (we’ll talk more about this in the future), you’ll still see players referred to by their roles on the team.
Next time: What happens during the laning phase?
Last time: What’s in a team comp?
The stasche is really stong outside of support where most people put him.
rito pls...
