Support Trichotemy

TheRakkun··1 votes·416 views

I just noticed there are three kinds of support that work in a sort of "Rock Paper Scissors" type system, I think there are:

All-In Supports: This support has to get right into the fray and is rewarded when they do this, being able to do massive amounts CC for their carry to follow up on, these types of supports are countered by "Poke" supports due to the fact that they can make it too risky for an all-in by keeping the carry at constant low health. Examples: Leona, Blitzcrank, Annie, Alistar, Thresh, Nautilus, Braum

Poke: This support has long ranged, low cooldown abilities that can be used to damage the enemy carry to the point that an all-in from them would be suicide, these supports are countered by Sustain supports as they can keep the carry at a reasonable amount of health keeping an all-in viable. Examples would be Morgana, Janna, Brand, Fiddle, Lulu, Zyra

Sustain: This support revolves around protection, usually by healing, but occasionally by using shields or projectile blocking, generally allowing the carry to survive longer in fights. These are countered by all-in supports as sustain if often in small bursts. Examples Nami, Soraka, Sona, Braum.

Of course there are some overlaps, such as the fact Braum has Sustain tenancies despite the fact he's an all-in, but you have to look at what counters what.

3 Comments

ZeeDrakon1 votes

IMO morgana is an all in support rather than poke. but yea, the same way the whole game is constructed (on a very very basic level) as tanks counter mages, mages counter adcs, adcs counter tanks. or how engage teamcomps beat poke comps, poke comps beat disengage/kite comps and kite comps beat engage comps :D

TheRakkun1 votes

But Morgana counters Leona who is an all in, and is countered by Sona, who is a sustain.

Sonasaurous1 votes

I would say that Sona is more of a poke support than a sustain...because, seriously, her heal is so ineffective and expensive early game that it's just a waste of mana until she gets her mana regen items.

Or rather, in terms of laning, she is primarily a poke support, and then by mid game she's an overlap of poke and sustain.

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