Lvl 2 ganks in top lane

GarthBrooksXD·12/21/2017, 5:25:01 PM·13 votes·3,045 views

So there is this strategy, its happened to me enough times now that I'm actually fuckin sick of losing lane because of it. The enemy jungle and top lane start the red buff, whether its on your side or if they're on blue starting yours.

I thought about this the other day while I was at the gym. If you're on red side this is why you need to stand in the brush behind your red to make sure someone isn't doing this.

If I'm on blue side, I'm now just warding my own brush at about 1:10 because then it lasts long enough to stop a jungler red then gank crap. Then you have a trinket back at 3:10, so that will cover most jungler lvl 3 gank. You might think oh but enemy jungler clearly started blue if their not lane appeared to leash, but bot lanes will just fake they leashed even so you can't really count on that unless your team warded the bot side buff to see the jg start.

Even if that is a late time to have your trinket back, cuz I mean they could just hit you when you go to ward at that point, it is less damaging to your landing phase than losing flash at level 1, because

  1. Your own jungler will at least be nearby at 3 minutes, so possibly you get a counter gank,

  2. The enemy jungler will lose more tempo at this point in the game if he stays to try to repeat gank after getting your flash, especially if they don't get a kill,

  3. At least you had a chance to manage the wave or poke your enemy down low enough by this point in the game that the gank might not even be viable.

Anyway, that is my take on this shit. Tired enough of losing to cheesing strategies that I thought of some way to mitigate it.

16 Comments

Weedbro12/21/2017, 5:32:24 PM7 votes

how much do you lift bro

TheWoollyMammoth12/21/2017, 11:53:26 PM3 votes

If I'm ganking top level 2. as anyone. I take Red with hard leash. Run to blue. Smite it. If I'm on blue side. I ward enemy tri and run up behind you. If I get nothing out of it, I WILL ALWAYS loop back around the moment you return to the cs. If take your flash, I check the enemy red, Steal if I can. Then run up top and hit you again. If I kill you, I will take scuttles. and wait for you to tp back to lane, Then I gank you again.

It's not strictly about getting myself or my laner ahead (thats just icing) the strat is about getting you angry. Hopefully at your jungler (who does not have much chance of retaliating immediatly in most cases) The angrier you get, the happier I am. I'll steal a few cs in between to make sure I reach level 3. Take a camp or 2 depending on my health and back. Then I wait 2 and a half minutes and test to see how responsive you are to ganks. or try and repeat on another lane. By this time, I'm hoping to be using my ult in bot lane though.

from a Sion main.

Hibeki12/21/2017, 11:39:32 PM3 votes

I mean its pretty predictable. You shouldn't really be in a position to be ganked at level 2, you should be doing brief trades but back to farming.

Where you are in a position to be ganked at level 3 is generally where it happens, and thats so predictable its easy to play around. Back off when you see aggression, or ward preemptively, or watch your own junglers path to get an idea where they are at.

If this is a big problem for you, work on your extension early in the game and dont go too far unless you can absolutely secure a kill. Watch your jungler for his path, it will give a relative idea of the enemy junglers.

Jinx Hunter12/22/2017, 3:37:02 PM2 votes

I remember back in my day, the jungler didn't gank until level 5. RIP old times.

redniwediS12/21/2017, 5:38:24 PM2 votes

Mid lane is usually the one that gets ganked level 2, guess people got used to it there and figured top, which is not used to it, will still fall for it.

If you're against a jungler who could gank at level 2 make sure you ward your lane and play safe. The only time you die is if you're out of position and make an incorrect assumption, and both of those things can be fixed.

Thefrostyviking12/21/2017, 10:37:02 PM1 votes

Level two ganks have been a thing ever since.....early game junglers and exp was buffed, which was pretty long ago if i recall it right.

It's just happening more now compared to before preseason because tanks fell outa favor in the jungle and instead lee&company came back with their rush style of doing things.

Stand Alone Wolf12/21/2017, 7:16:17 PM1 votes

I'm that guy who levels sling-shot at level two, for the early knock-up gank ;)Zac