How do you poke as melee supports?

Cyrosi·3/12/2018, 6:30:09 PM·1 votes·1,065 views

Taric was one of the first people I unlocked, and I really like the look of Leona. But I feel like every time I play Taric, I'd be better off playing Raka, Sona, Nami, etc. just because I get out ranged all the time. I feel like a big part of my job as support is poking at enemy heroes, but I also feel like that's really hard to do on melee characters. Poking was very easy on Soraka, who was the first character I really learned how to play, but I can't poke as Taric at all unless someone makes a mistake, so that I can stun them and the ADC and I can then gank them.

How do I do this? I know Taric was really big in the pro scene, so I know it can be done. I'm just really bad at actually doing it without taking so much damage that the poking was pointless. In particular, any time both the ADC and enemy support are long range, I just end up not doing much until the late game.

11 Comments

Get Ogre Here3/12/2018, 6:31:56 PM1 votes

Tale second wind, dodge skillshots, you have a better all in, so just wait for that moment to come.

Gibberwatt3/12/2018, 6:32:47 PM1 votes

A lot of the time, melee supps are there more for going in and slapping people with your sword/shield/stick (and praying that your adc follows you). Mostly you spend a lot of time wandering around looking menacing.

If you insist on poking, though, you can do some bush stuff, but the majority of your damage is going to come from going balls deep

Kythers3/12/2018, 6:33:01 PM1 votes

You don't poke unless you have a poke skill TahmKench

Colton1473/12/2018, 6:34:15 PM1 votes

Braum

Ren Amari3/12/2018, 6:38:32 PM1 votes

You are playing a level 1 melee tank support. You win 2v2s on an equal skill level, and usually have a lot more CC. it's fine that you are useless until level 2, it allows for actual good ranged supports to show a skill difference in their playstyle before being forced to sit 1000 units back for the rest of the game.

MorganFreemanBot3/12/2018, 6:38:52 PM1 votes

Melee supports are there for reliable defenses or reliable all ins.

They tend to be super dangerous if allowed to get close; Leona applies a burst debuff and runs a CC train which can cripple anyone trying to do anything.

Melee supports poke in two ways:

1: Going all in. This is.. pretty simple. Leona lands her Zenith and goes ham, with her adc, forcing the enemy to retreat or die.

2: Posturing. Melee supports, due to the danger they represent, tend to exert a 'zone of danger' which others must respect. You can position yourself to force your enemies into this dangerous area, which gives them the option of either adjusting to less than ideal positions (usually losing CC / giving up brush) or face an all-in they cannot win.

Melee supports are, at a base line, positioning heavy. It's a skill which those playing them need to understand far more than than ranged supporty types.

OurLestrade3/12/2018, 7:53:25 PM1 votes

You run at them like a mad man, that actually works more often than you think since most supports are last picks who expect you to just stand there and take it. I'd frequently do that on Fervor Taric before the rune rework and it'd usually get the snowball rolling or at least get an early flash. It's the reason I enjoy rushing stuff like Righteous Glory too.

AlienPrimate3/12/2018, 8:19:47 PM1 votes

From a Taric one trick, you don't poke. You all-in. The ranged supports you talk about look to take 1/10 of someone's health at a time. On Taric, you look to take at least half of someone's health whenever you land a stun. This means the enemy has to go in on you 10 times and you only have to go in twice. I like to play around the bushes as Taric and go for a stun whenever one is available. If it misses, I just back off and wait for the next opportunity. All it takes is a single stun to turn the flow of lane unlike Soraka who has to land her slow moving Q at least 5 times in a row to have any meaningful effect.

woodvsmurph3/12/2018, 10:21:16 PM1 votes

Taric isn't picked to win lane; he's picked to scale into a teamfight monster and to prevent the enemy being able to all-in your adc. Leona is the opposite. She's all about going in during laning and blowing up the enemy adc or squishy support. Her tradeoff for this is less effectiveness in teamfights than what a taric can RELIABLY offer; she's good for picks, good for peeling or hard engage and tanking some damage, but can't provide as much durability for her teammates as taric can. She also offers no sustain for her adc in lane like taric does - other than relic shield and anything runes or items might provide. Taric is a much safer pick and easier to play even if your adc is super passive; leona, you really need an adc that's willing to go in on engages and punish the enemy bot lane, or you will just get poked out regularly and/or killed. She's also better at making early roams to gank other lanes or invading with your jungler.