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Passive vs. Aggro - the actual difference

Sheik0515·10/6/2016, 11:31:34 AM·48 votes·6,069 views

Hello all! Trying to get a little more involved on the forums. Thought I'd start it off with my two cents on aggressive vs. passive gameplay styles, specifically in regards to bot lane.

A little pretext. Yes, I'm Silver III. No, I don't claim to be "the very best", but I have been a support main since season 3. Statistically, I think I define what it means to be the "average ranked player" in League of Legends (at this point in time).

That being said, after hundreds upon hundreds of games in bot lane with random players (who range anywhere from amazing and friendly to shitty and downright toxic), I'd like to think I have a general idea of what I'm doing.

We all fuck up, supports and carries, but after a while, you start to identify some patterns, including the various ways in which your ADC is going to screw the pooch.

I, myself, am a Leona main. I like to think I embody the word "force". Yeah, okay, maybe I let Xenith Blade do the thinking for me every once in a while (root them all and let Sol sort the rest), but (overall) I think I know when and (and when not) to engage. While I definitely border on being overly aggressive, I think people get "passive" play mixed up with "farming simulator season 6".

Aggressive play (when it does work) usually either comes down to a bully lane, or a kill lane. Most sensible laners know when it's time to back off, so the latter happens far less than the former; forcing the enemy to hide under tower and lose CS to turret while you run around doing all sorts of dastardly shit (like warding the enemy blue, ganking/pressuring mid, taking scuttle, etc) is a legitimate form of aggressive play. Regardless, the idea of "playing aggressive" means you are creating opportunities. You're not waiting for anyone or anything. You're making the first move, and trying to put the enemy on their back foot.

Inversely, passive play is anticipating enemy movements. You're waiting for that Lucian to get just a little to close, and then getting a shot or two on him to force him to back off. You're watching out for enemy ganks, and keeping things warded, because ~~Hecarim is a bullshit champion and needs a fucking nerf already ~~ you've been ganked three times and now they're ahead (and you're waiting for Udyr to clear his third batch of wolves so he can get to your lane...someday..).

Point is, there's such a thing as being "too passive" and "too aggressive", and I honestly see just as many Ezreals think they can burst that full-health Graves down while I'm at base as I do Vaynes that will actively let kills get away because "omg just let me CS" (they say 26 minutes into a game in a 0/0 lane).

Even in a "passive" lane, you still need to be active. Just because you want to farm your way to full build, doesn't mean any of the other people in the game (the enemy Shen top with their TP/Ult bullshit, roaming fucking mid, the enemies support Nidalee that ADC Bard, or ~~THAT FUCKING HECARIM THAT'S GANKED SIX TIMES RIOT FUCKING DO SOMETHING ~~ the enemy jungler) are going to just let you do that. Yeah, I get it, you need to farm. We also need to push towers, maintain lanes, guard towers, ward jungle, take/guard dragon, take/guard baron, secure kills, push people out of lane,

and we can't do all of that if they're grouping up as a five man while you swear up and down about how you're going to end them as soon as you hit full build.

Which you do. Right as they're taking our Nexus.

If you're going to play passive, play passive. Not my cup of tea, but that's fine (my tea is actually just really aggressively made lemonade). But all of the gold in the world isn't going to make up for piss-poor tempo and complete lack of objectives.

**Edit: **One of the things people are starting to comment on (more and more) is in regards to "kill lanes" and aggressive play. I think there's a definite differentiation to be made between "engagement" and "aggressive", and it's actually what I'm getting at. Aggressive play doesn't necessarily mean "engagement", it means setting up the first move; taking the first step. Passive play, in contrast, is waiting for the enemy to do something. If you're a Soroka, you're not going to be "aggressive" in the traditional sense, but you can be all up in their business, forcing them to miss CS and actively trying to mess their day up. In contrast, a "passive" Soroka is going to wait for them to come into range first, and then laying down supporting fire. You're sticking closer to the support, staying completely behind the minion lines, focusing more on keeping yourself and your ADC alive than actively trying to force the enemy to take cover.

However, just like there is poor aggressive play, there is poor passive play. A player that's overly aggressive will dive and feed. An overly passive player, in contrast, is somebody that doesn't capitalize on mistakes, and assumes that the enemy laners will let him enjoy his version of farming sim 2016. Passive or aggro, you need to be active and thinking about your aggression (or lack thereof), no matter which side of the fence you fall on. But while aggressive play focuses on opening up opportunities (forcing the enemy to make mistakes and then capitalizing on them), passive play is just waiting for the enemy to make mistakes (and then capitalizing on them in much the same fashion).

I hope that helps to clarify things. Thank you everybody so much for the feedback so far!

33 Comments

Copy Mirror10/6/2016, 11:55:22 AM12 votes

I always Ban Hecarim andAnnie . I'm also an ADC main and I do get what you mean but most ADCs are pretty slow and when they do get to some place it's already too late. Tho I always trade double kill for my flash early game :3.

Leona is Waifu10/6/2016, 4:09:14 PM4 votes

First of all, LEONAS UNITE. Secondly, very well written, I like your point about passive lanes, that you're just waiting for action rather than making it. On that subject, is there champions that are practically incapable of doing one or the other? For an example close to my heart; Leona is very good at making plays, but on the defensive is much worse, especially getting poked down. On the other hand, Jannas peel is legendary, but outside of a flash+ult, can't really set anything up. Do you think that some champions (and players) are better off sticking to an aggressive playstyle even when behind or a passive one if ahead?

TeCoolMage10/6/2016, 4:32:36 PM4 votes

I agree, some people might think I'm crazy aggressive when I chase the enemy laner like a mad chicken down mid as Anivia to get one auto off, but I just want to deny CS really bad as I know it's not easy to hit my Qs constantly and win lane, and it's much harder to take advantage of being ahead then it is to be average but make sure your enemy is far behind. It's why I consider myself passive despite constantly trying to Q E, E R and all that crazy jazz

BIAKaboose10/6/2016, 6:11:02 PM3 votes

The roaming fucking mid link though, was not prepared for that, well played. Also the aggressively made lemonade.

That being said, there are a lot of good points here, I main Braum myself and I couldn't tell you how many times I Q the enemy laner to harass them and make them back up just for my laner to flash/dash straight into a pile of CC and get themselves killed because I managed to poke someone and they feel the undeniable urge to blow everything to try to proc my passive... That is reserved for Caitlyn and Kog'Maw to do on a whim, not the Vayne who apparently thinks they are a melee champion. This has been a Braum PSA.

Rockm Sockm10/6/2016, 12:45:33 PM3 votes

I agree with you except for the Leona part.

You don't have to trade every single second. I have played with too many Leonas that all in all the time.

Lead? Stealth or fast jungle? Roaming mid mia? Don't matter let's tower dive.

The trick to bottom lane is working with a stranger on knowing when to punish and when to back off.

I much prefer passive aggressiveness than full on balls to the wall.

CarameI Frappe10/6/2016, 9:24:10 PM2 votes

As a Leona main, this makes me really happy someone understands how I mostly play. If i'm facing a Ashe and Nami bot lane, you bet i'm going to be quite aggressive and make the first move. But when my ADC wants me to go ham on a Lucian and Braum, i'm like .... dude, no.

Playing passive doesn't mean you're a wuss or too friendly- it means you're freaking waiting for the right time to get them. I'm tired of my ADCs spamming the ping button for me to engage when we're at a disadvantage. Just farm and wait until we get a gank or the duo bot messes up, please.

OhWanderer10/7/2016, 2:56:10 PM2 votes

"...that no one ever was"

Hecarim summoner 11 Hecarim summoner 11 Hecarim summoner 11

RainbowIcee10/6/2016, 3:49:06 PM2 votes

this is why i love fighting morganas bot. They just sit back trying to get a good shield going. hue hue hue hue. Morgana takes advantage of pushing not being pushed, so when they pick a passive morgana to counter my janna, i laugh! you're going down mate... you're going down hard and can't stop me.

Droogzy10/6/2016, 6:03:50 PM2 votes

That Leona info graphic is just beautiful.

Leon Etoile10/6/2016, 7:12:58 PM2 votes

Even pro's will tell you while playing bot/support; if they won't match your aggression/passivity match theirs.

You are just as guilty as the other person and maybe worse.

Sypher The Poro10/6/2016, 7:56:22 PM2 votes

Pretty interesting read and we'll written, props to you.

On mobile, so I'll make this short.

Another key factor about being aggressive vs passive is wave control. Minion aggro plays a huuuge role in which direction the wave will push. A lane like Kog + Janna don't want to be aggressive or push up since they beat just about anyone late-game. If you auto the enemy, their minions will focus you and cause the wave to start pushing towards the enemy turret which leaves you open for ganks or TP roams.

Keep in mind how the wave is pushing before you go into a trade, and if your enemy lane is playing aggro let your jungle know they will push up and be an easy gank.

It doesn't matter how far down the river you ward, that Hecarim or Rammus will still win the race to your tower.

9kPluzZ10/7/2016, 12:23:36 AM2 votes

WTF, I'm not reading all this. Fuck you and your lengthy opinions.

The Yetii Rider10/6/2016, 6:56:53 PM1 votes

Eh, there are lots of reasons why someone might not follow up on your aggression though.

For example, my support style depends entirely on my very unreliable internet connection. If I have 60 ms and a steady fps I'll grab a Spellthief and ruin both laners' days.

If I have 200 ms and my frames skip constantly I'm going to buy Coin, max heal, and stay as far back as possible. And I don't feel like typing out all of these intricacies during the game, so if my carry goes in when I'm playing passive and lagging, I'll try to help but I probably just won't be able to because I have a rank 1 damage spell at level 5 and can't react instantly to enemy dashes because they cause frame skips.

Swiftstrike410/6/2016, 9:31:50 PM1 votes

I agree with some of your ideas, but I think in your Elo (silver) it is actually more effective to play passive and respond to enemy aggression than to play aggressively. I've easily climbed 3 different accounts through silver playing support 50% of the time on one, about 80% support on another, and probably 30-40% on the third. I am a top main and my secondary is support.

Why would I say that? Am I playing against Leona's strengths?

Not necessarily. Leona is really good at punishing bad trades AND the Silver Elo is overly aggressive in the bot lane. It is why, very often, the lane becomes very one sided. Also most silver players do not understand several concepts:

  • When specific champions power spike. I am not talking about your champion as the support, but your adc, the enemy adc, the enemy suppport, and your jungler. Silver players also do not respect level disadvantages after level 3 in the bottom lane, which I don't understand because most of them respect the level 2 and level 3 spikes. I have a pretty good idea when junglers will gank and I have a good idea when each ADC spikes. If you do not fully understand when a champion spikes you should not play aggressive.
  • When to trade/farm - Silver players make A LOT of mistakes in trying to trade as well and they miss CS because of it. Since they are very mistake prone, I think responding to the enemy advances are more effective than initiating yourself. And you are, for the most part, just simply better off CSing through laning phase than trying to get kills.
  • Wave management - After playing 3 different accounts through silver as a top/support I can say that almost ALL Silver players do not understand wave management. They don't know when to shove waves, how to freeze (or when to), farming under tower, not autoing the minions to avoid shoving, considering minion numbers when trading, etc. I have a smurf account that is currently Silver I. I play top. First thing THE VERY FIRST THING almost every silver player does (and I play Nasus) is auto attack the minions. That is the one thing you DON'T want to do against Nasus. I then freeze the wave by my tower and the jungler can rotate and get an early kill if they want. Guess what, on my main account most upper gold and plat players NEVER do this, especially against Nasus. The same though is largely applicable to the bottom lane. ADCs auto when they shouldn't a lot and then the waves shove in directions in a pretty unplanned haphazard manner, creating opportunities for ganks.
  • Mana mangement - Players don't do this in the bot lane either in silver. They will get ganked when their mana is low (not necessarily when their health is low) and be unable to use their skills to escape (having to blow summoners).

I mostly play Leona Sona Brand and some Soraka as a support. For the most part, I had no issues really climbing through silver playing any of these champions in my off-role just by playing responsive for laning phase and capitalizing on enemy mistakes. In fact, most of my losses while playing support came from overly aggressive ADCs that didn't understand anything in the bottom lane aside from trying to kill people.

Now you can't do this to the same effect in mid Gold/Plat, but I would say the biggest problem players have in Silver is over aggression in the bottom lane because they fail to understand bottom lane dynamics.

Something specific to Leona that you should note: Leona's deaths is a direct reflection to the state of the game (whether your team is winning or losing). This is largely because she has no way to really escape compared to other supports and "goes in" on almost every fight. If your team wins the fight you probably won't die and will have low deaths. If the fight is even you will probably die, but the outcome may be in your team's favor if you die instead of your carries. If the fight is not even you will most certainly die every time.

Note that when Leona is behind she will also keep dying. Because her kit puts her in the heart of every fight. So it is important to NOT fall behind specifically with her because otherwise you will simply keep dying. So erring on the side of caution if a better way to play in Silver than playing on the side of aggression

Silver players pick really really bad fights A LOT and they think that they are "good fights". Most of the time you are just better off capitalizing on bad fights picked by the opponent than "trying to initiate" and finding yourself in a bad situation. If you play defensively with Leona and play for "picks" you will probably have an easier time climbing than playing "aggressively."