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ARAM guide by SkaiBlade

SkaiBlade·4/9/2018, 3:22:04 AM·8 votes·6,494 views

Hi,

my name is SkaiBlade, and I'm one of those infamous "ARAM only players" in the community (currently 2903 ARAM games, compared to around 100 Normals and 20 Ranked games). I often see people not adapting their playstyle to the special circumstances of the ARAM mode or who are playing with the (in my opinion) wrong mindset. Instead of ranting, I want to provide a little insight what I think ARAMs are essentially about.

This guide is aimed at all people who are relatively new to League of Legends and have discovered the game mode, or who are new to ARAMs in general. The "Mindset" and "Tactics" sections might provide new perspectives on certain situations.

These are a few rules of thumb you should know. The more experienced you are, the less important some of these get, but in general, they hold true for anyone. They do also mostly rather apply if you join strangers. Full premade groups may play it a little differently.

1. Mindset

  1. Accept the possiblity of playing an unfamiliar champion. -- There are some weird people who queue up for ARAM but dodge if they get a champion they aren't super good at or familiar with. The point of ARAM is playing a random champion though. Hence, you should be ready to play any champion you own and all of the free rotation. Try to make it work. If you want to chose your champion, play a normal or a custom game with draft pick.
  2. Bring some time. -- Although the average match time ranges between 17 and 25 minutes, be aware that some games can last as long as an average normal game, i. e. 40 minutes and longer.
  3. Take it seriously enough to play reasonable. -- While it's true that ARAM is essentially a fun mode, keep in mind it is not exclusively about your fun. Just because you don't care about your ARAM losses, that doesn't mean your team mates don't care about them either. No need to sweat about honest mistakes, but don't be a jerk by feeding first and then trying to excuse that by saying "it's just ARAM". (I for example obviously don't care about Ranked games, but that doesn't mean I towerdive level 3 just because I'd like to get a flashy kill).
  4. Don't be AFK. -- Due to the shorter duration and faster leveling in ARAMs, any time you are away from keyboard hurts your team even more than on Summoner's Rift. Especially since ARAM is all about teamfights, being AFK for the first 3 minutes is like being AFK on the Summoner's Rift for 7 minutes in the early mid-game.
  5. There is no such thing as "KS". -- Since teamfights are also always teamwork, there's no such thing as "my kill" and "your kill"; getting a carry fed can be helpful, but taking a kill in the end is always okay. (By the way, denying the mere existence of this concept also helps against tilt on Summoner's Rift.)
  6. The key principle of ARAM is "trying to make it work". -- The randomness of team comps will lead to a variety of lineups that would never hit the Rift in reasonable drafts. It might happen you're a team of five supports; it is then time to pull out your AD Lulu, On-Hit Bard or Lich Bane Sona.

2. Important things to know -- The Basics

  1. Everyone is mid. -- In fact, there is only mid; who would've thought...
  2. You start at level 3. -- Make your choice what to skill during the loading screen.
  3. Items are different on the Howling Abyss. -- Many of the typical starting and some of the final items you're used to from Summoner's Rift do not exist on the Howling Abyss, for example Doran's Ring, Blade or Shield. Be prepared your default build might not exist on that map.
  4. You start with more gold than on the Summoner's Rift. -- You'll most likely be able to instantly buy your first smaller item.
  5. You cannot shop once you leave the base, unless you die. -- Note: there is a small area though where the shop gets disabled already, but stepping back enables it again.
  6. Running back into the fountain does not replenish your health or mana bar. -- Once you spawn, you're on your own. Recall is disabled as well.
  7. There are no trinkets. -- The only way to get vision in brush is through pets like Orianna's ball, vision granting projectiles like Ashe's Hawk Shot, item 2013 Oracle's Extract (see Tactics) or... face checking.
  8. Reduced healing all around. -- Many sources of healing are reduced, especially healing someone else. Since fountain regen is disabled, the only non-champion based source of health and mana regen are the health relics, spawning on the perspective-wise right side at four places across the bridge. They spawn first at minute 2, respawning 60 seconds after being picked up.
  9. Special summoner spell: Mark (aka Snowball). -- A specialty for the ARAM mode is the "Mark" summoner spell, that allows you to mark enemies with a mid-range single-target projectile and - if hit - dash to them upon reactivation. Both hitting and dashing deals a small amount of true damage. Beware of a wide range of champions using this spell to close the distance, from Amumu, Morgana or Katarina to get into the middle of a teamfight for their ultimates to Alistar using it as gap closer for his Pulverize.

3. Playstyle

  1. Hurry at the start. -- There is no barrier preventing you from leaving the fountain like on Summoner's Rift, and unlike most SR games, teams start trading from the get go. Getting the upper hand over the brushes in the middle of the map can be very beneficial, especially for teams with hooks or other forms of CC skill shots. A good time frame is to leave the base before 15 seconds, an excellent around 10 seconds.
  2. Especially at the start, mind your enemies' champions. Do they have grabs or long range skill shots to check your brush? Position accordingly.
  3. Play for the teamfights. -- As stated before, ARAM is mainly about teamfights. Try to synchronize your cooldowns (ultimates, items) for better effectiveness, and if viable, go for 5v5 teamfight itemization than 1v1 duelist items.
  4. As a team, check the brushes as you pass them unless you know where everyone is. -- Especially after being pushed back, if your team is heading towards the enemy side of the bridge again, make sure to check the brushes. This holds true especially if you are the tank.
  5. No need to overcommit. -- Since there is no way of healing up a lot in a short amount of time (at least early), you do not need to overcommit by trading a full health champion for a kill on a low health one. Those kinds of trades are not beneficial and the main reason why a team loses early game pressure.

4. Tactics

  1. Versus champions with stealthed destroyable traps, get item 2013 Oracle's Extract. -- This consumable acts like the item 3364 Oracle Alteration; it grants a radius of true sight on traps like Teemo mushrooms or Shaco boxes. They are the only way to clear those traps on the Howling Abyss (unless you have pets that can face-check and tank them) since there's neither item 2055 control wards or item 3341 sweeping lenses. You will need to clear them: since it is only one lane, any mid- to lategame AP Teemo can effectively prevent any minion from arriving at the towers if his traps are triggered all the way.
  2. Versus a lot of poke, fight rather early than late. -- It doesn't do you a favor to hide behind the turret, because they will slowly chip away the objective in front of you while keeping the upper hand through health relic control.
  3. Don't go in alone. -- If you lost crucial members without winning a teamfight, you should probably wait for them to respawn and join the group.
  4. Don't dally around. -- Respawn timers are short on the Howling Abyss. Once you aced your opponents, you only have about 30 seconds until they are back at defending the objectives, and they are stronger than ever.
  5. Unless the enemy nexus is bare, bring minions to the teamfights. -- Especially if you have super minions pushing against you, clear them out before chasing any retreating opponents. Because even if you were to ace them, your victory is rather meaningless if you're not bringing a wave of minions with you. Because by the time you went back to fetch them, some of your enemies will have respawned again.
  6. Beware of "death rotations". -- If you are the first person to respawn after an ace and it's not "do or die Nexus defense" already, don't rush in to be killed yet again in another 1v5. Wait for your team mates, regroup, synchronize cooldowns and win the next fight as a team.
  7. While losing a teamfight, either die all together or not at all. -- It might seem counter intuitive, but getting aced quickly can be more beneficial than getting away with a sliver of health and then die a bit later. Try to keep the timespan where your team is incomplete as short as possible. If you die 5 seconds before the last team member respawns, you'll be in a 4v5 disadvantage for about 30 seconds longer than necessary.
  8. You can execute to get back to the fountain. -- Executing denies your enemies kill gold, but allows you to spend your accumulated gold for more items. Keep in mind you must have not taken any damage from champions or their abilities or items (mind ticking damage!) for 13 seconds in order to make your death count as an execute.
  9. Beware of backdoors. -- With no way to recall, there's a real threat of backdooring an exposed Nexus. Classic ways are TF ult behind your team, any stealthed champion passing by, Teemo waiting until you are beyond him or Sion unstoppably rushing past you. Be aware of such things.

So much for my guide. Of course, there are many situational plays that might go against these listings but still be good after all: sometimes, making your enemies waste time while they kill you instead of getting aced all at once and losing objectives is better; sometimes, especially in late game when insane HP regeneration from Warmogs Armor is at stake, trading your full health to kill an obnoxious enemy tank still low on health is beneficial, namely if that means the rest of your team can then secure objectives unhindered.

SkaiBlade [slayer-jinx-catface]

11 Comments

Micbran4/9/2018, 4:03:10 AM4 votes

Micbran’s ARAM guide: Take domination primary with dark harvest. Take precision secondary with triumph.

ssj8Brolykugeta4/9/2018, 3:34:03 PM2 votes

a better guide would be, dont feed, get the stick out of your ass and have fun and its not random. also gg if theres a lux or veigar on the other team. god forbid theres both

Silverjust4/9/2018, 6:11:25 PM2 votes

I think execute delay was increased

Jaspers4/9/2018, 2:18:33 PM1 votes

Love me some ARAM, just a shame the 'random' part seems lacking recently. I got traded him twice and got him twice but I've had Sion 4 times in 20 games. I've been given 3 free rotation champs in those 20 but not once am I given any of my mains, even though they are on neither team.

Also, as heals are 50% I don't max them first really. Taric is OP because of his E. As Soraka max E, it's basically a point and click area of effect damaging spell, with Luden's it's great. Don't heal people as Nami, not worth it due to 50% thing, heal yourself or attack with it.

Scary Door4/9/2018, 3:58:49 AM1 votes

You forgot to add:

If you get a melee champion, be sure to dodge the queue, you won't have any fun otherwise

ForFoxSakes4/9/2018, 8:54:55 PM1 votes

AKA you're one of those who build the same on every champ and have terrible build/skill orders + a shit ton of losses in your match history kinda guys "giving advice"

Baka Red4/9/2018, 1:03:47 PM1 votes

Quite excellent guide, unfortunately I can upvote that only once. Oh well.

rh3yd4/9/2018, 1:57:01 PM1 votes

ARAM, for me at least, is an excellent mode that helps me with three aspects of player growth:

  • step out of comfort picks
  • perpetual team fights where you learn to prioritize targeting while maintaining defensive/offensive tactics
  • practice adaptation to random team comps and attempt to overcome adversity

However, ARAM’s random team generator is more often than not skewed. I have played matches where either team has more ranged champs and obviously that makes a victory easier to achieve. If ARAM was a bit more balanced in the random team comps, I would not mind the deletion of re-rolls. Re-rolls seem to defeat the essence of ARAM which is true random team comps and may the best team adaption win. Furthermore, if this balance could be achieved and re-rolls removed, I would be on board for a ranked ARAM mode.