When playing support I always find myself to have the lowest level in game and the last one to reach level 18. I understand why the early game is lower because you get less exp in duo lane compare to solo lane. But after laning phase the adc starts passing me and I am the one with lowest level. Does anyone have advice on how to stay on the same level with my teammates. I got inspiration mastery but that doesnt help at all.
disregardable6 votesThe reason is that you're not getting any farm; you don't get any experience from wandering up to top to save a teammates' ass, you get experience from killing things. The only way to stay ahead of your team is to follow around the person that's killing everyone, and really that's not always the most effective way to spend your time.
SmokingPuffin5 votesWhen the adc is farming late game, they're getting solo lane exp.
You're not getting any exp, because you're off warding.
Rock Rockburgh3 votesAs others have said, it's due largely to roaming-- but the support being behind in levels is also often the ideal situation. I know it sounds crazy, but if you're behind that probably means your ADC is ahead. Your team will be getting a little less experience in total (I believe each person in a duo lane gets 55% of EXP) but the distribution is much better. I personally like trying to stand aside so my ADC will hit level two a little bit before the enemy because I'm not leeching from him-- unless, of course, the carry is playing like a monkey.
Drunk Rummate3 votesthey're in a duo lane so they have less early xp
they roam more than ADCs (generally) so there's less exp
they don't typically clear waves solo so almost all exp is shared
GnomeDigest2 votesAs others have said its a combo of issues but primarily its because you have to roam so much to ward that you lose lane xp compared to the others. As you have noticed the inspiration mastery does nothing to really help.
Riot makes no sense when it comes to how they deal with supports. Its clear at this point what the support role generally does and is responsible for and yet Riot still chose to tie support gold income to items that require you to be in lane to get the maximum effect from them. So to be a good support you have hamstring yourself XP and gold wise. Pretty sure Riot has said those sorts of decisions being forced on players is a sign of bad design, but hey its supports who are getting shafted, so Riot cant be bothered.
There is no good reason supports should suffer inequities on the level/xp front, but 5 years in, there supports are, still getting shafted. The saddest part is clearly Riot knows supports suffer from this hence the inclusion of the inspiration mastery. However that is all that mastery accomplishes. It lets us know Riot sees the issue and yet has no clue how to solve it apparently.
Riot has been pretty consistent in showing though that they see all the other roles and their needs as more important than the support roles (see the long list support champ nerfs the moment they step into some other lane or the long list of support itemization nerfs as soon as support items impact some other lane). Dont expect any fixes that actually work. That would require effort which Riot would rather put toward all the other roles they value more highly.
Tsunday1 votesProbably because you're roaming to ward instead of farming and I believe you get less experience for assisting in kills than you do for getting kills.
Acolyte of Steel1 votesThe only way to really do that is to steal kills unfortunately; which I do not reccomend.
Supports are almost always the last ones to reach lvl 18. If they aren't, they either did something unusually well, or extraordinarily not-so-well. I'd just get used to being the last to 18... On average, you're going to be one or two levels behind. If you're behind and that's a problem (like it is during intense teamfight stage,) usually teammates will let you farm.
Or you could just 
. :)
The Chin1 votesIt's normal. I wouldn't go out of your way to try and get experience because in the mid/late game there's always more important things for you to be doing.
AnomalousChimera1 votesIf your team does beyond horrendously, it is possible for the support to be the highest level in the game. If all your team mates feed and you don't, you could get ahead of them in levels.
To answer your question, being around when things die is how you keep up in levels. You need to be around when enemy minions/monsters/champs get killed.
Aspynn1 votesUsually after laning you may find yourself roaming and helping other lanes. Usually in this time, your adc and other teammates are farming or fighting. Once mid game skirmishes start, you should always be with your team, even if your adc isn't. If you are fighting, and your adc is farming, they are likely getting more experience than you. If you are playing some sort of a support with decent waveclear (AP supports) Feel free to stay behind in lane for a bit while your adc backs (as long as you are safe) and farm up. Mid to late game also feel free to deal with some of the larger waves that start adding up, unless another laner is farming/wants to farm that lane. Supports are almost always the lowest level in every game, so don't be discouraged! Just do your best.
M4nTiCoR31 votesThe experience mastery in the utility tree can help some if you are always behind. So can always making sure you try to ward in laning phase between minion waves so you don't miss out on XP. If you are zoning hard, or hiding in a bush, you may miss out if your ADC is too far away and farming creeps. Try and always stay in range of minions as they die so you get the XP and any gild from coin or masteries.
Quepha1 votesyou don't grab jungle mobs, you roam out of lane to ward.
