I tend to want to help bot and sometimes I will if I have TP, but letting the enemy top laner potentially take one or two turrets doesn't seem like a good strategy either. I feel like I am in a pickle. THoughts?
No, what you need to do is get your mid, jungle or yourself leads.
As a mid laner if I see my bot dying nonstop before me or enemy mid even get the chance to roam there I'll leave them out to dry to get top or jungle ahead.
It partly depends on WHY they are losing. If they are getting ganked a lot, it is probably better to create pressure top or mid. Get the herald and get plates. Most likely, your bot lane needs to stay under turret and farm. You probably shouldn't TP down unless you are nearly guaranteed to turn around a fight and get some kills that will offset what you may lose top. But also don't go to the extreme and run it down top like some people do. After you get the outer turret, it probably isn't safe to keep pushing without vision and a jungler shadowing you, so help another lane instead, get some vision, or take some other objectives and resources.
A lot of opinions guys. Thank you for the comments.
You're supposed to do everything in every lane all at once because the top .011% of players can do it. If you AREN'T doing as well as the absolute top players, you might as well quit even trying to climb.
Helping bot isn't your job. It's your jg or mid's job. If they can't manage it, just stay up top, win your lane, and maybe try to win off of you and mid, carrying bot.
People complain about "top lane impact" but it isn't too bad. The support can make a play off anyone, so if you win, they can shift focus to you and you can win that way. That's what I do when my jungler forgets I exist as a support; I work off the fed lanes.
If bot is getting crushed, as a top laner you should instantly start ff voting unless you have 10 kills from lane and can tank enemy adc adn support.
You are supposed to help everyone. Everywhere. Non stop.
If you can't do that, you are toxic.
you should never leave a lane completely open. if you think you could do a better job helping bottom than jungler or support then rotate out with one of those two and accept the consequences of it.
mid could also rotate out. the lanes aren't forced. you can rotate out and let the losing lane have an easier lane if one is available.
i would say only help bot if it can be turned into a drag. If not push out your lane then take away enemy jungle camps and try to get the jungle behind as well as winning top.
Bot matters, top really doesn't. If you can tp/roam/global ult elsewhere and get your mid/jungle/bot fed, or help them out and take towers or drake its well worth giving up a few plates or a tower. Especially if you're against a tank, or juggernaut who can't destroy towers super well, or quickly, and is very vulnerable to getting collapsed upon if they over extend to keep up the push.
Only thing I would caution against is letting them take the inner tower unopposed unless you get at least one of their inner towers and some kills, or other objectives for it.
Depends on if your champion is a good teamfighter or not. If you're on something like Shen or Ornn, TP is probably the better play; Fiora or Trynda are probably better off continuing the push.
And Nasus is best off farming, because Nasus...
As a support main, I will say that if we are losing lane because of bad matchup or just getting behind or even an off day the surprise gang from top lane is super helpful and helps to boost bot lane moral! If ads is just throwing it, push your lane and get towers to put pressure on enemy base. Depending on your rank/elo also depends. Low elo, bot lane will 9/10 stay in lane if you're pushed up on base tower. Anything higher and you may see bot add/support leave to help top lane out a little. So I'd say it's situational. Try new responses as you play to see what work best. Trial and error really are your best friends in this situation. Best of luck.
