Boards›Gameplay

Noob Question about lane metas?

Cyrosi·10/12/2017, 5:38:13 PM·2 votes·347 views

Why are a bunch of heroes used in certain lanes but not in others, even though their kits on paper, seem like they'd be ok for that role. For example:

1.) People don't like Lux as a support, but she's listed as a support/mage and has a root, a AOE slow/damage, and a shield to help allies. But people are fine with Xerath , Zyra , etc. having no utility other than stuns and poking the enemy?

2.) Teemo is most often played top (I think I've seen him in every role and he does OK usually, but he's most often in top), but a bunch of assassins are considered jungle only, and ranged top laners seem to be rare? Why is Teemo considered a top laner? I think it's cool that we have a ranged top laner, but every game I see either: some tanky guy in top lane, or Teemo?

3.) Why can pretty much any ranged character be a midlaner. I've been Soraka or Sona mid a few times due to either AFKs or botched team building, but when we got into the game there was no midlaner. I thought I was going to get stomped all those times where I played a support in mid, but it was honestly fine as long as I warded the heck out of the surrounding jungle and didn't try to 1v1 my opponent. I even got a kill or two on the other midlaner when they made a mistake sometimes (most often that mistake was not respecting turret boundaries and getting rooted while in a turret boundary).

12 Comments

420 grams10/12/2017, 5:49:38 PM2 votes

Lux runs oom very quickly, tends to take push the wave, and "secures kills" with her ult when the ad could've gotten it

Baron Barian10/12/2017, 8:22:17 PM2 votes

Every damn Lux support ever will build full ap, sell their spellthief,, and not actually be support. If you're an adc and die once, you're fucked because that Lux will try to carry the game. Similar problem with other mage "support", though Zyra at least offers a lot of cc and utility, even with her ult.

Teemo is an odd ball. His range is too short for adc, he suffers the same problems that I mentioned as s support, his wave clear is too weak early for mid, and he doesn't have an ideal jungle kit. Top is his best spot do to the harassment he offers since it's usually a melee enemy. Until he gets to roam, top is generally his best place to.

Soraka and Sona CAN mid lane since they have the wave clear potential. The problem is that you really shouldn't. There are other mages that can deal more damage, assassins that can disengage, and both mages and even adcs that have better range. Anything these can do in mid, so many more champs can do better.

Very Hard Engage10/12/2017, 5:52:03 PM1 votes

it basically comes down to champion specifics which hinders more than it helps.

like you can make them work, but statistically it loses more than it wins or becomes completely incapable of functioning when the enemy plays correctly.

ie teemo never gets into range, or the fact that his range is shorter means he has to move up the lane to get in range to do anything, and at that point you're exposing yourself to an enemy jungler.

so ultimately it puts you at a fundamental disadvantage in one or more core aspects.

redniwediS10/12/2017, 5:52:48 PM1 votes

To start there is a big difference between the role support and the champion attribute support. Brand can effectively fill the support role, even though he doesn't have that support tag. To put it simply if a champion has an ability that can directly assist allies (heals, shields, ect) they can have the support tag attached to them.

That said most people don't like Lux support because a lot of people don't play the support role when doing it. They sit there and harass the enemy just fine, but they try to take all kills that could go toward boosting the ADC. They don't actually want to play support, they just want to play a low farm mage, and that stereotype has lasted over the years.

Teemo can do a lot of things. He is great top, decent mid, and can cheese the bot lane positions somewhat well depending on the matchup. The reason he is played top instead of mid, however, is due to the nature of the two lanes. Mid lane is the short lane, with less distance between towers than the side lanes. This makes it so you have less distance to run when heading for the safety of your tower. Generally you send squishy champions who can't really take care of themselves early into this lane.

Top lane, however, is a very long lane. You are vulnerable to ganks and have a lot of distance to cover when heading for safety. Typical top lane champions are very self reliant and can handle themselves in a 2v1 situation. After level 6 Teemo can set up a defensive shroom field that makes him excellent at staying safe in a long lane.

Bot lane is also a long lane, but that's why a support goes with the squishy carry down there, for extra safety. They also go bot for Dragon pressure/safety.

As for your third question that goes back to my description of mid lane. It is the safest lane, and so risky or odd picks like supports building full mage can work here if they dodge the burst of their opponents. Some supports like Lulu can actually go top lane due to their innate safety and 2v1 capability, but generally speaking if you want to build a support like a carry you go to the safest position. I actually play Sona mid on occasion and it can be great fun when it works. Just keep in mind support carries are often very feast or famine, and if you don't do very well you will fall off later on in the game.

Jo0o10/12/2017, 5:53:57 PM1 votes

I'm nowhere near a pro, but I can take a stab at answer thing this.

Lux is played as a support a lot. I think people hate on her because folks that play Lux support often don't actually want to "support" and would have rather just been playing mid. Lux supports have a reputation for not buying sightstone or warding, and for just building full AP and snagging kills.

2 and 3 boil down to the difference between mid and top lane. Mid is a much shorter lane, so squishies have an easier time taking cover under their turret, and the team-fight action usually gravitates towards the bottom lane due to Dragon and having two champs in bot lane, so they're closer to that as well. Meanwhile, top lane has much more distance between towers, so tanky champs are vaguely better able to lumber their way back to safety, while a mage can theoretically be more easily caught and killed. Top lane is also much more isolated, which allows champs with strong split-push potential to snag a bunch of turrets and objectives without as much interference from the other team.

Tanks are popular in the top lane, but so are duelists and split-pushing champs, depending on team composition and preference of the player. Teemo certainly isn't a tank, but he DOES duel fairly well, and he's solid at split-pushing. He's generally weak in team fights, so it's beneficial to have him in the isolated lane, knocking down turrets and pressuring the enemy base, rather than brawling 5v5. Tryndamere and Yorick, while melee champs, handle similarly in that they'd prefer to stay away from 5v5 action and secure objectives while winning duels.

Again, I'm nowhere near a pro player, but I hope that helps.

PhearBunny10/12/2017, 6:17:38 PM1 votes

Some champs are just better than other champs. Lux simply isn't squaring up to other support choices.

The meta for supports is mostly reliable enchanters anyways, Lux doesn't fit that role, and without that role in the game, your ADC isn't going to be immortal.

Azure Hamster10/12/2017, 6:33:00 PM1 votes

I play Lux as support, and I play as real support. I get sightstone and a gold item. I try to get my ADC kills, and only really go for the kill if it's clear nobody else will get it.

Caitlyn

Jo0o10/12/2017, 6:51:36 PM1 votes

Super weird that somebody took the time to downvote all these replies...

Doozku10/12/2017, 5:50:33 PM1 votes

1.) People don't like Lux as a support, but she's listed as a support/mage and has a root, a AOE slow/damage, and a shield to help allies. But people are fine with Xerath , Zyra , etc. having no utility other than stuns and poking the enemy?

The problem with lux support is that as a mage support she doesn't bring as much damage and lane-staying power as other mage supports. Also a lot of preconceived notions about how support lux players steal cs and kills and build full ap without a sightstone which may or may not be true depending on the player.

2.) Teemo is most often played top (I think I've seen him in every role and he does OK usually, but he's most often in top), but a bunch of assassins are considered jungle only, and ranged top laners seem to be rare? Why is Teemo considered a top laner? I think it's cool that we have a ranged top laner, but every game I see either: some tanky guy in top lane, or Teemo?

Teemo is played top because his dps isn't as good as marksmen but his ability to bully melees in lane is really good and he can translate his lead to become a split pushing monster. There are a few other ranged toplaners, namely Jayce Gnar and Kennen .

3.) Why can pretty much any ranged character be a midlaner. I've been Soraka or Sona mid a few times due to either AFKs or botched team building, but when we got into the game there was no midlaner. I thought I was going to get stomped all those times where I played a support in mid, but it was honestly fine as long as I warded the heck out of the surrounding jungle and didn't try to 1v1 my opponent. I even got a kill or two on the other midlaner when they made a mistake sometimes (most often that mistake was not respecting turret boundaries and getting rooted while in a turret boundary).

Here we go. Midlane is the main lane for mages and assassins. ADC's don't go midlane because they typically don't need levels while mages do. ADC's need a support to help them since they need peel and their laning phases aren't too great. As for supports, they can't lane on their own since they don't have any damage or wave clear and usually have abilities that rely on having a teammate to buff. There have been a few exceptions in history like Lulu but riot usually doesn't like it when enchanters go to another lane because they have uninteractive lane phases.