Any tips on becoming a better support?

TrenchFeet·2/26/2015, 5:20:16 PM·1 votes·2,169 views

I started playing league in September and I'll admit, I'm pretty good for only play a few months. I seem to be progressing in every role fairly well except support. When i started playing support I was amazing at the time but I cant really progress with it. Some of it has to do with I play with terrible adc's (whom like to dive towers for kills at lvl's 1-5) and feed the enemy . Others have to do with I like to play passive and wait post lvl 6 and for the enemy adc to separate themselves from their support and my adc likes to play aggressive by forcing the enemy to make mistakes. SO its hard for me to see what I'm doing wrong and improve at the support role. Are there any tips that a lot of new players overlook that can improve my game play?

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27 Comments

Space Bum2/26/2015, 6:40:00 PM2 votes

I always give Props to Lulu also. Best utility in the game. If you have not tried her out give it a shot I'm at 8W 1L with her as support right now, and the only one I lost had an ADC that was DC'd for the first half of the game.

Drunk Rummate2/26/2015, 6:43:35 PM1 votes

Try maining a peel support to get the hang of how supports should be played. Champions like Leona or Thresh are extremely good, but oftentimes they teach newer players the wrong habits causing them to abandon their carries in fights to try and get a good engage.

My best advice would be to try a champion like Janna. She's fairly easy to play and the best peel support in the game. Just stand behind your carry and give them shields to harass with and use your Q and R purely for disengage. You don't need to make plays or do anything fancy with Janna, you just sit back and make sure your ADC can do damage safely.

Amelie2/26/2015, 6:51:51 PM1 votes

You should not be waiting until level 6 to make plays. A good support will pressure the lane from level 1, preferably forcing your lane to hit level 2 first. You do this by auto attacking the first wave of caster minions one time, and helping your adc kill the melees. As soon as you hit level 2, go really aggressive on the enemy while they are still level 1. They will either die or lose enough hp to be afraid of you for the rest of the laning phase.

If you choose not to do that, or can't because of the matchup, then you should still be applying pressure to the lane the entire time. That's the support's job. You do this either with auto attacks or abilities - depends on the support. Enemy adc is moving up to last hit a minion? Auto attack him. Or grab him with Blitz. Enemy Thresh just missed his hook? Harass them. You should make them scared to farm. Of course, you have to be careful to not take harass yourself.

If playing passive is your style, look into supports like Soraka or Janna who will serve you better than something like a passive Sona/Blitz (waste of these characters' potential).

Watching high level support player streams can help you see what laning phase can/should look like, if you have time for it.

The Chin2/26/2015, 6:59:14 PM1 votes

Play ADC, I've been an ADC main for a long time and along the way I've noticed what great supports do and what not to do from terrible supports. Without really focusing on it at all I became a really great support player. I actually have a better win rate in ranked as support than adc this season.

Shiroi Kitsune2/26/2015, 7:15:14 PM1 votes

I would highly recommend playing thresh so you can learn how to play really aggressively pre-6. You should try to match your adc's aggression, even if they are doing something stupid (within reason of course).

Additionally before the first back, supports are the true deciding factor in the lane, not the adcs. This is the portion of the game where you need to be the most aggressive, and most protective of your adc. You decide who wins pre-first-back, so it's up to you.

Tyren2/26/2015, 8:05:58 PM1 votes

I picked up support with Thresh. He has decent AA damage, Flay to keep anyone off you're adc that's CQC, his hook his a great disengage and engage, lantern for extra mobility for your adc or jungler, and his box for team fights. Most people don't try to get near a Thresh during lane phase.

Then I started picking up Blitzcrank, very similar except he has a movement speed boost for himself. It never hurts your team to have a tank that has a few cc's and utility.

Has for some general things I tend to do protect the adc at all costs ( and try not to die yourself), attempt to set up kills for them with minimal risks (if you set the adc up for a double kill and only die I think that's worth it), stay with them most of the game, ward bot lane (once you get sightstone it should be lit up like a x-mas tree). If the adc keeps feeding go roam and help mid and top the best you can.

Space Bum2/26/2015, 10:17:18 PM1 votes

Just FYI you are going to be bronze when you finish promos for this season.

2000boxes2/27/2015, 1:15:44 AM1 votes

thresh is one of the best supports you could possible learn

Mister Punches2/27/2015, 3:59:29 AM1 votes

My friend summarized the Support role for me in about one sentence: "Do your best to help your ADC get kills."

Essentially, just whittle down minion health, let your adc take the minion gold, and ward a lot. Try to get the other adc out of place from the support, and that's pretty much it. For example, when I play support, i pick blitzcrank. I aim for the adc and pull them in, knock them up, ult (if I'm at or past level 6), while the adc is also wailing on the enemy adc.

Best supports I would say are Thresh and Blitz. Just my opinion/

Webtrø2/27/2015, 8:06:56 AM1 votes

I first learned how to support with Janna. She has amazing peel and let's your adc focus on farm. She is great to learn from because you are mostly sitting behind your adc, popping sheilds for them and letting out a tornado if the enemys are getting too aggressive. She is also a great engager/disengager/gap closer and extremely easy to learn. Good thing for any one to know about supporting is always be with your adc and prioritize them (:(:

Tips for playing Janna: (I am a Janna main)

Don't worry too much about poking/harrassing. Anticipate the enemys movement to correctly time your shield your adc. Don't shield yourself too often as the enemy will use that as a way to engage on your adc. You can flash ult the enemy into your turret or away from theirs. With Janna's passive giving nearby allies move speed, get captain enchantment and watch your allies do their fast walk animation. If the enemy team is contesting dragon or baron, immediately ult the jungler out of the pit, or away from dragon to prevent their smite. Always watch and focus your adc, keeping them out of harm, there is no reason for them to die with your kit (: Also move speed Janna is very useful. ALWAYS get your shield first, max it, then max your W.

Space Bum2/26/2015, 5:34:54 PM1 votes

Roam. Especially if you have a bad ADC. Get mid fed. item 3117

Lv16 Flaaffy2/27/2015, 8:44:53 AM1 votes

It really does depend on your adc. I just got into Leona and she is amazing. Has amazing peel and crowd control and she can engage fairly easily, which I usually do if my adc doesn't want to jump in. And since Leona is a tank-support, I have the hp and the defenses to engage and set up stuns for my adc to focus on the target.

However, we don't always focus on the enemy adc, as most people suggest. If the support is posing more of a problem (Like Sona, Soraka, Name, or Braum) we will usually engage and either force the support to drain their mana (or pots) and then have them recall or kill them so the jungler is forced to babysit bot lane or let the adc die to us.

Of course it doesn't work every time, you have to be careful on who you focus. A few matches ago we were against a Sivir and a Morgana (my adc was Jinx, so Sivir is a hard counter for my adc), and the Morgana was just posing threats by shielding Sivir and allowing her to bully us out of cs and exp and by doing her binding. So after a while I said to my adc "Screw this, her mana bar is half gone and she will be forced to shield herself from dying, then you come in and take out the adc" and we did just that and we won our lane then eventually the game.

And remember this is all with Leona.