Guide to Normals / Low-Elo
If you're starting out or feel helpless in this game, here are a few strategic points to remember, and habits you should get used to.
- Tab is your best friend
Always press-hold Tab to see the enemy team. Check their items, check their score, see who is behind or ahead, who is dangerous. When people start dying and your team is going for objectives, look at the death timers (the red number next to their name).
- Ctrl-Left Click is your 2nd best friend
Start spamming "Be Careful" at every opportunity. if your team took an inhib and the enemy is reviving, spam it 6 times. If your team is circling around Dragon and you can't see any enemies, spam it 6 times. If people are walking through the enemy jungle with no vision, spam it 6 times. If your laners are overextended and you can't see their jungler, spam it 6 times.
- Focus Towers and Inhibs, before Dragons or Barons
You win the game by collectingi the Towers and Inhibs. This is the most important thing you should be focusing on and guiding your team to do. Dragon and Baron at this ELO are a waste of time if ther'es a lane pushing and an inhibitor to take. Once you take Towers / Inhib, spam your team to back, THEN go to the Dragon / Baron. Preferably Dragon because it gives you permanent stats. Baron and 5th Dragon are useless because most of your team will die in pointless battles. Baron and 5th Dragon are bonuses if you take real objectives and have time / health left over. Never go to Baron if Dragon 1-4 is up. Defend the Dragons but don't commit to it unless you know 2-3 enemies on the bottom side of the map are dead, or your bottom side and Jungler are far ahead. The biggest mistakes and enemy snowballs occurr at stupid dragon fights.
- Destroy every Inhib
Unless your team is ahead by 50 kills, the best way to throw the game is to try to "end" it when you only have one or two inhibitors and are just circling their base like idiots. Spam your team to get out and rotate to the 3rd lane. It's almost impossible to come back with 3 inhibs down, at the very least the entire map is no-man's-land for the enemy.
- Know what item you want and how much it costs
Know at all times how much gold you want before you go back. Every time you go back and buy a new item, immediately decide what item piece is next
- GO BACK TO BASE
If you have the gold to spend, or have low health, just spam your team to be careful and go back immediately. Don't stay at a fight with low-health trying to "save" anyone. Don't stick around on the field with 2k gold "just in case a fight happens while I'm gone". SPAM PING YOUR TEAM, and go back to get that power or HP.
- Tank / Support > Squishy carry
Learn the game on these champions, it's the best way. Tanks are forgiving and can take a beating, support will teach you all of the important things about the game, including WARDING AND VISION. An early Sight Stone and wards everywhere will carry your bottom lane and the game much better than your fed Master Yi that will die and leave your underfed team to die as well.
- Learn about Trading
Use your abilities, auto attack one or twice, then retreat. If you're playing support (ex. Sona) use only what's necessary (Q > Auto-attack / Passive) then back away. Every bit you chip away at the enemy will add up until they can no longer think about fighting
- Get baited and die
When you spent 10 minutes trading with the enemy only to die to a gank becuase you thought you'd win the 1v1, now is the perfect time to remember how important vision control or map knowledge is. If you'r ejungler is coming in for a gank, play the mind-game and try to look stupid or act like your jungler isn't there, but don't over-do it and get yourself killed anyway.
