League Of Legends (LOL)
Quick Reference

This is a quick reference for someone new to LOL that wants to get up and running quick, making use of the tools available, so you can get the most out of your exploration. If you are experienced, there is no reason to read this, it will be very simplistic. Hopefully this quick reference will help break down the basics to supply you with the tools to become a good player, that is if you find this is the game for you.

What is LOL

It is a 5v5 player MOBA (Multi-Player Online Battle Arena) game with a third-person setting and figting play style. You and the enemy each have a base, called a nexus. It is protected by turrets and minions, with five champions on each side (you will control one). You have to destroy the enemy nexus before they destroy yours.

Install and Ready

This is an online game that runs through a client. You will need to create an account, download, and install the client. You will then logon through the client and create a character name.

Download

The link above will lead you to the website to create an account and download the client.

Learn Basics

You will need a basic understanding to take advantage of the tools available and the general layout and verbiage for gameplay.

Play

Hone your skills in the practice arena or with others against enemy bots.

Intro - Game Basics

After you log into the client, I suggest running through the tutorial and then battle training. This will help to understand the overall basic game mechanics and logistics visually as you play through a directed sample section / game. This will include minions, lanes, turrets, nexus, and overall key actions for character control. The rest of the sections below help explain the areas that are not as well structured and explained.

View Runes

Collection > Runes

(Not Available at Starting Levels)

Runes are basically free additional abilities for your character that are applied automatically as you play. You do not have create any but you should make use of them in relation to your character, there are a few default builds created for character classes and play styles already. Browse through what is available so you can decide beforehand which set to select when you start playing a game. Click on the set to view the abilities. Do not worry about trying to understand the entire scope of each added ability, a general overview is fine. Does it provide more damage, protection, healing, etc.. , and then apply it to what you need, this will be enough for you to decide what to select.

CHOOSE GAME - Start Playing

Practice

Play > Training > Practice

(Not Available at Starting Levels)
If you want to practice a character without the stresses of a team, you can go into the practice area. All will be the same except you will battle one enemy champion bot. This area I suggest only to play a character for the first time, learning their abilities and style of play. This area is not meant to build strategy or real skill, these abilities are built within the team structure or against other people. You gain no experience from playing this area.

Team Play

Play > Co-Op Vs AI > Summoner's Rift

If you want to get into a full game and start playing, I suggest you start with Co-Op Vs AI. These areas will pit you and four other randomly chosen people against five enemy bots. This area will help gain overall experience, level up, sharpen your team skills, and help build relatioinships with other players that you can take to advance forward. I would suggest selecting Intro or Beginner until you gain experience with characters, items, and spells, then move into intermediate or PvP.

Select and Setup Character

After you select and [Confirm] the level, you will then click on [Match] to search for a game. When one if found it will prompt you and you can Accept to join. You will then move to a character selection screen. You will not have many champions to start, you will gain these as you gain levels and awards, but here you will choose a character and finalize the rest of your setup for gameplay. Setup refers to assigning runes, summoner skills, and discussing inital positioning as you are choosing your character and assembling the team. Each of these items are explained below.

Chat Terminology

When your team starts selecting characters, your teammates may start communicating their desired positions and any gameplay in the chat window. They will then choose a character relating to that position. This allows you to choose a complementary character or choose another location. These are not hard and fastened rules, particullary in the beginning level games, but it is something you should become famliar if you want to eventually get into more experienced teamplay.

Terminology Meaning Location Example Characters
top Top Lane Top Darius, Sion, Gangplank
mid Middle Lane Middle Xerath, Zed, Katarina
bot Bottom Lane Bottom ADC & Support Characters
adc Attack Damage Carry Bottom Xayah, Vayne, Tristana
supp Support Bottom Janna, Nami, Lulu
jg Jungler Jungle Warwick, Regar, Kha'Zix

CHOOSE AND READY TEAM CHARACTER

Once you have figured out who you want to be, select your player, your runes, and your summoner skills. If all looks good, finalize by locking in your selection. You should always lock in last, if you lock in your selection too quick you may not have enough time to finish selecting your skills, or even make a last minute character change for the team. These sections are highlighted and labeled in the picture below.

RUNES

When you start playing for the first time, you will not be able to change these, they are preselected. Once you gain levels, you will be able to choose the rune set you want to use for the character you selected. These are the combination sets of skills you would have looked at in the previous section.

Summoner Spells

Select the two Summor Spells you wish to use for the character chosen. Once again, when you start playing you will only have limited access to spells, go with what is selected and experiement once you gain levels. The most common ones are listed below. Heal and Flash for survivability, teleport to move across the map, and smite if you are a jungler. Flash is a quick, short distance, teleport to escape danger and Smite is a high damage, healing item when used against jungle monsters. The other two are self-explanatory. These keys will be your "D" and "F".

Heal

Flash

Teleport

Smite

Gameplay

The game will load and you will begin at your base. Start by clicking on the shop and choosing your initial items. These will typically consist of a ward, a healing item, and another small specialized piece for your character class. The game will provide recommendations for your character. Just choose these until you are familiar with your requirements and what synergizes with your playstyle. Apply a point an inital ability (Q, W, or E) and move into your designated lane. If you are a jungler, the monsters spawn around 1:30 into the game.

Basic

  • Click on an enemy or structure to target and attack or press the A-key and click near a target and your character will auto-attack the closest.
  • Use the mini-map to move you character across the map easier. Just click the location on the mini-map and you character will move.
  • Your powerful attacks are your Q, W, E, and R keys. You will have access to these, and gain more power, as you gain levels. With each level gained you are givin a point to distribute to one of these attacks. Your R is your Ultimate, you will not have access to this until Level #6, for most characters.
  • Pick a lane and stay with your minions, use them as a shield from enemy attacks as you attack the enemy champion and minions.
  • Go under a turret only when your minions are in the area to absorb the turret's attack. As you get close there will be an outline on the ground of the turrets attack range.
  • Dont forget to purchase items in the shop. This is the best way to power up your character. Follow the recommended item list until you are familiar with what works for your fighting style.
  • To communicate to teammate, press enter and type, or use pings by pressing "G" and a location on the mini map.

Intermediate

  • For laning, the bottom typically has two champions, the middle with one, and the top can have either two, or one and a jungler.
  • You do not have to get champion kills to be successful, making the enemy use their heal or flash will allow your team time to push an attack or progress the lane. This is a team game, you are all striving for the same goal.
  • Vision, be sure to drop wards so that you have battlefield vision, knowing what your enemy is doing is key to a good counter-attack or defensive strategy.
  • If you are unable to press, focus on holding your lane, getting minion kills, levels, and gold. You always have a chance as long as you match levels and secure items.
  • If you know the items you want, try to hold on until you have the money to at least take advantage of a base return.
  • Powerful items are constructed from other items. Do not hold onto gold until you have enough for the powerful item, purchase an item used in constructing the powerful item. The overall cost will decrease for the powerful item and you can take advantage of the properties of the lesser item until you have enough to upgrade.
  • Communicate, if you are not in a chat session, use ping and the chat screen to work as a team.

Bots

If you are unfortunate enough, you may see the indicators below as you are choosing your character and during the loadout. This means there are bots on your team. They are not like the bots you may be playing against, they are basically useless, believed to be created by 3rd parties to level up and then sell. They will trail behind, waste a lot of time, and end up feeding the other team. There is not much you can do, if you leave, you could be banned. Pick your character accordingly, be sure you can carry more than your own weight, that is if you are still inclined to want to win. One is not bad, two you still have one real person in each lane, if you coordinate properly, but three or more may mean sure defeat if you pick a character that requires any support. The images below display an example of two bots.

Selection

5 x positions - 3 x lobby = 2 x deadbeat bots

Loadout

No runes attached to the champions

General Strategy - Other Helpful Tips

  • Items...Items...Items. The most important way to gain power and an advantage over your competition is to item up. Locate the powerful weapon you want and purchase the building blocks for that weapon to lower the cost while still being able to increase your power. You only have six spots for items so build up to the item if possible. You can sell an item if you need a spot later.
  • Do not complain or argue with teammates, this will not pull the team together and individualism in a team game will inevitably fail (unless you are playing Intro or Beginner bot mode). You may also get yourself into a situation where you could be reported.
  • The jungler may not seem important and ultimately makes it more difficult for the top lane but, a good one, will greatly benefit the entire team buy getting buffs from jungle creatures and surprising enemy champions by popping into a lane and helping secure a kill (ganking).
  • Stay alive, gain levels, and accumulate gold. If this means playing a little more conservitive, so be it. The worst thing to do is overextend and assure the enemy a kill. They will gain levels, gold, and lane progress. They will then become more powerful, leading to even more kills, which can then snowball out of control and assure a massive one sided advantage, where you are hanging on just to survive.

Useful Links

Other various links to help customize gameplay or even the look of your character.