A Quick Guide to Being a Toplaner

As a toplaner, there are a lot of things you have to pay attention to. Usually you're also one of the tanks, if not the only one, on your team. You can't afford to be behind, as you need to be tanky enough to be able to peel for your team so they can deal extra damage and win fights (and eventually the game).

(credits to: aynoe.deviantart.com)

Early Game:

This is the "peaceful" part of being a toplaner. It really is just farming until you've somewhat got some tanky items or early damage items to win 1v1's. Although, junglers tend to gank toplane early on, so either be careful or be prepared to engage. The early game kill is very advantageous to you. For the most part this early on in the game, farming will be your main focus, but if you have Teleport, you could use it to appear in other lanes (usually botlane if they've deep-warded the lane in a bush) and try and grab an easy kill there. It'll help both you and your teammates. Don't forget to ward, because, as previously mentioned, junglers tend to gank early on. If you've pushed in your lane, you should be very careful since you're not tanky yet! Just these little things are a way to start snowballing. They really do mean a lot in a game.

Mid-Game:

This is where you have quite a bit of options, here are a few:

- The Splitpusher:

You're usually not a tank champion like Vladimir, Malphite, or Maokai if you're splitpushing. Champions like Tryndamere, Jax, Fiora and Irelia make competent splitpushers and duelists, and have fairly decent escape potential.

Just as the name says, most of mid-game you'll just be splitpushing lanes, leaving your team behind (for the sake of boosting yourself up in gold, and aiding your team by taking objectives). As long as your team doesn't force teamfights by playing conservatively, you should be fine. Keep everything around you warded though, as enemies can easily collapse on you. You can even ward enemy buffs, or just camps in general, so your team knows when they can pressure the other side of the map while the enemy team is on their way to kill you.

Usually you'll tell your team to either pressure toplane, giving you the chance to splitpush botlane, or the other way around. If ahead, your team can pressure mid and you can choose between either side lane.

Only do this if you're sure the game can make it to late-game. Since you'll have farmed up so much, you'll be too strong for the enemies to handle, strong enough to 1v1 or even 1v2. This forces the enemy team to put valuable resources to stop your splitpushing, giving the rest of your team the chance to pressure even harder.

- The Farmer:

This works best on tanky champions like Vladimir, Malphite, Rumble or Gnar. It's almost the same as a splitpusher, without the focus on objectives.

Your main focus is being "selfish" and farming up as much as you can. Your general goal is to soak up as much gold as possible. Your only thing to pay attention to is the time, you don't have much time to farm up and become the tank your team needs.

- The Bully:

This is simply you keeping the enemy toplaner busy, knowing you're going to fall off a bit late game. This way you'll prevent him from dominating your lane and possibly the game. Keeping him toplane is going to be your main focus, pressure the lane when he's gone, but keep wards down to make sure it wasn't a bait so you can prevent being chased by multiple enemies. Ask for help from teammates to kill him, since he's alone anyways. It's always worth trying if nothing else is happening on the map.

Besides that, there's isn't much more a bully does. Make sure you farm as much as you can though, and as previously said, place wards.

Late Game:

This is where you shine, whether you're a bruiser or a tank. You're really needed. You need to do everything you can to either jump onto their carries, or peel for your carries. Which you'll do depends on the situation, if you have a lot of CC, you could easily try and jump onto their carries, stopping them from dealing damage, giving your team the chance to kill them. If you don't, but you're tanky thanks to your early- and mid-game farming, you can peel for your carries, making sure they're safe while dealing as much damage as they can. You don't just have to tank enemy damage. You also need to tank Dragon or Baron, or even turrets. Your goal is to play so your team gets to deal damage, while you barely take any at all if you're tanky enough.

Stick with your team as you're really important to them. Without a bruiser or tank they can easily die, which is why you're so important as a toplaner.

Hope now you know what you can do as a toplaner. It's not just a silly "farming simulator" after all, is it?

Get your own AKRacing Chair here and support our players, all profit goes towards the teams!