Getting the Edge in Early Game Twisted Treeline

Veterans of the old Twisted Treeline know how important the first 90 seconds of the match can be and in the new Twisted Treeline that fact is no different. Early kills mean early gold, earlier items and immediate presence on the map. Before the patch early kills could secure two altars but now you'll have to either have two fights under your belt or get a fight in later to steal the enemy altar when it unlocks at 3:00.

So what can you do? As with all other modes of League of Legends (ARAM excluded) team composition can go a long way to building your victory, especially in the all-important first few minutes. While the new Twisted Treeline was made in an attempt to sway bruiser-only compositions they still have a solid place at the table and your team should definitely include at least one. Choices for bruisers in Twisted Treeline can include Singed, Darius, Rengar, Olaf, Irelia, Lee Sin or Jax. Try to select champions with strong level 1 presence that not only work well together but also have the ability to check bushes from afar, like Lee Sin.

Depending on the bruisers selected it's generally wise to select either an AP or an AD carry to get quick damage on your opponents. While Elise is struggling to find her place in the game, a starting point in W can give some good bush checking powers combined with solid early damage. Other champions like Brand and Orianna also boast some good early damage as well as the utility to check bushes. On the AD side champions like Kog, Corki, Ezreal and Vayne can do good early damage but also need the support of tankier teammates. 

Once you have your team selected there are a few options to ensuring an early game lead and they all revolve around control or knowledge of various bushes around the map. A common tactic involves rushing the enemy side mid brush between their altar and the mid-map speed rune. While rushing this bush can be effective netting an early kill from this position requires the enemy team to make a mistake and run into a dangerous area without checking it first. If you want to go this route make sure to announce it in pre-game as you will not have time to once the game starts since people have to buy items and move immediately for it to work.

There are two other locations to consider however that are a little more unconventional. They also involve bush positioning but they're less used and have more potential to catch your opponents off-guard.

The first bush is the one located on the enemy side of top lane, near the entrance to their jungle and altar. This is an excellent location as it is a common path for the enemy top-laner when entering lane following the early game guard at mid. Since altars spawn later champions will move to lane and capture their altar later to reduce lost experience and that's when the gank comes into play. In the worst-case scenario players will be near your waiting champions but often they will simply enter the bush because it's uncommon for it to be bristling with enemies at that point in the game. To make the bait more believable you can also keep one champion in the mid bush where early pushes occur to trick the enemy into thinking the rest of your team is nearby. Net the early top lane kill and take the altar if the time is right. If not, move to lane with the gold advantage and keep the pressure strong.

The other location is a little riskier than the previous but operates on many of the same principles; this the is the bush located at center bot lane. The issues with this bush are that enemies are less likely to come near this bush as they enter lane and it also is a bush more often checked as it's a somewhat more common spot for a gank. The tradeoff is that a gank at this bottom bush could lead to two kills rather than one which could then move into a quick jungle on the enemy side during the respawn, potentially grabbing the enemy altar if the timing is right. Baiting is also difficult for this location because you really want to have all three players in this bush to ensure that you nail the kills if the opportunity presents itself. More of a gamble but more of an overall reward if it pays off.

No matter what the early game strategy though remember to always pull away from a bad situation. If you get caught in bad positioning and you all escape the only thing lost is experience from the lane since altars spawn so late in the game. If you lose to early aggression take the hint and get to lane early rather than walk into a likely ambush from an overconfident enemy. Going to lane first will put you at a slight advantage if they're in the bush, making the best out of a bad situation.