Optimizing the Early game

In the lowest summoner levels, I distinctly recall the formulaic beginnings of every match. The two bottom laners would walk to their bot lane tower, the mid laner would walk to mid lane tower, the top laners would go to their top lane tower, and if there was a jungler (instead of two top laners), he would go to the blue buff spawn area and wait for it to spawn. Everyone would then simply wait until about two minutes, when the minions met in lane. There would be the occasional scrap when a laner checked a bush with enemies in it.

For most of us, it's been a long time since we were that new to the game, and yet we still squander this time! I think we all want to get better at League, and utilizing all of the resources given to you is a guaranteed way to improve your play. To that end, I've written a short guide to making better use of those first two minutes.

Invading
If your team is coordinated, or you're really brave, you can attempt to invade the enemy jungle. As a rule, it's important to make sure that your entire team is on board if you want to invade. Invading has three goals:
-To catch any unprepared champions in the jungle and secure first blood on them.
-To take as much experience and gold away from the enemy jungler (usually attempting to take red or blue buff).
-To gain more experience and gold for your team, usually for your own jungler.

The net result is that your own jungler (usually) ends up far ahead of theirs, which is very helpful. However, it is worth noting that invading is very dangerous, and could result in a lost fight, or worse. Because of that danger, invading should only be attempted when the team is sufficiently coordinated and your team is stronger at level 1 than theirs (look for champions with stuns or roots like Jax, Morgana, Cho'gath, Alistar, or Blitzcrank). If the enemy jungler is very reliant on blue buff (such as Amumu or Fiddlesticks), it is a safe assumption that they are starting their jungle at the blue buff. Invading is a very deep, complex tactic, so do not take this mini-guide as a be-all-end-all explanation of jungle invasion.

Invading, Solo/Duo
On certain champions, most prominently tanky solo top champions (especially ones that are also used as junglers, such as Jax, Lee Sin, Shyvana, Olaf, or Xin Zhao), you can simply enter the enemy jungle alone (shortly after creeps spawn, at about 1:35) and try to take some of the enemy jungle alone. Without smite, it's not as safe or easy as it is for a jungler, but if you start with items such as cloth armor and five health potions, or the crystalline flask and five health potions start, you can very reliably take the jungle and then go to your lane with a large advantage.

The disadvantage of this plan, however, is the fact that it's very unsafe to do so if you don't know where the enemy team is. Getting caught here could make you lose far more than you could potentially gain. This is safest when you are taking the enemy wraiths while you know their jungler is at blue. Depending on lane setups, you can also do this as the AD carry and support, taking the wraiths (usually leaving one of the small wraiths) together. This is guaranteed to cost you some resources (one or more health potions, usually), but allows you to hit level 2 before the enemy lane, which is very powerful for allowing aggression (before the enemy laner(s) hits two).

Bush Camp
While this tactic is more common in the lower levels of play, when 'sneakiness' is overvalued, the truth is that bush camping in the early minutes of the game can be very effective. Simply waiting in a bush your opponent is likely to pass through on his way to lane (assuming you are stronger than they are at level one, or assuming you are camping in sufficient numbers to win the fight anyway) can allow you to ambush the enemy player, scoring some easy damage, summoner spells, or in rare events, easy kills. Some good places to bush camp are:

Top Lane Tri Brush (if you are on blue side) or Bot Lane Tri Brush (purple side)

 

Top Lane River Bush (if you're purple side) or Bot Lane River Bush (if you're blue side)

 

Top Lane, Lane Bush (The bush closer to the enemy tower) or Bot Lane, Lane Bush (likewise)

 

Keep in mind that there is no reason to bush camp if you are playing a weaker earlygame champion. For example, if you are playing Irelia and you are going to be fighting Darius in top lane, you should know that he is guaranteed to do more damage to you at level 1 than you can do to him, due to the huge damage of Darius' passive. Therefore, you should not bush camp because the element of surprise would not allow you to gain anything except a lot of lost health. Strong early game champions for top lane generally include Darius, Garen, Gangplank, Lee Sin, Jax, Olaf, Pantheon, Rengar, Riven, Trundle, and Udyr. Similarly, strong bot lane early game choices such as Ashe, Corki, Ezreal, Sivir, Alistar, Blitzcrank, Leona, and Zyra can be effective. Mid laners usually have fewer opportunities to do this, and fewer still have strong enough level 1 damage to use this strategy.

Wait for Gold
If your starting item build has at least 20 gold left over, you might consider staying at base until you reach 35 gold, enough to purchase one more health or mana potion, which allows you to lane more safely when you finally arrive. Depending on how long you wait, you may miss one or more minion kills due to your lateness, but the health potion can be worth it. What is important, however, is that you do not wait at base the entire time.

To stay at your base until the minions spawn and gold begins to accrue is very wasteful, and selfish at that. It is far wiser to stay with your team until just before minions spawn, and then recall to get the last potion before going to lane. I usually recall around 1:20 or 1:25 when doing this. However, keep in mind that if you choose this strategy, you are not able to do any other task described here, including helping your jungler. If your jungler is a weak jungler (for example, Sejuani and Nautilus have very weak early jungle clears, so they could use the help), you should probably help them instead of going back for another health potion. They may become offended if they do not get any help with the jungle and blame you for any trouble they have there.

Jungling, Solo/Duo
Similar to solo/duo counterjungling, it is not impossible for many champions (again, mostly solo top champions and some mids who are also used as junglers) to take some of their jungler's minions early in the game for an advantage. It is usually ideal to take the jungle camp farthest away from your jungler (so that it respawns soon after the jungler arrives). Some examples include the AD carry and support taking the “dual golems” or the wraiths while the jungler is taking wolves and blue buff.

If the jungler is starting with red buff, taking his wolves should not be too disruptive. Unlike counterjungling, it is mandatory that all of the camp is cleared, so that it respawns and the team's jungler is not set back by the solo/duo jungling. With that exception, this is similar to solo/duo counterjungling in intention and benefits.

Guarding the Jungle + Help Jungler
While this is not an inherently productive activity, it is usually the safest and the most common play. If you do not plan to utilize any of the above strategies, you should place yourself in or just outside your team's jungle, near your lane and in a position where you can easily see invaders approaching. This prevents your team from being taken by surprise if the enemy decides to invade your jungle. When minions spawn, if your lane is near the jungler's starting point you should help him with his jungle and then go to your lane.

If your lane is far from the jungler's starting point, then go to your lane instead. The absolute most vital piece of information when guarding the jungle is this: do not die. The entire goal of guarding the jungle is to prevent any unnecessary losses. If you get hit by a Blitzcrank grab and are killed before minions spawn, then the invading team has done what they wanted to do. Do not be afraid to use Flash, or your champion's escape skill (even if you have to take it instead of a more reliable harassment skill!) to get out safely. Your first and foremost goal when you see the enemy team invading is not to die. Many, many well-intentioned players have sat in a bush to guard their jungle, only to be the ones who end up getting caught and giving first blood. Don't be that person.

This is not a fully exhaustive list of your options early game, but I hope they will help you feel more useful before you finally start farming those minions.

Good luck out there, and have fun.