Understanding the Game: Pressure

Intro

Hey guys, I am a long time League of Legends player that started playing near the end of Season 1. Currently I am in the Diamond bracket and I will write about things that helped me win more games and become a better player.  Because this is my first article, I wrote about a broad variety of topics, but in future articles, I will go more in depth on one topic and explain more of my thoughts.

To start off, I will talk about the general flow of a game so we can understand how to gain an advantage. After that, I will talk about some of the ways you can gain advantages in top lane. Lastly, I will talk about the mindset you should try to have when playing. Mindset determines how we play so it is important to have the right one to play optimally.

Game Flow: Pressure

League of Legends plays are based on pressure. Pressure is something you do that forces your opponent to react. For example, clearing a ward(s) at an advantageous area such as Dragon creates pressure because the enemies cannot see Dragon. Because of this, opponents do not know if Dragon is being taken and if they do not react, they have the possibility of losing the objective. Another way to create pressure is pushing a lane.

If the lane is empty, not only does the tower deny minion experience and gold to enemies, it damages the tower. This forces an enemy to deal with the pushing wave. Pushing a tower when an enemy is there still creates pressure because you can roam after you push the wave. This forces an enemy to push the minions back in fear of getting out roamed. There are numerous ways to create pressure, so it is important to understand the different ways to apply the pressure. When enough pressure goes unattended by the enemy team, you gain advantages (objectives), and if you gain enough objectives you win the game.

To illustrate pressure in League of Legends, we can imagine the Nexus as a balloon and air as pressure.  When enough air (pressure) is blown into the balloon (Nexus), the balloon explodes.  

 

Summary: Pressure --> Objectives --> Game.

 

What to do in Top Lane?

Push minions to tower… What does pushing minions to tower create? Pressure!

By pushing the lane to tower, you force the enemy top laner to last hit under tower. It is near impossible to have perfect farm when a turret attacks the minions so by pushing to tower, you will likely have more farm than your opponent. It is important that you have the ability to grab your own farm as you are pushing.  And as in any lane always keep the enemy jungler in mind.

What to do after pushing the minions to tower?
Create more pressure!  Because ranged and melee champions can create different kinds of pressure at top lane, I split them into two parts.

RANGED CHAMPIONS

Recommended:
Jayce
Kennen
Teemo
Nidalee

When playing ranged champions in top lane, you should win the lane a majority of the time (at least in the amount of pressure you create). Melee champions have a hard time dealing with the constant harass in lane and tower, so I recommend playing ranged champions at top because I feel it's the easiest way to create pressure in top lane.

How to create pressure as a ranged champion?
a) Harass the opponent when they go in to get farm. This should be when the minions are in the middle of the lane and when they are pushed in on the turret. By practicing harassing the enemy as the tower shot attacks a minion, you can avoid turret damage onto you as you harass the enemy. An easy champion to harass under tower with is Jayce. It is difficult to dodge the Shock Blast/Acceleration Gate combo while farming under turret.

b) Attack turret.

Note: If it seems like all the lanes are doing fine, I recommend Option A because it gives you the most advantage in the lane.

MELEE CHAMPIONS

Recommended:
Shyvanna
Renekton
Riven
Rengar
Trundle

Roam the map. You can proxy the wave, invade enemy jungle and take their farm, go into your jungle and take farm, ward deep in the enemy territory, or you can gank lanes. There are many things you can do, so it is up to you to decide which option would be the best to gain the most advantage from.

What to do if your opponent starts pushing to you?
A) Freeze the lane - If you are a Nasus vs a Renekton, it is advantageous for you to freeze the lane near your turret because you can farm more easily compared to farming the minions in the middle of the lane.

B) When to not freeze the lane - If you are facing a champion that can wave clear quickly, it is disadvantageous to freeze the minion wave at your turret because they can proxy minion waves or roam the map. In response, you have to push back the wave to even out the pressure applied onto you, or have your jungler gank. It is important to play champions that don’t get out majorly pushed.

 

Mindset and Conclusion

One of the main reasons players have a hard time improving and winning games is because of other people. Countless people have (friends and myself included) complained that they are always paired with the feeders, ragers, and trolls in games. Indeed, it is frustrating to be paired with these types of players, but it is not something we can change. Whether we like it or not, they are going to continue to feed, rage, and troll. By caring too much about the players you are paired with, the quality of your play decreases.

The only thing we have control is our emotions and our play. A teacher once told me that a glass of water is heavy only if we hold onto it. We have to put down the water so it can stop being a burden on us. When someone purposely (or unintentionally) feeds, let it go. Don’t make it a burden on yourselves because it will have no impact on what they do. One thing to note is it that letting it go does not mean ignoring the problem, but embracing it.

If someone feeds because they are a lower leveled player, don’t bash them or ignore them, but understand that they are a lower leveled player.  This will help you focus on your play. If you are feeling friendly, it can also be beneficial to throw out some words of encouragement. In conclusion, accept the fact that there are going to be less than ideal situations you will have to play in so you can focus on the things actually in your control. Remember the game you are in is temporary, so make the best of the situation.