Winning Champ Select: The Split Push

As much as I’ve harped on vision and communication being the things that win games, you won’t even have a game if you don’t do well in champion select. Sure, people jump into solo queue and will instapick their favorite or best champs, but sometimes, that isn’t the best thing for the team. If someone’s best champ is Tryndamere and that’s locked in first, don’t play another champion that split pushes, but instead pick a champion that can win a 4v5, like Yasuo or someone else will a high damage burst. This is the first part of the Winning Champ Select series and today we will be focusing on the split push composition.

First thing to note: communication is key here. You need to constantly be communicating with the split pusher to let them know when the enemy team is missing or if you need them to roam down and help the fight. While there is a time and place for split pushing (and that is generally top lane), sometimes you just have to wait until you have the proper map control so that you can respond we’ll to the enemy team and protect the split pusher.

There are lots of great champions that can split push well, but some do it extremely well. Those top tier split pushers include Nasus, Jax, Tryndamere, Warwick, and Jinx.

An explanation

Nasus: Nasus’s passive easily makes him the best split pusher. Being able to take down a turret in 2 waves max is amazing. Also, if his split push doesn’t work out then he can roam down from top and just 1 shot the enemy carry while being massive and dealing tons of AoE damage.

Jax: We all remember the 90% or higher Jax bans a few months ago, and his split push is one of the reasons why. With the amount of armor and magic resist his ult gave him, combined with his passive, he could afford to build 2 or 3 attack speed/damage items and him not be punished for it. Like Nasus, turrets would drop fast and back doors would be considered.

Tryndamere: I personally haven’t experienced Tryn like others have, just due to when he’s locked in and I’m top I pick his worst enemy, Nasus (can duel early, eventually can do enough damage to him that a Q will kill from almost ¼ heath so he won’t activate his ult). All I know is that he builds crit strike and does 5000 damage a second to your ADC and will somehow 2 seconds later be top whacking on the turret and clearing waves instantly. No, but honestly, he just does so much damage so fast its almost ridiculous.

Warwick: Ahhh Warwick, one of my favorite champs. Whether he’s top or jungle, his split push is amazing. He does so much damage all because of his W’s crazy attack speed boost. He can beat and beat on the turret and then just heal up off the wave which will drop super-fast as well as the turret.

Jinx: Jinx’x mini gun is soooo good. The bonus attack speed she gets completely demolishes turrets, and when the wave come all you have to do is switch to the rockets and clear that wave in 2 or 3 auto attacks. Her get excited passive also helps if people roam down because she can finish killing turret and run off super-fast.

 

Split pushing often requires a big investment into wards and tier 2 boots finished somewhat early, but it all pays off. You can capitalize at lower ELOs by having the split push due to them not knowing what to do. As soon as they see the split pusher has destroyed a turret they will rotate to respond to that, and as soon as they all go MIA the split pusher recalls while the rest of the team proceeds to pick up a turret or another objective like dragon or baron (but remember baron is the easiest way to throw a game).

Next time we will focus on the pick comp and what to do should you get behind. Let me know on Twitter @chad_bubbles about how you feel about the split push comp and my picks for the top tier split pushers, and while you’re there hit that follow button.

Until next time.