League of Legends Primer #2 - Understanding MOBAs and League of Legends

League of Legends
World Championships 2016 Primer
Part 2: Understanding the Basics of LoL (1/2)
Prepared by: Luc Ryu

This Primer is meant for individuals who are interested in learning about the basics of
League of Legends – both as a game, and as a spectacle.
The 2016 World Championships are just around the corner (October 29, 2016), and
awareness of the game is at an annual high. With that, comes a large influx of individuals
who are interested in watching, but have no idea what the game is, how its basic gameplay
functions, or even how to properly watch the game.
This Primer will be comprised of multiple sections, each designed to explain a unique
component of League of Legends – be it its history and growth, its basic gameplay, or the
head-to-head matchup at the 2016 World Championships.
Altogether, the goal of this Primer is to help beginners learn the basics of League of
Legends, such that they can enjoy the experience of watching the 2016 World
Championships.
The biggest barrier to entry for any video game is the steep learning curve involved in
learning the fundamentals. It is my hope that this Primer will help to break down those
barriers, and help introduce the fascinating world of competitive League of Legends to new
viewers.
About This Primer

Understanding the Basics of LoL

This is the Rift!
…but, of course players
don’t play with a bird’s-eye-
view of the entire map.
That would make it too easy
to see everything that’s
happening on the map.

Although players can move
their cameras to anywhere on
the map, they can only zoom
out to the size of this square!

Although players can move
their cameras to anywhere on
the map, they can only zoom
out to the size of this square!
And so, this is the
amount of the Rift a
player sees on their
camera at any time.

But, they do also have this thing
called a “Mini-Map”.
The areas of vision that any
teammates have will be illuminated
on the Mini-Map.

So essentially, a player can see what’s
directly on their screen through their
camera, but…
…they can also see what their
teammates see indirectly through the
Mini-Map!
But, they do also have this thing
called a “Mini-Map”.
The areas of vision that any
teammates have will be illuminated
on the Mini-Map.

All the un-illuminated portions of
the map are called the “Fog-of-War”.
That means that no one on the team
currently has any vision of this area.
So, Fog-of-War can be illuminated if
anything from the Blue team is
around it!

“Why is any of this important?”
Good question! It’s because LoL is
a decision-based game.
In order to make good decisions,
you need information. At the most
basic level, you need to know
where your enemies are!
You wouldn’t want to walk into the
entire enemy team!
Now, back to the Rift…

There are two teams in every game of LoL, and
they start on opposite ends, as highlighted on
this bird’s-eye-view of the Rift.
You have the Red team on the top-right, and you
have the Blue team on the bottom-left.

A team wins when it destroys the opposing
team’s main structure (their “Nexus”), as
highlighted.
There is no time limit.

There are three pathways that connect the two
teams together (“Lanes”).

There are also portions of the Rift that aren’t
covered by the Lanes.
This entire area is generally known as the Jungle.

Remember that the goal is to destroy these
things (the Nexuses)!

So, in a standard game of LoL, the two teams
will start by splitting their team up into the
different Lanes and the Jungle, in order to start
working their way towards the Nexus.
I’ll explain why it’s
ineffective to send
the entire team into
one Lane later!

So, in a standard game of LoL, the two teams
will start by splitting their team up into the
different Lanes and the Jungle, in order to start
working their way towards the Nexus.
I’ll explain why it’s
ineffective to send
the entire team into
one Lane later! With that said, players are
not forced to stay in a
specific Lane.
They can move around and
help their teammates in
other Lanes if they want!

However, it’s not as easy as simply avoiding the
enemy team, running to the Nexus, and
smacking it a few times.

Each team has two defensive structures in each
Lane (“Turrets”).
You can think of these as checkpoints.

A team can’t destroy a Turret if the one
immediately before it hasn’t been destroyed.
Think of each Lane as its own onion!

Each Nexus also has two Turrets guarding it
(“Nexus Turrets”).
The Nexus can’t be destroyed until both Nexus
Turrets are destroyed.

And the Nexus Turrets can’t be destroyed until
at least one of these things are destroyed
(“Inhibitors”).

…which you can only destroy after you destroy
the Turrets directly guarding them
(“Inhibitor Turrets”).

So essentially you just have to destroy a lot of
things in a sequential order…
Outside – inside!

But don’t worry – you get help!

To help the teams out, the Computer will
generate lesser units (“Minions”) at regular
intervals.
Each Lane spawns its own set of equally strong
minions, and they are programmed to walk down
the Lane and attack the first thing they
encounter – be it an opposing player, opposing
Minions, or an opposing structure.
This could eventually mean
the Nexus if there’s nothing
left in front of it!

When a Lane’s Inhibitor is destroyed…
(remember, it’s these circled things!)
…the opposing team’s Minions in that Lane will
be much stronger (“Super Minions”) until the
Inhibitor fixes itself over time.
This will eventually put
pressure on that Lane since
the opposing Minions will get
to the Nexus!

So we know what the Computer does…
…and we know how to win…
…so what does a player do?

Each player selects a unique character to play
for the entire duration of the game
(“Champion”).
Along with a standard basic attack, most*
Champions have four unique abilities (“Skills”). Teemo
The Swift Scout
* Some have more!
There are currently 133 Champions
and 724 Skills in LoL.
Professional players, and even most
competitive players, probably have
the basic details of most of these
memorized.

By controlling their Champion and using a
combination of skills and basic attacks, players
look to destroy the opposing team’s Nexus…
…and of course, any of the opposing
Champions, Minions, and Turrets, that stand in
their way!
Teemo
The Swift Scout
It might be a good time to explain that…
If a Champion ever dies, they will
eventually respawn back in their
base. The dead player is not
penalized, other than the fact that
they are dead for a period of time.

By controlling their Champion and using a
combination of skills and basic attacks, players
look to destroy the opposing team’s Nexus…
…and of course, any of the opposing
Champions, Minions, and Turrets, that stand in
their way!
Teemo
The Swift Scout
It might be a good time to explain that…
If a Champion ever dies, they will
eventually respawn back in their
base. The dead player is not
penalized, other than the fact that
they are dead for a period of time.
For you hockey fans out there, think
of this as a Powerplay - the enemy
team is one player down, so you have
to take advantage of it!

Teemo
The Swift Scout
Every source of experience (killing a
Minion) gives a set amount of
experience.
This means that if you have
teammates around that that
experience is split!
Champions all start at level one.
A Champion levels up by gaining experience
(from killing, or assisting in the killing, of
opposing Champions and Minions, etc.).

Teemo
The Swift Scout
Every source of experience (killing a
Minion) gives a set amount of
experience.
This means that if you have
teammates around that that
experience is split!
This is why having all five team
members push one lane won’t
work.
You’ll all still be level one when
your opponents are all level
three!
Champions all start at level one.
A Champion levels up by gaining experience
(from killing, or assisting in the killing, of
opposing Champions and Minions).

Teemo
The Swift Scout
Skill One: Blinding Dart
Skill Two: Move Quick
Skill Three: Toxic Shot
Every time a Champion gains one level, they
can make one of their Skills stronger.
“Hey, but why would anyone
use basic attacks if they have
these special skills!?”
Well, because Skills are so
special, they require more
energy! In LoL, this is usually
called “Mana”.
More impactful Skills usually
use up more Mana.
Don’t worry, though - Mana
replenishes over time!

Teemo
The Swift Scout
Skill One: Blinding Dart
Ultimate Skill: Noxious Trap
Skill Two: Move Quick
Skill Three: Toxic Shot
“So can players just buy items
that give them lots of Mana
then?”
Nope! After using a Skill, it
can’t be used again for some
time (a “Cooldown”)!
Stronger Skills usually have
longer Cooldowns.
Ultimate Skills typically have
the longest Cooldowns, so
it’s important to use them
wisely!
At level six, they gain access to a special
Skill, called an Ultimate Skill.
It’s important to keep an eye out for when
Champions hit level six, as it typically
results in a big spike in power!

Furthermore, all players are allowed to select
two unique abilities (“Summoner Spells”).
There are 10 Summoner Spells that can be
selected. The following are the ones I believe are
the most important to know as a new viewer:

Flash
Instantly teleports a Champion a short
distance.
Can use every 300 seconds.
Useful for escaping from enemies, or
for surprising them by instantaneously
positioning yourself in a new location.
Almost all players will select Flash as
one of their two Summoner Spells.

Heal
Instantly heals and speeds up the
player and the most wounded nearby
ally.
Useful for keeping the player and/or
their teammate alive and running away
or chasing an enemy.
Heal is typically selected by ADC*
players, and situationally, Mid players.
* ADC is explained in Part 3.

Smite
Instantly deals damage to a neutral
monster or Minion.
Only selected by Jungle players, as it
helps them clear Camps* faster.
Used to deal the killing blow on neutral
monsters, such as Drakes and Baron
Nashor*.
*Explained soon!

Teleport
After 4.5 seconds, teleports the
Champion to an ally ward, unit ,or Turret.
Can be used to return to Lane quickly,
or to surprise enemies by teleporting to
a ward behind enemy lines.
Used primarily by Top Lane players
since they are so far from the Bot
Lane. Can situationally be taken by Mid
Lane players as well.
A ward is a special item that
can be placed around the
player to provide vision for a
few minutes!
A player could, for example,
go deep into the enemy
team’s half of the Rift, and
place down a ward.
The vision from the ward
would illuminate a portion of
the Mini-Map!

Teleport
After 4.5 seconds, teleports the
Champion to an ally ward, unit , or
Turret.
Can be used to return to Lane quickly,
or to surprise enemies by teleporting to
a ward behind enemy lines.
Used primarily by Top Lane players
since they are so far from the Bot
Lane. Can situationally be taken by Mid
Lane players as well.
A ward is a special item that
can be placed around the
player to provide vision for a
few minutes!
A player could, for example,
go deep into the enemy
team’s half of the Rift, and
place down a ward.
The vision from the ward
would illuminate a portion of
the Mini-Map!
If a ward is placed in a
good spot, it could help
you see an enemy from
another Lane try to
come flank you for an
ambush (a “gank”)!
You’d have to be
looking at your Mini-
Map, though!

Players can also empower their Champions by
purchasing items in their base with gold.
Gold accumulates over time, but can also be
earned from killing opposing Champions, killing
opposing Minions, and destroying opposing
Turrets*.
*Among other things…
There are over 175 items available for
purchase, each with their own unique
effects.
A Champion can have six items, max.

Stronger items cost more gold, and are built by
combining multiple items.
The items a player buys will depend on the
strengths of their Champion, but also how well
they’re doing and how much gold they have!
If they’re dying a lot and not earning gold, they
might have to settle for weaker items.
Here’s a brief summary on the different sources of
gold, and how much gold they pay out!
Source Notes Gold
Start of Game 500
Minion [1] 19
Champion Kill [2] 300
Assist on Champion Kill [2] 150
Outer Turret [3] 250
Inner Turret [3] 175
Notes
[1] Average of melee and ranged Minions.
[2] Represents minimum.
[3] When nearby at time of destruction.

One last thing!
Remember that there’s an area of the Rift called
the Jungle.

Minions do not spawn in the Jungle. Instead,
neutral monsters spawn (“Camps”).
Camps also provide gold and experience.
Securing the killing blow on certain Camps
provide power-ups (“Buffs”).

Drakes
(Fire, Cloud, Mountain, Ocean)
• Securing the killing blow on the Drakes will provide
the team with a permanent Buff.
• The first Drake spawns 2:30 into the game.
• After the first / previous Drake is killed, the next one
will spawn after six minutes.
• There are four types of Drakes, and the type of
Drake spawned is random.
Because Drake Buffs are permanent,
they’re hotly contested!
Look for lots of fights around this area
early on in the game.

Increases the damage done by the
entire team.
Infernal Drake

Increases the team’s damage to
structures, and monsters in Epic Camps*.
Mountain Drake

Increases the team’s Health and Mana
regeneration when not fighting.
Ocean Drake

Increases the team’s movement speed
when not fighting.
Cloud Drake

Elder Dragon
• The Elder Dragon takes the place of Drakes after the
35 minute mark.
• If a Drake already exists, it must be killed before the
Elder Dragon can spawn.
• The Elder Dragon increases the power of all
previous Drake Buffs by 50%, as well as the
damage of the team that dealt the killing blow for
two minutes.
• After it is killed, a new Elder Dragon will respawn after
10 minutes.
In most games, about four Drakes will have been
killed by the time the Elder Dragon spawns.
That means four Buffs that can be amplified!

• The Rift Herald first spawns at the 6:00
mark.
• One member of the team that secures
the killing blow on the Rift Herald will
have their basic attack empowered for
20 minutes.
• There is only one Rift Herald per game.
Rift Herald

• Baron Nashor replaces the Rift Herald at
the 20 minute mark.
• After it is killed, it will respawn every seven
minutes.
• For 3.5 minutes, grants bonus damage
to the team that secured the kill, and
empowers all Minions around members
of the team that have the Buff.
• If a Champion dies they will lose the
Buff, regardless of how much more
time they had with it.
Baron Nashor
Sometimes all a team needs is some empowered
Minions in order to take down the last few Turrets
and get to the Nexus!
Look for big fights here as teams try to close out
the game!

And with that, you know enough to sit down,
watch a game of LoL, and actually have an
idea of what’s happening!

You don’t need to know everything…
…but the more you know, the more you
understand, and the more you understand,
the more fun you have watching.

• http://league-analytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Prolly-Coaching-1024x683.jpg
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• http://riot-web-static.s3.amazonaws.com/images/news/June_2014/SRDB3/srdb3-1.jpg
• http://blog.gaming.stackexchange.com/files/2011/05/nexus_0.jpg
• https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rx3WR65cmncWySHYdy3oaw16eGI=/0x17:700x484/1310x873/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50496089/uhhhh.0.png
• http://s3wc0.goplay.com/wysiwyg/2016/02/26/inhibitor-LOL.jpg
• http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/d/d6/Minions.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141107214159
• http://pre11.deviantart.net/aa5b/th/pre/f/2015/186/9/1/pixelol___teemo_animated_by_serklaz-d903dnv.png
• http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/d/d6/Teemo_Render.png/revision/latest?cb=20150416175359
• http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/1/1d/Fire_Dragon_Ingame.png/revision/latest?cb=20160420053204
• http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/6/6c/Air_Dragon_Ingame.png/revision/latest?cb=20160420050520
• http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/c/c4/Water_Dragon_Ingame.png/revision/latest?cb=20160420052104
• http://image2.redbull.com/rbcom/010/2016-06-20/1331801643319_2/0010/1/1500/1000/2/the-cloud-drake-not-up-to-scratch.jpg
• http://lkimg.zamimg.com/assets/000/002/479.png
• http://de.easy-lol.com/images/articleImages/elementalDragons/elder-dragon.jpg
• http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/f/f0/BaronSquare.png/revision/latest?cb=20141023045837&path-prefix=de
• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbdlkcLbbuo/VjPIRO71LhI/AAAAAAAAzpM/5PaCEOv_HXk/s1600/SRURiftHerald_Circle.png
• http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/1/1e/Rift_Herald.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151213174828
• http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/leagueoflegends/images/5/5b/Baron_Nashor_VU.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140618120136
• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uxnxaxOC-aw/VM_lNb9qsdI/AAAAAAAAjMc/vcW6c8eXJzM/s1600/blueeoff.jpg
• http://i.imgur.com/TPfw18d.png
• https://images.alphacoders.com/574/574521.jpg
• http://i.imgur.com/0b2KH5j.png
• https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E_pm3Tdxthw/VwhU2SpzihI/AAAAAAAANUY/8e4hq5xCx8I0muVluWXftx--h0Eqs1sgQ/s1600/zhonyas.jpg
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League of Legends Primer #2 - Understanding MOBAs and League of Legends

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League of Legends Primer #2 - Understanding MOBAs and League of Legends