Vision Guide for Supports in LoL
Today we will be taking a look at proper warding and vision, one of the most important roles of a support.
As a support, your carry (APC or ADC) relies on you for more than just assisting them in fights. Keeping up with warding and vision control is important in keeping you and your carry safe from ganks from other lanes or the enemy jungler, as well as denying that safety from the opposing botlane.
You will want to purchase your starting item as well as the standard Warding Totem trinket. In order to keep up with vision, it's important to finish your starting item's quest so that you can quickly exchange your Warding Totem trinket for the Oracle Lens trinket. If you've chosen to start with Spellthief's Edge or Spectral Sickle, be sure to poke the enemy laners frequently. If you're starting with Steel Shoulderguards or Relic Shield, save your minion executes for melee and cannon minions.
Control Wards are one of the most important items in the game, even if you're not the support. Getting one during your first back gives you a strong early game presence when shutting down your enemy's vision, and it is key to try and keep at least one in your inventory at all times.
If you enter the game on the left side (blue side) of the map, position A and B (from the above image) are important to keep an eye on. Position A can be moved further up river, outside of the Dragon pit, as well, but can be risky if you are being pushed under your turret. Position B can be used to see the enemy jungler before they enter the river and potentially try for a gank, giving you enough time to react and/or get to safety.
This is a common spot for Nocturne to use his ultimate from, or for the enemy Thresh to use his lantern to help his ally over the wall if the blast cone isn't available. If neither of these champions are on the enemy team and your champion is ranged, you can attack the blast cone over the wall to force the jungler to take a longer route to your lane.
If you're pushing the enemy under their turret, you can use a Control Ward on position A to deny them river vision. This can be a risky spot to fight over if you don't otherwise have the advantage in lane.
On the other hand, if you're starting the game on the right side (red side) of the map, and have the advantage in lane, you can use a Control Ward on position A. If you're being pushed under your turret, using a Control Ward on position B can prevent your enemy from seeing your jungler before they can help you in lane. You can then stand in position B and use a standard ward over the wall to position A so that you can still see in the river.
If you're starting on the left side of the map, the enemy lane might use a standard ward in position A (from the above image), if they have the advantage and are pushing you under turret. You will want to use a Control Ward here, when available, to deny them that vision as long as they are at your turret or towards the middle of the lane. On the other hand, if you are starting on the right side of the map, you can use a standard ward here to see an early gank from their jungler. Keep in mind that this spot may lead to risky fights, especially if the opposing support is a champion like Blitzcrank who can easily catch you and shut you down from over the wall.
When the enemy has constant pressure against you in lane, you can start warding alcoves to shut down the opportunity for them to surprise you and engage on you. However, don't empty all of your wards on the alcoves, as the river and Dragon pit are more impactful in the long run.
Keeping vision on the Dragon pit is extremely important, especially with Dragons giving such a huge boost to gameplay. If you're starting on the left side of the map, position A (from the above image) is the safest area to ward. However, if you have the advantage in lane, position B is the more preferred area to have vision of, since it allows you to see both the Dragon pit and the river. The enemy team might try to pull the Dragon out of the pit and fight it on position B with the intentions of denying your team that vision.
Position A also serves as a good area to place a Control Ward in, especially if you are about to pull the Dragon. If you're starting on the right side of the map, be careful not to place the Control Ward too close to the wall, since a ranged champion on the enemy team can safely clear it over the wall, as long as they have vision of the ward. On the other hand, keep this in mind so that you yourself can clear said wards.
If you're pulling Dragon and you started on the right side of the map, it's a good idea to place a ward over the wall to where the blast cone is located so you can see the enemy jungler if they try to jump over and steal. The best time to start the Dragon is when your enemy lane is either pushed under their turret, are too low to contest, or have returned to base. If your jungler decides to solo the Dragon, it's a good idea to apply more pressure in lane so that the enemy support doesn't have a chance to check the Dragon pit or ward further up river. In any case, it's risky to not have vision on the Dragon and can really cost you and your team in the long run.
If you have the opportunity to roam away from your lane, whether you have consistent pressure or have already destroyed the opposing turret, it is important to ward as you go. If you started on the left side of the map, position A (from the above image) can be a good area to keep an eye on if the enemy midlaner has constant pressure against your team mate, since this gives them the opportunity to roam into your own lane. This is also a key spot to ward if you've started Dragon, and want to make sure the midlaner doesn't rotate down and surprise you. Position B is another good area to ward when doing Dragon, but it can also help your midlaner be aware of the enemy jungler when they try to move in for a gank. Again, these areas are more important if you have the advantage, as they take away from the vision in your own lane. It's easier to roam and ward once you complete your starting item quest and have more wards to spare and more opportunities to clear out vision.
If you haven't completed your quest yet, but still have the opportunity to roam, warding in the entrances to the enemy jungle can help your entire team. Spotting the jungler on one of these wards provides so much information and can lead to things like securing objectives, taking turret dives, or organizing ganks.
As the game goes on and laning phase has ended, having vision ready for Baron is extremely important. Clearing the vision with a Control Ward or the Oracle Lens should be done constantly, and you should aim to always have the area warded. Position A (from the above image) is better to control and clear, while position B allows for extra vision. If you started on the left side of the map, position B and above position B (where the blast cone is located) are key areas to ward when pulling Baron. If given the opportunity, rotate up and use the blast cone yourself to join your team in the pit to deny the enemy jungler from stealing over the wall. Keep in mind that this can be risky, and it's safe to at least have a ward placed here.
Over the course of the game, you will want to use your Oracle Lens to clear areas of interest, like objectives, as well as anywhere the enemy might be watching to protect them from a gank. Control Wards should be purchased regularly and used during objectives to shut down the enemy's vision and prevent them from engaging properly. When backing, aim to use all leftover wards from your finished starting item, since they will restock once you arrive in base, especially if a key objective is left in the dark. As you and your team push lanes, keep vision over the walls, in the bushes, or any area that an enemy could engage from. After destroying turrets or inhibitors, it's a good idea to leave a ward behind before backing to keep an eye on the enemy team after they clear your minions away. The longer the game is, the deeper you will want your vision, so that you keep an eye on the enemy team's rotations.
In conclusion, consistent vision is important in feeding your team information that will keep them safe from surprise ganks, rotate on objectives, and make plays that normally are risky without this insight.
