Closing Games: Ways to successfully end the game
Many teams, after getting a huge lead in the mid game, are having problems ending the game.
So we are at the point of the game where your team has decent advantage, but you cannot successfully use it and close out the game. This happens often because some players are overextending. As a chain reaction to that, your lead begins to disappear. In that case, I will give you a few tips that can help your team to close out the game.
Baron Nashor
A really important thing that can help your team in finishing the game, is the Baron Nashor Buff (Hand of Baron). Huge number of teams, encouraged by the lead they have, just go straight for the enemy base and try to finish the game. Not that it is impossible, but it requires your team to have really huge lead and the enemy team does not stand any chance of winning a teamfight (even under their own turrets).
When your lead is not that big, Baron will come in handy. First off, your team MUST have warded all the roads leading to the Baron's pit. After you secured the vision around it, you can start it. In almost all games the enemy team will contest it, or at least sacrifice their Jungler in attempt to steal it. That is why vision around it is key!
Art Credit: http://mapledragon.deviantart.com/art/Monster-Battle-258673021
If your team successfully secures the Baron, there are mainly two things that you can do to use the Baron Buff and close the game:
- Group as 5: Gather the whole team in any lane, and start sieging it. This way shines when you are playing against a team that has low waveclear. As the Baron empowered minions are not easy to be cleared, the enemy team will be forced to flee the Inhibitor Turret, and possibly the Inhibitor itself. After a taken Inhibitor, depending on how long the siege has lasted (should not take long against low waveclear), if there is still a Baron Buff on your teammates, just switch to another lane.
However, the enemy team surely will not let you take all Inhibitors down freely, so at some point you have to be ready that they will engage a teamfight. Things that you should care the most in these situation are Teleport Flanks. You surely do not want Homeguard Teleport Hecarim to oneshot your carry. So at any moment you should be positioned well and prepared to give your carries the protection they need, allowing them to deal out huge amount of damage.
So, few wards in the enemy Jungle should do fine job for your team, as you should be able to spot enemy player flanking. And that should allow you to position properly and be ready for it. However, having the Baron Buff does not mean that you have to take down the enemy Nexus at any cost. Overextending can backfire, and lead to more mistakes, which can evetually lead to throwing the game, although losing the teamfight and the Baron Buff does not mean that you have lost the game and the whole lead you had.
- 1-4 splitpush: After securing the Baron Nashor, your team starts to push one lane (ex. mid lane), and you send one member at another lane (ex. top or bot). So, who do you send there and why? In almost all games, that player should be someone who can easily win 1v1 duel with anyone from the opposing team. Usually that is the top laner (ex. Fiora), or eventually the midlaner, if he has high burst and can assassinate almost anyone (ex. Zed, LeBlanc).
Art Credit: http://raikoart.deviantart.com/art/League-of-Legends-Warring-Kingdoms-Fiora-524429092
Why is this successful? Well, if you send a member of your team that can easily win 1v1 against anyone from the opposing team, that means the enemy team have to send at least 2 people to stop the splitpusher. With that happening, the rest of your team should be left in a 4v3 situation, and since you have the lead and Baron Buff, it should be no problem taking down Inhibitor Turret together with the Inhibitor for free.
If the enemy team contest it, they are left in 3v4 scenario, and since they are behind, it should be easily won fight by your team. However, again you should care not to overextend. For example, if you see that your splitpusher have been forced to recall or stop the splitpush, the better option is to stop the 4 man push, so you do not find yourself in a 4v5 scenario.
Aspect of the Dragon
Since the Dragon changed earlier this year (in the preseason 5 period), it became one of the most contested neutral objectives on the map. It was no longer giving global gold to the team, but instead, there are 5 stacks of a Neutral Buff (Dragon Slayer) well known to each player.
For finishing off the game, many teams tend to "play around the Dragon Aspect". With the buffs that the Aspect provide, the opposing team will have almost no chance at stopping you destroying them, and their Nexus. Since you managed to get the Dragon 5 times in the game, it means that you should probably have the lead as well.
After you get the Aspect of the Dragon, there are two things that your team can do. Since the buff lasts only 3 minutes, you have to be decisive and use every single second of it.
- Get Baron Nashor as well (if it is alive): With the Aspect on all of your teammates, getting Baron down will be really easy and fast. If the enemy team tries to contest it while you have the Aspect, they have almost no chance at winning that teamfight, unless your team split up and get caught one by one.
Art Credit: http://eoinart.deviantart.com/art/Zed-the-Master-of-Shadows-340275465
That is why moving as 5 is key when you have the Aspect. If there is a Baron and you take it, there is no chance that the enemy team can defend themselves from Aspect+Baron Buffs at the same time. If there is no Baron alive, then the best option to do it push as hard as you can, but be grouped as 5. Forcing teamfight seems the best thing to do in this situation, but it is not necessary to do it.
It is not necessary to force the teamfight because, at some point the enemy team will engage attempting to defend their base. That fight should be won by your team, because you have the Aspect of the Dragon buff on yourself. However, always keep tracking of it's timer, because it lasts only 3 minutes. Also, it is important to not overextend again. Going alone against multiple enemy members just because you have the Aspect can only delay the end of the game.
Conclusion
There are multiple ways to end the game when your team is way ahead, but when the lead is not that huge, the Baron Nashor and the Aspect of the Dragon are the best finishers in the game. However, you should always care about enemy player doing Teleport Flank, so do not forget to put some ward down in the enemy Jungle before you start sieging the enemy base. Another thing that you should not do, is overextending. Overextending just because you have Baron or Aspect buffs can only backfire, and delay the end of the game. Patience is key, step by step, Inhibitor by Inhibitor, the enemy base will surely fall apart.
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