Gearing for the Glo-Up: Making the Most of Your Early Game as a Late Game Champion
Guides

14 Feb 18

Guides

Presteej, members

Presteej

Gearing for the Glo-Up: Making the Most of Your Early Game as a Late Game Champion

Find out how to make the most of your lows so you can make the most of your highs as a late game champion in this informative guide. 

In the ever-changing game that is League of Legends, there are always waves of new champions that take center stage as far as what is strongest at any given moment. There's also the common knowledge that certain champions are stronger at certain points of the game than others - like Kog'Maw in the late game or Pantheon in the laning phase. With the nature of solo queue players leaning towards lane dominance and making quick and snowbally plays/punishes early, it can be really daunting playing champions that have a bit of a slow start. So today, I'm going to answer a few commonly asked questions that I've come across during my time playing League in hopes to shed some light on how to make it to (and make the most of) your late game experience.

Fasten your seatbelts.

What is late game? When does it start?

Late game, as succinctly as I can put it, is the point in the game (typically around and after the 25-30 minute mark up until the end of the game) where everyone comes together and tries to make the biggest pushes towards their primary win conditions. Death timers are at their least forgiving, you generally don't find yourself laning alone unless you're a champion that excels at working the side lanes, and objectives and structures are usually taken only after a pick or a major fight occurring first. Players are usually working on their third or fourth completed items (not including their respective boots) by now, and sieging turrets becomes all the more common and proper wave management and positioning all the more crucial. Baron is generally the priority, and the occasional dragon becomes a custom unless the dragon has become an Elder Dragon, at which point it becomes slightly higher in value (though generally not as much as Baron).

Why do some champions count as late game champions, and why/when should/would I play them?

Late game champions are an excellent addition to a team to ensure that your team's damage and/or utility stays relevant if the game gets that far. Because of the nature of them dipping in power midgame or being weak altogether from the start up until the later points, they typically do tons of damage when they hit this point and can be crucial in deciding a fight. This is especially useful in lower elos, where games are harder to close out due to a number of factors (lack of knowledge, lack of mechanical ability needed, less willingness to cooperate, clown fiestas keeping the game close, etc.).

(Above: Average game times in each of the tiers in NA ranked play as of 7.17, as provided by the League of Legends statistics website, League of Graphs. Each region typically follows this same downward trend in game duration as you get higher within the ranks.)

It should also be noted that late game champions aren't always exclusively weak up until that point. There are some late game champions that dominate in lane then dip rather drastically in the mid game, and there are also some champions that are very weak in lane but spike during the mid game after specific item purchases. Lastly, you may also run into some champions that are just generally good at every stage of the game. For the sake of this guide though, we'll emphasize the second type, but you can generally do well with all late game champions with the tips that you'll come across here. Not everyone can play to the late game though, and you may find that you prefer early game bullies or even midgame pivots more. Your mileage may vary.

Nevertheless, example champions that come to mind when considering late game effectiveness across the board include:

  • Top Lane: Maokai, Gangplank, Mordekaiser, Fiora, Yasuo
  • Jungle: Udyr, Master Yi, Ivern, Kayle
  • Mid: Veigar, Cassiopeia, Azir, Viktor
  • ADC*: Caitlyn, Sivir, Xayah, Vayne, Tristana, Twitch
  • Support: Janna, Taric, Soraka

* Most ADC are efficient in the late game, as the role by design is supposed to deal high amounts of damage later in the game as the role of damage transitions. Yes, this also includes Draven.

Help! I'm having trouble laning! What do I do?

One of the major trade-offs for most late game champs is a relatively weak early game and, as a result, a weaker laning phase. Even when your matchup may be potentially favorable (think ranged vs. melee), it can be hard to capitalize on certain things specifically because of your lack of strength and, unless your matchup is bot (where it can be swayed depending on the supports in play), it's best to just play relatively conservative until you hit your power spikes. Have your jungler help you ward and be sure to call cooldowns and abilities so that your jungler can have a greater chance of helping you. Focus more on getting the gold you need to hit your item spikes and less on trading. This may even mean giving up a bit of CS if it means you not taking free damage or getting engaged on. Depending on the champ, lane, and matchup, sometimes it might be best to start defensive and get that Doran's Shield or start Cloth Armor + Health Potions (4) - maybe even get a cheap defensive item and sit on it for a while as you build up. As long as you don't give your opponents more of a lead than they'd normally have over you on paper, you should be fine. After all, time is on your side and your enemy's win condition is going to consist of shutting you down while you're weak early. Don't play into it.

I often end up playing/supporting a late game ADC. What can I do to maximize my gains early to set myself/us up late?

Piggybacking on what I said in the previous answer, this lane will depend entirely on the supports in play. This is also much easier to deal with if the botlane in question (you and your support/ADC) are a duo. If not, that's fine too. The ADC should play very respectfully and look to farm as best/much as possible, only taking trades when necessary. In lanes like this, the support will usually lead the dance and it'll be up to the ADC to respond accordingly. You'll also have to keep watch for bloodthirsty junglers ready to pounce on you guys in your moment of weakness. So, to the ADC, I'll simply advise you to take it easy. For the support, it depends on the type of support you're playing.

  • Tank Supports (Alistar, Braum, Leona, etc.)

You'll probably get picked on in most matchups because you'll be either outranged, outdamaged, or both. You'll want to take advantage of your typically powerful engages to punish would-be aggression and force summoners from the enemy. This will force them to play safer and allow your carry to safely farm. If you can do so without taking free damage, try to position yourself either between your carry and your enemies or directly between the two parties. You'll be your carry's first line of defense and first line of offense, so stay alert and be ready to go at a moment's notice, especially if your jungler is coming down to help you out. You'll probably play the role of meatshield here, so it's best to get tanky and be ready to sit in front of a lot of spells and disrupt a lot of people. But don't worry, you got it.

  • Mage Supports (Zyra, Brand, Malzahar, etc.)

You'll want to use your damage spells to keep the enemy at bay so as to allow your ADC to adequately farm. This means avoiding all-ins and keeping the enemy's health low to the point where engaging on you would be more of a risk than reward. You may be able to eke out an advantage in some matchups depending on how many spells you land and how favorably your aggression scares them off, but you'll be playing to protect through calculated aggression and consistent poke for the most part.

  • Enchanter Supports (Nami, Sona, Janna, Soraka, etc.)

You'll generally want to bolster your ADC up when they're defending against or taking inevitable trades, and sustain your ADC with heals and shields so that you can weather the storm that is early game while they farm up. Getting items like Ardent Censer and Zeke's Convergence can help your ADC perform a tad bit better early and reinforce their near oppressive power late. You may be able to gain an advantage a few matchups here too, but you'll be playing to protect through mitigation for the most part

...and, as always, wards save lives. Vision can keep you from being jumped on by other parties and give you a general idea as to what to expect around the map. Don't ignore them.

I tried my best to play safe, but I died/lost laneWhat do I do now?

Unfortunately, this means now that it'll take you a bit longer to hit your glorious power spikes, and as a result, you'll be on the backfoot much longer before you become a viable win condition for your team. If laning is still going on and your tower is still up, stay close to it for safety and last hit so as not to push the lanes. If the lane is being frozen against you, call your jungler to help you shove/bounce it. If that's not an option, disappear from vision for a bit. It'll encourage your enemy laner to push the lane, as they'll try to capitalize on your absence with tower pressure. Try to keep tabs on their jungler, and if you find them and your lane opponent(s) both in your lane and shoving, it might be wise to call for help or back off, as they might be preparing a dive. For now at least, avoid confrontation and run from danger. If laning is over, stick with your team and try your best to soak up as much gold/XP while playing around your team's current win condition. Farm side lanes ONLY when they've made it into your territory, and don't overextend. At all Period. Basically, just look to passively build yourself up (unless a direct opportunity arises) and enable whoever is performing the best on your team to continue carrying you until either (A) the game ends or (B) you scale up enough to be a relevant threat. If you're all behind, just turtle and farm and wait for an opening or a mistake on your enemy's part. That's really all I can say here.

Thanks, Presteej! This is all pretty helpful. Anything else?

No problem! Honestly, it doesn't hurt to review videos of both successful and unsuccessful games. Hindsight is 20/20 and you may see an opportunity in a shortcoming that can help you be stronger and better next time. Searching your favorite players for the best builds will help you optimize your gold income (that's really important), and playing lots of games on the champion will help you get familiar with their numbers. All in all, practice makes perfect.

Late game champions are literally the embodiment of people being rewarded for patience and hard work, and they can be some of the most pivotal and influential champions in any given game. I personally main Caitlyn, an ADC who has a notoriously strong late game presence, so I apply tips like these regularly. I've carried more games than I can remember at this point simply by playing to my strength and taking charge in the late game, and hopefully this guide helps you do the same. Remember, it's not always about how you start, but how you end up. Follow these tips and for the most part, you should end up knocking on your opponent's Nexus, hand out, ready to collect the win (or LP if you're in ranked).

Go get 'em. Best of luck out there.

Like our content? Support us by getting our merchandise in our shop

Related articles