It may seem like getting auto-filled Support is the best way to put a grinding halt to your ranked climb to the top. A role that, at first glance, has very little to contribute in winning a game. With every other position having Champions that bring huge potential to outplay opponents and deal tons of damage, it’s no wonder you would prefer anything but Support. But I’m here to tell you that Supports can do all that and more, making it valuable to learn as you climb the ranked ladder.

What Can They Do?

If Mid and ADC are the muscle and strength of the team, that makes Supports the heart and soul. Supports may not carry the traditional way through farming minions and killing opponents, but they utilize their kits to outsmart the enemy team and set up allies for success. I’ve boiled it down to three main ways a Support can carry the game and some easy Champions to pick up for the role. These ways are easy to comprehend and pull off, so it's best to take notes and apply these to your game play.

Keep Your Carries Alive and Fed

For the first 10-15 minutes of the game, you have a buddy! The goal is to keep this player alive at all costs and make sure they get all the kills. It's very easy to just turn of your brain and occasionally heal allies, but it's that kind of complacency that inevitably result in you getting ran over by the enemy. Instead, look for openings to harass so your carry and pick up easy kill and begin to build that snowball.

If you are getting ganked, use all of the CC and attacks you have on whoever comes in the lane. This is called “peeling”, an easy to understand concept that is hard to pull off but the results are worth it. Even if it means sacrificing yourself, as long as the carry gets out alive, it's always worth.

There will be times where other players on your team will be the “carry” in which case you will want to focus all your efforts in keeping them alive. The difference is that in this scenario, you will be out of lane and moving with the team. This means that there will most likely not be a tower to fall back on, not to mention that you will have to hold back a hold team. Make sure you utilize your Ultimate to the max, either catching everyone up in its CC or finding the right moment to give a massive buff.

Teamfights are crucial and can decide the fate of the game so it's important to learn how to peel or keep the enemy off your carries. It's the same idea as keeping your carry alive during a gank, except now the goal is to not just to live but to kill the attackers and the rest of their team. Always know where your carry is so you can provide the peel necessary to win the fight.

Roam

Remember, you are a Support for the whole team, not just the Marksmen. Your Champion’s abilities can be far more utilized when you bring them to the rest of the map. When things become stable in your lane, take that time to go out and help the Jungler invade or gank Mid Lane. Having your damage, CC, or healing can easily turn the tide in a Jungler 1v1 or your Mid Laner getting ganked themselves.

The time frame to roam isn’t huge as you only have till around 20 minutes since that is when the enemy will start grouping up. During that time frame its best to roam when you are leaving the base or whenever your Marksmen isn’t in lane. These scenarios happen more often than you think, so make sure you capitalize on them.

Keep an eye on the mini map to see if a skirmish breaksout near Dragon (which they often do) or in the Jungle so you can quickly roam and assist your team. Know that when you go up to help, the enemy Bot Laners will be following as well so be ready to fight them too. It's all about getting to the skirmish first and once you when the fight you can take the spoils of war whether it be a Buff or Dragon. It’s important to note that there are some Champions that are better at roaming than others. Rakan, Nami, Thresh, Bard, or Pyke are great Champions that have really effective roaming compared to others like Yuumi, Taric, and Soraka who have greater impact in lane. Regardless, if a scuffle breaks out nearby, make the effort to roam up and help out.

Vision

This is something that should always be on your mind. Having good vision on the map will dramatically change your game for the whole team. Vision on the enemy gives your team the information needed to win a fight or take objectives. Luckily, this goes hand in hand with roaming as you can light up your map while moving around.

While everyone playing is responsible for vision, the Support is tasked with handling the bulk of it since other roles have other things to prioritize. Use your totem early to place wards that can spot enemy Jungler or gain control over the brush in lane. Once you upgrade your Support item, grab the Oracle Lens so you can clear enemy wards while you place your own. After each time you go back to base, make sure you buy Control Wards to maintain your vision on certain areas and keep enemy vision out.

Prioritize vision on big objectives like Dragon and Baron since a lot of action happens around there. If you see a dark brush, odds are it needs a ward, so light them up, especially if you see enemies constantly using them. When it gets later in the game, it's never a bad idea to toss a ward in lane near jungle entrances to keep tabs on where the enemy will go. The information given by vision can tell where your Jungler should gank by seeing where the enemy Jungler is. Vision can tell you if it's safe to start Dragon without anyone interrupting or stealing. All of this information will bring your team numerous kills and every objective on the map and getting these will result in a swift victory.

Ideal Champions to Learn

Here we have a few Champions that are easy to pick up for Support and bring a lot to the table for winning the game.

Janna

Janna is very straightforward Mage Support. Her main goal is to poke early game and peel for late. Janna’s passive Tailwind gives her 8% Movement Speed and nearby allied Champions gain this same buff when moving towards her. Howling Gale (Q) charges a whirlwind that has a range based on how long it channels and knocks up anything it connects with making this good for peel. Her Zephyr (W) grants Janna bonus Movespeed to help her move around the map and roam as well as giving her a powerful poking ability that is easy to land. She has a very strong shield with her Eye of the Storm (E) that grants bonus AD as well, so it's wise to use it on yourself when poking and then on your carry when fighting. Her Monsoon (R) pushes back any enemy unit or Champions and heals allies which makes this a very useful disengage or peel for carries. Very strong and easy to pick up with how straightforward her kit is, making Janna perfect for solo queue.

Nautilus

Nautilus is a tanky, play-making support who is bent on getting his carries fed. His Dredge Line (Q) is a hook that pulls the enemy back and him forward and can be combo nicely with his Passive, Staggering Blow, that briefly roots whoever he targets with his auto attacks. Titan’s Wrath (E) gives Nautilus a shield that gives his attacks a damager over time effect. Riptide sends a pulse of three explosions that slows and damages enemies around. His Ultimate, Depth Charge (R) shoots a shockwave at the target knocking up anyone that it connects with. Always keep an eye out for enemies overstepping their boundaries, Nautilus has a good amount of damage in the early game so use it to your advantage. A really great Champion to make plays and punish mistakes.

Rakan

Rakan obviously best fits with his lover Xayah but can still be effective with his CC and combos for any carry to synergise with. Overtime, Rakan gains a shield with his passive Fey Feathers. His Gleaming Quill (Q) shoots a projectile that, if striking an enemy Champion or epic monster, give Rakan the ability to heal allies he walks by. Grand Entrance (W) has Rakan dashing to a location and knocking up anyone in range. Battle Dance (E) has Rakan dashing to an allied Champion which gives them a shield. This spell can also be recast a second time. Rakan’s Ultimate is The Quickness which gives Movement Speed and charms the enemy while dealing magic damage. The key with this Champion is to have no fear when playing him. Very few Champions can keep up with his utility and movement and he is very forgiving if things get too heavy for him. Roaming is a breeze with Rakan when you get Boots of Mobility, so be sure to grab them by your 3rd time going back to base. Great for engage and great for peeling, Rakan seems to have a little bit of everything, making him a great asset to your team.

These steps of how to pick up and carry as a Support will give you such an extreme amount of confidence in the Bot lane that victory will just come naturally. It's a role that has a huge impact on the game and is easy to pick up. Take some time in the practice too or normal games to get a feel for the role. Soon you’ll have a clear path straight to the top of the ranked ladder. GLHF!

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