The Support role is known to be one of the hardest roles to carry with. A good Support can easily impact the whole map and take over the game with their actions and decision making. Micro management is something that every player should understand. However, not every player exploits this knowledge to its full potential.

The term micro and micro management is not something that was born from League of Legends but instead is a term that is used for RTS games such as Starcraft. The term in League of Legends is rather undefined and can be used in a range of ways and mean multiple things. The topics I’ve listed are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to improving your gameplay.

Micro management is how a player can individually impact the game through their actions. Some of their gameplay and actions may seem to be rather basic, but these actions can directly influence the game and snowball into a lead. Micro management can include information such as knowing when to push and when to freeze. Knowing this will allow you to gain an advantage and snowball it into a big macro play.

Wave Management

How good are you at controlling the minion waves? Do you use them to your advantage to gain the maximum CS possible and deny them from the enemy? Are you helping your ADC farm under tower? Are you helping your ADC push or freeze?

Why It Is Important:

As the Support, it’s your duty to keep an eye on the minion wave and work with your ADC to keep it in an optimal position. If you can control the wave in the early game, then you can easily deny the enemy from getting CS and experience. In the bottom lane it takes 9 minions to hit level 2, and in all cases, you want to hit level 2 first.

In the early parts of the game, your ADC will struggle to farm under the tower. As the support, you need to help them farm. The back 3 minions need one auto attack, followed by a tower shot and then to be finished off by your ADC for the kill.

If you’re winning, it is important to draw enemy Jungle aggression to your lane. This will allow your other lanes to play more aggressively knowing the enemy Jungler is bot side. If your ADC is not an early game champion, then you may want to freeze and not push instead, which will deny the enemy farm. Knowing when to push and when to freeze is very situational. Make sure to stick to your decision once you decide.

How to Improve:

There are a few different places you could keep the wave. If you’re in a winning position and playing as an early game champion, you may want to push the wave and keep it in a favorable position. You should always help your ADC push when they want to, and you should never force your ADC to push unless you can gain an advantage. It takes two to tango in the bottom lane, so make sure you’re both on the same page. If the enemy backs or goes missing, you should push the wave immediately and keep doing so. If they have indeed backed, push and then recall.

There are many ways you can freeze the minion wave and it is incredibly situational depending on what champion you’re playing and who you’re against.

Example Video:

In this example, we hit level 2 first and I move into a more offensive position ready to go all in on the enemy. We can see that the enemy minions are about to die, and we are going to get the level up. As we have a strong all in potential and early game, we want to hit level 2 first and go for a trade. We have the advantage in lane because we get to level 2 first.

Positioning in Lane

Do you know where you should be standing in lane? Do you know the difference between playing offensively and defensively? Are you standing in a position that is opening yourself up for ganks?

Why It Is Important:

Positioning is incredibly important because it will allow your ADC to farm safely and never feel alone. If you’re always behind your ADC and never doing anything, then your ADC may feel helpless. Try to be proactive when possible, such as auto attacking the enemy or helping last hit minions under the tower.

If you’re a tank champion, you can stand next to your ADC and act as a threat to the enemy. If they misposition, you can go in on them. Always be ready for a fight, no matter who you are. You do not always have to fight, but being in a position where you can give your ADC the confidence and the trust that they need to farm and play safely.

How to Improve:

There are three possibilities of where you should be standing in the early game. It really depends on the champion that you’re playing and is highly situational. In general, you want to be standing in front, or next to your ADC if you are a tank champion. If you are a Mage champion you want to hover around them: standing in front to deal damage, then falling back after you’ve used your abilities. As a peel Support, you want to be standing next to, or slightly behind your ADC in the lane.

Another good position for all types of Supports is to hide in the bushes.

Example Video:

In this example, we are able to kill the enemy when they misposition. The enemy does not respect my all-in potential and we can easily grab a kill. As I am playing a champion that can apply layers of CC, this is an easy kill for us. I am standing next to my ADC and in the bush. I am not standing in front or in the open in the middle of the lane. This is because we are against double poke enemies and as a melee champion, this is going to be hard for me. I need to play safe until they misposition - and when they do, I go in.

Lane Presence

Are you standing behind your ADC in the lane all the time? Are you auto attacking the enemy when they mis-position? Are you causing trouble for the enemy or are you playing passively? Are you always standing behind your ADC? Are you making the lane 1v2?

Why it is important:

It is important to know where and when you should be standing in the lane. You need to make sure to be aggressive when you see the enemy Support is missing or if the enemy has mispositioned. You should always be proactive in the lane and not be AFK standing behind your ally. However, this is very situational and it depends on which Support you’re playing and if they are ranged or melee.

How to Improve:

If you see the enemy Support walk away to ward, you should move up in the lane and start auto attacking the enemy ADC. Alternatively, you can go in for a combo. If you are a ranged champion then you should keep auto attacking the enemy whenever they misposition or get close to your ADC.

As a Tank or Mage Support, you should always be in a position where you can collapse on the enemy if they mis-position or move too far forward. It depends on who you’re playing, but you should always try to auto attack, deal damage or fight the enemy when they misposition.

Another trigger on when to go in is if the enemy has used or missed one of their core abilities. Once they have wasted it, you can go in for a trade. Knowing the cooldown will allow you to go for more trades and stay healthier in the laning phase. You can fight if the enemy wastes or misses an ability.

Example Video:

In this example, I see that the enemy has used their main source of CC. For a short period of time, he will be rather “useless”. In this situation, he wastes his Q so I move back up in the lane and deal damage to him. Blitzcrank is melee champion and I am ranged, so I will be using my range advantage to poke him during the laning phase. I would not go in usually as I am quite low, but, because I have damage and we are ahead in the lane I can go in to burst him.

Back Timing

Are you backing when you are low? Are you overstaying and becoming greedy? When you have enough gold to buy items, do you back?

Why It Is Important: Learning when to back and when not to is very underrated. Lots of players will greed for farm once they have killed an enemy or when the enemy is going to back. In some cases, this will get them killed. Map awareness, vision and wave control will allow you to back and purchase more effectively.

It is important to back off if you are low. While you’re low, you will be a juicy target for the enemy team and it is vital that you do not overstay your welcome. If you have been poked out and are low it is important to just recall - especially if the enemy Mid or Jungle is missing. Backing and not being greedy is one way of dying less in the lane.

Another way of improving your backing is backing when you have enough gold to buy your items. You may miss a few CS because you’ve backed, but you will gain an item out of it. If you can finally buy or upgrade an item, then you should probably recall. You will gain an item and have an advantage in lane and that is something you definitely need.

How to Improve:

Improving your backing timings is incredibly important and learning when to back is crucial. I cannot tell you when to back because this depends on the situation and changes from game to game.

In every game, you want to back off whenever you’re low. Not being greedy and giving farm and experience up is one way of being less greedy. Never overstay for the farm, always back when you have enough gold for your items and do not go for trades when you’re low. It’s worth more for you to back off and recall, rather than stay in lane, playing safe and wasting time whilst you’re being denied.

Example Video:

In this example, we went Mid lane. I hold back and wait to for him to use his E. Once he has, I will go in. Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything out of this gank, but we blow his Flash so it still was worth it. My ADC was safe and had made her way back to Bot lane. I ran from base to gank our Mid laner, which was good. Also, the enemy didn’t expect me to come straight from the base. This was a surprise gank on the enemy. I turned my backing micro into a macro play.

Peeling and Targeting

Are you focusing the right person? Are you peeling for your carries? Are you watching your positioning and helping your ADC out?

Why It Is important:

Switching targets as the Support is something that players have trouble with. As a Support, your main job is to peel and protect your carries. You should be switching targets and protecting your ADC from whoever may be jumping on your carry. In team fights, peeling is much harder and doing so depends on the support you’re playing. It is important to protect your ADC. By keeping them safe, you will allow them to deal more damage in team fights. Try your best to keep them alive.

How to Improve:

Tunnel vision is one of the worst things a player can do, yet everyone still does it! When you’re fighting, watch the positioning of your ADC - are they in trouble? As the Support, it is your job to not go too deep, but instead fall back and help your carry.

If you’re a peel Support such as Janna/Lulu, you should always be standing around and nearby to your carry. Whoever comes onto your ADC should be focused with your auto attacks and CC while also healing or shielding them. If you’re a tank support such as Blitzcrank or Taric. You may want to go in, use your abilities and then peel back and protect your ADC. As a Mage Support, you should go in deal damage, fall back and protect your ADC.

As the Support player, it is important to remember that you should be protecting your carries. It is easy to forget who you should be protecting in the heat of the moment. Any mistake by you can leave your ADC in hot water and potentially get them killed, so remember- protect your ADC and peel for them at all cost!

Example Video:

In this example, we see that enemy Support has gone to ward. As a champion with CC, I can go for a combo and try to trade with the enemy. We should be able to kill them because it is 2 versus 1 inside the lane. As soon as the Rakan comes back into the lane, we go for a trade. We switch targets during the fight so we can get a double kill.

And that's it! Micro is incredibly important in the early game. If you know and understand what you should be doing, then you can easily snowball a micro play into a full blown macro play.

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