Positioning in League of Legends is one of the hardest things to master and actively do in game. It can be hard to always be in a position where you can help your team but doing so will aid in help winning your lane. Showing your dominance by being in the correct position every second of the game will allow your ADC to farm better, and overall give you a better chance of winning the lane and coming out ahead.

Before we get into each role and position, you should know the true benefits of being in the correct position during the laning phase.

1) It allows your ADC to farm better and safer.
2) It will act as a deterrent for enemies wanting to engage.
3) Make the lane 2v2.
4) Allow your ADC to have more freedom in lane.
5) Your ADC can play more offensively rather than passively.
6) You’re able to poke more and earn more gold.

For Tank Supports

Tank supports can sometimes be difficult to position well with because there are a plethora of tank supports out there. The positioning of these champions is next to or slightly in front of the ADC. The positioning is important for these champions because you do not want to give the enemy an opportunity to harass your ADC for free. This can make it much harder for you and your ADC to lane against them and farm. Positioning here allows your ADC to play more offensively and it gives them more freedom in lane.

In this example, I am the Thresh and my carry is Xayah. We are doing well in this lane because of my positioning. As we can see I am standing next to her in the lane and not behind. This not only protects her from the enemies but it also gives her the information that I am here ready to fight. You do not need to “hug” your ADC, but should always be in a position where you can protect them and jump in if and when you decide to trade.

For Shielding Supports

Positioning of these types of champions are usually just behind the ADC or next to them. The positioning is slightly different because they do not do much of an active job compared to the others in lane. The main job of a peel Support is to shield the ADC and protect them from the enemies. If we compare them to other Supports, the Mages will be constantly looking to damage the enemy, tanks will be looking to engage on the enemy and peel Supports will just be there shielding... You’re not doing an active job because your main job is to protect your ADC.

In this example, we can see that I am positioned next to, but slightly behind my ADC. I am in a position where I can easily protect them from the enemies’ damage with my shields. I am also in a position where I can trade autos with the enemies if they are to engage on my ADC. I am not only giving my ADC more freedom to farm, but I am also giving her the survivability that she needs to sustain and keep farming. My job is to protect them and keep them going throughout the game- including the early part where they are at their weakest.

For Damage Supports

For supports that deal damage through either auto attacks, abilities or burst, you should be constantly moving back and forth. You should always be standing around your ADC and in a position where you can deal damage to the enemies. This is because your main job in the laning phase is to deal damage and poke the enemies. You should try to put them behind. This is the most difficult to learn and execute properly so practise makes perfect!

In this example, you can see I am in front my ADC. I am in a position where I can use my poke on the enemies and harass them. Because I am standing here my ADC can farm with ease. After I have used my abilities and some of my mana up, I will fall back in line and stand next to them. My positioning here also makes me earn respect and the enemies have to give me it or they will receive a beating!

Why should you be doing it?

If you stand far behind your ADC, then they will have to be further up in the lane alone. This puts them at greater risk because they can be either poked freely by enemy autos and abilities or they will be in a position where they can get be hooked or caught. If you’re standing behind your carry, the ADC will not be able to trade back and neither will you. The enemies are going to get free damage down on your carry before you’re able to react. This is because you will not be in a position where you can get to the enemies in time. Before you can get in an offensive position, the enemy may have backed off with a won trade.

You’ve now put your ADC behind in lane because you were standing too far back. The ADC has to play safer and sacrifice some CS to stay alive, depending on how bad the trade went. They may have even burned summoner spells or need to recall. This could have all been avoided if you were standing closer to them in the lane.

Additional information:

For Tank Supports:

• If you’re in a melee versus ranged matchup, you will need to play more passively but remember to still be in an offensive position. You need to be in a position where you can collapse on the enemy if they come too close to you. Do not allow them to harass you for free.
• If you’re winning your lane, you must stand even more offensively in lane. You should position much further up in the lane to apply pressure. This means the enemy will have to respect you and the possibility of you engaging on them. If your ADC can follow up on your engage, this works even better.

For Shield Supports:

• Try not to stand ahead of your ADC unless you’re trying to poke. Peel supports such as Soraka or Janna do not have the best time in lane versus tanks or champions that deal a lot of damage. Poke when you can, but always be safe. You’re not a tank after all!
• In the current meta, Ardent Censor supports are very strong. In a lot of situations you can turn an aggressive lane defensive just through your champion pick. Try to dodge the enemy damage from their abilities by running around them. Do not let the enemy harass you for free at all and remember that you need to use your shielding on your ADC rather than yourself.

For Damage Supports:

• Do not always stand aggressively. Remember your damage isn’t always constant and you will need to fall back sometimes. Move forward, poke the enemy, and then retreat next to your carry.
• You will be squishy so do not stand to close to the enemies. You need to stand in the minion wave when using your poke. If you are targeted, they can trade back with you. Also, if you’re against a champion with a pull or stun, the minions will sacrifice themselves for you if you stand slightly behind them.

Closing thoughts

Remember to always play an active role in the laning phase. Just because you’re not actively farming does not mean you can stand around doing nothing being AFK. Stand with your ADC and win that lane together! Do not stand still, make sure you’re proactive with your movements, and harass the enemy when possible, but don’t get too aggressive either.

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