Power Spikes: The Art Of The Level 2 Cheese
Exploring how to set up the level 2 cheese, free trades, and every champion's power spike!
When I play League of Legends, I get this weird feeling of exhilaration whenever I try to duel someone. It's just my preferred playstyle. I like to be a lane bully and dictate what happens and when it happens during the laning phase. The waves push out or crash in when I want them to. But more importantly, trades happen, ideally when I want them to. Trading is such a large part of dueling and being a lane bully. But players often times in lane go for random trades and poke at inappropriate times. By wasting cooldowns and resources, you lose out on an opportunity to gain superior posture in lane. Gaining incremental advantages through favorable trades is usually the most direct route to winning lane. By being patient and knowing when to initiate a trade, you are much more likely to walk away from small skirmishes the victor. The most efficient trades are planned around your champion's power spikes which we will examine in detail later. An easier, more ubiquitous method of trading among champions is the level 2 cheese.
Don't forget to change your rune page for maximum cheese
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term "cheese", simply put, cheese is any effective unorthodox strategy that can surprise your opponent, or catch them off-guard. The level 2 cheese involves clearing your first wave in lane as fast as possible to reach level 2, and then forcing a trade when you have a level and skill advantage over the enemy. I cannot stress enough, that without reaching level 2 in lane first, the level 2 cheese does not work. To reach level 2 first, the most common method involves aggressively clearing your first wave and then a number of minions off the next wave. As soon as you get to lane, begin to burn through your first minion wave as fast as possible. Of course, don't push at the sacrifice of CS, but aggressively auto attack your wave down to clear it faster. Try to walk up to the enemy wave and get a few free autos off before your waves crash on each other. Make sure to be careful when attempting to get the first few autos off if the waves haven't met in the middle yet. If you take aggro, you may prematurely freeze the lane in your enemy's favor.
Attacking the enemy wave before both waves crash
Do not be afraid to use a skill to get extra damage on the minion wave. This method is all about clearing the wave to get to level 2 as fast as possible. Remember, if you decide to use a skill to help clear the wave faster, try to get the skill to damage the minion wave as well as the enemy laner. We're going for maximum efficiency going into the level 2 cheese.
We know the exact amount of minion experience it takes to hit level 2. For solo lanes the first wave and one melee minion will get you to level 2. For bot lane, the first wave and 3 melee minions will get both the ADC and support to level 2. Because we know this, we can begin to position ourselves in an aggressive manner as we get close to hitting level 2. When I know I'm about to last hit the final minion before 2, I begin to walk forward so that I can trade. As the last hit happens, I hot-key level up my second skill and immediately go in for the trade.
Behold, the level 2 cheese
Note the placement in lane. We actually walk past the last minion we need, close in on the enemy, last hit the minion backwards, and then immediately go in for the free trade. Once the level 2 advantage is gained in lane, it becomes incredibly hard for the enemy laner to trade back profitably. With a free trade in the bag, the rest of laning phase will either be incredibly hard for them, or they'll be forced to back and miss out on gold and experience. If the enemy laner is smart enough to play passively when you get the level 2 advantage, use this opportunity to zone them. Make them miss free CS and continue to freeze the lane in a way that requires them to walk forward to last hit. If this scenario happens, try to extend your level advantage into a permanent level advantage.
BONUS CHEESE
The same exact method also applies to a level 3 cheese. If you manage to get to level 3 before the enemy laner, either use your level advantage to zone or to get another free trade. A level 2 cheese followed by a level 3 cheese usually results in a kill.
The level 2 cheese acts much like a pseudo-power spike. A good player and lane bully will attempt to coordinate fights around when they hit their respective power spikes, just like how we play around the level 2 cheese. For more information on power spikes, check out Team Dignitas's website for more information on what power spikes are. Knowing when your champ is about to hit a power spike gives us a set up very similar to the previous cheese scenarios. When approaching a power spike try to set up an aggressive play and go for a trade/fight. Likewise, go on the defensive if you know an enemy is about to hit their own power spike. For the purposes of knowing what your power spikes are and when to go aggro, I've compiled a list of every champion's power spike. If I'm missing a power spike for a champion, leave the level in the comments. Remember, level 2 cheese for maximum damage, and play around your power spikes. Enjoy!
PPPOOOOOWWWWWEEERRRR SPPPIIIIIIIKKKKKEEEEEEESSS!!!!!!!!!
Don't try to force aimless trades. Be a smart bully. Plan your attacks around your power spikes because of the peak in damage you'll be able to deliver. By dictating the pace in lane, establish an advantage, and fight on your terms. With the level 2 cheese, and knowledge of power spikes, take your lane by force and climb the ranked ladder!
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