In this guide we will be taking a look at the basics of playing mid. We will cover laning phase, roaming, teamfighting, and champion picks.

Laning phase:

Laning phase in mid lane can change drastically between games. Because it is a 1v1 situation, it is mostly a matchup of pure skill. Sure, some champions counter others and some champions have different powerspikes, but if you know your champion you should know exactly when and when not to fight. It is, however, very rare that you actually get to prove your skill in a 1v1, since mid lane is the lane in which a lot of junglers gank the most. Because of this it is important to buy wards and keep good vision on both sides of the lane, your trinket can only cover so much. Because mid laners aren't always the same type of champion the way you play throughout the game can be very different. Assassins and mages are the main roles that are picked mid and they are played very differently, but we will talk more about that when we get to teamfights, as how you play in lane is not always affected by the role you play, but more by the specific champion.

Roaming:

You should always look for opportunities to roam when playing mid. If you get a massive lead in your lane you can transfer that to other lanes by helping them. It can also be helpful if you lose lane, because if you can't beat your lane opponent you may still be able to get a kill when helping bot or top, putting you in a better position. However, you can't always be roaming. Your enemy can simply start pushing your lane an extreme amount, causing you to lose. Always look for opportunities but be mindful of the risks and consequences.

Teamfighting:

When it comes to teamfighting different champions clearly do different things. Mages like Xerath, Ziggs, and Orianna should mostly stand on the backline and cast their long range abilities into the fight. Assassins like Yasuo, Talon, or Zed should usually go for their backline and assassinate their carries. You are very important in teamfights, and because of that you will usually have a tank peeling for you, especially if you are a mage. I would recommend looking at guides for specific champions as I cannot go too much into detail here.

Champion picks:

Here are my picks for my favorite champions to play in mid at the moment. Remember these are my favorite picks and in the end you should play whatever you feel like.

1. Ahri
Ahri is sort of a mage/assassin hybrid. Her abilities are mid range but her ult makes sure that she can go in and assassinate carries before they can blink. However if you feel like that would be too risky, she does a really good job at just standing on the backline and throwing spells into the entire enemy team. Her Q makes sure that tanks can feel who's the boss.

2. Yasuo
I've seen Yasuo being played top a lot lately which he can be really good at, but I still prefer him in the midlane. When I play Yasuo top I feel as if I need to build tanky to compensate for the lack of tanks we may have, since tanks are usually top. But when I play mid I can go as much damage as I want. He is an incredibly strong assassin who can assassinate multiple enemies at once with the right setup. He is best picked if your teammates have a knock-up, but his own knock-up is just fine too.

3. Orianna
Orianna can put a lot of pressure on a fight because everyone is afraid of her ultimate. She is a high-damage control mage who, if played right, can play the enemies like a fiddle. She has a shield, a speed-up, nice damage, and so much zoning potential with her ball. She is an incredibly strong pick, especially if your team has an engage tank such as Alistar or Malphite, as she can put the ball on them and ult as soon as they are in the middle of the enemy team.

4. Viktor
The definition of burst. If you are fed you can literally kill a Marksman with an E and an ult. He has seen a lot of play lately and can be very fun. He can change teamfights with his control and damage. He can zone enemies with his W and get movement speed with his Q. If played right Viktor kan be a game changing champion.

5. Annie
Now Annie is not considered OP or even particularly popular. She is, however, very easy to play and can burst and stun without much effort. Annie is a good champion if you get stuck with mid in ranked and you don't have a lot of champions to play. I ban her quite often because it is too easy for her to become a problem. She is no doubt the best starter champion for mid.

I hope this guide gave you a general idea about playing mid lane.

-Krisis

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