Recently, one of my best friends finally decided to take the dive and switch from being a console exclusive gamer into the realm of the PC master race. I took it upon myself to try and teach him the ins and outs of League. This wasn’t my first time either. I have helped teach two other friends beforehand and I still wasn’t ready for how much of a struggle it can be every time you try to mentor a new player. The biggest reason most players quit League is because the climb from level 1 to 30 is difficult, filled my flaming, smurfs, and all around confusion of how to play the game. Hopefully this will help lighten the load the next time you try to bring someone into this wonderful game we all love.

Step 1: Take it Slow

Patience is a virtue. You are going to need it. This game is complicated. There is a reason that Pro League players get all the fame and fortune. It can be extremely daunting for a new player to grasp and comprehend all the ins and outs of League. My tip is don’t try to just regurgitate all the information you know all at once. Let them play the game at their own pace and answer their questions as they come.

Step 2: Make a New Account

I know I just complained about smurfs ruining the experience for others but that isn’t going to be you… right? Each time one of my friends made their first account I made a new account so I could better understand what they were seeing on screen and what they were going through without any characters, runes, or masteries. The game is very different for new players. Making a new account can help pull you out of that level 30 mindset and see the game through their eyes. It also helps them feel like they are not so far behind and maybe even relieve some stress or pressure that they might feel since they are so far from level 30.

Step 3: Play lots and lots of Bot Matches

When I first learned League, I had 3 friends all teaching me at the same time. As soon as I hit level 3 we were in PvP. I was level 3 and didn’t actually own a single champ, and all my friends were on their level 30 accounts. Take a wild guess how that went. They put me on support and told me just stand there and help out the ADC when I can. Most of the time I was against other level 30’s who would just demolish me. What did I do? I quit League. It took another month or two of my friends begging me to come back before I did. This time around, teaching my third friend to play, I decided I would do this; We are playing against bots every day and have been until level 10. Summoners Rift has a lot of intricacies that are hard enough to learn without an enemy player chasing you down as a fed Master Yi. If your new friend is still struggling to kill bots on a regular basis then they are probably not ready for PvP.

Step 4: Help them Find their Favorite Character

I mentioned earlier that I quit League after my first time trying. When I came back there was a new free champion rotation and Blitzcrank was one of them. My first time pressing Q and grabbing the enemy, uppercutting them into the air, and then watching as my ADC and I killed them was one of the most satisfying experiences in the game I ever had. To this day it still is. Blitzcrank is love, Blitzcrank is life for me. That is what made me want to keep playing because I had found my “main” champion. When teaching my friends League I have them try every champ they can at least once. At first they may complain and want to stay on that “safe” pick that they already know but playing new champs does two things: they may end up loving the champs they never thought they would or if they end up hating them at least they know what that champion can do. That next time there is an Annie on the other team they are not left in a state of confusion when she drops a Tibbers stun on their head (hopefully!).

Step 5: Give them Goals

This can refer to a lot of things. For me, my first goal was saving up enough IP to actually own Blitzcrank when the free week was over. Blitzcrank was no longer free but I was playing the game non-stop because I needed that 3150 IP to have him myself. Buying my first champ finally was so rewarding. With my new friend I had him answer some questions to help narrow down what kind of champion he would like to play. Does your friend like to be in the fray with a melee champ. Maybe they prefer long range mage champs. Do they think Yordles are the cutest little champs ever? These are the different kinds of questions you can ask to narrow down the list. This time around my friend decided he wants to play Fizz the most. So thats his first goal.

Goals can also done on a game by game basis. Say your buddy is playing Zac. I would tell them, “This game try to work on picking up every single health blob you can.” Next game you can give them a more general goal, “This game try to work on getting as much CS as possible.” On that note, please, please, please, teach your friend how to CS early on. When I first started I was thrown into the support role and no one ever taught me how or what CS was. Don’t do that. Goals are a great way to increase a player’s confidence in themselves. This also means that you need to realize that giving them unrealistic goals can do the exact opposite. Don’t make it a contest to try to do better than someone else and try not compare their skill or decision making to your own.

Step 6: Play ARAM’s

ARAM’s can help with teaching new players so many different things while at the same time taking away many of the parts of Summoners Rift that can make this game so difficult. The first thing I like to work on in ARAM’s is teaching new players when to fight and when to run. For many of us this fight or flight reaction has become inherent when playing the game but for new players this often isn’t the case. The little dance that occurs in the middle of ARAM is a great tool for teaching them how to use poke effectively and win with trading. Then, when the fight breaks out try to pay attention to the choices that they make. For my friend specifically I often saw him blow all his cooldown at the start of the fight and then meander around. Not contributing with auto attacks or in any other way. Another common problem to watch for is the timing and usage of their spells, especially their ultimate. Nothing can hurt a team more than when a player will spend the entire time losing a team fight only to die and have had never used their ultimate. Explain this to them. Also help them understand all the other abilities being used in fights. The first time going against a Rammus it can be ahrd to understand why your champion stopped running to auto attack him to your demise. Use this as a learning tool to explain what a taunt is. That way the next time they play with a Rammus they know what he can do and how to react in fights.

On a more Macro level ARAM’s can be a great tool for them to learn how to build different champions and which items are good for different characters. For many players deciding what to build can be one of the most difficult parts of the game. ARAM’s really help with this because of the constant gold flow and shorter match duration. That way whether they get no cs or kills you can still go over with them a solid build path for each if the different characters.

Lastly and on the same idea of this macro strategy thinking, ARAM’s can help new players understand which champs occupy the different roles and tiers of the game. I firmly believe that you can win in League of Legends with any champion as long as you understand your strengths and weaknesses and you play that champion well and according to them. There is no lie however that there are different tiers of champions and that some are far more better suited to carry games than other. Having new players play against and as all different champions is a great way for them to start realizing these differences as well. Any one can feel strong as a Master Yi activating his ultimate and running down lane getting a Penta. But it takes an entirely different amount of skill to do the same thing as Urgot. Even playing these two champions for the first time you can start to understand this. This is an important concept for new players to understand and can usually be best learned with a hands on approach.

Step 7: Give them Space and Let them Make Mistakes

New players are going to make mistakes. Heck even professional players make mistakes. It these same mistakes that are going to be some of the best learning experiences they are going to have. Sometimes you have to just watch helplessly as your friend runs at the enemy team 3 v 1 so they can fully grasp why this is a team game. For my friends the most common mistake is watching them chase kills - whether it be into an enemy tower or the rest of their team. It’s going to happen. No reason to get mad or frustrated. Just help them understand what went wrong. This step goes along with step one but it is that important that mentioning it twice can’t hurt. So remember, Take it slow.

This step also is similar to what I like to relate to a Mama bird pushing their baby out of the nest. What this means is that at some point you are going to have to stop telling them what to do and how to build and when to farm and all of that. At some point you are going to have to just let them play the game the way they want to play the game. I am not telling you to turn up your nose at them and refuse to help them. If they have questions you should always be there for answers. But if they want to go Full AP Ashe then let it be. If they feel like it’s better to try and farm enemy champions more so than minions then maybe thats their play style. Let them have fun playing the game the way they want to play it and if thats not conducive to how you want to play the game then you have two choices. Suck it up and have fun with your friend on this game you both like or don’t play the game with them. Hopefully a friendship and having fun is the more important one to you.

Step 8: Watch Livestreams

This step can be a lot more helpful than many people think. There have been countless time my friends have brought up questions to ask me while watching streams. From basic stuff to why did he build such and such item to more complex things to like how do lane swaps work. Watching streams can be a very entertaining way to approach different parts of League that they may not even realize they had a question about. Of course some streams are better than others. LCS, Voyboy, QTPie and even Trick2G are probably some of the most popular, entertaining, and educational streams there are. Yeah, Trick2G, that’s right. I didn’t even know what split pushing was until I watched the stream. My first time learning jungle you ask? It was froma Nunu my way video he had. Yea everything you see on a stream isn’t exactly do able at a new players level but they can help fill in so many of the blanks you may have left them with no matter how good a teacher you are. It also doesn’t hurt that it double as a great way to spend time hanging out with friends which leads into my next and last two steps.

Step 9: Talk about League outside of League

If you have gotten this far in the article you already know League is difficult but so is the jargon associated with it. Get your friend used to talking about League and remembering all the different lessons they learn by having League conversations outside of the game. Maybe start it off by asking if they have had any good matches or plays recently. Let them tell you their story for a change. I am sure they have already spent countless hours hearing about League from the outside. Make it your job to be the way for them to actually be a part of the conversation for a change. This will go a long way to build your friendship and their confidence in themselves in the game.

Step 10: Have fun

This should be the biggest no brainer but sadly it has to be said. I have talked to quite a few people who have both tried to teach their friends the game and have had others try to teach them. The biggest reason it doesn’t work out is that they both forgot how to have fun. All the steps I listed here should not only help you be a better teacher but hopefully help you stay friends through the process. The old saying that winning isn’t everything is almost entirely thrown out the window when it comes to League. League can be the ultimate friendship killer. I speak from first hand experience saying that. Don’t let the teaching become a chore and instead try to look at it for what it is. Playing a game with your friend... for fun.