League of Legends is a game with a pretty defined metagame. Through almost 6 years of play we have had a defined formula in which there is a toplaner, a jungler, a midlaner, an ADC and a support, but the way they interact between each other and the way they synergize follows a rule in which the design of champions is based on.

Rock-Paper-Scissors.

The equivalent of the classic rock-paper-scissors in League of Legends is burst-poke-sustain. These three aspects are what defines the way a team comp is built and the way the champions interact between each other. In pro play, the thought process behind every composition follows a reasoning in which their win condition is achieved by picking a specific set of champions that are able to synergize and achieve objectives based on the playstyle that these characters dictate. The laning phase, skirmishes and teamfights are all based on this and you have to be aware of the way your champion and your team comp is supposed to do damage. Once you have a clear idea of this and you understand the correlation between burst, poke and sustain you will have an advantage and be more efficient with the way you use your spells, position and trade in general.

Burst

Graves is a classic burst champion. The in your face, high damage, quick spell rotation playstyle has been his greatest characteristic ever since he was released.

Champions: Graves, Syndra, Annie, Braum, etc.

Objectives: When you pick one of this champions you got to be conscious that one of your main strengths is the early game. For example, Braum is extremely strong level 1 due to his passive, while Syndra has one of the strongest level 6 in the game. When you are aware of the power spikes of your champions and the impact they will have during trades you will be able to create advantages over the enemy for you during the early game which will eventually help you snowball and close the games out faster. Also, getting a lot of kills is probably one of the easiest ways to tilt your enemy and win games in Solo Queue. We've all been there, haven't we?

Burst vs Sustain

Burst is the natural counter of sustain. The high damage that you dish out in a small window of time makes it hard for sustain champions to be able to perform their natural playstyle. Let's say it in a simple way. If your level 6 Leona goes all in and combos the enemy's Ezreal while you use your whole rotation as Graves, there is little to nothing Soraka can do to prevent this. Sustain takes a little bit of time to be able to be used in an efficient way which makes it easy for burst champions to abuse. Be careful though and understand that one of the biggest problems burst champions have is getting to the point of the game were a single rotation of your spells won't be able to kill people. Late game is a big problem, as once the enemy carries have lifesteal and Guardian Angels it's pretty hard to get a pick which results in a kill and generally in order to be able to do the required amount of damage you will be in a bad position. Beware of late game and make use of early and mid game skirmishes to snowball and close the game out as quickly as possible.

Poke

Varus' long range makes wearing enemies down easy. He fits in team comps because of this and his safe laning.

Champions: Caitlyn, Varus, Karma

Objectives: Laning against a poke champion is a pain we've all have experienced. Not being able to reach that CS and watching minions die while you can do nothing about it because if you get close enough you will get chunked for half your HP is one of the most frustrating experiences in League of Legends. When you play a poke champion your objectives are simple: wear the enemy down, be annoying and siege objectives. Poke is strong because long range is hard to deal with when you have a certain type of champion and sometimes it can be so oppressive that the enemy team is clueless. Still, one major fault with this type of damage dealer is hard engage so most of the team comps you need to play a poke champion requires some sort of hard CC to disengage whenever anyone on the enemy team wants to stop you from slowly killing that inner mid turret. Still, once you get rolling there is nothing more satisfying than landing a long range Ezreal Q and chunking half of the enemy ADC's life bar. Patience with this kind of champions is key and you don't have to rush into fights when you can simply sit back and watch the enemy slowly crumble under your power.

Poke vs Burst

How can you kill someone you can't reach? Poke will always be long range and it is hard to access for a burst damage dealer if played properly. When you play a poke champion, positioning is key and if you manage to stay out of reach of the enemy damage dealers you will succeed. It's difficult to learn to position correctly, but once you get a grip of where you should be every time you will be a huge perk for your team and a huge nuisance for the enemy.

Sustain

Soraka is what we all think of sustain, and for a reason. She can keep you alive in a lot of really bad situations. Supports should learn her.

Champions: Soraka, Vladimir, Sona.

Objectives: Laning against a sustain champion is a frustrating experience. Very frustrating. When you see all your hard work chunking him down get nullified by a single spell all of it feels pretty useless. When you play a sustain champion your general objective is to survive and get the items you need. Scaling up is pretty important and understanding when your power spikes arrive is crucial. You will win any extended fight, as there is no way a team without a 'healer' can withstand to traded abilities with you. Play around objectives, siege towers and play patiently so your Soraka pick will eventually pay its dividends.

Sustain vs Poke

Sometimes you simply can't kill them. Sometimes you will just poke them and poke them and poke them again, but with good sustain and with good positioning the enemy Ezreal won't be able to kill you. It's as simple as that, poke has a hard time against healers because the damage over time can't outweigh your healing. Of course, you have to dodge and play smart but mistakes aren't as punishing since you will probably survive everything they throw at you. Beware of Rengar though, he's a real nuisance for you!

Conclusion

League of Legends is a game balanced around different types of damage and if you get a grasp of the general concept of who beats who, you will be able to win more games and be a big perk to your team. So go ahead, queue up and theorycraft about what the best matchups are for your champion based on the information. Always remember that nothing is unbeatable and you can always outsmart your opponent if you play smart and take advantage of your opportunities!

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