Crowd control, or CC, is a term thrown around in League of Legends quite frequently; however, few players know the distinctions between each type of CC. Despite how important this mechanic is in game, players tend to group all of the forms of CC together, and in a game where details are important, knowing what type of CC you’re applying or what champions have the form of CC that you need can be the difference between the victory and defeat screens. This article will break down the function and forms of each type of Crowd Control in League.

Airborne

Champions that are Airborne are knocked into the air, causing that champion to be unable to move, use their abilities, or their summoner spells. Additionally, Airborne champions cannot auto attack.

Champions with this ability: Malphite, Yasuo

When to use: Airborne effects can be used to start teamfights or to interrupt an enemy carry’s abilities. For example, Malphite R is a good engage tool that leaves multiple enemies airborne and allows your team to collapse and burst the other team.

Blind

When a champion is Blinded, they are unable to auto attack as all of them will miss on-hit. Champions that are Blinded, however, can still do damage using their abilities.

Champions with this ability: Teemo

When to use: Blinds are particularly effective against champions that are primarily reliant on their auto attacks for damage, like Yunara, Jinx, or Vayne.

Cripple

When a champion is afflicted with Cripple, their total attack speed is reduced by a percentage, causing auto attacks to be slower.

Champions with this ability: Nasus, Fiora

When to use: Since this type of crowd control is exclusive to these top laners, the most effective use of Cripple is used against the enemy carries in order to negate most of their damage from their auto attacks.

Berserk

When a champion is Berserk, they are unable to use their abilities or move freely, and their auto attacks are instead focused on allied champions rather than champions on the enemy team.

Champions with this ability: Renata Glasc

When to use: Although Renata Glasc is currently the only champion in the game with the ability to inflict Berserk, she can disrupt the enemy team if they get caught in her Ultimate and allow the other enemy carries to burst their own team down with large amounts of damage.

Charm

When a champion is Charmed, they are unable to auto attack, use their abilities, or move freely. The champion who is Charmed instead moves towards the champion that has inflicted the charm on them. Additionally, all Charmed champions are slowed as well.

Champions with this ability: Ahri, Evelynn, Rakan

When to use: Charms allow you to easily pull an enemy champion out of position and allows you to catch them out. Pick-based teamfights are part of Charm’s strong suit, as they force the enemy champion into your team so you force bad positioning in order to get a winning fight.

Fear

When a champion is Feared, they are unable to do anything except move away from the champion that has Feared them.

Champions with this ability: Fiddlesticks, Vex, Hwei

When to use: Fear is a very good disengage/anti-dive tool, as it forces the enemy team to misposition in teamfights very similar to Charm. Additionally, it makes enemy champions unable to burst the carry on your team down. On top of that, Fearing an enemy champion while they are tower diving allows you to turn the fight easily in your favor.

Taunt

When a champion is Taunted, they are unable to move or auto attack unless it is directed towards the champion that inflicted the Taunt on them.

Champions with this ability: Galio, Rammus

When to use: Taunt is most effective when you want to redirect enemy attacks onto a less squishy champion. For example, Galio W can be used in a teamfight to redirect all the damage onto yourself so that your other teammates can stay alive for longer and focus on the main damage dealers on the other team.

Ground

When a champion is Grounded, they are unable to use movement spells, such as any dash or blink ability, or Summoner spells like Flash or Teleport.

Champions with this ability: Cassiopeia, Singed

When to use: Ground is excellent against high mobility champions like Master Yi or Irelia. Additionally, it is also effective against ADCs that are mobility heavy, like Lucian and Ezreal. Grounding a champion can deny these champions of their ability to all-in you, and allows you to reposition and turn a fight in your favor.

Nearsight

When a champion is Nearsighted, they have their total sight radius reduced for a certain amount of time. During this time, the champion that is Nearsighted cannot reveal any wards or traps (ex. Teemo’s mushrooms, Jhin/Nidalee traps), and they cannot auto attack champions that are out of their reduced sight range.

Champions with this ability: Graves, Quinn, Nocturne

When to use: Nearsight typically is used to disorient the enemy team and isolate champions from the rest of their team. Additionally, Nearsight is also used to disrupt map awareness so that the other team cannot coordinate properly, allowing you to easily pick a champion off or start a winning fight.

Root

When a champion is Rooted, they are unable to move or use movement abilities; however, they can still auto attack other champions.

Champions with this ability: Morgana, Lux

When to use: Roots are good to set up skillshots for your teammates. For example, when an enemy is hit with Morgana Q, they are stuck in place which allows your teammates to follow up and target the enemy champion point-blank.

Silence

When a champion is Silenced, they are unable to use abilities, their active items (ex. Hextech Protobelt, Zhonya’s Hourglass, Stridebreaker), or their summoner spells.

Champions with this ability: Soraka, Malzahar, Blitzcrank

When to use: Silences are best used against champions that are heavily reliant on their abilities, like mages (Ryze, Xerath) and assassins (Zed, Katarina).

Polymorph

When a champion is Polymorphed, they are Silenced and turned into a harmless critter. Additionally, Polymorphed champions will have Cripple applied to them as well. However, movement is still allowed when Polymorphed.

Champions with this ability: Lulu

When to use: Polymorph is arguably one of the strongest forms of single target CC in League of Legends. With this, you can shut down carries easily or stop an enemy champion mid engage, preventing them from using their abilities in a fight. Additionally, Polymorph allows you to win trades by preventing the enemy champions from trading damage back.

Drowsy/Sleep

When a champion is afflicted with Drowsy, they are slowed before Sleep is applied onto them. A champion that is Asleep is unable to move, auto attack, or use their summoner spells. Any form of damage onto an enemy champion while Asleep will deal extra damage (Bonus true damage if Zoe, bonus magic damage if Lillia).

Champions with this ability: Zoe, Lillia

When to use: Applying Sleep to a champion, similarly to Stuns and Roots, is an easy way to set up a pick onto an enemy champion. Combos that are meant to one-shot an enemy champion are easier to land when the target is locked in place and unable to fight back.

Slow

When a champion is Slowed, their movement speed is reduced.

Champions with this ability: Aurora, Jinx, Seraphine

When to use: Slows are best optimized when you’re trying to chase down an enemy, especially if they’re the last member of the other team that’s alive. Slows can also make it harder for champions to reach the damage dealing carries on your team, which buys time for your team to protect them without the use of other forms of hard CC, such as a Stun or a Root.

Stasis

When a champion is put into Stasis, they become Invulnerable and unable to act.

Champions with this ability: Bard, any champion with Seeker’s Armguard or Zhonya’s Hourglass

When to use: Stasis is best used to protect yourself during teamfights. For example, if you’re getting bursted down too quickly, you can activate your Zhonya’s to buy you a few extra seconds to Flash away or for your teammates to assist you.

Stun

When a champion is Stunned, they are unable to take any actions (ex. movement commands, auto-attacks, or abilities).

Champions with this ability: Brand, Sona, Annie

When to use: Stuns are one of the most universally strong CC types, as they create a window where the champions on the enemy team cannot dodge or react to any incoming damage. Stuns are one of the most reliable ways to lockdown a champion, preventing them from finding a counterplay during the duration of the stun.

Suppress

When a champion is Suppressed, they are locked in place similarly to both Stun and Root, but the effect cannot be removed with by the Summoner Spell Cleanse.

Champions with this ability: Ambessa, Urgot

When to use: Most Suppress abilities in League are single-target, so similarly to Stun and Root, they are useful when looking to set up a teamfight off of a single champion that is picked. Additionally, it’s best used right as an enemy champion is about to set up a play, so timing is important when applying Suppress.

Wrapping Up

Crowd control is one of the mechanics of League of Legends that is highly overlooked. Multiple things go into properly CCing a champion, such as timing and coordination with the rest of your team. A single pick onto a properly CCed champion can turn the tide of the game completely in your favor, so understanding how to create opportunities for your team with these abilities is important.