Summoner Spells are a core part of the League of Legends ‘Loadout,’ before you even load into a game no matter what the context whether it be ARAM, Flex Queue, or even Blind Pick Normals. However, what many players don’t realize is that by taking the right summoner spell into certain matchups can enable you to win out the laning phase (and maybe even the game given a snowball) with great ease. And that is where this piece comes into effect as below some of these matchup setups will be documented so you can add them to your arsenal of knowledge and maybe even inspire you to come up with some more examples in your own magnificent brains.

Cleanse as an ADC into Support Leona

This setup has been seen more and more in pro play this season and with good reason as the Radiant Dawn has been considered an S-Tier pick this season by many teams in many regions. So why are so many elite players choosing to take cleanse in this matchup, to understand this concept you have to understand what Leona wants to do to her opposing damage source in lane, and that is gap close with her E: Zenith Blade (which roots the target she connects on then pulls her to set target) then stun then with her Q: Shield of Daybreak (and potentially even stun lock them further with her Ultimate: Solar Flare) as part of a CC chain, however what if that chain gets broken? This is where Cleanse comes in, by breaking the stun lock you can then look to either kite the Leona and her lane partner out, turn the trade around, or even just escape and reset the lane. This setup used right turns Leona from a real threat into a glorified tanky minion and trading one summoner for that is a worthwhile trade (just remember Cleanse has a cooldown) for sure.

Exhaust as a Support into ADC Tristana

Like the Cleanse choice, this selection has been seen more and more in pro play as Tristana has been a major meta player over the last few months as her early all in potential with her W: Rocket Jump, E: Explosive Charge, all being paired with the Keystone: Hail of Blades is almost unmatchable in terms of DPS/Burst. This is all enabled by Rocket Jump having its cooldown reset on takedown. This is where Exhaust comes in. Exhaust will make the target lose 40% of their damage output (while slowing by 30%) and this damage reduction will more often than not be enough to deny Tristana and her lane partner the takedown (due to a lack of damage) and without the takedown Trist will not have an escape in natural kit leaving her overextended in your frontline, AKA prime for you to bear fangs and sink then into that Yordle marksperson. Even if she Flashes out, that is still a won trade as Exhaust’s cooldown is 90 seconds shorter (210<300). Trading one summoner for a free kill and save is a worthwhile trade that you may set up for before the game has even started.

Cleanse as a Mid Laner into Mid Lane Ahri

Ahri has seen minimal exposure at the top flight scene of LoL recently, but that does not mean that this mage/assassin hybrid is not a threat. The tip of those spikes comes in the form of Ahri’s combo opening E: Charm, which as the spell suggests charms her target if it lands. This CC sets up (and also increases the dmg from) the test of her kit to land (which features another skillshot which just so happens to be her Q: Orb of Deception which is her primary damage spell) which enables her burst/assassin playstyle. This is where Cleanse is your saving grace. By Cleansing the Charm, you are given the option to play around the rest of her kit and potentially turn the skirmish around, and exchanging one summoner to turn a situation from a 100% loss to a potential outplay is a worthwhile trade that you can set up at level zero.

Conclusion

There we have it, three key examples how you can set yourself up to win lane before the game even starts at level zero/champ select. Now, remember just because you have these setups does not automatically win you the matchups mentioned, you still need to use them effectively, whether it be Exhausting a Tristana as she jumps in, or Cleansing a Leona stun/Ahri charm to mitigate their win conditions in lane. You also need to play around your cooldowns as well; whilst Exhaust, Cleanse, and most other combat summoners do have shorter cooldowns than Flash’s hefty 5-minute cooldown (300 seconds) that does not mean you should play like you have the necessary tools when you don’t. You wouldn’t jump out of a plane with a backpack containing no parachute would you, the same thoughts apply here. And with that series of thoughts I once again leave you with the ideals of GL, HF, and GG.