If you're looking to improve in League of Legends, there is certainly no shortage of skills to hone. From last-hitting minions more consistently to increasing your map-awareness, there are plenty of in-game techniques that can be practiced and refined on your journey to success. However, what if I told you that you can start winning before the game even begins? Cue the draft phase. This is the portion of the game in which each team selects champions for themselves and bans champions from the opponent before the real match commences. The draft phase is sometimes called pick/ban or is abbreviated as p/b, but no matter its moniker it greatly influences the happenings of a match. This influence is most notable in the Clash game mode or in professional League games, where pick/ban has a specific order and is thus more nuanced.

Indeed, the draft phase can help determine the outcome of a match before it even starts, and invokes deep strategy that can be fascinating in its own right. So whether you're looking to get an edge in the next Clash tournament or rather glean some extra entertainment from LCS drafts, this guide will help you decipher League's critical yet cryptic draft phase. And to provide a backdrop for our discussion, let's take a look at the draft phase for Dignitas' final match against TSM in the LCS playoffs!

Draft Lingo and Order

First, we'll want to familiarize ourselves with the fundamentals of the drafting process. The team on the left corresponds to the team on the Blue Side in-game, while the team on the right corresponds to Red Side. Each team gets three bans before picking their champions, with Blue Side banning first and then alternating with Red Side. A second round of bans occurs after the first three champion picks on each side. Bans are usually just called "Blue Side Ban 1," for example, but champion picks are referred to as "B1" or "R5," corresponding to the side that chose them and the order in which they were selected.

The complete breakdown for pick/ban order is as follows: Blue Ban 1, Red Ban 1, Blue Ban 2, Red Ban 2, Blue Ban 3, Red Ban 3, B1, R1, R2, B2, B3, R3, Red Ban 4, Blue Ban 4, Red Ban 5, Blue Ban 5, R4, B4, B5, R5. (Note that in the LCS layout above, Blue bans are shown from left to right, Red bans are shown from right to left, and both sides' picks are shown from top to bottom.)

You'll notice that there is some asymmetry in terms of pick-order. For instance, Blue gets the first pick but Red gets the next two in a row. This is mainly so that one side doesn't have an unfair advantage over the other, but it also directly feeds into the depth and strategy of the draft phase. The asymmetry of pick-order allows both bold blind picks and creative counterpicks, which help to spice up the draft phase for players and viewers alike.

Do Your Research

Success in the draft phase primarily stems from doing your research beforehand. This research should encompass both a general understanding of the meta at large and an assessment of your opponent's specific strengths. The pick/ban phase of TSM vs. Dignitas (pictured above) illustrates this perfectly. TSM opens with Caitlyn for their first pick, one of the strongest ADCs on the current patch (well, the current patch that pros are playing on). Not only does this immediately secure them a fearsome late-game carry, but it also threatens the possibility of a Caitlyn-Morgana bot lane, which is an intimidating duo to face.

General meta analysis would have informed Dignitas that Caitlyn-Morgana would be a likely pick from TSM, but knowing the unique tendencies of TSM's players would have also given them a hint. Doublelift is known to be fond of this champion pair and has played it to great success in the past. Fortunately, Dignitas realized this and was able to draft Ashe-Karma, which is a highly effective bot lane answer. Dignitas was even able to secure Zoe for themselves at the same time!

This interaction is one of many that occur over the course of a pick/ban phase, but it demonstrates the importance of researching both the meta and personal tendencies. Due to their preparation, Dignitas was able to effectively respond to TSM's early picks, snagging a winning bot lane as well as a strong champion for mid.

"Isn't this type of research only useful for pro teams?" Nope! League's Clash mode allows coordinated teams of regular players to participate in an LCS-style draft phase, and even allows you to research your opponents ahead of time! You can inspect their most-played roles and champions, and make an informed pick/ban strategy as a result. Picking and banning meta champions is important, but don't be afraid to target specific players! If the opponent has a 90% winrate on Yasuo with half a billion games played, then it might be worth a ban...

Flex on the Enemy

Flex picks in League are champions that can be played in more than one lane, and they are one of the most powerful tools you can take advantage of in a draft. So much so, in fact, that Riot rarely even allows a champion to be flexible between more than two lanes. The reason that flex picks are so valuable is that they make your draft (and thus your strategy) considerably harder to predict.

None of the champions played in the TSM vs. Dignitas match is really considered a flex pick, but one of the banned champions is! Irelia, the third champion banned by Dignitas, can be played mid and top, and has been showcased by both Broken Blade and Bjergsen in the past. Imagine Dignitas hadn't banned Irelia, then, and TSM picked it as B3. Dignitas wouldn't know whether Irelia would be going mid or top, meaning their ability to counterpick would be severely diminished. Dignitas would only be able to guess Irelia's position while TSM could adjust it on the fly as it suit them. Flex picks are thus incredibly influential in the outcome of the draft phase, and Dignitas was smart to ban Irelia here.

In your own games, try to ban common flex picks against your opponents while capitalizing on flex picks of your own. Sett, Syndra, Ornn, Irelia, Sylas, and more have all been effective flex picks in the past, meaning there is a sizeable pool of flex picks to play around with. You can even try developing your own flex picks! The more versatile your roster, the more of an advantage you can gain in draft.

The Big Picture

Throughout the pick/ban process it is also important to consider the overall direction or theme of your team and the opponent's. Both sides are trying to piece together a synergistic composition with champions that complement each other and counter the enemy. As such, consider how you can enhance your team's identity through your picks and how you can disrupt the opponent's identity through your bans.

As an example, consider the game we've been referencing. TSM decided they wanted to win through split-pushing and side-lane control, so Camille and Twisted Fate were drafted while Riven was banned. In contrast, Dignitas was looking to put together a forceful team-fight composition, drafting two marksmen in Ashe and Kindred, buffing them with Karma shields, and giving them a front line via Ornn. TSM's team-fight presence was also targeted by Dignitas, with Shen and Zilean being banned.

Just like how TSM and Dignitas drafted around a certain objective, you can also apply a direction to your own drafts. Think about how you want to play the game, what champions will help you do that, and what champions the enemy might play that disrupt your strategy. Having a well-defined identity like this will not only make your drafting process easier, but it will also help you find guidance in-game.

Win Draft, Lose Game?

Draft phase is undeniably important, but you should always remember that no matter who "wins" or "loses" the draft, the real game has yet to be played. Execution of a draft is often more important than the so-called "quality" of the draft, meaning that even the best drafts have the potential to lose and the worst drafts have the potential to win. So don't stress too much about the pick/ban phase before your next game! If you put a little thought into it, though, you might be able to get an advantage before you even play.