When the enemy team is knocking out teammates left and right, it's always a safer bet to stay out of the way than to feed their killstreak. It might not be the most exciting option, but it's always better to stay alive than to give the enemy the k
Another item that's received buffs to its weak early state, Stridebreaker had a rough time breaking through. Goredrinker was previously in an overpowered state, and most bruisers would simply go for the superior option. With nerfs to Goredrinker, Stridebreaker has risen as an alternative that's arguably super
Because there are so many variables that change up the gameplay, such as changes to skill-based matchmaking based on whether a person is playing solo or with a squad and limited-time modes, it’s hard to offer a clear before-and-after compari
The one, the only, the Moonstone Renewer. This item is the opposite of exciting, on the surface. Other items create impressive AoE effects, or amplify damage, or allow users to gain a second wind during a long fight. They create more damage numbers, and that's great. However, the Moonstone Renewer exists to fight back against damage by making it look like it never happe
The passive for Moonstone Renewer blesses a nearby ally with a heal on dealing damage to enemies. It also applies a heal on top of existing healing abilities. This includes all damage, like Brand's damage-over-time passive. This is a weak heal, but is on a short enough cooldown it applies multiple times during a fight. It also gets stronger the longer the user is in combat. A true Moonstone abuser will be able to sufficiently support their team and utilize the other cost-effective enchanter items, even on a midlaner's bud
One of the common factors for powerful active items is additional mobility. Mobility creep has long been a problem in League and giving an extra dash to champions who need it is one way to solve the problem. Of course, Galeforce's active does more than simply dash; it changes the way an ADC can p
Umbral Glaive needs little introduction. This Lethality item was added as an aggressive option for the growing pool of AD-oriented support picks. It also could be used on AD assassins in some cases, but usually doesn't find itself in their inventory anymore. It may not be as cheap as it once was, but its power is still the s
The rush of getting a kill in League of Legends is a tempting reason to rush past enemy towers and chase down an opponent. No matter how many kills a player gets, though, they are weighed down by the number of deaths they have endu
When I spoke to Fabian, he touched on the importance of a concept called "deliberate practice." Citing Benjamin Franklin, who was a dedicated chess player, Fabian suggested the American scientist was unable to reach the level of the grandmasters because he didn’t have the opportunity to engage in deliberate practice. With most of the best chess players far away in Europe, Franklin wasn’t able to analyze their play and get the feedback necessary to hone in on specific areas of improvement. (You can find the anecdote, as excerpted in the book "Peak" by Anders Ericsson, her
After a decade standing behind its flagship MOBA, Riot Games is taking steps to expand its game offerings. The company is mostly expanding the League of Legends IP in several different ways. Legends of Runeterra is a collectible card game, League of Legends: Wild Rift brings the MOBA to mobile devices, Arena 2v2 and Riot Forge is developing third-party games in the form of Ruined King and CONV/RGENCE . Arcana is an upcoming animated series set in Runeterra, and Riot is even developing an MMO set in the League of Legends universe . Finally, with what first started as an in-game mode for League , Teamfight Tactics has turned into a full-fledged auto batt
Vision wards are an incredible tool that beginners tend to avoid. They are relatively cheap to buy, easy to use, and give the player's team a major advantage if used correctly. Vision wards serve best when hidden from view, in bushes, and in enemy territ
Blood Rush is also a very important part of Draven's kit. Movement skills are vital in League of Legends and this ability affects that a good deal. There's not as much to consider with the W ability, but when using it, remem
Maintaining a presence in the lane is one thing, but staying too long is an often fatal mistake. After chasing down an opponent and killing them, many beginners will push towers while at low health, because there is no one there to challenge them. This opens the player up to being ganked by another en
Just as emotes or typing "/dance" may be used within the game to interact with players, champions also possess numerous lines of dialogue that are used as "taunts." Ezreal's is particularly iconic as he says, "you belong in a museum." This jibe may seem innocuous, but when repeatedly spammed it produces a far more antagonistic eff
