Macro play in League of Legends is the art of decision-making on a map-wide scale, resource management, and team coordination. It often determines whether a player will remain stuck in lower ranks or rise to the top. Even with excellent mechanical skills, many players stay in low ranks due to weaknesses in macro play. If you want to improve your game experience, buy a LoL account at https://skycoach.gg/lol-boost/accounts and instantly play with high-level players to learn how it plays. This guide will help you avoid the common macro mistakes, as well as teach you how to manage lanes after pushing them to achieve better results in the game.
Misunderstanding Crossmap Plays
Crossmap is a concept where you use the positioning of enemies on the map to gain an advantage on the opposite side. For example, if you see the enemy jungler busy on the top side of the map, you can rotate to the bottom side to secure Dragon. Ignoring this opportunity often leads to your team missing key objectives while the enemy controls the map.
Example: In one match, Xin Zhao noticed that Graves was busy taking Rift Herald on the top side. Instead of competing for that objective, Xin Zhao moved to secure the Dragon, knowing that his opponent wouldn’t be able to contest it in time. This is a classic example of smart crossmap play.
Ignoring crossmap opportunities results in lost objectives, making the game more difficult in the late stages. Teams that effectively use crossmap gain more gold and map control, helping them secure future objectives and win team fights.
Ignoring Lane Priority
Lane priority refers to your ability to push a wave faster than your opponent and move to objectives or assist your team. When the lane is pushed, your opponent is forced to deal with the wave, giving you time to focus on more important tasks.
- Example of improper use: Vi pushed her lane, having priority, but instead of using this advantage to rotate for Dragon, she continued farming her jungle. As a result, the team lost a crucial objective.
- Effective use of priority: Let’s say Poppy pushed her lane and then roamed to the mid lane, where she secured a kill. This is a great example of how to use a pushed wave to create a numerical advantage in a team fight.
Misunderstanding the Changed Respawn Timers
Since Season 14 in League of Legends, the respawn timers have changed, especially at early levels. This significantly affects the pace of the game, as enemies return to the battlefield faster. Previously, respawning at level 4 took 12 seconds, but now it’s only 8 seconds.
Mistake: After securing a double kill on the bot lane, a team tries to take an objective, not realizing that the enemies will return to the battlefield with full health and mana soon. This leads to losing the fight, as the enemies come back sooner than expected.
In Season 14, with shorter respawn timers, it’s important to adapt quickly to these changes and make timely decisions. This becomes especially important during early team fights and when trying to secure objectives such as Dragons or towers.
Misusing Rift Herald
Rift Herald has also undergone changes. Previously, it was taken for gold from turret plates before 14 minutes. Now, Rift Herald spawns when turret plates are gone, reducing its value. However, many players still use it as if nothing has changed, which is a mistake.
Additionally, Rift Herald has a mechanic where the last attacker deals 50% less damage to it. It’s a mistake to have the main damage dealers tank Rift Herald, as it reduces their effectiveness. Instead, it’s better to let the support or tank absorb the hits, preserving the damage output of your primary champions.
Example: Poppy, after pushing her lane, moves into the enemy jungle to take Red Buff. Then the team takes Rift Herald with proper damage distribution, preserving the health of key champions for future fights.
Improper Ward Placement
Many players continue placing wards on the top side of the map even after key objectives there (like Rift Herald) are gone. This is an inefficient use of vision since most crucial events shift to the bottom side of the map, where Dragon spawns.
Correct ward placement: After pushing her lane, Poppy rotates to the bottom side of the map and places wards in key areas, providing her team with control over Dragon.
Poor Mid Lane Management
Pushing the mid lane is one of the most important aspects of macro play in the mid-to-late game. By pushing mid, you create opportunities for your team to secure objectives or place deep wards in the enemy jungle. However, many players ignore mid lane and focus on side lanes, leaving their team vulnerable.
Example of a mistake: Players focus on pushing side lanes while leaving mid lane unprotected, allowing the enemy to control the map and place wards in your jungle.
Misjudging the Importance of Outer Turrets
In the mid-game, outer turrets often lose their strategic importance, but many players continue to defend them, even at the cost of great effort. Defending a single turret against the entire enemy team is a losing scenario that can lead to unnecessary losses.
Example of resource efficiency: If the enemy is about to attack your outer turret and you lack the resources to defend it, it’s better to use that time to take objectives on the other side of the map.
Underestimating the Importance of Bushes
Bushes can play a key role in the mid-to-late game by providing you with opportunities to create a sudden numerical advantage in team fights. Ignoring the use of bushes is a mistake that experienced players often exploit.
Example of smart use: Graves used bushes to ambush Rengar and win an important team fight, which allowed his team to secure a key objective on the map.
Failing to Deny Enemy Resources
When you control the map, it’s important to take enemy jungle camps. This reduces their resources and gives your team an advantage. Many players forget to invade the enemy jungle after winning a team fight or pushing a lane.
Example: Poppy, after pushing her lane, enters the enemy jungle and takes Red Buff, weakening the enemy and providing her team with an additional resource.
Overestimating the Importance of Team Fights
Players often focus too much on team fights and forget more important aspects of macro play. Instead of constantly looking for fights, it’s more important to focus on controlling objectives, pushing lanes, and efficiently managing resources.
Example of a mistake: Graves, seeing that his team is preparing for a fight, decides to farm the jungle instead. As a result, his team is outnumbered and loses the fight.
Conclusion
In this review, we uncovered the critical macro mistakes that often hold players back in League of Legends. From misjudging crossmap opportunities to poor ward placement and lane management, these errors can cost teams vital objectives and map control. We also highlighted how underestimating respawn timers or overvaluing team fights can shift the game in the enemy’s favor. By avoiding these common pitfalls and mastering macro play, you’ll not only gain an edge over your opponents but also elevate your overall gameplay. Remember, it’s the small adjustments that lead to big victories.
Read More: The Rise of Aiyifan: Understanding Its Influence on the General Public