User blog:Nhan-Fiction/The Right Recipe

Click here for the original post on my personal blog, which has pretty pictures. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Team composition is very important in “League of Legends.” A well-balanced composition sets up a recipe for success, significantly improving the odds that a team can win with proper execution. Every element for a standard team, whether it is the support or jungler, comes together to serve a purpose.

Being able to judge the strength of your team composition at champ select is an appropriate skill to pick up. Does your team have enough damage? Does your team lack crowd control capabilities? Is your team too squishy? Does your team have a tank?

There are certainly many aspects and components to consider, all of which will be tested as a LoL match carries on. Some games can be made that much easier or more difficult, and this can be based solely on how both teams construct their respective team compositions. It is paramount to treat every champion role as a vital ingredient that determines who can enjoy the taste of victory in the end.

Below are five random things I try to keep in mind when it comes to creating an ideal team composition. In no particular order of significance.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- 1. Crowd Control

Crowd control wins games. Plain and simple.

Crowd control moves come in a variety of flavors: stuns, slows, roots and so forth … And you can bet that there will be plenty of movement speed slows to find in LoL.

The fact is, crowd control in any form is always good. It makes situations more manageable when your opponents suffer some kind of debuff. When you disable your foes to the point where they can’t fight back, your odds of succeeding in a given situation increase drastically.

Remember: CC = GG. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- 2. Synergy

When you have champs with moves that can complement each other, you can create a lot of combos in LoL that are extremely effective and devastating against the opposing team. It is a no-brainer, really.

This game has a huge roster of characters, so it is a matter of figuring out which champs can combine their strengths and possibly balance out any weaknesses. After all, LoL is a team game. When a team composition has champs who gel together, pulling off stunning teamwork can be a real cinch. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- 3. Utility

I think a lot of players often neglect the advantages that utility for a team composition provides. Anything that makes your life more convenient as you play out a match is always a good thing. Never forget this.

You could be using a skill that scouts out an area for you safely, or it may be a move that can provide long-range support to an ally in danger. Utility provides more options on the table, and thus it can easily tip the odds in your favor.

Always utilize everything at your disposal. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- 4. Tank Strength/Tanky DPS

A lot of people always want a beefy tank on their team, and for good reason. A tank’s purpose is to get really bulky so they can soak up as much damage as possible, buying their allies time as they try to crush the opposing team.

A proper tank peels off the enemy foes’ focus-fire to protect your team’s vulnerable and vital champs, such as the ranged carry. Tanks often are ideal choices for your team’s initiation attempts for ganks and battles, which can quickly dictate how a fight goes.

In LoL, being tanky is always a plus. Like, honestly … do you want to die faster or do you want to let everything bounce off you because you are a juggernaut who is (nearly) unstoppable? I would want to go with the latter. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- 5. Counters

Your opponent picks x champ. This prompts you to pick y champ to make x champ’s life miserable for the rest of the game. By picking someone who excels over another person’s character, it is very clear how much simpler your LoL match can be.

LoL is a game of rock-paper-scissors at times, though with many, many more combinations and other variables to keep in mind. Have you ever had those games where you wondered why you are not doing as hot compared to other games? Well, champ counters should always be considered for both sides. It is crucial to recognize who fares well against specific champs.

In other words: learning the matchups + choosing the appropriately counter-pick = profit? I do believe so. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————- And of course, team composition is only half the battle. Games are not played on paper. You can have the perfect team composition, the right recipe, against the opposing team’s batch of champs and still lose if your overall execution is poor. In addition, you can still nab a win if your team comp is (technically) bad for whatever reason.

What matters most at the end of the day is how you maximize the champs you have to work with, regardless of what your opponent throws at you.

A strong team composition merely grants a competitive edge. Ultimately, with stellar teamwork, just about anything is possible in LoL.