User blog:Asperon Thorn/From The Crown of Thorn: Do you see what I see

Somebody needs to ward Baron.

All MIA stay at base.

Let me run out there and place a ward.

These are all things I see in games. None of these things are necessarily bad but when I see these in games it tells me one thing:

Not enough wards are being used.

A lot of people have been watching the dreamhack videos, and it is one of those things that the announcers constantly mention "ward count." It's a silly thing just like "Pit Times" in NASCAR, however like the speed of a pit crew it has a very passive aggressive effect in controlling the game. With a properly warded map you can see when the other team is grouped up, when they are split up, if they are trying to set up an ambush, and basically where it is safe to go and when it is safe to just take someone out.

Over the last few weeks I have been performing test after test in solo queue public games, some of the worst as far as cooperation. And during those games I have been buying 5 wards every time I am at the shop, and placing them around the map as I just wander around so I can see most of what is going on. The end result? I am underfarmed and underbuilt because I have been purchasing 375g worth of sight wards for my team every 3 minutes, and after some very basic core items getting an oracle and eliminating their wards. However, while my fighting contribution is less because of it, my team has won every single one of those matches. The other team, can't get an ambush, can't get dragon, or buffs. They can't independently farm, without my team being able to show up and stomp on them. My team is even able to get the jump on our opponents when they are clearly setting up an ambush or we can push towers when we are aware that they don't have enough players to get there in time. The other team has to hide in their base when just a few of us are not in lanes, whether we are at our own base, or in the jungle.

Now, spending 2275g (wards plus oracle) every 15 minutes is extreme for anybody, and I shouldn't have to do it. Which is the point of this blog. BUY WARDS. You should pick up at least 2 or 3 everytime you are at your well. You place them at high traffic areas, or when you are wandering around and think to yourself "Hmm, I bet the other team will walk through here eventually and I might want to know about it." If you plan on being someplace for a while farming. . .You know what? 75g to watch your back while you farm 150 gold from minions is actually a sound investment. Go place a ward where they may attempt to approach you. . or in the direction you might want to escape.

If you watch those dream hack games, and pay attention, rarely do these top players go out of their way to place wards. They just have wards, in their inventory. . at all times, and just drop them at regular intervals on popular routes, in bushes, in the river, on ramps. etc. They don't run off to "go drop a ward at the baron" they just happen to be walking by the baron on their way someplace and notice that it isn't warded, or that the current ward is about to run out, and then drop a new one.

''But Asperon, I don't have the money for it, I am saving up to buy my super awesome I am going to faceroll item. How am I suppose to buy wards?''

Map awareness wins games, and nets you kills, buffs, and dragons. There is no excuse not to get them. Your uber-faceroll item is not going to do you any good if a) They find you first or b) You can't find them at all to even use it.

Think of it this way, if your team gets dragon that's 190 free gold to every person on your team. If each person bought two wards with that your team still has 200 free bonus gold between them AND you have 10 wards. It takes only 5 to blanket the river and other key areas on one half of the map. Which means with 10 you can cover all of the river entrances/exits, all 4 buffs, baron and dragon, and still have a couple left over. With all that map sight, tell me you can't make enough gold to cover the loss? That provides safety to farm, safety to gank, and the ability to ambush any of them that split up.

But Asperon, we didn't get Dragon now how can we afford it?

Well, you probably didn't get it because you didn't have enough wards in the first place. . but that's besides the point. If you are in a side lane, you should have bought 1 or 2 wards on your first trip back. Why? Because a jungle or mid lane to side lane gank against you gains you -300gold (that's negative 300gold. 300 gold in the red.) Possibly more after assist money is paid out. That's basically saying, you didn't have enough to pay 75g for a ward, but it's ok to pay the other team 300 gold just to show up uninvited. Bottom lane Blue team should probably place a ward in the bush right inside the river, and at the dragon. Top lane blue team should probably place one in the same bush in their lane, and the Baron.

Junglers on either team have a responsibility to buy and place wards along the river for the team. It's not just a suggestion, it's part of their role description. During the early stages of the game Junglers cover more of the map than anyone and, as a result, are in the best position to place them without going too far out of their way. Junglers are to show up to tip the scales for their teams favor, but also need to protect their own team from the same. Too often have I seen Junglers troll their own team because they are getting beat in the lane, but the reason is because of ganks, that could have been avoided if the jungler had placed wards for them. This does not mean that the jungler is solely responsible for wards. It just means that he is in the best position to get some key one's out early. As a jungler I get wards for dragon, and the side solo (top) lane on my first trip back. But I expect the bottom lane to ward their own river entrance.

In summary, get wards. Everyone on the team should be spending part of their hard earned cash on them, but between 5 people splitting the cost that is approximately 375 gold every 15 minutes per person to keep 5 wards up all the time. However, not getting ganked, being able to set up ambushes? That's priceless. From the Crown of Thorn: Can you see what I see?

Asperon Thorn 19:20, June 3, 2011 (UTC)