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Basic attack icon

A basic attack (also called a standard, normal, or auto attack) is the default means by which a unit deals damage. Champions perform basic attacks when an enemy unit is right-clicked; basic attacks are also performed by an idle champion when an enemy unit ventures too close to it (if the option to basic attack when idling is enabled), or when the "attack move" function is used (default Shift + Right Click).

Turrets, minions, and most monsters perform basic attacks as their only method of dealing damage.

A basic attack, under normal circumstances, deals Attack damage icon 100% AD physical damage, and can occur whenever the unit's attack timer is over, which is reduced by attack speed and reset by basic attack resets.

Option

By default, a champion will automatically basic attack nearby enemy units. This feature can be turned off in the options menu. Acquisition range Automated target acquisition (or auto attacking) can be momentarily disabled by using the "stop" command (default S).

Behaviour

General

Basic attacks cannot be avoided under normal circumstances once the windup has began. That is to say, once a basic attack has been issued from the attacker, it cannot lose its target and it will acquire them despite any subsequent changes in position. The following are exceptions to this rule and will cause basic attacks to fail:

  • Parrying effects negate the attack's effects entirely:
  • Attacking becomes disabled, rendering basic attacks unable to be declared. This includes (this lists those that have the capability to do so):
  • The attack's windup is interrupted when the:
    • Attacker is issued a different command.
    • Attacker or the target Death dies.
    • Target becomes Untargetable icon untargetable.
    • Target is too far away.
    • Target is no longer in Sight icon sight.

Certain basic attacks can be physically dodged (by using mobility spells or quickly moving out of the way) as they don't follow their target after their fired, but will travel fast enough that they're unlikely to be dodged. These are: Graves' Graves' New Destiny New Destiny and Twitch's Twitch's Spray and Pray Spray and Pray

Champion

When using attack-move, the champion stops to attack any hostile that gets in their way on their route to a destination. If a champion has an attack target, they will continue to attack it if in range and will move closer to it when out of range. until either a new target is specified, a cancel order is issued (pressing the S key or by specifying another move order), they lose vision of the target, or the target becomes invalid.

Many champions also have abilities that will affect their basic attacks in some way or form. Such abilities are treated like basic attacks, which means they can apply on-hit effects and/or ability effects.

Minions

Minions will automatically attack their closest target by default, but may change targets in a similar manner to turrets.

Monsters

Almost all monsters only use basic attacks and only deal physical damage, the exceptions are:

Turrets

Turret basic attacks deal physical damage and each consecutive attack deals more damage, up to a cap.

The behavior of turrets is described on the corresponding page as well as the damage of turret basic attacks.

The only exception to the above is the Nexus Obelisk (also called the Fountain Laser), which deals a special type of true damage that ignores all kinds of damage reduction, untargetability and damage immunity effects and doesn't have missile travel speed.

Structures

In normal circumstances, structures can only be damaged by basic attacks. Some examples of abilities that can damage them is Fiora's Fiora's Lunge Lunge, Tristana's Tristana's Explosive Charge Explosive Charge, and Ziggs' Ziggs' Satchel Charge Satchel Charge.

Vision

Basic attacking while hiding in brush or in fog of war will reveal the attacking unit. If in brush, attacking will reveal all allies within to the enemy.

Damage

Basic attacks always deal physical damage unless one of the following abilities is used, in which case the whole damage of the basic attack will be magic damage.

However, certain items, abilities or passives may cause them to deal additional magic damage on top of their base physical damage. Damage from basic attacks benefits from the attack damage stat on the attacker and are reduced by armor on the target.

When basic attacking a turret, your basic attack deals:

  • If (100% bonus AD) is higher than (60% AP) (or by default):
    • Deals 100% base AD (+ 100% bonus AD) physical damage.
  • If (60% AP) is higher than (100% bonus AD):
    • Deals 100% base AD (+ 60% AP) magic damage.

Attack speed

See also: List of champions/Basic attacks

The rate at which a champion attacks is called attack speed, and is by default capped at 2.5 attacks per second, though some champions and runes can remove the cap.

Windup

EditA unit's attack windup is the portion of their attack which must be completed in order to launch it. The attacker must be standing still in order to complete the windup. For champions that have a projectile basic attack, the windup usually aligns with the champion drawing the projectile on-screen. Optimizing movement and attack commands between the attack windup completing and the total attack time completing is known as stutter-stepping.

The attack windup is displayed as a percentage, and any windup modifier is listed as a decimal next to it.

Resets

Certain abilities can "reset" the basic attack timer, causing the basic attack to queue in prematurely before the second basic attack initiates the queue, resulting in a faster second attack rather than basic attacking twice normally. Hail of Blades Hail of Blades gains an additional stack from resets.

Attack_Resets

Attack Resets

A list of actives and abilities that refresh the attack timer:

Special Cases

Riven's Riven's Broken Wings Broken Wings, Kai'Sa's Kai'Sa's Killer Instinct Killer Instinct, and Hextech Protobelt-01 Hextech Protobelt-01 * cause the next basic attack to occur more quickly. This is not considered a basic attack reset for Hail of Blades Hail of Blades.

Unstoppable Basic Attack

A basic attack that is not Silence icon interruptible is classified as an Relentless Force 2 unstoppable basic attack. Unstoppable basic attacks are only stopped by Death death, Silence icon polymorph, Quinn's Quinn's Vault Vault, and in some cases, Untargetable icon untargetability. The following use this mechanic:

Empowered Basic Attack

To see the items and runes that deal bonus damage with basic attacks, see attack effects.

Modified Damage

The following champion abilities have their basic attack dealing modified damage:

Bonus Damage

The following champion abilities will empower their basic attack to deal bonus damage:

Damage over Time

The following champion abilities will empower their basic attack to deal additional damage over time:

Others

The following champion abilities will empower their basic attack to give another bonus:

Trivia

  • In the initial iteration, the icon used to denote basic attacks is reused from an alpha item with unknown effects called Long Staff Long Staff.


References


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