Brush

File:Brush.png

Ashe standing beside the river brush.

Locations of brush patches in Summoner's Rift.

Brush is a common terrain feature found on the Fields of Justice that provides any unit that enters it a form of one-way stealth.

Upon entering any brush, the unit is immediately rendered invisible to enemies outside of that particular patch of brush, a state that is represented when the unit's model takes on a partially transparent quality. The unit will remain invisible as such until it has either left the brush, is revealed by a sight-granting ability, item or an enemy unit, or engages in most kinds of attacks.

Brush does not provide true stealth, as the unit does not require any form of true sight in order to be visible, but the widespread distribution of brush around the various maps nonetheless mean that using brush correctly is a nigh-universal skill to learn in high levels of League of Legends play.

Strategy

The unique properties of brush and its ability to manipulate the sight of an opponent offers several key tactical advantages. Most notably, any kind of unit-targeted ability cannot be used on an opponent hidden within brush whatsoever, meaning deliberately entering one to break lines of sight can force enemy champions who rely predominantly on this casting type (such as Fiddlesticks) to waste resources or time on reacquiring sight of their target. It is also a key factor in almost any kind of ambush, or ganks, allowing an aggressor to remain hidden until their target is close by or out of safety.

All forms of basic attacks and the majority of non-skillshot offensive abilities will reveal the caster and a small area around them for a short period of time, if they are standing in brush. It is therefore generally impossible to remain permanently stealthed while attacking, although the element of surprise granted by brush can still be significant.

Utilizing Brush

• Ivern is currently the only champion who can create brush, being able to do so via Brushmaker. He can creates a line of brushes, blocking the sight of the enemy. This technique can be used during taking monster objectives or in ARAM maps.
• A technique known as juking is commonly employed using brush to invoke unpredictable changes in direction when fleeing, and the same unpredictability can also allow for disguising a vulnerable channel time, such as Nunu's Absolute Zero or Sion's Decimating Smash.

Checking Brush

While the most direct way of scouting a suspicious brush involves the user personally entering to inspect it (more commonly known as facechecking) almost all abilities, spells and items that provide sight can be used to reveal the interior of a brush. Most prominently, wards are a very common answer to tactical attempts to utilize brush. Wards are subject to the same limitations surrounding brush as other units; they will reveal the area inside the brush, as well as the area surrounding it, and a Control Ward placed outside of a brush will not be able to see enemies inside. Because of these reasons, it is extremely common to place a ward within a brush and effectively negate its use by the opposing team for as long as the ward lasts.

• If the champion is capable of summoning pets or possesses one that is controllable, they can also be ordered into the brush to scout.
• Aside from gaining sight, brushes can also be scouted indirectly using certain abilities.
  • Making a noticeable sound, such as Dr. Mundo's Infected Cleaver or Morgana's Dark Binding.
  • Granting an effect if the spell hit such as Noxious Blast's movespeed or granting a Rising Spell Force stack.
  • Most collision skillshots will visibly stop short if they collide with a unit, such as Ashe's Volley or Ezreal's Mystic Shot.
  • Auto-targeted abilies that cannot be used unless an enemy champion is in range can also indicate if a bush is occupied provided the user is close enough. Examples such as Death Lotus.
  • Effects if the champion is not seen by enemy champions. Examples: Unseen Threat and Gift of the Drowned Ones.

Abilities that benefit from brush

• Caitlyn's Headshot
• Ivern's Brushmaker
• Qiyana's Elemental Wrath
• Nidalee's Prowl
• Rengar's Unseen Predator
• Teemo's Guerrilla Warfare

Map Features