The Importance of Support Champions in League of Legends
In the fast-paced world of League of Legends, every role is crucial for securing victory. Among these roles, support champions often stand out as the backbone of any successful team. While they may not always get the spotlight, their impact on the game is undeniable. In this article, we’ll explore the key aspects of support champions, their importance, and how to play them effectively to elevate your team’s performance.
What Makes Support Champions Unique?
Support champions are designed to assist and protect their allies rather than deal damage directly. They are the guardians of the team, ensuring that their carries, such as ADCs and mid-laners, can focus on dealing damage without being overwhelmed. A good support player is like the conductor of an orchestra, orchestrating team fights, setting up engages, and preventing enemies from taking objectives.
Some of the key responsibilities of a support champion include:
Protecting the ADC: This is one of the most critical roles of a support champion. By using abilities like shields, heals, and crowd control, supports can keep their ADC safe and alive during team fights.
Engaging and Disengaging: Supports often have the tools to start or stop fights. Champions like Leona or Thresh excel at initiating with their powerful hooks and lockdowns, while others like Bard or Janna can peel for their allies and prevent enemies from closing in.
Map Awareness: Supports are usually the ones responsible for setting up vision control. By placing wards and denying enemy vision, they help their team avoid ganks and secure objectives like Dragon and Baron.
How to Play Support Effectively
Playing a support champion requires a combination of game knowledge, mechanical skill, and team coordination. Here are some tips to help you excel in this role:
Master Your Champion: Each support champion has unique abilities and playstyles. For example, Braum relies on his defensive capabilities and precise timing to block skill shots, while Lulu uses her charm and polymorph to disrupt enemies. Understanding your champion’s strengths and weaknesses is key to success.
Focus on Timing: Knowing when to engage or disengage is crucial. For instance, diving into a 1v3 fight as Soraka might seem noble, but it’s often a recipe for disaster. Instead, wait for the right moment to use your abilities to turn the tide of a fight.
Communicate with Your Team: Communication is vital in any team-based game, and this is especially true for supports. Let your team know when you’ve spotted an enemy jungler, where you’ve placed wards, or when you’re ready to engage. Clear communication can prevent mistakes and lead to more coordinated plays.
Adapt to the Game: Every game is different, and your strategy should reflect that. If the enemy team has a lot of crowd control, consider picking a mobile support like Blink champions such as Bard or Ezreal. If they lack engage tools, a tanky support like Nautilus or Galio can be a great choice.
Popular Support Champions and Why They’re Strong
Thresh: Known for his hook and flay, Thresh is a classic support champion who excels at initiating fights and locking down enemies. His ability to pull enemies into his team or save allies with his lantern makes him a versatile pick.
Leona: As a tanky support with multiple lockdown tools, Leona is perfect for aggressive playstyles. Her ultimate ability, Solar Flare, can completely shut down an enemy carry, making her a nightmare to face in team fights.
Bard: A highly mobile support with a unique kit, Bard is great for roaming and setting up ambushes. His Tempting Fate ability allows him to salvage situations by reviving dead allies, making him a game-changer in the right hands.
Lulu: With her ability to charm enemies and polymorph key targets, Lulu is a powerful pick for disrupting the enemy team. Her ultimate, Wild Growth, can also turn a losing fight into a winning one by buffing an ally’s size and damage output.
Case Study: How Support Champions Can Turn the Tide
Imagine a scenario where your team is down by 5k gold but manages to secure Baron Nashor. A well-timed ultimate from a support champion like Galio or Choi can rally your team and push the enemy Nexus. Supports often have the tools to clutch games, even when the odds