23Oct
Warding 101: A Guide to Map Control in LoL

Map control is a fundamental aspect of success in League of Legends (LoL). Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting your journey on the Rift, understanding the importance of vision and how to ward effectively can significantly impact your gameplay. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the art of warding, covering the different types of wards, optimal placements, and strategic considerations that will help you gain the upper hand in your matches.

The Importance of Warding

Vision is a precious resource in LoL, providing valuable information about your enemies’ movements and allowing you to make informed decisions. Here’s why warding is so crucial:

  1. Preventing Ambushes: Wards can reveal enemies hiding in brush or other concealed areas, preventing surprise attacks.
  2. Objective Control: Vision around key objectives like Dragon and Baron Nashor can help your team secure them safely.
  3. Map Awareness: Knowing where enemies are on the map helps you avoid ganks, track enemy junglers, and plan your movements.
  4. Securing Kills: Vision enables you to pick off enemies who venture too close to your wards, allowing for successful ganks.
  5. Controlling Lanes: Placing wards in river and jungle entrances helps your team track the enemy jungler’s movements and assists your laners in avoiding ganks.

Now, let’s dive into the world of warding and explore the various aspects of this essential game mechanic.

Types of Wards

LoL features two main types of wards: Stealth Wards (commonly known as Green Wards) and Control Wards (Pink Wards). Here’s a breakdown of each:

  1. Stealth Wards (Green Wards):
    • Duration: 3 minutes
    • Sight Range: 1,100 units
    • Cost: 75 gold
    • Limit: Players can place a maximum of 2 Stealth Wards at a time.
    Stealth Wards provide temporary vision in an area. They are commonly used to provide sight in key locations and river entrances. Stealth Wards can be upgraded into Farsight Alteration at level 9.
  2. Control Wards (Pink Wards):
    • Duration: Indefinite (until destroyed)
    • Sight Range: 900 units
    • Cost: 75 gold
    • Limit: Players can place only 1 Control Ward at a time.
    Control Wards are special because they grant vision and also reveal and disable enemy wards in their radius. This makes them invaluable for maintaining map control, particularly in areas with known enemy vision.

Optimal Ward Placements

Warding effectively involves choosing the right locations to place your wards. Here are some key areas to consider:

  1. River Entrances: Placing wards in the river entrances near Dragon and Baron Nashor provides critical information about enemy movements, especially when these objectives are at stake.
  2. Tri-Brushes: The tri-brushes in the top and bottom lanes are ideal locations for a Stealth Ward, as they cover gank paths and give your bot lane or top lane advance notice of potential threats.
  3. Jungle Entrances: Warding jungle entrances helps to track the enemy jungler’s movements, enabling your team to anticipate ganks and invasions.
  4. Bushes: When playing against champions that hide in brushes, like Rengar or Evelynn, it’s wise to ward the bushes in your immediate vicinity to prevent surprise attacks.
  5. Objective Pits: Placing Control Wards in the Dragon and Baron Nashor pits can deny the enemy vision and help secure these crucial objectives.
  6. Enemy Jungle: When you have map control, consider placing wards deep within the enemy jungle to track the enemy jungler and spot rotations.
  7. Defense Wards: When behind or facing pressure, it’s vital to place wards defensively, protecting your jungle entrances and preventing flanks.

Warding at Different Stages of the Game

Warding priorities shift as the game progresses. Here’s a general overview of what to focus on during different phases:

  1. Early Game (Laning Phase): In the early game, place your focus on protecting your lanes from ganks. Ward river entrances, tri-brushes, and jungle entrances to keep an eye on the enemy jungler. Help your laners by providing vision and tracking the enemy’s movements.
  2. Mid Game: As the game transitions to mid-game, ward key objectives like Dragon and Baron Nashor. These objectives become focal points for team fights and need to be protected. You should also consider deep-warding the enemy jungle to catch out-of-position opponents.
  3. Late Game: In the late game, warding remains essential, but ward placement becomes more defensive. Keep Dragon and Baron Nashor warded, and use Control Wards to deny enemy vision around these objectives. Focus on maintaining control in crucial choke points.

Warding for Specific Roles

Different roles have unique warding responsibilities:

  1. Support: Supports are the primary warders on the team. They should prioritize placing Control Wards and vision around the bottom lane, the Dragon pit, and their jungler’s vicinity.
  2. Jungler: Junglers should invest in Control Wards to secure key objectives. They should also focus on warding the enemy jungle entrances to track the enemy jungler.
  3. Top and Mid Lane: Top and mid laners should place wards defensively, focusing on river entrances and the surrounding areas. They should use Stealth Wards to maintain vision in key gank paths.
  4. Bot Lane (AD Carry): The AD carry in the bot lane should focus on providing vision in the bottom lane. Wards in the tri-brush and river entrances can help prevent ganks.

Dewarding

Dewarding, or removing the enemy’s wards, is another essential aspect of map control. When you come across an enemy ward, use your Control Ward to disable it, allowing your team to regain control of that area. In some situations, you may need to clear multiple enemy wards, so be prepared to invest in Control Wards for dewarding.

Team Effort

Warding should not be the sole responsibility of the support. Teammates at all positions should contribute to map control by purchasing and placing wards. Cooperation is key to achieving full vision coverage and controlling objectives.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of warding is an integral part of excelling in League of Legends. Understanding the different types of wards, optimal placement, and when to prioritize objectives and defense is crucial for maintaining map control and making informed decisions. As you develop your skills in warding, you’ll find that your overall performance in the game improves, leading to more victories and a deeper understanding of LoL’s complex strategies. So, don’t underestimate the power of vision – ward up and claim victory on the Rift.