Introduction
Esports is a thriving industry, and League of Legends stands out as one of the most prominent titles. With multiple professional leagues and exciting international events, LoL esports has captivated fans worldwide. In this beginner’s guide, we aim to provide a basic understanding of watching LoL esports, so you can fully immerse yourself in the exciting world of competitive gaming.
LoL is a MOBA
League of Legends falls under the genre of MOBA, where teams of five players compete against each other in an online multiplayer game. Matches take place on Summoner’s Rift, a fixed battlefield where the goal is to destroy the enemy’s Nexus.
Summoner’s Rift
Summoner’s Rift is the iconic map where LoL matches unfold. Divided by a river, each team has their base at the top or bottom corners. To win, teams must destroy the enemy’s Nexus, located in the middle of their base. The map features three lanes and a jungle, presenting various challenges and opportunities.
Three Lanes, One Jungle
Summoner’s Rift consists of three lanes: top, middle, and bottom. Players must control these lanes, pushing towards the enemy base while also navigating the jungle, which is filled with monsters and obstacles. The jungle offers resources and strategic advantages for teams to gain an edge over their opponents.
Player Roles
In any LoL match, players assume specific roles within their team. These roles include top laner, mid laner, bot laner with support, and jungler. Each role has defined responsibilities, contributing to the team’s overall success.
Picks and Bans
Before the start of a professional LoL game, teams go through a draft phase where they strategically select and ban champions. Coaches make crucial decisions, considering each champion’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall team strategy.
Game Progression
As a LoL match progresses, teams aim to achieve smaller goals and accomplish major objectives to secure victory. These goals include killing minions and monsters for gold and experience, eliminating enemy champions, and destroying towers and inhibitors to gain map control.
The Power of Experience and Gold
Gold and experience play vital roles in a player’s strength and effectiveness. Gold enables the purchase of items that enhance a champion’s abilities, while experience allows players to level up and unlock new skills. Accumulating gold and experience is crucial for gaining an advantage over the enemy team.
Understanding the HUD
When watching a LoL match, understanding the information on the HUD is essential. The HUD displays important details such as kills, gold, towers, and specific champion information like health, mana, ultimate abilities, and summoner spells. Familiarizing yourself with the HUD enhances your understanding of the game.
With a basic understanding of watching LoL esports, you can now dive into the thrilling world of competitive League of Legends. Get ready to experience intense matches, impressive strategies, and incredible plays as teams battle it out on Summoner’s Rift.
Point 1: Understanding the Basics of League of Legends Esports
League of Legends (LoL) is a massively popular esports title that has taken the gaming world by storm. With its captivating gameplay and intense competition, it has become one of the biggest esports titles globally. In this article, we’ll provide you with a beginner’s guide on how to watch and understand LoL esports matches.
The Structure: Regional Leagues and International Events
LoL esports is divided into different regions, each having its own professional league. The major leagues include LCS (North America), LEC (Europe), LCK (South Korea), and LPL (China). Additionally, there are minor leagues in other regions. Teams compete in regular seasons during spring and summer, leading up to international events.
The Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) takes place between spring and summer seasons, while the World Championship, or Worlds, showcases the best teams from around the world. These international tournaments are the pinnacle of LoL esports and draw millions of viewers.
The Game: League of Legends
League of Legends is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game, where two teams of five players each compete against each other. The objective is simple: destroy the enemy’s Nexus, a crystal in their base. The game is played on a map called Summoner’s Rift.
Summoner’s Rift consists of three lanes (top, middle, and bottom) and a jungle area. Each player controls a unique champion chosen from a pool of over 150 options. The champions start in their bases and must navigate the map, overcoming obstacles such as enemy towers and jungle monsters, to reach the enemy Nexus.
Roles and Strategies
In professional matches, players assume specific roles within their teams. There’s a top laner, a mid laner, two players in the bottom lane (bot laner and support), and a jungler. Each role has distinct responsibilities and strategies. The top and mid laners engage in one-on-one battles, while the bot laners focus on marksmanship and support. The jungler roams the map, aiding lanes and securing objectives.
Before the game starts, teams go through a drafting phase. Coaches and staff members play a crucial role in guiding the teams during this phase. The goal is to strategically choose champions that counter the enemy team and build a cohesive team composition.
Objectives and Progression
Teams aim to achieve various objectives throughout the game to gain an advantage. These objectives include taking down towers, killing enemy champions, securing dragons and the powerful Baron buff, and eventually destroying the enemy Nexus. Each objective provides gold and experience, which allow players to strengthen their champions and gain an upper hand.
The game progresses through micro goals like killing minions and jungle monsters, as well as larger objectives such as downing turrets and inhibitors. These objectives dictate the flow of the game and determine which team has the advantage.
Watching and Understanding Professional Matches
Watching professional LoL esports matches requires paying attention to team strategies, map control, and objective securing. The HUD provides valuable information like kill count, gold accumulation, and tower destruction.
Post-game statistics and analysis shed light on player performance, damage dealt, and overall team strategies. By understanding the basics and paying attention to these details, you can fully enjoy the excitement of watching LoL esports.
In conclusion, League of Legends esports offers thrilling gameplay and intense competition. By grasping the fundamentals of the game and staying engaged with professional matches, you can become immersed in the world of LoL esports. So grab your snacks, find a comfortable spot, and get ready to enjoy the excitement of this popular esports title!
III. Point 2: Understanding the Map and Objectives
When you’re watching a League of Legends esports game, it’s crucial to have a solid grasp of the map and the objectives that teams need to conquer in order to secure victory.
Summoner’s Rift: The Battle Arena
The map in League of Legends is called Summoner’s Rift, and it serves as the battleground for the teams. This battlefield is a square shape and split in half by a river. Each team’s base resides at the top and bottom corners of the map. The ultimate goal of the game is to destroy the enemy’s Nexus, a big crystal situated in the middle of their base.
Three Lanes and the Jungle
Summoner’s Rift features three lanes: top, middle, and bottom. These lanes are where players clash with their opponents. Each lane has turrets that guard the team’s territory. In between the lanes lies the jungle, a wild area filled with monsters, bushes, and walls.
Player Roles and Draft Phase
In League of Legends, players take on different roles within their teams. The top laner focuses on the top lane, the mid laner controls the middle lane, and the bot laner and support work together in the bottom lane. Additionally, there’s the jungler who roams the jungle, killing monsters and assisting lanes. Before the game starts, there’s a draft phase where teams strategically select their champions. This involves banning out champions they don’t want to face and picking champions that fit their team’s strategy. The draft phase sets the stage for the game and can have a significant impact on its outcome.
Map Objectives: The Path to Victory
To secure victory, teams must complete various objectives on the map. These objectives include: – Killing minions and jungle monsters to earn gold and experience. – Destroying turrets to gain map control and gold. – Taking dragons, which provide permanent buffs to the team. – Defeating the Rift Herald, a powerful creature that helps destroy turrets. – Slaying Baron Nashor, a fearsome monster that grants a temporary power boost. – Destroying inhibitors, which weakens the enemy’s base defenses. – Finally, destroying the enemy Nexus to claim victory.
Understanding the HUD: Keeping Track of the Game
When watching a League of Legends game, it’s crucial to understand the HUD (Heads-Up Display) that provides important information about the game. The HUD includes details such as the number of kills, the amount of gold earned, the status of towers, and the timers for important objectives like dragons and Baron Nashor.
In summary, understanding the map and objectives in League of Legends is essential when watching professional matches. By familiarizing yourself with the different lanes, player roles, champion selection, and map objectives, you can gain a better appreciation for the strategic gameplay in the world of LoL esports.
Understanding the Map and Objectives in League of Legends
In the world of League of Legends, mastering the map and knowing how to prioritize objectives are key to achieving victory. Let’s delve into the intricate details of the map and the crucial objectives that teams need to conquer in order to gain an upper hand in the game.
Summoner’s Rift: The Battlefield
The setting where all the action takes place is called Summoner’s Rift. It’s a square-shaped map divided into two halves by a river. Each team has their own base, positioned at opposite corners of the map. The ultimate goal? Destroy the enemy’s Nexus, which resides in the heart of their base.
The map consists of three main lanes: top, middle, and bottom. These lanes are where most of the action unfolds, as waves of minions clash, and players engage in intense battles for supremacy.
Turrets and Inhibitors: The Keys to Base Siege
Guarding the lanes are turrets, towering structures that serve as formidable defense mechanisms. Each team has two outer turrets in each lane, along with additional turrets protecting their base and Nexus. The key to reaching the elusive Nexus lies in demolishing these turrets and gaining access to the enemy’s base.
But that’s not all. Deeper within the enemy base, inhibitors stand tall, acting as barriers to the coveted Nexus. There are three inhibitors in total, one in each lane. Destroying an inhibitor summons powerful super minions, providing a significant advantage in pushing towards the enemy’s Nexus.
The Jungle and Vital Objectives
The space between the lanes is known as the jungle, a treacherous terrain teeming with monsters and critical objectives. The jungle offers valuable resources, including Gold and experience, essential for champions to grow stronger.
The most sought-after objectives in the jungle are the dragons. They reside in a pit located at the bottom side of the map and grant teams permanent buffs upon slaying them. These buffs can range from increased damage to enhanced regeneration, depending on the type of dragon defeated.
Another pivotal objective is the mighty Baron Nashor, lurking within a pit on the top side of the map. Felling this fearsome beast bestows a temporary buff that significantly bolsters a team’s power. This buff serves as an invaluable asset in dismantling enemy defenses and advancing towards the Nexus in a powerful onslaught.
The Significance of Map Control
Map control is the glue that holds all strategies together and can make or break a team. It involves asserting dominance over specific areas of the map, enabling teams to gather crucial information about enemy movements and make calculated decisions.
One key aspect of map control is vision. Teams acquire vision by strategically placing wards, granting them insight into the surroundings and enabling them to anticipate enemy actions. By consistently warding key areas and denying the enemy’s vision, teams gain a substantial advantage in their quest for victory.
In summary, comprehending the map layout and deciphering the importance of objectives in League of Legends is paramount for achieving success. By effectively prioritizing objectives, exerting control over the map, and making strategic decisions, teams can secure a significant advantage over their adversaries. Next time you tune in to watch a thrilling match of League of Legends, pay close attention to how teams navigate the map and compete for dominance over critical objectives.
Point 4: Understanding the HUD
When watching a game of League of Legends, it’s crucial to grasp the information provided on the HUD (Heads-Up Display). The HUD gives you valuable insights into the game’s progress and player actions. Let’s dive deeper into the different components of the HUD:
1. Kills and Gold: The top bar displays the number of kills for each team. However, the more accurate measure of performance is the accumulated gold. The team with more gold generally has the lead.
2. Turrets: Next to the gold icon, you can see a turret symbol that tracks the number of towers destroyed by each team. Destroying turrets opens up the map and provides gold for the team.
3. Timer and Objectives: In the middle of the HUD, you’ll find the game timer. Additionally, icons represent the Elemental Dragons secured by each team. These dragons offer permanent buffs. Furthermore, there’s a countdown to the next Dragon and Baron Nashor spawn. These objectives play a vital role in gaining advantages in the game.
4. Champion Information: On the side of the HUD, you can see details about each player’s champion, including their level, health bar, and mana bar. The icons next to the champion portraits represent the Summoner Spells equipped by each player. These spells provide extra utility and impact team fights.
5. Ultimate Ability: At the top left corner of the HUD, you’ll find a circle with icons representing each champion’s ultimate ability. The ultimate ability is the strongest spell with a longer cooldown than other abilities. The icons indicate whether the ultimate ability is ready or on cooldown.
6. Live Scoreboard: The bottom of the screen features a live scoreboard showing champions from top lane to support. It displays their farm, kills, deaths, assists, items purchased, and vision score. Supports and junglers usually have the highest vision score as they control map vision.
7. Post-Game Statistics: After the game, a post-game summary shows the game time, series score, combined team statistics, and graphs depicting the gold difference over time. You can also see the damage dealt to champions by each player.
Understanding the HUD enhances your viewing experience when watching a professional game of League of Legends. It helps you track team progress, secured objectives, and individual player performance. Keep an eye on the HUD for insights into game strategies and dynamics.
Understanding Game Progression in League of Legends
When it comes to watching professional matches of League of Legends (LoL) esports, it’s important to have a solid grasp of the game’s progression and the objectives teams need to achieve. Let’s dive into the micro and macro goals, the significance of experience and gold, and how to make sense of the Heads-Up Display (HUD).
Micro goals:
First off, there are micro goals in LoL. These include killing minions in lane to earn experience and gold, taking down jungle monsters for the same rewards, and eliminating enemy champions to gain an advantage while they’re out of action. This constant pursuit of small victories builds up a team’s strength and resources.
Bigger objectives:
Then, there are the bigger objectives that teams aim for. These include downing turrets to open up the map and earn gold, slaying dragons to secure permanent buffs, defeating Rift Herald to aid in demolishing towers, overpowering Baron for a temporary power boost, destroying inhibitors to weaken the enemy base, and ultimately obliterating the Nexus to achieve victory.
The power of experience and gold:
Experience and gold play a vital role in LoL. These resources are key to enhancing a champion’s abilities and strength. Accumulating gold allows players to purchase items that provide valuable buffs and enhancements. Meanwhile, earning experience levels up champions, improving their base stats and overall effectiveness. By strategically collecting gold, securing kills, and leveling up, players can gain a significant advantage over their opponents.
Understanding the HUD:
When watching a game, it’s essential to make sense of the Heads-Up Display (HUD). This interface provides crucial information. The top bar displays the number of kills each team has, while the gold icon indicates the number of towers each team has destroyed. The game timer in the middle keeps track of the match’s duration.
The HUD also shows elemental icons for secured dragons, with countdown timers for the next dragon and Baron spawns. Champion portraits, health bars, and mana bars provide an overview of player status. The summoner icons represent the abilities equipped by each player. Greyed-out portraits signify when a player has died and is waiting to respawn.
At the bottom of the screen, the live scoreboard showcases champion information, kills/deaths/assists statistics, purchased items, and vision score. Post-game statistics further reveal crucial data, such as total game time, series score, combined team KDA, total team gold, objectives taken, and damage dealt to champions.
Understanding the HUD enables viewers to keep track of the game’s progress and assess the performance of each team. It provides valuable insights into how the match unfolds and which team gains the upper hand throughout.
In conclusion, comprehending the game progression in LoL, including micro and macro goals, the significance of experience and gold, and how to interpret the information displayed in the HUD, allows viewers to fully engage with and appreciate professional matches of League of Legends esports.
VII. Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding professional League of Legends (LoL) matches can greatly enhance your viewing experience. LoL is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game where teams of five players battle on the Summoner’s Rift. Familiarizing yourself with the basics of the map and the roles of each player will help you make sense of the gameplay.
On the Summoner’s Rift, teams strive to destroy the enemy’s Nexus by pushing through three lanes, navigating the jungle, and overcoming various obstacles. Throughout the game, players aim to secure objectives, such as turrets, dragons, and the Baron, to gain an advantage. These smaller goals contribute to the overall strategy of the teams.
Professional matches involve a drafting phase, where teams strategically select champions to suit their playstyles and counter their opponents. Coaches play a crucial role in guiding their teams’ decisions during this phase. Paying attention to the in-game HUD will provide valuable information about the progress of the match, including kill counts, gold differentials, and item builds.
By understanding the gameplay, player roles, and the importance of objectives, you can actively engage with the excitement and strategy that unfolds during professional LoL matches. Stay updated with the latest news and highlights by following ONE Esports on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy watching and cheering on your favorite teams!
References:
– League of Legends. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2020, from https://na.leagueoflegends.com/
– ONE Esports. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2020, from https://www.oneesports.gg/
Source: ONEESPORTS
