All League of Legends Lanes Explained

The name of what is arguably the most prominent esports title in recent years "League of Legends" is well-known, but understanding what it is all about can be challenging, especially for newbies. As a result, this complicated game has been boiled down into simple, basic principles that everybody can understand.

League of Legends is played on a closed map that always remains the same. Summoner's Rift, the main map of League of Legends, is divided into the three major Lanes: 

• Top Lane,
• Mid Lane,
• Bot Lane.

Between these lanes, you will find the jungle, an unorthodox lane of its own caliber. Every lane has its own requirements for the champions and for that reason, we will explain the purpose of each lane.

Which Lanes Exist in League of Legends?

As stated before, there are three normal lanes on Summoner's Rift all of which lead to the enemy base and the Nexus within it, that must be destroyed to win the game, as well as the jungle, which is not a lane in its own right but acts like one in every way that matters, as far as the basics go. Now, just what is the purpose of lanes, and why is this way of playing the game so prevalent?

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Top Lane

If you prefer to play alone most of the time but also take and give out damage, then take a look at the top lane. Because the top lane is the farthest from the bot lane and the dragon, both junglers and mid laners will frequently leave you alone.

For that reason you'll often hear that the top lane is also called the "Island". Therefore, it is important that you choose a champion that should survive or even win 1v1 duels, as well as one that is capable of existing on its own, with no help from the team.

Jungle

Junglers can move all over the map and are a very strong role in the game, as they can choose which places to influence most, which changes the course of the game dramatically. It's also the hardest role though, as you have to plan your moves in advance because you need to know in which order to farm your jungle, which lane to help and pay attention to the enemy jungler to know what they're doing.

Overall, the jungler role requires the most knowledge about the game in general, as you start out with the role that can move the most freely around the map, and optimize the way you take and use the objectives found therein, such as the various buffs.

Mid Lane

Together with the jungle, you have the largest champion selection and the most diverse playstyles. As a midlaner you can focus on killing the enemy, you can get the gold and the XP in the mid-lane, or just help your teammates by roaming a lot, as the mid lane is the shortest lane, allowing you to spend less time in it compared to the two side lanes, the bot and the top lane. If you go to the center of the map and chose the mid-lane, then your options are almost limitless.

This lane is also the most popular one, with the champions that frequent it being the ones played the most often as well. After all, this lane is the one where the stereotypical fantasy characters reside.

Bot Lane

Attack Damage Carry, also known as the ADC, and Support are the two roles in the bot lane. Do you want to be your team's main source of damage? Then ADC might be the role for you, as most ADCs are built to deal the greatest damage later in the game due to their ability to deliver damage with basic attacks.

As an ADC, it is critical that you can last hit minions well in order to purchase stuff quickly, though it also applies to everyone aside from jungle and support. Positioning is especially important for ADCs because you're particularly fragile as an ADC and almost anything one-shots you. So remember never to walk around without your Support unless it is certain that nobody can kill you.

On the other hand, if you wish to help your carry on the bot lane, avoid the pesky last hitting, and be the strategist on your team? Then support is your role. But you are not only the support of your carry. Many supports can also help their junglers or go to the mid-lane to gank them. As a support, you have many possibilities to help your team, most of which are subtle, such as giving your team vision, buffing their capabilities, and shielding them from damage.

Which Lane is the Easiest to Play?

It all depends on your playing style whether you find a lane easy or difficult, as the game has so many possible permutations, which change with every match, every patch, and every season.

In the end though, when looking at the needed mechanical skills, in trade-off to the impact you can have on the game, statistically, the support of the bot lane is the easiest to play.