League of Legends may have launched more than a decade ago, but Riot's MOBA is still gaining new players and receiving constant tweaks and adjustments, meaning there's always room for a LoL Beginner's Guide.
The concept is simple, sure, but there's an incredibly high skill ceiling, making it a tough game for newcomers to jump into without feeling a little overwhelmed. That's why we've put together our League of Legends Beginner's Guide to teach you Thresh from Tryndamere, minions from monsters, and ADC from APC.
Oh, and if the prospect of over 150 Champions is a little daunting, we've got a list helping you pick the finest options for newcomers.
With all that considered, let's get started.
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What Is League of Legends And Where To Start?
League of Legends is a MOBA, which stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. Your task is relatively simple - your team of five players needs to destroy an enemy 'Nexus', using characters called Champions.
There are, at the time of writing, a whopping 156 champions to unlock in League of Legends, but fear not; you can use as many or as few as you'd like. Personally, I have around half a dozen I like playing as.
In each match, you'll fight through three lanes and an interlinking jungle, battling enemy champions, minions, and monsters. The best way to learn about the core of League of Legends is to play through the game's tutorial.
Our strongest recommendation, once you've completed the tutorial, is to try playing against AI opponents for a few games. Not only will this give you practice, but it'll help you complete early quests for rewards, too. It's also an ideal place to return to if you want to try a new Champion.
League of Legends Best Champions For Beginners
With so many to choose from, you may be wondering which Champion to begin as. We've got a full page picking our favourites, but you really can't go wrong with the following:
- Garen
- Lux
- Nasus
- Shyvana
- Wukong
League of Legends Roles Explained
There are five roles in a standard League of Legends team:
ADC/Marksman
Attack-Damage Carriers dishes out physical-based damage while maintaining distance from the enemy due to their lower health. Solid choices in this role include Ashe, Miss Fortune, and Jhin.
Jungler
Junglers are tasked with farming for buffs within the game's jungle (check out our next section for more). They need to be clued in to the locations of enemies in nearby lanes to help ambush them. Warwick, Amumu, and Master Yi are good choices for Junglers.
APC/Mid Lane
Ability-Power Carriers are your secondary damage-dealers, and will traditionally attack from range before getting in closer to finish enemies off, particularly when an ultimate is charged. They're also susceptible to ambushes, so need to be on their toes. Ahri, Lux, and Seraphine are examples of mid-laners.
Support
Support usually pairs with the ADC to protect them and assist in kills. They're traditionally stronger, capable of holding a position if the ADC is otherwise engaged (or slain). Nami, Janna, and Soraka are good Support options.
Top Lane/Tank
Finally, Top Lane (or Tank) Champions have a lot of hit points and are expected to engage the enemy ADC where possible while being prepared to double up for ganks. Garen, Nasus, and Shen are formidable top-laners.
League of Legends Jungling Explained
While you play League of Legends, you'll earn Gold which can be spent on items to turn the tide of battle in your team's favour, either by defeating minions, monsters, or Champions.
Junglers are the members of the team that are tasked with heading into the 'jungle' between the lanes to farm for gold by hunting tough monsters.
Defeating these enemies will bestow buffs, which you can then use to help support other lanes. For example, defeating the Red Brambleback will grant the Crest of Cinders buff (red buff), which will make it easier to kill enemy champions while active.
Junglers will therefore require a great awareness of the battlefield, knowing when and where to emerge.
League of Legends Ranked Play
If you're feeling brave, Ranked Play is available for players that hit level 30. Not only are Ranked matches more competitive, but the community can get somewhat... fiery.
Playing Ranked can be a humbling experience, but it's also the best place to improve your skills since competition fuels improvement.
So, there you have it - our League of Legends Beginner's Guide. The key thing to remember is that practice makes perfect - we'll see you on the rift!
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