Glossary

Throwing every ability and summoner spell at the enemy to secure a kill — no backing out. You only all-in when you're confident it'll work, because if it fails, you die.

Breaking up a fight and backing off when the enemy tries to engage. Champions like Janna and Gragas disengage with knockbacks and displacement.

Starting a teamfight by committing onto the enemy first. Engage champions like Malphite, Leona, and Amumu open fights with AOE CC.

Coming in from the side or behind the enemy team instead of head-on. A clean flank lands on the ADC or mid carry before the tank can peel. Common with TP, Twisted Fate ult, Shen ult, or assassins curving in from the jungle.

When a jungler or off-lane teammate rotates into a lane to help kill the opponent. A successful gank can flip a lane, especially if the enemy laner is overextended.

Attacking while walking backward so the enemy can't catch you. Good ADCs kite frontliners with auto-attacks and movement without ever getting touched.

Protecting your carry from divers and assassins trying to reach them. You peel with CC and knockbacks so your ADC or mid can keep dealing damage safely.

Chipping the enemy's HP with long-range abilities from a safe distance without committing to a full fight. Champions like Xerath and Jayce live off poke.

A rare crowd-control type. The target can't move, cast, or Flash — even tenacity won't shorten it. Only Quicksilver Sash breaks it. Examples: Warwick R, Malzahar R, Skarner R.

How fast a champion can clear a full minion wave with AOE. Strong waveclear lets you shove and roam or pressure objectives elsewhere on the map.

The number of minions and monsters you've last-hit for gold. CS is your main gold income in lane — bad CS means a delayed item build and a weaker mid-game.

When you're pushed in and can leave lane without losing anything. Lane priority lets you help your jungler with objectives and scuttle.

Leaving your lane to help out elsewhere on the map for a kill or objective. Mid laners and supports are the most common roamers.

Pushing a sidelane solo while the rest of your team is elsewhere. Forces the enemy to send one or two players at you, leaving your team with a number advantage on the map.

The patches of grass scattered around the map. Enemies can't see you inside unless they have vision on it. Prime spots for ambushes and ganks.

Any map target that benefits your team: Dragon, Baron, Rift Herald, towers, inhibitors. Objectives win games — not kill counts.

Neutral monster in the river. Whoever kills it gets vision and a speed buff in that area. The first scuttle is a huge tempo swing for river control.

The group of minions that spawns from the base and walks down each lane. Wave control (push, freeze, slow push) is the most important laning skill.

The champion who deals most of the team's damage and closes out games. Can be the ADC, mid, or even jungler. Your job is to keep them alive in teamfights.

The champion who stands in front and soaks damage so the carry can output from behind. Usually a tank or bruiser with high HP and resistances.

An ability that hits multiple targets in an area, not just one. AOE damage shines in teamfights because it punishes grouped-up enemies.

A patch change that makes a champion stronger — more damage, lower cooldowns, better scaling. The word also refers to red and blue buffs in the jungle.

Any effect that limits an enemy's movement or actions: stun, root, slow, knockup, silence. Hard CC fully locks them down; soft CC like slows just hampers them.

How much damage you put out per second over the course of a fight. DPS champions like Master Yi and Tryndamere deal steady damage rather than one big burst.

A patch change that weakens a champion — opposite of a buff. Champions with high pick rates usually get nerfed first.

A localized zone that hides the champion (most famous: Akali's W). Inside the shroud you're invisible to enemies unless they're inside it too or you take direct damage. Used to break duels and reset the all-in.

Your R — the strongest ability in your kit. Long cooldown but massive fight impact. Tracking ult cooldowns is what decides when to engage and when to back off.

Status that makes a champion immune to all crowd control (stuns, slows, knockups, fears, roots, silences) for a short time. Notable sources: Olaf's R, Sion's R, Garen's R during the wind-up, and Teleport during the channel. CC bounces off you.

Debuff that reduces healing the target receives — 40% to heals and lifesteal for a short duration. Applied by antiheal items (Mortal Reminder, Executioner's Calling) and Ignite. A must against teams with Soraka, Yuumi, Master Yi, or any high-lifesteal ADC.

The team's physical carry, plays Bot lane near Dragon. Long range + sustained auto-attack damage. Slow to scale but the primary damage engine by late game.

The player who farms jungle monsters and rotates between lanes for ganks and objectives. Always runs Smite. Keys: Scuttle tracking, Dragon and Baron control, and efficient pathing.

The middle lane — shortest lane and closest to every objective. Usually mages or assassins. Priorities: pushing waves, controlling lane priority, and roaming to side lanes.

The ADC's partner in Bot. Doesn't last-hit minions; instead peels for the ADC, controls vision, and starts fights. Splits into enchanters (Lulu, Janna) and engage/catchers (Leona, Thresh).

The top side of the map, near Baron. Usually a long 1v1, played by fighters, tanks, or bruisers. Priorities: wave freezing, leveraging TP, and scaling into mid-game teamfights.