League of Legends

League of Legends, is a Real Time Strategy (RTS) online multiplayer video game, that involves a team of 5 players that play with ‘Champions’ of their choice against a similar team of 5 other players where either team tries to destroy the opponent team’s ‘Nexus’. It was developed by Riot Games, is free to play, and was inspired by DOTA. Released in 2009, LoL has become the most played game in some countries in terms of the number of hours spent on playing.

The game is basically a online multiplayer game, where a player assumes the role of a “Summoner” who in turn controls a character called a “champion”, with his/her own unique abilities and powers, to co-ordinate with their teammates and bring defeat to the opposing human controlled or computer controlled team of champions. The usual objective is to move through the map chosen and destroy the opponent team’s nexus, which is the most important structure to each team, that lies at the heart of a base protected by various kinds of defensive structures and what not. No two LoL matches are linked in anyway, meaning every champion will always be at the same and fairly weak level while starting a game. The player has to raise their champion’s level in game by accumulating experience, and items over time.

Gameplan

LoL currently consists of 3 game modes: Summoner’s Rift, Twisted Treeline, and the Howling Abyss. A previously existing 4^rth game mode called Crystal Scar has however, been removed. Players compete in 5 on 5 matches, typically lasting 20-60 minutes. In each mode of the game, the teams work to accomplish a terminal objective and achieve a victory condition, which could be to either destroy a central objective controlled by the enemy team (as in Summoner’s rift, Howling Abyss, and Twisted Treeline), or to capture and hold the  most strategic points for the longest period of time (as in Crystal Scar). Each game mode has quite a few smaller objectives that help the player to grow stronger and achieve overall victory.

Maps

1. Summoner’s Rift:

This is the most popular map in the game. On this map, two teams of 5 players each, whose bases are located at 2 corners of the map, battle it out with the enemy team, destroying their defenses and ultimately destroy the enemy’s Nexus. Each team has one nexus each which is located at the center of that team’s base. The nexus creates a continuous waves of smaller and weaker, non-player characters known as minions, which advance towards the enemy base. The minions generally move through 3 main lanes in the map which are known as top, mid (for middle), and bot (for bottom). These minons attack enemy champions, minons, and structures of the enemy team. Players advance these minion waves, while destroying the enemy minions, to attack the enemy structures and achieve victory. Besides the bases and the lanes, the map has a large neutral territory known as the jungle. The jungle has various powerful non-player creatures called monsters and killing them awards certain perks. A river is also present on the map and it bisects the map from the upper left corner to the bottom right corner.

This map also has various intermediate objectives as listed below:

• Turrets – Each lane is guarded on either side by powerful defensive structures called turrets. Turrets will attack enemy minions and players that approach them. Turret’s will prioritize enemy minions in their vicinity, but will immediately attack enemy players if they attack allied players. Thus, by advancing an allied minion wave into the range of a turret, a player can do damage to the structure without themselves being attacked. Once destroyed, a will not respawn but a damaged one may regenerate health depending on location.
• Inhibitor – Each lane contains one Inhibitor. Inhibitors may be attacked after a team has destroyed the three turrets guarding each lane. Destroying an Inhibitor will cause the allied Nexus to spawn Super Minions, more powerful Minions that provide a buff to surrounding Minions. Inhibitors will respawn after five minutes. Inhibitors will regain health over time if they are damaged but not destroyed.
• Rift Herald – The Rift Herald is a powerful Monster located in the upper side of the River. Killing the Rift Herald provides a buff that can be picked up by a member of the killing team, which makes surrounding Minions more powerful. This Monster will respawn five minutes after it is killed, though it despawns after 19 minutes and 45 seconds, which it is replaced with Baron Nashor.
• Baron Nashor – Baron Nashor is a powerful Monster located in the upper side of the River. It will spawn after twenty minutes, replacing the Rift Herald. All members of the team that kills Baron Nashor are given a buff, which makes surrounding Minions more powerful, as well as experience and gold. This Monster will respawn seven minutes after it is killed.
• The Dragon – The dragon is a powerful Monster located in the bottom half of the river. All members of the team that kills the dragon are provided with buffs that accrue cumulatively for up to five dragons killed. The dragon will respawn six minutes after it is killed.
• Blue Sentinel and Red Brambleback – One Blue Sentinel is located in the first and third quadrants of the Jungle. One Red Brambleback is located in the second and fourth quadrants of the Jungle. Killing these Monsters will grant a buff, which provides additional combat statistics for the killing player. These buffs decay after a set period of time. Each monster will respawn five minutes after killed.
• Scuttle Crab – One Scuttle Crab is located on either side of the river. Killing this monster will grant vision of an area and create a Speed Shrine, which temporarily increases the speed of allied champions to move through the area. This Monster respawns, and the shrine disappears three minutes after it is killed.

2. Twisted Treeline:

This map is similar to Summoner’s Rift, except in this map a team consists of 3 players who compete to destroy the enemy team’s Nexus that is guarded by enemy towers. Each nexus produces a wave of minions that move through 2 lanes, top and bottom, towards the enemy base. Players use these minons to destroy enemy structers and finally the Nexus.

This map too has a bunch of intermediate objectives such as:

• Turrets – Each lane is guarded on either side by powerful defensive structures called turrets. Turrets will attack enemy minions and players that approach them. Turret’s will prioritize enemy minions in their vicinity, but will immediately attack enemy players if they attack allied players. Thus, by advancing an allied minion wave into the range of a turret, a player can do damage to the structure without themselves being attacked. Once destroyed, a will not respawn but a damaged one may regenerate health depending on location.
• Inhibitor – Each lane contains one Inhibitor. Inhibitors may be attacked after a team has destroyed the three turrets guarding each lane. Destroying an Inhibitor will cause the allied Nexus to spawn Super Minions, more powerful Minions that provide a buff to surrounding Minions. Inhibitors will respawn after five minutes. Inhibitors will regain health over time if they are damaged but not destroyed.
• Altars – The Jungle contains two altars, located on the left and right sides, which may be captured by players standing on them for a short period of time. Captured altars provide additional combat stats to owning teams. These are lost upon losing the position to the enemy team.
• Vile Maw – Vile Maw is a powerful Monster located in the center top of the map. Killing Vile Maw grants gold and a combat stat buff to the killing team which decays over time. Vile Maw respawns five minutes after it is killed.
• Speed Shrine – In the center of the map is located a Speed Shrine which temporarily increases the movement speed of players who walk through the area, and periodically spawns a health buff that will restore the health of champions for a small amount.

3. Howling Abyss:

This map contains teams of 5 players each whose main objective is to destroy the enemy Nexus in the enemy’s base. The bases of each team is located to the left and right side of the map. Each Nexus produces a wave of minions that move through the single lane towards the enemy base. Players use these minons to destroy enemy structers and finally the Nexus.

The intermediate objectives, that give players certain advantages are:

• Turrets – Each lane is guarded on either side by powerful defensive structures called turrets. Turrets will attack enemy minions and players that approach them. Turret’s will prioritize enemy minions in their vicinity, but will immediately attack enemy players if they attack allied players. Thus, by advancing an allied minion wave into the range of a turret, a player can do damage to the structure without themselves being attacked. Once destroyed, a will not respawn but a damaged one may regenerate health depending on location.
• Inhibitor – Each lane contains one Inhibitor. Inhibitors may be attacked after a team has destroyed the three turrets guarding each lane. Destroying an Inhibitor will cause the allied Nexus to spawn Super Minions, more powerful Minions that provide a buff to surrounding Minions. Inhibitors will respawn after five minutes. Inhibitors will regain health over time if they are damaged but not destroyed.
• Health Shrines – Located throughout the lane are Health Shrines, which will periodically spawn an item that when consumed heals a player for a small amount of their health and mana.

Champions

To date, there are around 130 champions available to players to play with in LoL. The game provides a few champions that are free to play with, who change on a rotational basis, but most players buy their own champions (one player can buy any number of champions) since owning a champion opens up a few extra perks and advantages to the player. Each champion has his/her own abilities, and stats which can be used in game and be improved through the course of the game. The list of champions is divided into 6 groups, namely:

• Assassin: A champion who specializes in killing one champion as fast as possible.^[25]On mobafire it is quoted that these champions go after the enemy’s AD/AP Carry and other ‘squishy’ champion. These champions are usually strong and can be tough to kill if they are fed.
• Marksman: Marksman is usually weak in the beginning , but can become really strong towards the end. Marksman can ‘carry’ the team to victory. These champions are usually high team DPS with a high amount of Maneuverability/ escaping ability, making it easier to get very positive kill/death ratios.
• Fighter: Champions that blend the attributes of a damager and tank, combing moderate to heavy survivability with the damage of assassin or carry. These Just like any other champion they can get really strong if fed a lot.
• Support: Champions whose skills are meant to directly aid the rest of the team. They can either babysit a champion to make landing easier for them by providing healing, bugging allies, applying the buffs to the enemy team, or a combination of the above. The most common ability for a support champion is providing an ally with a shield of some kind. One of the main goals of a support is to let their lane partner farm minions for gold, as supports can by key gold plus items to get gold for themselves, as well as controlling the map with wards, warding all key areas of the map. These champions usually rely on their skills more than there auto-attack.
• Mage: Champions with powerful magic damage skills or support skills but low defense. Some are meant to deal a high amount of damage in a short period of time (burst mages) while others usually deal damage over time. Like carry champions, they can bring their team to victory due to their ability power, but tend to fall off in the very late game.
• Tank: Champions who can take on a lot of damage and deal equally good damage. Tanks are generally meant for crowd clearing and to help in pushing an attack forward in a lane. Tanks generally use physical attacks.

 Champion Selection

LoL offers 3 ways in which a team can choose what champion to play with.

• Blind Pick allows two teams to select their champions simultaneously, while not knowing the champion selections of the opposing team until the match begins. It is available on Summoner’s Rift, and Twisted Treeline for matchmaking games, and for all modes in custom games.
• Draft Pick allows each team to ban three champions each (a total of six champions banned), removing them from the match. Teams then take turns selecting their champions while being able to see the selections of the other team. It is available on Summoners Rift for match making games, and for all modes in custom games.
• ARAM, or All Random All Mid, randomly assigns a champion to each player. Players accumulate re-rolls by playing multiple matches, which they can use to randomly select another champion for that match. It is available on Howling Abyss for matchmaking games, and for all modes in custom games.

Professional Leagues and Tournaments

Lol is one of the largest esports, with a huge variety of annual international tournaments that take place worldwide and offer a large prize to the winners.

On February 7, 2013, Riot Games made the LoL Championship Series (LCS) in Europe and North America. This is a league system where ten teams compete to stay in the league. A season consists of two splits, each split separated into a regular season and a playoff. The top three teams from each continent advance to the world championships. Equivalent leagues run independently of Riot also exist some other regions such as the League of Legends Pro League in China (LPL) and League of Legends Champions Korea in Korea (LCK).