How to Play League of Legends from Scratch

By | April 9th, 2019 | Categories: League of Legends

With there being a lull in the League of Legends scene at the moment, it is an opportune time to revisit the basics of League of Legends. With new players discovering the game on a frequent basis, the challenge of beginning from scratch may seem daunting. Fortunately, as a free-to-play title not all that much is involved with getting started. This may come as a welcomed relief to many, and if you follow this guide on How to Play League of Legends, you will soon be able to step onto Summoner’s Rift and follow along with millions of other players around the world.

How does someone play League of Legends?

  • Need a capable PC and Internet connection
  • Revamped tutorial available

As a free-to-play title there are no mandatory costs associated with the game. All that is physically needed is a reliable Internet connection and a computer capable of handling the system requirements. The client can be downloaded from the official website and before starting your first game you will be required to create both a login name and password.

For newcomers there is also a tutorial available. The tutorial in League of Legends has a long history of being a poor representation of the game’s actual systems. However, in 2018 this tutorial was overhauled and garnered a warm reception among the player base. In this revamped tutorial, players play as Miss Fortune and can switch to other champions as the player makes his or her way to the nexus.

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Is there a leveling system?

  • Leveling system for all accounts
  • Rules in place for experience
  • First Win of the Day bonus

One of the most important aspects to understand when starting is the leveling system used for all accounts. Players gain experience from games and at level 30, the ranked mode is unlocked. Experience is determined by a few different criteria, one of the most frustrating being that more experience is received for wins rather than losses and for longer games compared to shorter games. In fact there is a set minimum in place governing the amount of time needed to receive EXP, that number being seven minutes. If a game ends in under that time frame, no experience will be rewarded.

After reaching level 10, players will receive reduced experience from games against AI opponents, which suggests Riot really pushes players towards its competitive modes. Often times, League of Legends can feel like quite a grind to level 30 and the rules in place contribute a fair amount to that feeling. The biggest exception to this general sentiment is the First Win of the Day bonus which is a boosted amount of EXP given for the first win and it can be activated through the co-op modes. This bonus resets every 20 hours.

Are there in-game rewards for playing?

  • Rewards beginning at level 1
  • More features unlocked with progress

Outside of the EXP required to level up, there are also rewards that come with levelling a new account. Starting at level 1, players receive the ability to play Co-op vs. AI five player games and can use the heal and ghost summoner spells. More champions become available at levels 2, 3, 4, and 5 with other summoner spells and game modes unlocked along the way. As the player levels up, these rewards will remain in the same vein generally speaking, with more and more features of League of Legends opening up to the player, all the way up until level 30. An account can level past 30, and more rewards will be handed out as the player climbs higher and higher.

How does one learn about the game?

  • Outside resources
  • Watching others
  • Incorporating learned information

Learning League of Legends can be daunting on a fundamental level which is why outside resources are important for new players. Players new to the title often become easily frustrated as new accounts are often times experienced players in disguise. The skill gap can appear to be much larger than it in all actuality is.

Watching others on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube can alleviate that frustration to a certain extent because there are no stakes as a passive viewer. Watching another person play can allow one to learn about specific matchups and what decisions to make in specific situations. The key with this information is absorbing it and then using it in your own games. Ultimately, League of Legends is a game that is best taught by playing and watching both your games and the games of others to learn from mistakes.

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What is the biggest mistake for new players?

  • Trying many different roles
  • Focus on a few champions
  • Don’t be rash with ranked play

One of the biggest mistakes newcomers make is unintentionally trying many different roles. New players are often unware roles even exist and will take a support champion into the jungle without realizing specific champions are best suited for certain roles. When first learning how to play League of Legends and even later on, focusing on one champion and sticking with it is the key to success. Granted, this can prove difficult given the nature of blind pick, but knowing a champion inside and out allows a player to focus on other aspects of the game such as when to rotate, when to put down vision, what items are appropriate to buy in a given situation, and any number of other important decisions one makes throughout the course of a game.

After reaching level 30, one might be encouraged to jump into ranked as soon as possible. However, there is a very clear difference between normal games and ranked games. Ranked games come with an added layer of pressure because it is considered the serious mode in League of Legends. The player base has a reputation for being toxic and this is amplified in ranked because everyone is trying to climb and attain a higher rank. Before jumping into ranked, time should be spent committing to two particular roles and setting a limited champion pool for each.

Final Thoughts

League of Legends is a game that can be approached by new players. As a free-to-play title no monetary investment is needed and as long as the player has both steady Internet and a capable PC, it is a title accessible to him or her. Furthermore, Riot has taken steps to make the game friendlier to newcomers such as the overhauled tutorial and level up rewards. While newcomers may often become frustrated with understanding How to Play League of Legends, it can be overcome by having a narrower focus and not jumping too soon into ranked play. If you are curious about League of Legends and it is something that you have always wanted to check out, now is as good a time as any to jump on board and become transfixed with Summoner’s Rift.

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