League of Legends – Ultimate Beginner’s Guide – Part Four: How To Play The Game

How To Play League of Legends (and preferably win)

So, you managed to follow the recommendations we laid out in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to League of Legends. You picked a role, chose a champion that fits that role, and now you’re all ready to start.

This part is going to be about playing the game. It’s by far the longest part, as there is a lot of ground to cover, so prepare for a serious read.

To prevent you from running around like a headless chicken the moment the game starts, we’ve laid out the basic rules of the game below.

How You Win In League of Legends

The basic idea in League of Legends is as follows:

– You start out in your base

– You run to your lane (or jungle) and start killing the minions and monsters

– You start out dealing damage to the enemy turrets and Champions when the opportunity presents itself

– You earn gold and experience, you buy some items and you get stronger

– You start ganging up with your friends against the enemy Champions. They do the same to you.

– You go kill some epic monsters for the nice bonuses they give you

– You keep pushing the lanes until all the enemy turrets are down

– You take down the enemy Inhibitors so your base can spawn Super Minions

– Finally, you take down the Nexus, and you win

The Different Elements of a Game

During a game of League of Legends, you’re usually doing one the following three things: laning, jungling, or participating in teamfights. We’ll explain what each of these mean and tell you how to go about them.

Laning

First up is laning. Laning is the part of the game that takes up the most time and is the only thing that is really 100% required to progress towards victory. Everyone could just stay in their lane and keep pushing ahead, without anyone killing monsters in the jungle or all-out teamfights taking place. Everything would just move forward slowly, but steadily, until one of the teams advances far enough in one of the lanes to be able to take down the enemy Nexus.

That would be pretty boring, and it’s not what you’re going to experience during a game.

What usually happens is that one player goes to top lane, one goes to mid lane, two go to bot lane, and one player goes to the jungle.

Let’s leave the jungle player out of the picture for a moment, and talk about the guys in the lane.

As you know, each lane is defended by three turrets, which are big towers that can do a lot of damage and prevent you from reaching the enemy base. Especially in the beginning of a game, when you’re at a low level, you do not want to take on a turret by yourself. Doing so will result in a swift death, even without enemy minions or Champions nearby.

Still, taking down these turrets is going to be your main objective when youxx’re laning.

Luckily, you get a little help from the little minions that spawn in your base. These will march down the lanes, onwards towards certain death, readily giving up their life just so you can win the game. When you are laning, you want to let these minions attack the turret first, so it will target them instead of you. You can then attack the turret while it slaughters your allied minions.

Watch out though, because once the last minion is down, the turret will redirect its full attention towards you again.

Minions attack in waves, so once your minions are down, you’ll have to wait until the next wave arrives to start charging the turret again. Rinse and repeat until the turret is destroyed. Do this three times and you’ll arrive in the enemy base. All that’s left to do then is to take down the Inhibitor, which allows Super Minions to spawn. These put a lot of extra pressure on the enemy in that lane, because they can do a lot of damage and are pretty hard to kill.

Once the Inhibitor is down, you can take down the two remaining turrets that defend the enemy Nexus. Then, finally the Nexus itself, allowing you to win the game.

Alas, this is not as simple as it sounds, because the enemy is trying to do the same to you. So while you’re going up and down the lane, enemy minions and Champions are also trying to attack your turrets.

At the same time, you need to be wary of the enemy jungler suddenly appearing to attack you from behind.

Both you and your enemy will constantly try to kill each other. Leveling up faster and getting more gold to buy items is crucial to gain the upper hand in a lane.

In essence, laning can be boiled down to two things: trading and farming.

In League of Legends, contrary to what it means in real life, trading does not mean the exchange of goods and services between you and your opponent. It doesn’t mean you’ll be buying his stuff in exchange for gold.

Trading means dealing damage to your enemy, knowing that you’ll likely take some damage back in return. It means that you’ll be exchanging blows. The goal then, is to just hurt the enemy a little bit more than he hurts you. You do this by either using your standard auto-attack, or one of your cool Champion’s abilities.

When trading, you need to keep out an eye for both your enemy Champion and his minions, as well as your own minions. If you have little backup and the enemy has a whole wave of minions taking you on, you might want to retreat just a bit and wait until your own wave arrives.

When attacking the enemy Champion during a trade, you also need to be aware of the fact that nearby enemy minions will start attacking you to defend their Champion. In the beginning, when you’re still relatively weak, you need to watch out for this and properly estimate the danger they pose in the situation you’re in.

When you start trading, be sure that it appears that the outcome will be favorable to you. Avoid attacking when there’s a lot of enemy minions and you seems at a disadvantage.

Farming, contrary to how it might sound, also has a different meaning in League of Legends. You won’t be planting seeds and raising livestock (if that’s what you’re looking for, go play Farming Simulator). Farming means killing enemy Champions and minions for gold and experience (in other words, you’re ‘farming gold and experience’).

The importance of gaining experience is pretty straightforward: you gain experience to level up your character. Each time you level up, your stats (for example your attack power and your max health) increase. Each time you level up, you also get to choose a new skill or upgrade one of your existing skills. As you level up, you get a bit stronger.

Leveling up is pretty linear, though. Outside of the ability you select each level, you don’t have any say in how your stats improve.

Acquiring gold, on the other hand, gives you a bit more freedom in how your character evolves.

Gold allows you to buy items in the shop that is located in your base. The shop contains a variety of items that increase your skills in various different ways. You’ve got items that increase your movement speed, items that increase your attack power, items that grant lifesteal (which means every time you deal damage, you’ll be healed a bit), and many more.

You can choose which items to buy, depending on the build you’re aiming for. If you want a character that can deal a lot of damage, you’ll go for items that increase attack power and attack speed. If you want a character that can take a lot of damage and stay alive, you’ll buy items that increase your health and defense. You get the picture.

The difference between how gold and experience are acquired, is that gold is awarded to the player that scored the kill. Experience on the other hand, is shared between the players that are nearby the place that the kill was scored.

What this boils down to, is that even if you dealt the most damage to an enemy, you still won’t get any gold if your buddy deals the finishing blow. To get the experience from a kill, the only thing that matters is that you were in the neighbourhood when the finishing blow was dealt.

Jungling

Next up is jungling. Jungling, as you might have suspected, means going through the jungle area of the map and killing the monsters there to earn gold and experience for yourself. Once in a while, you’ll also move out of the jungle to help out a teammate one of the lanes that needs some assistance (which is called ganking).

The jungle is the space in between each lane. It’s separated in two halves by the river in the middle of the map, and again by the mid lane. This means the jungle basically consists of four quadrants:

1. Blue Team Top Quadrant
2. Blue Team Bottom Quadrant
3. Red Team Top Quadrant
4. Red Team Bottom Quadrant

Now, there’s all kind of stuff in the jungle you can kill. To start, there’s the enemy jungler, but also a whole range of different monsters. There are basic monsters and epic monsters. Each of them provides its own specific type of reward.

The normal monsters are:

• The Gromp
• The Blue Sentinel
• The Murk Wolves
• The Raptors
• The Red Brambleback
• The Krugs

Then, in the middle you have the Scuttlecrab, who walks in the river. This monster doesn’t fight back, and if you kill it, it creates a shrine in the center of the river that provides a field of vision around it, as well as a temporary speed boost to Champions that move through it.

Besides the smaller, normal monsters, there’s the epic monsters, strong monsters that confer powerful bonuses to the team that kills it. Ignoring these objectives could cost you the game, they’re really important.

At the moment of writing, there are five major epic monsters

• The Drakes (elemental dragons)
• The Voidgrubs
• The Rift Herald
• Baron Nashor
• Atakhan

Because these epic monsters are so crucial in a match, it would be negligent of us not to explain them to you in-depth. Here goes.

The Elemental Drakes

The Elemental Drakes are dragons that spawn one at a time in the Dragon Pit, which is located near the middle of the bot lane.

Each time you kill a Drake, your team receives a stack of Dragon Slayer, which provides a team-wide bonus.

There are six types of Drakes, and each type confers its own bonus when killed. These bonuses are permanent, so they provide an upgrade to the entire team for the rest of the game. Not something you’d want to miss out on, since they can tip the scales of the game to your advantage. But the same goes for the enemy team, so if they get the kill instead, they’ll become stronger, and you’ll be in trouble.

The Infernal Dragon provides bonus Attack Damage and Ability Power.

The Cloud Dragon provides bonus Slow Resistance and Movement Speed.

The Mountain Dragon provides bonus Armor and Magic Resistance.

The Ocean Dragon provides bonus Health Regeneration.

The Hextech Dragon provides bonus Ability Haste and Attack Speed.

The Chemtech Dragon provides bonus Tenacity, Heal Power and Shield Power.

Besides these individual bonuses, you can also obtain the Dragon Soul, which is obtained by the team that is able to obtain four stacks of Dragon Slayer first. Basically, that means you have to kill four Dragons to get this bonus. The Dragon Soul confers a bonus that is determined by the Element of the map. The Element of the map is determined by the element of the third Dragon that spawns in the game. (We know, it’s complicated…)

Finally, there’s also a seventh type of dragon, the Elder Dragon. This Dragon only spawns once a team has obtained a Dragon Soul. When killed, it provides the buff ‘Aspect of the Dragon’. This bonus allows you to deal extra ‘true damage‘ when attacking enemies. When dealing damage to an enemy below 20% health, they are killed instantly. However, Aspect of the Dragon is not a permanent buff. It lasts for 150 seconds or until you die.

The Voidgrubs

A second type of ‘epic monster’ are the Voidgrubs. Three of these spawn in the Baron Pit, five minutes into the game. They also spawn Voidmites every 12 seconds. Each of these Voidgrubs can respawn once per game (so in total you can kill six of them per game).

Killing a Voidgrub nets you a decent amount of gold and experience, but killing a Voidgrub also provides a stack of ‘Touch of the Void‘ buff to each of your team members. This buff allows you to deal additional damage to enemy buildings.

Additionally, acquiring 4 stacks of ‘Touch of the Void‘ grants a stack of ‘Hunger of the Void‘, which allows you to summon Voidmites that can attack enemy structures. Getting all 6 stacks of ‘Touch of the Void‘ grants you another stack of ‘Hunger of the Void‘.

The Rift Herald

The Rift Herald is another powerful epic monster. It spawns in the Baron Pit at 14 minutes into the game.

When the Rift Herald is killed, it drops an item called ‘Eye of the Herald‘. This item can only be picked up by a member of the team that killed it. The Eye of the Herald allows you to summon the Rift Herald as an ally in battle.

The Eye of the Herald also grants the buff ‘Glimpse of the Void‘ to all team members that assisted in killing the Rift Herald. This grants one use of Empowered Recall.

If you use the Eye of the Herald, it will spawn the Rift Herald as a mercenary ally. When summoned, it will move to the nearest lane and will start going down that lane, towards the enemy base, and clear everything in its path.

The Rift Herald will attack minions and structures such as turrets and inhibitors. When it kills something, the gold that is earned will be granted to its summoner and the team members that helped take down the Rift Herald.

You can also ride the Rift Herald to charge in a chosen direction. This charge deals significant damage to everything in its path. However, crashing into something also does a large amount of damage to the Rift Herald itself.

If the Rift Herald isn’t killed by 19 minutes and 45 seconds into the game, it despawns to make way for Baron Nashor.

Baron Nashor

Of all the monsters that spawn in the game, Baron Nashor is probably the toughest mofo of them all. This monster spawns at 20 minutes into the game, in the Baron Pit (obviously).

Baron Nashor spawns in 1 of 3 different forms, chosen randomly:

• Hunting Baron
• Territorial Baron
• All-Seeing Baron

Each of these forms has slightly different abilities. The different forms also change the terrain around the Baron Pit slightly. We won’t go into detail about this, as this goes beyond the scope of a simple Beginner’s Guide, and the differences don’t matter that much anyway.

Killing the Baron nets you the buff ‘Hand of Baron‘, a buff that lasts for 180 seconds. This buff provides bonus Attack Damage, Ability Power and creates an aura around the teammates that makes nearby allied minions stronger. It also grants you Empowered Recall, which allows you to recall to your base in 4 seconds instead of 8.

We recommend you don’t take him on by yourself, especially if you’re still at lower levels. Be sure to take him on with at least one or two of your teammates.

After Baron Nashor is defeated, he will respawn again after 6 minutes. The form he spawns in will also be the same for the rest of the game.

Atakhan

Last but not least, we’ve got Atakhan. This is a recent addition to the epic monster list. He was introduced in 2025.

A pit will spawn at 14 minutes into the game. This pit will either be near the top or near the bot lane, depending on which part of the map has seen the most action (kills). Atakhan will then spawn at 20 minutes into the game.

Atakhan can spawn in one of two forms, Ruinous Atakhan or Voracious Atakhan. Ruinous Atakhan will spawn in games that haven’t seen much action. Voracious Atakhan will spawn in games with a high amount of action (in terms of Champion deaths). Each form has its own attack pattern.

The rewards you get for killing Atakhan depend on the form as well.

Killing Ruinous Atakhan grants you the following rewards:

• You will receive 6 stacks of Bloody Petals. A field of Blood Roses will also spawn, which grant extra Bloody Petals when picked up. This gives you experience and Adaptive Force. Adaptive Force is a buff that provides either bonus Attack Damage or bonus Ability Power, depending on which of these is currently the highest in your character. Bloody Petals are a permanent buff. The more Bloody Petals you have, the higher your Adaptive Force bonuses. However, the bonuses decrease for each stack of Bloody Petals.
• You will also receive Crown of Carnage. This provides a 25 % buff on other epic monster buffs you have acquired. This is applicable on bonuses gained from Voidgrubs, the Rift Herald, Drakes, and Baron Nashor.

Killing Voracious Atakhan in turn provides:

• False Life: the next time you are killed, instead of actually dying, you will be teleported back to your base. This buff only lasts 150 seconds, so if you plan on dying, do it fast.
• False Life (gold): you get 25 bonus gold for each Champion you take down. This also ends after 150 seconds or after you trigger your False Life by getting killed.

Teamfights

Another big part of League of Legends are fights between Champions of different teams. These usually start occuring once the Champions have leveled up a bit and achieved a decent set of gear, as you’ll start doing more damage and can also take more damage.

Attacking and killing enemy Champions can net you a decent amount of gold and experience. Taking down an enemy also gives you an advantage in the game, as it takes a while for them to respawn. This gives you the chance to take down turrets that are now undefended. The respawn time increases as characters gain levels.

In the beginning, getting killed isn’t that big of a deal, since you’ll be back in the game in no time. However, if you’re killed at a higher level, it can take up to a minute or more before you’re allowed to fight again. This gives your opponents the opportunity to do a lot of damage.

In later parts of the game, you’ll often see big teamfights between multiple Champions of each team. These can get a bit chaotic, so be sure you know what you’re up against when you engage in battle.

The Different Phases of a Game

The gameplay in League of Legends stays the same during the entire game. However, you’ll notice different ‘phases‘ as the game goes on. These aren’t ‘official phases’, but patterns of gameplay that emerge as the game goes on, characters become stronger and monsters start spawning.

Early Game – Earn An Honest Wage

The early game is also known as the ‘laning phase’. This takes place in the first 15 minutes of the game. In this phase, Champions are still pretty weak, and can get hurt pretty bad from just taking on too many minions. At the same time, your opponent is trying to trade with you and deal some damage. This means you’ll have to be careful. The main objective of this phase is just to farm and gain experience and gold, so you can get stronger and buy better items.

Things to focus on in early game:

• Farm minions efficiently to gain gold and XP
• Trade damage with enemies to establish lane dominance
• Control vision with wards (prevent ganks, secure river control)
• Coordinate with your jungler for objectives and ganks
• Secure first turret or first blood for a gold advantage

What you should do in early game also depends on your role:

• Top Lane: Focus on farming and trading. Ward against jungle ganks. Play safe if your champion scales later.
• Mid Lane: Prioritize lane control, roam to side lanes when possible, and help with jungle fights.
• Bot Lane (ADC & Support): Farm and poke enemy bot laners.
• Jungle: Secure early Scuttle Crabs, track the enemy jungler, and gank lanes to create pressure.

In this phase, you can also try taking on a few Dragons as well as the Voidgrubs.

Mid Game – Get Rich or Die Trying

Mid game starts at about 15 minutes into the game. At this point in time, you’ll have gained a decent amount of gold and experience. If you have spent your gold wisely, you’ll have some nice stat boosts that make you a lot more dangerous to the enemy. Turrets also become more vulnerable due to the Turret Plating falling. This speeds up the pace of the game, as it becomes easier to break through a turret. You’ll also start to see some teamfights.

Objectives to focus on.

• Destroy outer turrets to open up the map
• Rotate as a team to secure Dragons, Rift Herald, and Baron vision
• Group for fights but don’t overforce fights you might lose
• Look for picks (catching someone out of position)

As for the things you should focus on depending on your role:

• Top Lane: Split-push if your champion is strong in 1v1 fights (e.g., Fiora, Jax), but join fights when needed.
• Mid Lane: Start roaming and shadowing your jungler for picks. Clear vision and apply pressure.
• Bot Lane (ADC & Support): Rotate mid after taking the bot turret. Stay safe and position well in fights.
• Jungle: Control objectives and set up vision around Baron and Dragon before they spawn.

In mid-game, the other epic monsters also start appearing. Once you’re strong enough, be sure to take down the rest of the Dragons, the Rift Herald, Baron Nashor and Atakhan if you see an opportunity arising. This will give you those sweet buffs that help you dominate the game.

Late Game – Finish The Fight

About thirty minutes into the fight, all the Champions are usually near their maximum level. This allows you to push through turrets pretty fast. Teamfights will increase in frequency. You’ll want to make sure you win them, because the long respawn times in this phase can decide a fight. This is especially true if a few of your other teammates were also killed.

In late game, one of the teams will inevitably take down one of the opposing team’s Inhibitors. This causes the Super Minions to spawn in that lane, creating extra pressure there. You’ll also be able to finally buy the best items, and this is when your Champions become crazy powerful. This is the fun part, which unfortunately usually doesn’t last very long.

What the team should focus on in the end game:

• Control Baron Nashor and Elder Dragon (they can decide the game)
• Stick together to avoid getting caught alone
• Look for picks and win a fight before sieging towers
• Use Baron-empowered minions to push lanes and end the game

Depending on your role, you should focus on the following:

• Top Lane: Continue split-pushing if ahead, but group for Baron fights.
• Mid Lane: Help control vision and poke before fights. Focus on enemy carries in fights.
• Bot Lane (ADC & Support): Position safely. If the ADC dies, the fight is usually lost.
• Jungle: Smite control is crucial. If the enemy jungler is dead, secure objectives safely.

The most important thing you have to remember for late game: one team fight can end the game.

Final remarks – GLHF

Finally, we’ve come to the end of our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to League of Legends. I hope all this information has given you a good idea of what to do. League of Legends can be pretty confusing for newcomers, as there is a lot going on.

As you become more experienced, we hope you will be able to kick some serious ass. Good luck, and most of all, have fun.

(And if you ever need any extra assistance keeping a clear head in the game, you can always take some RANKED XP.)

League of Legends – Ultimate Beginner’s Guide – Part Three: Choose Your Class

How To Choose Your Class In League of Legends

This is Part Three if our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to League of Legends. In Part One, we went over the basic gameplay. In Part Two, we explained the different types of Champions. This time, we will give you an overview of the different roles in a game of League of Legends. This will help you choose a suitable Class for the role you want to play as, or vice versa.

These roles are determined by the ‘meta’, which are unwritten rules about what is the most effective playstyle, based on experience by the player base. The meta is usually relatively stable, but it can always evolve. For example, a player can figure out a style of playing that consistently beats the current meta, and then everyone is likely to adapt that playstyle as well.

As of now, the current meta has been in place for quite a while. However, if the game developers change certain elements of the game, or add in new Champions that shift the game balance, it’s always possible that this could impact the meta and other playing styles become viable alternatives. Riot Games frequently updates and patches League of Legends, which can influence the game balance.

Taking the current meta into account, let’s go over the established roles and the type of Champion you should play in that role.

Do note – these are general rules of thumb. There are over 160 Champions in League of Legends, each with their own skillset and abilities. Some Champions actually do well in roles that are usually not suited to their specific class. As you play the game and learn how to play the different characters, you’ll start to pick up on these nuances. But as a beginner, just stick to the basic principles listed below.

Which Class to choose for Top Lane

As we’ve established before, the Top Lane has a few distinct characteristics.

• It is a lane with a longer distance, as opposed to the Mid Lane
• It is further away from the more frequent jungle farming grounds (monsters and dragons)
• It is closer to the Rift Herald / Baron Nashor, which are jungle objectives that don’t need a lot of attention in terms of playtime

First of all – all parts of the map need attention if you’re going to play effectively. Each lane requires a Champion to hold it. That means at least one team member must be assigned to each of the lanes. Another one needs to farm in the jungle.

That only leaves one team mate left to divide between any of the four areas of the map. Since the common jungle objectives could use some assistance from time to time, it’s more effective to put the fifth team member at the bottom lane, where it can assist both the jungler and the Bot Lane player.

Because of the longer distance to reach the objectives on each lane at the top / bot, and because the Top Lane player needs to hold the lane all by himself, he will need to have enough defensive power to stay alive and be dangerous enough for other players not to engage him.

This requires a Champion that lacks fragility. That usually leaves Tanks, Fighters and some Specialists. So if you’re going to play Top Lane, when starting out, you’d choose one of these Champions.

Which Class to choose for Jungle

The player that is responsible for playing Jungle has different roles. First of all, he has to clear objectives such as monster camps and Dragons to provide resources and bonuses for the team.

Second, since he has to be all over the map, he is able to move from lane to lane with ease. This allows him to ‘gank’, which means he can suddenly join another team member in a lane and shift the balance of combat.

Playing in the jungle requires a certain level of survivability, because you are constantly fighting monsters and you have to engage in combat when ganking. This means the more fragile Champions don’t do very well in this role.

Because you are constantly fighting something, someone who plays jungle also needs to be able to do a consistent damage output, preferably without the need of replenishable resources such as mana.

The jungler also needs to be very mobile since he needs to move from lane to lane and from objective to objective fast.

The lack of mobility and/or survivability means Mages are usually not the best choice. Some Mages can perform well with the right items and strategies. If you are a beginner, we suggest you don’t start practicing Jungle as a Mage. Controllers (Support) are also unsuited because their damage output is pretty low.

Marksmen / ADC are also less suited for this role, because:

• They are more dependent on gold to become stronger, which is less abundant when clearing jungle camps.
• They are more suited for single target combat instead of camps with multiple monsters
• Their lack of crowd control makes them less suited for ganking
• They are pretty fragile

While Slayers (Assassins) are relatively fragile, they are very mobile, can hit hard with burst damage in close range, and aren’t dependent on mana to dish out damage. This makes them suited to clear neutral objectives, such as monster camps, in a swift manner.

It also makes them good choices for ganking. Do note that there are also exceptions to this rule. Some Slayers, like Akali, can be unsuited for Jungle, so do your research before you pick one.

Tanks and Fighters are also good choices for obvious reasons. They can take a decent amount of damage, and deal enough damage to take down neutral objectives. Their damage output and hard-to-kill stats also makes them a good choice for ganking.

In short – if you’re going to play jungle, you’re going to want to pick a Slayer, a Tank or a Fighter for that role.

Which Class to choose for Mid Lane

The Mid Lane is unique in the sense that it is relatively closest to everything: the other lanes, both parts of the jungle, and the base if you want to retreat.

Because it is closer to the base and distances between towers are shorter, being fragile and less mobile is less of a problem. If you get hurt or you’re being ganked in Mid Lane, it is easier to retreat to the closest tower or get back to base to heal up.

The jungle lane is close to neutral objectives and all the other lanes. Again, a lack of mobility isn’t as big of a deal because you can reach all of these places in a short amount of time.

Mid Lane is mostly a solo lane. Occasionally, 2-versus-1 situations occur, but one-on-one matchups are the rule. Technical skill and proper use of abilities are very important in these kinds of fights. In solo lanes, the player also gets all of the experience and gold from minions. In duo lanes, experience is shared and gold goes to the one who made the killing blow.

Mages do very well in Mid Lane, because they can quickly get to cover when hurt and go to base to heal up, and get back into the fight fast. Because they are very dependent on gold and experience to get stronger, their monopoly on these resources in Mid allows them to level up their skills and abilities faster.

Getting more gold allows them to get better gear to increase their damage output, making them much more dangerous. The central location also makes up for their lack of mobility.

Assassins are also more dependent on gold and experience, and do better in Mid for this reason. Just like Mages, they tend to be more fragile as well. In Mid Lane, they can get back to cover fast and go and heal up at the base.

Also like Mages, a lot of gold allows them to buy items to increase burst damage and hit hard in short periods of time. They are also akin to Mages in that they are very dependent on technical skill and positioning, which is crucial in the one-on-one combat of Mid Lane.

Tanks are less suited for Mid Lane, because their damage output is too low to advance in the lane. Mages and Assassins are more fragile, but in Mid they can acquire much more experience and gold, allowing them to scale their power much faster. As we said before, they can get back much faster to the fight after a retreat. This makes them much more dangerous to Tanks than they would be in Top Lane.

Fighters have limited mobility, and while they have more damage output than Tanks, they are still vulnerable to the ranged attacks and zone control that Mages can exert, making them less effective in this role.

Their damage output is also more sustained. This means they are better in long term fights, while Mid Lane favors fast and hard burst damage. They also lack Area of Effect damage, which makes them less suited for clearing waves of Minions. Fighters can still do well in Mid Lane, especially when they are up against Assassins. But most of the time, they are not the most optimal pick for this role.

While Marksmen / ADC have a high damage output and can deal decent damage from a safe distance, they are still at the bottom when it comes to survivability. Marksmen usually do better when paired, which is at odds with the solo nature of Mid Lane.

If an Assassin is able to pair the gap, or the opponent suddenly ganks Mid Lane, the Marksman gets outnumbered and outgunned pretty hard. An opponent Mage can zone control and do damage from afar as well, making he Marksman less effective. These elements combined make Marksmen unsuited to handle Mid Lane.

Support is also simply unsuited for the role because of the lack of damage output and survivability. The abundance of resources that Mid Lane offers is less useful to them than it is for other classes. The Support class doesn’t need as much gold to play its role well. Marksmen, Assassins and Mages have a much higher need for this.

All things considered, if you’re playing Mid Lane, when starting out, go for either a Mage or a Slayer to get a feel for the Mid Lane playstyle.

Which Class to choose for Bot Lane

As we said before, Top Lane is pretty far from most other critical locations, and requires a long time to get to. Mid Lane, on the other hand, is relatively closest to everything else, but the Classes that are ideal for Mid need all the resources that they can get to perform at their best.

Leaving Jungle without a Champion just leaves money on the table, but having two players doing Jungle and ganking doesn’t provide the lanes with enough manpower to break through the waves of minions and take down the turret, let alone two enemy Champions in one Lane.

That leaves two Champions which can be allocated to Bot Lane. Bot Lane also has the characteristic that it is closer to Dragons than Top Lane. Taking down Dragons in early game can provide a serious boost that can turn the tide of a battle.

The second Champion in Bot can help assist the Jungler take down a Dragon while the other Champion stays in lane and holds the lane. Or, both Bot Lane Champions can quickly go and take down the Dragon.

Also, because the Bot Lane is closer to the Dragon Pit, it is more likely to be ganked by a Jungler. This makes a two player setup all the more necessary, to mitigate the risk.

The question remains, which types of classes are most suited for the role of holding Bot Lane?

First, we have Marksmen. These have a high damage output, and scale exceptionally well when they acquire items and levels. Once they reach a higher level and acquire some good gear, they can do some serious damage from a safe distance. This can make close ranged Fighters or fragile Mages quite vulnerable to them.

Marksmen, due to their consistent DPS (damage per second), are also able to do consistent damage over time. This also allows them to make quick work of incoming waves of enemy minions. As such, they are able to move up the lane quickly. This is all the more important in the longer Bot Lane.

However, Marksmen are also very fragile, and usually don’t do very well on their own. This is especially true when the enemy is able to quickly close the gap, like Assassins can do. Marksmen do especially well when they have the backup of an ally, which they have readily available in Bot Lane.

Aside from this, they are usually backed up by a Support type Class. These don’t really need a lot of money. The Support can  heal or protect them, or make it harder for enemy Champions to reach the Marksman by stunning or rooting them. This makes the combo Marksman / Support an obvious choice to handle Bot Lane.

Fighters, as we said earlier, have a more limited mobility and are vulnerable from a distance to Marksman attacks. They are also very dependent on leveling (and to a certain extent, gold as well) to maximize their potential. Since experience is shared with kills and they have to share some of the gold from minion kills with Support as well, this decreases their ability to scale properly.

While the same goes for Marksmen, these are less dependent on experience and more on items. The abilities Marksmen get from leveling are secondary to their sustained damage auto-attacks.

Tanks have the same problem as Fighters, with the additional problem that they lack the damage output to push through on a lane.

Assassins in turn can be dangerous to a solo Marksman. But since they rely on burst damage, and are pretty vulnerable themselves, they can be shot down fast.

The Marksman’s support can also shield and heal the damage the burst damage caused by an Assassin. He can also can trap the Assassin, making him extremely vulnerable. This makes the Assassin an inadequate choice for Bot Lane.

Mages are also an inadequate choice for bot lane. They can hit hard with an initial attack from a distance. But since they rely more on burst damage instead of a sustained amount of high DPS, they can’t follow up.

They also benefit less from the help a Support can offer, since they rely mostly on burst attacks and positioning, instead of sustained damage on the frontlines. This makes healing and shields less useful. The lack of sustained damage also makes it harder to clear turrets.

Which Class to choose for Support

The Support is the fifth player. He is not specifically tied to either a certain lane, nor the Jungle. That does not make him a fifth wheel, though. The Support can help another Champion achieve objectives faster and complement his weaknesses. The more fragile Mage can be supported by a Tank or a Fighter who holds enemy Champions at bay.

Let’s go over the classes that work well in Support.

Any type of Support class that can complement the Marksman / ADC in Bot Lane will work well. (I mean, it’s in the name.) Support Champions can also complement other types of Classes in their role, some better than others.

Of course, the Support Champions are specifically designed for this role. They can heal, shield and buff to make their allies more dangerous. Some can draw fights and make enemies more vulnerable.

Using a Support class is the obvious choice. However, it is not necessarily the only possible choice.

Tanks can work well in some situations. They can help with crowd control and absorb damage for their allies on the frontlines.

Mages can support with damage from afar and through zone control.

Other classes tend to struggle as Support.

Marksmen need consistent gold farming to reach their maximum potential through items. Playing Support prevents them from getting enough gold, which hinders their power scaling.

Fighters have the same problem as Marksmen. In addition to needing a lot of gold, they are also more dependent on their abilities, which means they need more experience. When playing as Support, they will have to share experience, which prevents them from optimal power scaling.

Assassins are also a bad choice, since their main role is to hit hard and take out single targets, not support their allies. They lack any sort of crowd control. They need a lot of gold to get items that boost their burst damage and playing Support means they’ll have to share their income. Being fragile, they are especially weak if they can’t max out with the proper items.

To Summarize…

If you are just getting started in League of Legends, you should stick to these basic rules of thumb when choosing a Champion:

• Top Lane: Choose a Tank or Fighter.
• Mid Lane: Pick a Mage or Assassin.
• Bot Lane: Opt for a Marksman.
• Jungle: Select a Fighter or Assassin.
• Support: Focus on Support roles.

As you become more familiar with the game mechanics and all the different Champions in League of Legends, you can deviate a bit from the standard path. It’s not all black and white. There is a lot of variation between all the different Champions and their skills and abilities. Some Champions, even though their class is generally not suited for a specific role, have abilities that can still work well in that role

However, it’s best to learn to walk before you learn to run. Before you try out exceptions, we advise you to make sure to get the basics right.

This concludes Part 3 of our Beginner’s Guide. In Part 4, we’ll discuss the general flow of a game in League of Legends. We’ll also delve deeper into specifics about certain objectives.

Imagine discovering a natural energy source that not only rivals coffee but potentially surpasses it in benefits. That’s exactly what guarana offers – a fascinating Amazonian superfruit that’s been energizing indigenous peoples for centuries before finding its way into modern energy drinks and supplements. As someone who’s extensively researched natural stimulants, I can tell you that guarana’s unique properties make it stand out in the world of natural energy boosters. Let’s explore why this Brazilian powerhouse might be the answer to your energy and focus needs. 

Introduction to Guarana 

Origin and History: Exploring its Roots in the Amazon 

Deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the guarana plant (Paullinia cupana) has been thriving for millennia. This climbing vine, native to the Brazilian Amazon basin, produces distinctive fruit that catches the eye with its bright red exterior and black seeds peeking through when ripe. The seeds, which remarkably resemble human eyes, have become the cornerstone of traditional medicine and modern energy supplements alike. 

The story of guarana’s discovery dates back to pre-Columbian times, when indigenous tribes first recognized its potent properties. What makes this brazilian fruit guarana particularly special is its extraordinary caffeine content – up to six times higher than coffee beans. This natural treasure remained a well-kept secret of the Amazon until European explorers encountered it in the 16th century. 

The guarana berry gained significant attention when early settlers observed the remarkable vitality and endurance of indigenous tribes who consumed it regularly. These observations led to increased interest in the plant’s properties, eventually resulting in its cultivation beyond its natural habitat. Today, most of the guarana production occurs in Maués, Brazil, where the plant has become an essential part of the local economy. 

The Cultural Significance of Guarana Among Indigenous Peoples 

The Sateré-Mawé tribe, considered the original cultivators of guarana, hold this plant in particularly high regard. Their creation myth tells a touching story of how the guarana plant sprouted from the eyes of a murdered child, believed to be a gift from the gods. This sacred origin story explains why the guarana fruit, with its eye-like appearance, holds such deep spiritual significance in their culture. 

For these indigenous communities, guarana is far more than just a stimulant – it’s a central part of their cultural identity and social fabric. The preparation of guarana is a ritualistic process, where the seeds are harvested, dried, ground into a paste, and shaped into cylindrical sticks. These sticks are then grated and mixed with water to create a traditional beverage that plays a crucial role in tribal ceremonies and daily life. 

The guarana meaning extends beyond its physical properties in indigenous culture. It’s considered a symbol of strength, wisdom, and spiritual connection. Traditional healers use it not only for its energizing properties but also as a crucial component in various healing ceremonies and spiritual practices. This deep-rooted cultural significance has helped preserve traditional knowledge about guarana’s benefits and proper usage through generations.

Benefits and Uses of Guarana 

Rich in Antioxidants: Boosting Cellular Health 

The guarana benefits extend far beyond its energizing properties. This remarkable plant is packed with powerful antioxidants, including caffeine, theobromine, tannins, saponins, and catechins. These compounds work together to combat oxidative stress and protect your cells from free radical damage.  

The guarana seed extract benefits are particularly noteworthy when it comes to cellular protection. These potent antioxidants help shield your body from premature aging and various diseases. Think of these compounds as your body’s personal defense system, working tirelessly to maintain cellular health and vitality. 

Energy and Focus: How Guarana Outperforms Caffeine 

One of the most significant health benefits is its unique approach to energy enhancement. While coffee provides an immediate energy spike, guarana energy release is more gradual and sustained. Guarana contains an impressive 3.6% to 5.8% caffeine content, surpassing coffee, mate, and cocoa in concentration. This higher concentration, combined with other natural compounds, creates a more balanced energy boost without the typical coffee crash. 

The synergistic effect of guarana’s compounds makes it particularly effective for maintaining focus and alertness. Unlike pure caffeine, guarana’s natural matrix of ingredients helps prolong its stimulating effects, making it an excellent choice for sustained mental performance. 

Weight Management and Metabolic Boost 

Among the many benefits of guarana, its potential role in weight management stands out. The plant’s active compounds can help boost metabolism and potentially influence how your body stores fat. This natural stimulant may help suppress appetite while increasing calorie burning through thermogenesis. 

Research suggests that guarana might help regulate genes involved in fat storage and metabolism. While more studies are needed, early results show promise for those looking to support their weight management goals naturally. 

Mental Clarity and Learning Enhancement 

The cognitive benefits of guarana make it a valuable ally for mental performance. Studies indicate that even low doses can improve memory, focus, and learning capacity. What’s particularly interesting is how guarana seems to enhance cognitive function beyond what would be expected from its caffeine content alone. 

Digestive Health: Remedying Constipation and Diarrhea 

Guarana’s versatility in supporting digestive health is remarkable. Its natural compounds can help regulate bowel movements, making it effective for both constipation and diarrhea. The caffeine content acts as a gentle natural laxative when needed, while the tannins can help firm up loose stools. 

Potential for Heart Health and Pain Relief 

The cardiovascular benefits of guarana are particularly intriguing. It may help improve blood flow and reduce the risk of blood clots, while also protecting against LDL cholesterol oxidation. Additionally, its natural pain-relieving properties can enhance the effectiveness of common pain medications. 

Skin Health and Age-Related Eye Protection 

Beyond internal health benefits, guarana shows promising effects on external wellness too. Its antioxidant properties make it valuable for skin health, promoting better circulation and potentially reducing signs of aging. The same protective compounds may also help shield your eyes from age-related damage, though more research is needed to fully understand these benefits. 

Key Benefits of Guarana: 

• Sustained energy release 

• Enhanced mental focus 

• Improved metabolic function 

• Better digestive health 

• Cardiovascular support 

• Skin and eye protection 

Nutritional Profile and Active Components 

Key Ingredients of Guarana Seeds 

The guarana ingredients profile reveals a fascinating complexity that sets it apart from other natural stimulants. At its core, guarana contains an impressive array of bioactive compounds that work synergistically to deliver its renowned benefits. The seeds, which are the most potent part of the plant, contain a unique blend of substances that contribute to its effectiveness. 

Looking at the guarana nutrition facts, we find that these seeds are packed with more than just stimulants. They contain essential compounds including: 

• Methylxanthines (caffeine, theobromine, theophylline) 

• Tannins and polyphenols 

• Saponins 

• Essential minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium) 

• Trace elements 

• Beneficial fatty acids 

The presence of these compounds makes guarana a complex natural supplement that offers more than just an energy boost. The tannins and saponins contribute to its long-lasting effects and potential health benefits. 

Comparison of Caffeine Content between Guarana and Coffee 

When it comes to guarana caffeine content, this Amazonian powerhouse truly stands out. While a typical coffee bean contains about 1-2% caffeine, guarana seeds can pack a punch with 4-6% caffeine content. This higher concentration explains why guarana has become such a popular ingredient in energy drinks and supplements. 

However, what makes guarana truly unique isn’t just its caffeine content – it’s how this caffeine is released into your system. Unlike coffee, where caffeine is quickly absorbed, guarana’s complex matrix of compounds leads to a more gradual release. This means you get sustained energy without the sudden crash often associated with coffee consumption. 

The interaction between guarana’s various compounds creates what scientists call a “time-release” effect. The tannins bind to the caffeine molecules, causing them to release more slowly into your bloodstream. This results in a more balanced and longer-lasting energy boost compared to coffee. 

It’s worth noting that when you consume guarana, you’re not just getting pure caffeine – you’re getting a complete package of natural compounds that work together. This synergistic effect is what makes guarana a more sophisticated choice for those seeking sustained energy and focus throughout their day. 

Is guarana stronger than caffeine? 

When comparing guarana caffeine content to pure caffeine, it’s important to understand that guarana isn’t just another caffeine source – it’s a more complex and potent natural stimulant. While caffeine is a single compound, guarana contains not only caffeine but also a blend of other beneficial compounds that work together to create a more powerful and sustained effect. 

The caffeine concentration in guarana seeds is remarkably high, containing 4-6% caffeine by weight, compared to coffee beans which typically contain 1-2%. However, what makes guarana particularly interesting isn’t just its higher caffeine content – it’s how this caffeine interacts with other compounds present in the plant. 

What sets guarana apart is its unique delivery system. The tannins and other natural compounds in guarana create a time-release effect, allowing the caffeine to be absorbed more slowly by your body. This means that while pure caffeine might give you a quick boost followed by a crash, guarana provides a more sustained and balanced energy increase that can last several hours longer. 

Think of it this way: pure caffeine is like a sprint, while guarana is more like a marathon. The overall stimulant effect of guarana could be considered “stronger” not because it hits harder, but because it lasts longer and provides additional benefits through its other active compounds. This makes it a more sophisticated choice for those seeking sustained energy without the jitters often associated with pure caffeine consumption. 

Is guarana in Red Bull? 

Yes, guarana is indeed one of the ingredients found in Red Bull, though its presence and concentration may vary depending on the specific formulation and region. As one of the most popular energy drinks guarana products on the market, Red Bull incorporates this Amazonian plant extract alongside other stimulants to create its signature energy-boosting effect. 

However, it’s worth noting that Red Bull’s guarana content is just one part of a complex blend of ingredients. The energy drink combines guarana with other stimulants like traditional caffeine, B-vitamins, and taurine. This combination is carefully formulated to provide the drink’s characteristic energizing effects. 

What many people don’t realize is that the amount of guarana in Red Bull is relatively modest compared to some other energy drinks on the market. Some brands specifically focus on guarana as their primary stimulant, while Red Bull uses it as part of a broader energy-boosting formula. This is important to understand if you’re specifically seeking the benefits of guarana, as you might find other products with higher concentrations. 

When considering energy drinks containing guarana, it’s also helpful to know that the way manufacturers list guarana content can vary. Some might list it as guarana extract, while others might include it under their proprietary energy blend. This makes it challenging to determine exactly how much guarana you’re consuming in any given product. 

What does guarana do to your body? 

When consumed, the benefits of guarana manifest through multiple pathways in your body, creating both immediate and long-term effects. First and foremost, it stimulates your central nervous system, triggering a cascade of physiological responses that enhance your mental and physical performance. 

One of the primary benefits of guarana is its impact on energy levels. Unlike the sudden jolt you might get from coffee, guarana energy provides a more sustained boost due to its unique composition. The plant’s natural compounds are released gradually, helping you maintain steady energy levels for several hours. This makes it particularly valuable for people seeking long-lasting focus and alertness. 

The guarana seed extract benefits extend beyond mere stimulation. Here’s what happens in your body: 

• Increased metabolic rate 

• Enhanced fat burning 

• Improved blood circulation 

• Better physical endurance 

• Reduced mental fatigue 

• Heightened alertness 

• Improved digestive function 

The guarana health benefits also include powerful antioxidant effects. These compounds help protect your cells from oxidative stress and may support overall cellular health. Additionally, it can help optimize your digestive system, potentially improving nutrient absorption and regularity. 

What makes guarana particularly interesting is its comprehensive impact on cognitive function. It doesn’t just make you feel more awake – it can enhance memory retention, improve focus, and support better mental performance. This is why many students and professionals turn to guarana-containing supplements during periods of intense mental activity. 

 

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What is Lion’s Mane Mushroom?

Lion’s Mane, or Hericium erinaceus, is an edible mushroom that is rapidly gaining popularity for its impressive health benefits. This particular fungus has a unique appearance with long, white threads reminiscent of a lion’s mane mushroom. Have you ever had trouble remembering all the details of a complex map or making quick decisions during an intense session? Lion’s Mane can help you with improved focus, memory and mental acuity. From improved focus and memory to neuroprotection and a stronger immune system, Lion’s Mane offers promising benefits. In this article you’ll discover all about the origins, workings and benefits of this powerful mushroom, as well as practical tips for use and purchase.

How can gamers benefit from Lion’s Mane?

Gamers looking to improve their performance can benefit greatly from Lion’s Mane. Whether you need to quickly switch between different tactics in a game or memorize complex strategies – Lion’s Mane supports your brain to meet these challenges with ease. Because this powerful mushroom promotes concentration, memory and mental clarity, it is essential for prolonged gaming sessions and strategic games. Lion’s Mane helps you stay sharp, react quickly and maintain focus even during intense and demanding games. With us, you’ll find only high-quality supplements that naturally support your brain so you can get the most out of your gaming experience. Whether you’re a casual gamer or a professional e-sport athlete, Lion’s Mane provides the boost you need to improve your reflexes and stay focused longer during a marathon session.

History of Lion’s Mane

Lion’s Mane has a long history and is native to North America, Europe and Asia. For centuries, the mushroom has been used in countries such as China and Japan for various health benefits, such as strengthening digestion and improving concentration during meditation. Today, interest has grown worldwide, with researchers studying its effects on brain health and the immune system. In addition, Lion’s Mane is valued for its mild taste in cooking. Due to its popularity, various supplement forms are now available, including powder, capsules and extract, making it easier than ever to experience its benefits.

How does Lion’s Mane work?

Lion’s mane contains a wealth of bioactive compounds that affect our bodies in a variety of ways.

One of the most notable properties of Lion’s Mane is its ability to stimulate the production of nerve growth factor (NGF). NGF plays a crucial role in the growth, maintenance and survival of nerve cells. By promoting the production of NGF, Lion’s Mane can potentially contribute to improved brain health and cognitive function. This means your brain can perform better when you need to make quick decisions while gaming.

In addition, Lion’s Mane also appears to affect the myelin sheath, a protective layer around nerve fibers. A healthy myelin sheath is essential for efficient signal transmission in the nervous system. Research suggests that certain substances in Lion’s Mane may stimulate myelin production, potentially contributing to improved brain function.

Active ingredients in Lion’s Mane

The strength of Lion’s Mane lies in its unique composition of bioactive compounds. Here are some of the key components that contribute to the lion’s mane effect:

• Hericenones: these compounds are known for their ability to stimulate nerve growth factor production. They play a key role in the potential neuroprotective effects of Lion’s Mane.
• Erinacins: like hericenones, erinacins can promote NGF production. They may contribute to the cognitive benefits attributed to Lion’s Mane.
• Beta-glucans: these complex sugars have anti-inflammatory properties and may support the immune system. They contribute to the overall health effect of Lion’s Mane.
• Polysaccharides: these substances have antioxidant properties and can help protect cells from oxidative stress.

The lion’s mane effect is the result of the synergy between all these components. Together they create a powerful whole that can work on different levels in our body.

Health benefits

Cognitive support and memory enhancement

Lion’s Mane can improve brain function by stimulating the production of nerve growth factor (NGF), which is essential for the growth and maintenance of brain cells. Having trouble remembering new maps or combos? Lion’s Mane can help you store and process information faster. Studies show improvements in memory and concentration in both younger and older users, making it an interesting supplement for anyone looking to maintain their mental sharpness.

Reduction of stress and depression

This mushroom has a calming effect on the nervous system and can help reduce mild symptoms of anxiety and depression. By affecting neurotransmitters, Lion’s Mane contributes to improved mood and greater inner peace.

Anti-inflammatory properties and immune system boost

Lion’s Mane contains substances that reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. The mushroom stimulates immune cells, which can help improve resistance to infection and disease.

Potential effect on heart health and diabetes management

Early studies suggest that Lion’s Mane may contribute to better heart health by lowering cholesterol and regulating blood sugar levels. This may be of interest to people with diabetes or cardiovascular risks.

At Ranked XP, we understand what gamers need to perform better. Our gaming supplement is specially designed to take your focus, energy and responsiveness to the next level. From switching weapons quickly to memorizing complex puzzles, Lion’s Mane helps you stay one step ahead at all times. Whether you’re an eSports pro or just want to beat your friends at a gaming session, we offer products that perfectly match your goals. With a focus on quality and safety, we help gamers of any skill level get the best out of themselves. Let us support you on your way to peak performance – it’s time to dominate your gameplay and become a legend!

League of Legends – Ultimate Beginner’s Guide – Part Two: Pick Your Class

Hi, and welcome back to our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to League of Legends. In Part One, we explained the basics of the game, what the objective is, how the game is played, and the basic layout of the map. In this Part Two, we’re going to go a bit more in depth to all the different classes you can play.

We’re not going to explain each and every one of the characters, because then this guide would have like a hundred parts, and we’d have to update it every month. So no, we’re going to stick to a general outline of the character types.

Which Classes can you play as in League of Legends?

As we mentioned in Part One of our Guide, there are over 160 Champions in League of Legends, and each of them is a special little snowflake with its own abilities and playstyle. Nevertheless, the stats and abilities of a Champion are usually given in such a way that make them more suited for a certain role during the game, and less suited for other roles. These roles correspond to certain areas in the game.

Technically speaking, you don’t ‘have’ to play a certain role in a certain way. In the beginning of League of Legends, a lot of people were doing whatever they wanted. Over time, however, the pro players found out that playing in a certain way was most likely to win games – this is what is called the ‘meta’.

This has become the most accepted way of playing, so if you don’t play in this way, you’ll most likely lose more games. Also, you’ll piss off your more experienced team mates who expect you to play according to the meta.

We’ll go over the commonly used categories of roles, and explain what makes it more suitable for a certain task / area instead of another area.

The Tank

A Tank is a type of Champion who is able to take a lot of damage and is pretty hard to kill. They have a high amount of HP and defense, but in return, they’re not able to deal a lot of damage themselves.

Tanks have abilities that are focused on disrupting their enemies, but not necessarily taking them out completely. Tanks want to attract all the attention and the damage to themselves, because they can easily handle it.

Because of these abilities, it’s easier for them to hold the line when playing alone. As such, they can usually hold a single lane by themselves without needing support from another team member.

As a tank, obviously you’d want to invest in defensive items to maximize this defensive capability.

Tanks are also further divided into two categories, Vanguards and Wardens.

Vanguards

Vanguards are offensive tanks. This type of Tank is more specialized in taking the fight to the enemy and messing up their game, for example by pulling them or dashing to their location to attack. This allows other teammates to use their abilities to finish them off.

Examples of Vanguards are Alistar and Sion.

Wardens

Wardens are defensive tanks. Wardens specialize in holding the line and making sure they can’t harm teammates. This allows those teammates to take out enemies safely, without them taking any damage themselves.

Examples of Wardens are Poppy and Taric.

The Fighter

Fighters (also called Bruisers) are Champions that strike a good balance between attack and defense. While their defensive skills aren’t as good as those of tanks, they can still take a few hits in a fight and keep standing. The term Fighter is sometimes interchangeably used with the term Bruiser, although the last more is more commonly used for ‘tankier’ defensive builds.

While Fighters can take a few hits and hold their own in a fight, they lack the defensive capability and the abilities to hold a lane all by themselves. The Fighter is more suited to survive a fight for a longer time but also to do some real damage to the enemy.

Fighters are also subdivided into two categories. These are Divers and Juggernauts.

Divers

Divers are high mobility Fighters that literally ‘dive’ into combat. They can pick out a single target and attack it, so that target and his teammate are forced to deal with the Diver before it deals a killing blow.

Their defensive stats are a bit lower than those of Juggernauts, but they can still hold a fight long enough to deal lots of damage and become dangerous to the enemy.

Examples of Divers are Diana and Pantheon.

Juggernauts

The Juggernaut is the counterpart to the Diver. He has both good offensive and defensive skills, and can really do serious damage in battle. However, the Juggernaut has low mobility and range, so he has a hard time closing in on opponents and getting away from them.

Examples of Juggernauts are Mordekaiser and Sett.

The Mage

Mages are Champions that focus on damage through ranged combat, crowd control and Area-of-Effect damage. This way, they can trap enemies and take them out from a distance. As a Mage, you want to invest in items that increase the speed and strength of your spells.

Mages are good at dealing a lot of damage, especially through the use of burst damage (high damage in a short period) spells. They can also handle opponents through crowd control and other abilities that make them weaker, so teammates can finish them off.

On the flipside, Mages are very fragile, and can die very easily if an enemy melee-based Champion is able to get close to them. This makes them very vulnerable to Assassins, who can avoid their abilities with ease, and Tanks, who can soak up a lot of the damage Mages dish out.

Three subtypes of Mages exist: Artillery Mages, Battlemages and Burst Mages.

Artillery Mages

Artillery Mages are good at dealing lots of damage from large distances (like artillery, surprise surprise). However, once enemies are able to bridge the gap, this type of Mage dies really fast.

Examples of Artillery Mages are Xerath and Lux.

Battlemages

Battlemages (or Warlocks, as they are sometimes called) that have to get a little closer to the battle due to their decreased range. Once in range, they can do serious damage with more sustained (as opposed to burst) types of area damage.

Because they have to get closer to the fight than the other Mages, they also tend to have abilities and stats that are more geared towards preventing / avoiding damage.

Examples of Battlemages are Karthus and Vladimir.

Burst Mages

Burst Mages are Mages that, also unsurprisingly, are geared towards dealing burst damage. This means that they can deal a lot of damage in a short amount of time. They are also good at immobilizing enemies for a while. When they can effectively combo their immobilizing abilities with their burst damage abilities, they are extremely dangerous.

Because using their abilities against opponents that are at full health still gives that opponent the chance to escape afterwards, Burst Mages are instead really good at finishing off weakened, low health Champions from a distance.

Examples of Burst Mages are Brand and Vex.

The Marksman

Marksmen (also commonly known as ADC – Attack Damage Carry) are, as the name suggests, Champions that are good at shooting at stuff from a distance. Just like Mages, they primarily deal ranged damage. They differ from Mages in that most of that damage comes from their standard attacks, instead of their abilities (although those can do some serious damage too).

Their playstyle is therefore more geared towards dealing a more continuous, sustained type of damage from a safe distance, protected by their teammates. Because of their ranged attacks that deal a good amount of damage, they are pretty good against slower, melee type enemies such as Tanks and Fighters. On the other hand, because they are so fragile, Assassins and Mages can take them out fast.

Examples of Marksmen are Miss Fortune and Jinx.

The Slayer

Slayers (also commonly known as Assassins) are fast, mobile Champions that specialize in getting up close to the enemy fast and dealing out high burst damage. They focus on attacking single targets that are vulnerable and taking them out fast.

However, because of their fragility and low defensive stats, they can be taken out fast too. As a Slayer, attacking the enemy can be pretty risky, but if you’re successful, you can do some serious damage to enemy Champions.

Slayers are strong against weak and fragile opponents, like Mages and Marksmen, but are weaker against opponents that can take a lot of damage, like Tanks and Fighters.

Assassin used to be the commonly used term for Slayer types, but more recently, the official name for that type has become Slayer. More recently, the name Assassin is being used to describe a subtype of the Slayer. Most of the established player base continues to use the term Assassin, so don’t let this confuse you.

Slayers are further divided into two types, Assassins and Skirmishers.

Assassins

As we said earlier, the name Assassin was previously used as the name for Slayers. Now it is officially used as a subtype, although long-time players continue to use Assassin instead of Slayer.

When speaking of Assassins as a subtype of the Slayer, Assassins specialize in getting to enemy positions fast. Once they reach the enemy, they deal out a lot of damage with melee-type attacks. To avoid getting killed, they usually also have a few defensive abilities that help them avoid getting killed.

Examples of Assassins are Ekko and Zed.

Skirmishers

Skirmishers are less focused on moving in fast and dealing lots of burst damage. Instead, they tend to have better defensive skills and can deal out high amounts of sustained damage.

Examples of Skirmishers are Fiora and Riven.

The Controller

Controllers (also known as Support) are, as the name implies, Champions that play a supportive role and help control the battlefield. The Controller isn’t necessarily a strictly delineated class, because some other classes, like Mages, also play a supportive / controlling role

However, certain Champions are specifically geared towards playing a supportive role, which is what warrants putting them in a separate class from all the others.

Controller Champions are usually found in the Bot Lane, where their task is to keep a more fragile ally alive. This ally is usually a Marksman / ADC. The Controller keeps the enemies at bay, giving their ally a chance to damage them while staying safe.

Besides assisting teammates with their special abilities, they can also engage enemies, place wards or scout the map (more on that later on). This gives their role during a game a lot of variety. If you prefer to stay out of the heat of battle and just help out here and there, playing as a Controller might be the right fit for you.

Controllers can be subdivided into Catchers and Enchanters.

Catchers

Catchers are Champions that slow down enemies or hold them down. In general, they make the battlefield just a bit more inhospitable to the enemy team. The abilities of a Catcher make the enemy vulnerable and less mobile, making them an easier target for friendly Champions.

Examples of Catchers are Bard and Pyke.

Enchanters

Enchanters are Champions that are mostly focused on boosting and protecting their allies, and weakening the enemy through the use of abilities. They are very fragile and their offensive abilities are limited as well. This makes them less useful in one-on-one combat. To be effective in a fight, they need to be paired up with an ally.

Examples of Enchanters are Taric and Janna.

The Specialist

Specialists (or Unclassified) are Champions that don’t fit very well into any of the other classes. Their skillsets also differ too much from one another to constitute a class of their own. Specialists are Champions that do all sorts of things, although many of them (although not all) are focused on ‘zone control’. This basically means that they prevent enemies from entering a certain area by making that area a more dangerous place.

Examples of Specialists are Kayle and Quinn.

Next up, in our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide…

In this post, we went over all the different classes you can play as. Stay tuned, kids, because in Part 3 we’ll go over the best way to play each Class in League of Legends.

Is Caffeine Secretly Sabotaging Your Quest for Diamond?

Here’s something that might surprise you (or maybe not at all).

Every day, thousands of people do a search on Google, asking questions about coffee. But instead of asking what the tastiest blend is, a lot of them are asking things like ‘Why does coffee make me sleepy?’ or ‘Why does coffee make me tired?’.

That’s unheard of, right? Everyone knows coffee gives you energy and focus and is almost essential to epic performance.

Well, turns out that’s only kind of true. For sure, caffeine can turn you into Superman, but it can also act as your personal Kryptonite.

What Is Caffeine And How Does It Work?

Before I start, small disclaimer: things might get a little science-y. But that’s the point. I’ll try to make my explanation easy to digest for those among you that aren’t intimately familiar with neuroscience or any of that stuff.

Caffeine is a kind of chemical, which, as you might have guessed, has potent effects on your brain. The way it works is as follows. Basically, your brain has a system built in that causes you to either be tired and sleepy or wakeful and alert. This system mostly works through a neurotransmitter, a chemical called adenosine.

At any time of the day, you have certain amounts of adenosine floating around in your brain and your bloodstream. Depending on the time of day and the amount of time that you’ve spent being active and doing things, the amount of adenosine builds up. Your brain also has a way of detecting the levels of adenosine that are present, because it has these receptors that the adenosine binds to (think of the adenosine molecules as ‘keys’, and the receptors as ‘locks’).

Now, the more adenosine builds up, the more it’s going to bind to these receptors, giving your brain the message that time has passed and you’ve been active a lot. So it responds by making you tired and sleepy, to get you to get some rest and go to sleep and recover.

That’s usually how things are supposed to work. But then, suddenly, a new challenger appears!

When you drink your cup of coffee or your energy drink, you flood your brain with caffeine. As it turns out, caffeine has a very similar physical structure to adenosine, so it also fits those receptors. Caffeine then binds to those adenosine receptors, but doesn’t have the same effect – you don’t get tired and sleepy anymore. Instead, you’re wide awake, focused and alert. Awesome, right?

At first – yes, very awesome. But then the caffeine wears off. And now, all that built up adenosine, which is still floating around in your brain, finally gets the chance to do its job. And now you get your energy crash, and you need more coffee to stay awake.

“Okay, so just drink another cup or take another pill, problem solved.”

And that might actually work…for a short while.

I’ll get into the details later, but first, we’ll have to explain a bit how caffeine works.

What Does Your Brain Look Like?! Does It Look Like A B*tch?!

The thing is, your brain doesn’t really like being cheated very much. After a while, it figures out that you’re gaming the system, and it adapts to your Billy Mitchell ways. It does this by making more adenosine receptors, so that it becomes easier to sense the adenosine that is present. And suddenly, if you want to block all those receptors, you’ll need to take in more caffeine to do so.

Again, no problem, right? Just drink more coffee or take some ULTIMATE ENERGY BOOSTER X9000 with 500 milligrams of caffeine per serving. And that does *seem* to work. Your energy and focus still increases, right? So it’s still working.

Well, again, yes and no.

First of all, you have to take into consideration that that amount of caffeine has major side effects, like increased cortisol (your ‘stress hormone’) levels, which breaks down your body, a making you feel jittery and anxious, as well as sending your heart rate into the stratosphere.

And even if you don’t have those effects, what you’re actually feeling is not a boost, but a return to your normal levels (which now feels like a boost). Because of the increased adenosine receptor count in your brain, even a little adenosine in your brain is going to have much stronger effects. So your baseline of sensitivity to adenosine is higher, which also makes you more sleepy and fatigued when you’re not on caffeine.

So what has actually happened is that your brain has cast a permanent debuff on yourself, and caffeine only reverses that debuff, but doesn’t provide that original buff anymore.

So when you are caffeine dependent, every morning you wake up, you are feeling kinda ‘meh’ , unfocused and lazy. Because you’ve been on caffeine for so long, you don’t recognize that this is not your normal state of mind anymore. The first thing that springs into your mind when you wake up in the morning is that you just need your daily caffeine fix to get your performance boost again.

But in fact, what’s going on is that this ‘daily boost’ isn’t a performance boost anymore, it’s just undoing your caffeine withdrawal debuff. So by making yourself dependent on high amounts of caffeine every day, you have in fact lowered your own stats and decreased your performance semi-permanently, lowering your mood, making you feel tired, sleepy, unfocused, lowering reaction time, and screwing with your memory.

And now you’ve come to think that those lowered stats are your original, normal stats, because you feel like this every day (unless you use caffeine again). Pretty messed up, right?

Why Energy Drinks Actually Make You Tired

Besides just regular caffeine from coffee or tea, the energy drinks that gamers commonly consume are even worse. That’s because they usually don’t just contain extremely high amounts of caffeine, but also lots of sugar and artificial flavorings. If you drink multiple of these a day when on a gaming binge, you might easily get over 1000 mgs of caffeine on a regular basis, besides tons of sugar and calories that make you fat.

Let me repeat what I said earlier: energy drinks do give you an initial boost of energy. But that initial boost will wear off once you use them often. Besides the negative neurotransmitter adaptations we discussed above, there are also a few other nasty side-effects from using energy drinks.

We’ll list them for you.

Sugar Lowers Orexin, Which Makes You Sleepy

Aside from adenosine, which we discussed earlier, there are also other neurotransmitters that regulate our sleep and wakefulness. One of these is called orexin.

Orexin is the neurotransmitter that gives you a feeling of wakefulness and energy, in the sense of ‘let’s do it!’. When orexin levels are high, you feel motivated, energized. It makes you feel like you want to accomplish lots of things and gives you the energy to do them.

Naturally, if you want to go and kick ass in CS2 or League of Legends, you would prefer that you orexin levels were high.

When your body experiences a rapid increase in blood sugar, the levels of orexin in the brain drop. Of course, this will happen when you consume energy drinks with high amounts of refined sugar. This makes you feel low energy and sleepy. You might even feel like nodding off. No way you’re going to play at your very best in that state.

Refined Sugar Causes Inflammation And Damages Your Mitochondria

Science has shown that consuming a lot of refined sugar creates lots of inflammation in the body. This is bad for multiple reasons.

Going back to our orexin story: chronic inflammation is the most powerful suppressor of orexin that exists. So if you’re constantly feeling low-energy, chances are you might suffer from chronic inflammation.

Taking in lots of refined sugar also tends to make you fat as well – but we hope you already knew this – and excess body fat in itself also releases a lot of inflammatory substances, making the problem even worse.

Refined sugar also damages your mitochondria. Mitochondria are parts of your cells that produce energy. They’re literally the power plants of your cells. To have high energy levels, without needing to use stimulants all the time, you want your mitochondria to be strong and powerful. If they get damaged, you’re going to feel weak and fatigued all the time. Then you want to use more stimulants again.

If you want to become the very best in any game, you don’t want to be in that state.

Consuming Refined Sugar Drains Your Body Of Nutrients

Normally speaking, sugar provides energy. The sugar you ingest through food is turned into glucose, which is then transported to your cells, where your mitochondria transform it into ATP, which is the fuel your cells use as an energy source.

However, creating energy from glucose requires certain vitamins. If you consume ‘real food’ that also contains these vitamins, then there is no problem. But if you consume empty calories from lots of refined, added sugars with zero nutritional value, your body’s existing stores of those vitamins will be depleted fast. This will make it harder for your body to produce energy. Also, this will drain your cellular levels of ATP (so your energy stores), because ATP is also needed to turn certain sugars into energy.

ATP is what gives each and every one of your cells the energy it requires. This is what gives YOU energy. When you run out of ATP, you will feel weak and fatigued. You’re not going to win a lot of games like that.

Do You Need To Stop Consuming Caffeine? Not Really.

If the above heading confuses you, we don’t blame you.

Thing is, natural products that contain caffeine, when used right, actually do have very well documented positive effects on mood, focus, physical and mental performance. Aside from that, the antioxidants and other plant compounds that you can find in certain caffeine-containing products like coffee and tea are associated with:

• Lower risk of heart disease
• Lower risk of cancer
• Lower risk of neurological diseases
• Lower risk of diabetes
• Anti-aging effects

So, those are all really good things that you would obviously want to enjoy.

The kicker is, those positive, performance-enhancing effects only appear to happen when you don’t consume coffee every day. That insane mood boost, laser focus, and god-tier reaction speed only happen to people who aren’t dependent on it and who don’t consume it regularly and in large amounts. The rest of you, who are dependent and take large amounts of caffeine only ‘don’t feel shitty anymore’ after using caffeine, and that’s about it.

So here’s to go about it.

If you want to regain your original stats and undo that debuff, you’re going to have to go cold turkey for a month or so. Yes, at least an entire month. It took a while for you to acquire all that damage, and it’s going to take a while to reset your adenosine receptors to their normal levels again. But that unfortunately means no more caffeine for you, at least for a while.

Then, once that month is up, and you have restored your brain to its former glory, and you want to enjoy the benefits of caffeine consumption again, you’re going to want to cycle your use.

That means you want to only use caffeine sparingly, and in line with when you most need it. So, if you have a ranked game or tournaments going on, you’d want to use some caffeine, but on the days you just do some casual training, you’d switch to something else.

Ideally (but that’s up to you), you should also try to get your caffeine from healthy sources, instead of unhealthy energy drinks with massive amounts of caffeine and tons of added sugars or artificial flavorings and sweeteners.

One way to do it would be to use caffeine on weekdays, and then go off it on the weekend. Or you could do it in reverse, which would be even better.

Another way to do it would be to use it two weeks on, two weeks off, but that might not be the most practical way of cycling. You’d be without your buff two full weeks.

Again, you have to find a way to use it in a way that works best for you and for your schedule. Just keep this one rule in mind: the more frequently you use caffeine, the less powerful of a  performance booster it becomes and the more you’re going to experience those negative effects on your stats.

Are We Hypocrites? Yeah, Maybe A Bit.

Now, before you leave, we want to touch on just one more thing. You could say that Ranked XP also contains caffeine, so that kind of makes us hypocrites. In a way, you might actually be right. And it was actually a big point of discussion when we developed Ranked XP if we were going to include caffeine in our product.

We wanted to make the best product we actually could, that would enhance gaming and esports performance. To do that, we couldn’t get around the fact that caffeine, when used correctly, actually has really potent cognitive enhancing effects (for the non-addicts). If we wanted to make the best gaming nootropic we could, there were very good reasons to put it in.

So in the end, we did decide to include caffeine, but we made sure to keep the amount limited. One serving of Ranked XP contains about 77 mg of caffeine, which is the same as you’ll find in a cup of espresso. If you’re not a caffeine junkie, that should still be a pretty potent boost.

Certain brands of cognition boosters and nootropics tend to brag about the high amounts of caffeine they contain. Sometimes the levels of caffeine are up to 200 mg or more per serving. If you paid attention earlier, you’ll know that’s not really something to be proud of.

We limited the dosage of caffeine to reasonable levels. We also made sure to source our caffeine from guarana instead of using synthetic sources. Besides providing a cognitive boost, guarana has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which is a pretty awesome bonus to have.

To repeat our advice from earlier: if you take Ranked XP, be sure to cycle on and off once in a while. That way, you will experience the best results. This is our official advice if you want to enjoy the optimal benefits of our elite, diamond-tier performance enhancer. If you want to max out your health and performance stats, this is the way to go.

In the future, it is very likely that we will release a decaf version, so you’ll be able to cycle and still enjoy the benefits of the other ingredients.

One final suggestion. If you want to have lots of energy without the constant need for energy drinks and other stimulants: eat healthy, work out, and get enough sleep 🙂

Age of Empires II Strikes Back…again

A few years ago, in 2019, the Definitive Edition of Age of Empires II (also commonly referred to as AoE II or AoE 2) dropped. This was the third version of the game released after the OG version in 1999 and then the HD version in 2013, almost 15 years later.

For many players, this version might be their first encounter with AoE II. While the game is simple to learn, it’s difficult to master. If you don’t have a decent grasp of the fundamentals, it’s guaranteed that you will be slaughtered when playing online.

Maybe a starting guide to online multiplayer would be in order. We might be a bit late to the party, but alright, here goes.

What Does Your Elo Rating Mean?

In Age of Empires II, your skill level is expressed through the Elo rating system. This is a rating system that was originally invented for ranking chess players but has also seen use in other games, including video games. In the past, it has also been used to rank people on Tinder. (But this post isn’t about the dating game.)

The Elo rating is a measure of your relative strength in comparison to other players, and the odds that you will win against another player depending on both your relative Elo rank. So the difference between your Elo ratings is used to calculate your chance of winning.

I’m not going in-depth on the mathematics of the system, but statistically speaking, the more your scores differ, the more likely it is you will lose/win.

If you are interested in the way your Elo is calculated, however, you can watch this video:

Elo rating matters in determining your skill level, but it is always relative to the skill of all the other players. If you suck at Age of Empires, but 99 % of all other players suck even harder, you’ll still have a high Elo rating.

The Road to 1000 Elo

In the Definitive Edition of Age of Empires II, every new player starts with an Elo rating of 1000 in Ranked play. If you’re new to the game, this will probably be way too high for you. If you’re a veteran of the original game and/or the HD Edition and you were a decent player, this is likely about right or even too low.

New players usually drop to about 500 Elo pretty fast after a few matches, which is kind of the standard for ‘normal newbies’. If you really suck at the game, it will be even lower of course. If you’re a n00b but have a decent grasp of the game and a decent strategic insight, chances are you might be a bit higher than 500 Elo.

The relative nature of your Elo rating means that getting to 1000 Elo would have been easier when the game just came out and everyone was still a n00b. However, in general, there’s always going to be a subset of players who might play a lot of AoE II, but keep playing it the wrong way. They don’t do the homework and effort to try and actively improve (since you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re not one of them).

This isn’t a reproach towards those people, by the way. AoE II already has an experienced player base that is just really good. Some players have been playing this game for 25 years!

However, some people just want to play for fun. They aren’t interested in being the best. They don’t feel like watching hours’ worth of YouTube tutorials and replays. They’re not doing hours of active, deliberate practice. And that’s okay.

But lucky for you, these are usually the kind of people that you are going to encounter when you play below 1000 Elo. Some of them might have a decent amount of experience, but they can be beaten with relative ease if you follow the basic principles I’m going to outline in this article.

Play Age Of Empires II Like You’re Michael Jordan

What does Age of Empires II have in common with basketball? On the surface level, not very much. The first one is all about clicking a mouse and pressing hotkeys, the other one involves lots of running, jumping, and throwing a ball.

On a deeper, meta-like level, however, there are similarities. If you want to become really good at something, you have to start by mastering the fundamentals, even when you are already supposedly really good. This is something Michael Jordan, the ’90s basketball superstar, understood very well.I quote:

You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way. Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise. – Michael Jordan

This is why you need to learn the fundamentals of the game. When you learn the fundamentals, you’ll know what to do in every situation.

In basketball, this means practicing your shots and teaching yourself perfect form. It involves mastering your footwork and your balance when holding and playing the ball. Do this enough and playing like a pro becomes effortless.

In Age of Empires II, this means you know the strengths and weaknesses of each unit. It means you know in which situation you should use them and how to use them for maximal effectiveness. For every powerful unit that seems invincible, there is another unit that completely wrecks it. It also means learning about build orders, hotkeys, and resource management. Combining a deep mastery of these fundamentals can turn you into a feared opponent.

You don’t have to figure everything out yourself. YouTube channels such as Hera and Spirit of the Law have extensive and detailed videos on almost every aspect of the game. They cover all the basics you need to know, but also the more advanced elements of the game.

Some Basic Principles To Live By

• Always keep an eye out: keep scouting and take note of what your opponent is doing. If you know what’s coming, you can prepare a counter for it. If you see a lot of cavalry in his base, you know you need to make spearmen. Notice a hole in his base defense? You can exploit that.
• Conversely, try to hide your plans from the enemy. All warfare is based on deception. If you’re going for a cavalry rush but your opponent sees you building lots of stables, prepare to find lots of pikemen when you reach his base.
• Spend your resources as much as possible and use them for the right things. If you have an excess of wood but no food, you need to transform that wood into food by building more farms. Don’t forget to also use the market to balance things out. Resources that aren’t being used are worthless.
• Only spend resources on things that align with your strategy. Don’t spend money on expensive Imperial Age upgrades for units you hardly use.
• Pick your fights wisely: resources are scarce. Use the right units to counter to make each battle more expensive for your opponent than it is for you.
• Don’t lose hope too soon: that big army coming towards your base might demoralize you, but it could also be your opponent’s last-ditch effort. You’re not playing perfect and might make mistakes here and there, but so will he.

Learning Counters By Heart

One of the most crucial skills you need to develop in Age of Empires II is learning the strengths and weaknesses of each unit in the game. If you’re just starting and you think your expensive, heavily armored, fully upgraded paladins will make short work of those cheap halberdiers, you are going to be in for a nasty surprise. But that’s something you’ll learn soon enough.

The fact that battering rams are for breaking down buildings might seem intuitive, but what about those ballistas? What are those for? And what is the best use for a mangonel? Why would you even make monks – after all, they’re slow, expensive, can’t attack, and die really fast.

Each unit in Age of Empires II is a tool that has a specific use. If you are not fully able to grasp that use, you will not be able to use your tools effectively. It’s like trying to use a wrench to hit a nail when you have a perfectly fine hammer lying next to you.

Some units are very easy to learn: spears kill cavalry, skirmishers counter archers. Then you have more exotic units, like camels, which is a cavalry anti-cavalry unit. There are cavalry archers, which are both archers and cavalry, and can handle pikemen a lot better.

Start with the basic units. Once you get those down, it’s time to move on to the units that are specific to each civilization. Some of those can be relatively simple too. Teutonic Knights are just extremely powerful and slow swordsmen. Briton Longbowmen are archers with a really long range. But then you’ve got your Throwing Axemen, a ranged unit that does melee damage. How do you deal with those?

Here’s another video to help you out with that:

Figuring out what each unit is good for in a specific situation is an important basic skill, for two main reasons:

• You waste a lot of resources by not countering properly.
• Not knowing how to react can cause you to panic and make you indecisive. This makes you lose your sense of strategy. Then you start doing stupid things.

When you are playing the game, and you’re confronted with a certain unique unit, you might not know how to react. It’s kind of difficult to take a look at a YouTube video while you’re busy playing a ranked match. (you could pause the game, but that would be a bit of a dick move towards your opponent).

That’s why we suggest that you keep a cheat sheet next to you, with an overview of the available counters. An easy way to do this is to ask ChatGPT to generate one for you, and then print it out and keep it next to you on your desk.

Once you figure out the basics for each unit, move on to the next level: combinations. How do you react when you see pikemen combined with archers? Or cavalry mixed with Teutonic Knights? Most likely, you’ll need to combine units yourself.

Knowing what to do in these situations is key. If you react slowly or in the wrong way, this can cause a quick and decisive loss. By the end of a game, it’s common to see a combo of three different units marching side by side. You’re going to want to know how to untangle that web.

Know Your Enemy

Age of Empires II has many different civilizations. They also keep adding more every year. The way things are going, you can expect every medieval village to get its own civ and unique unit.Each of these civilizations has strengths but also weaknesses.

Although 90 % of the unit roster is going to be the same for each civilization, 10 % is going to be different. That 10 % can make a complete difference in how the game is played.

Knowing what civ your opponent is playing means that you know his strengths and weaknesses and know what strategy he is going to use to give you a bad time. If you are up against a cavalry civ, you know that at some point your opponent might come at you with heavy cavalry archers. That means it might be a good idea to have some skirmishers on hand.

Then there are the unique civ bonuses and team bonuses, which are also going to dictate how the game is played. For example, the Huns are instantly at 200 max pop cap, removing the need to build houses entirely. Other civs are going to have bonuses when collecting certain resources or have bonuses to unit stats.

Knowing what civ your opponent is playing allows you to figure out how he’s going to play and what you need to look out for. To prepare for this, I suggest you try playing all different civs a few times, even if you don’t particularly like to play them. This gives you real-life experience in how they play, what they are good at, and what they are not so good at. It will help you find potential weaknesses you can exploit.

Your Objective In Each Specific Age

No two games of AoE II are going to be the same. Maps are randomly generated, the competing civs might differ, and the build orders and the strategies used are going to differ depending on the circumstances.

However, you should still aim for a certain specific objective in each Age, and in general, that is not going to differ a whole lot if you want to win consistently. So here is what you should be aiming for in each Age, and every decision you make needs to facilitate that goal.

Dark Age

• Dark Age is simple: get to the Feudal Age in the fastest time possible.
• A side objective is going to be: to set up your economy so you don’t hit a bottleneck once hitting the Feudal Age – for example having enough villagers on wood so you don’t have to wait to research the economy techs and build enough farms. But this must be done within reason and can’t significantly affect your time to Feudal.

For a perfect Dark Age, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. You can use this guide by Hera to guide you through.

Feudal Age

• The primary objective of the Feudal Age is again to get to the next Age ASAP. Getting to Castle Age first significantly increases your chances of winning. This is because you can expand your economy and get access to powerful units (and Castles, obviously) in the Castle Age.
• Equally important is establishing a basic defense – wall off your base with houses, other buildings, and palisades. Complement this with a few units (usually spearmen) to protect your vulnerable resources.

• A side objective here is to create a few units – usually some men-at-arms and/or archers – to hit your opponent’s economy if it is vulnerable. This is mostly to slow him down from hitting Castle Age before you do. Do this within reason or it will slow your progression to Castle. So don’t go building an army of 20 men-at-arms.

Castle Age

In Castle Age, you get a lot more powerful tools at your disposal – heavy infantry, siege, Castles, and your unique Civ unit. Your economy will multiply thanks to the ability to build extra Town Centers. A lot more options will open up.

• Expand your economy by building extra Town Centers (try to have at least three).
• Start going on the offensive, find your opponent’s weak spots, and exploit them.
• Spend all your available resources – gold doesn’t kill people, swords kill people.

Try to control the map and its resources and deny your opponent control.

Imperial Age

The way the game is played in Imperial doesn’t significantly differ from Castle Age. You mostly just get bigger swords (and guns, thanks to the addition of gunpowder units).

• Make more villagers, max out your economy and get to the maximum population if you haven’t done so already.
• Keep expanding, and build more military buildings to increase recruitment rate (wood comes cheap after all).
• Focus on controlling the map and limiting your opponent’s possibilities.If you keep doing this, attacking and countering resource-efficiently, control the gold and the map eventually your opponents are going to run out of resources, and effectively lose their ability to continue fighting. This is usually when they resign and you win.

Under 1000 Elo, if you stick to the fundamental rules laid out above, you will win 8 times out of 10. That’s enough to get you to 1000 Elo pretty fast.

Getting To 1000 Elo In A Month

When I was still below 1000 Elo, applying the above strategies consistently got me a win rate of about 80-90 % in AoE II. Hitting 1000 Elo took me a little less than a month at about 3 games per day. Once you get to 1000 Elo, you can consider yourself at least an ‘average’ player.

In truth, the tactics and strategies used in each game can vary depending on your playstyle. However, some general principles apply consistently.

Getting to 1000 Elo just requires you to do the following:

1. Have the right objective at each Age and do the right things to achieve that objective.
2. Learn the counters for each unit and counter resource-efficiently.
3. Scout your opponent early to make sure you know what he’s up to.
4. Don’t leave your resources unspent. Use the market to transform excess resources into those that are scarce.
5. Most importantly: watch ALL your replays and learn from them. CaptureAge is a beautiful tool.

Don’t try to work on everything at once. Use each game to work on one skill that you try to master. Over time, these different puzzle pieces add up and combine into a master strategy. (Additionally, you could also try using RANKED XP to help you focus better while playing.)

Now go forth and conquer.