What is League of Legends?

League of Legends is a free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game where players choose from a wide range of heroes to play in teams, with the goal of destroying the enemy team's Nexus before the enemy team destroys yours. With over 130 heroes to choose from, each with unique skills, there's a hero for every player, from those who want to deal massive damage to those who want to support their teammates.

First, you'll need to download the game and create your LoL Accounts. Your account will be your gateway to all the excitement of the game, allowing you to choose champions, join games, and earn rewards.

Start Your Journey

First, head to the official League of Legends website, create your LoL account, and download the game. Once installed and patched, you'll be ready to start your first tutorial. In this phase, you'll learn the basics of the game, including how to use abilities, defeat creeps, and the role of turrets. The tutorial is essential, but it's not perfect - it may have you use some suboptimal items or strategies, such as having Ashe build Thornmail, which is generally ineffective for her role as an offensive damage carrier (ADC).

Nonetheless, the tutorial will help you get familiar with the core concepts of the game, laying the foundation for your future matches.

Master the Basics: Terminology and Mechanics

There are also some key terms to know when learning League of Legends:

MIA: Missing in Action (used to notify your team when an enemy disappears from their lane)

Ult: Ultimate, a hero's strongest skill

ADC: Attack Damage Carrier, a hero who deals high damage primarily through basic attacks

APC: Ability Carrier, a hero who relies on skills to deal damage

CC: Crowd Control, such as stuns, slows, and silences

GG WP: Good Game, Play Well

These terms will appear frequently as you progress, and knowing them will help you communicate effectively with your team.

Game Modes and Maps

As you gain experience and level up your League of Legends account, you'll unlock different game modes. The most popular map is Summoner's Rift, a 5v5 battleground used for both casual and professional play. This map features three lanes - top, mid, and bottom - where turrets, minions, and enemy heroes fight for control.

Other game modes include ARAM (All Random All Mid), which takes place on a single-lane map called Howling Abyss, and Twisted Treeline, a smaller 3v3 map. Each mode offers a different gameplay experience, so try them out to find the one that works best for you.

Choose Your Role

When playing League of Legends, there are five key roles to fill in each match:

Top Lane: A hero who excels at solo combat and sustain (usually a warrior or tank)

Mid Lane: A hero who deals spell-based damage (usually a mage or assassin)

Jungle: A roaming hero who kills neutral monsters and assists other lanes

ADC (Marksman): A hero who primarily deals damage through basic attacks (located in the bottom lane)

Support: A hero who protects and assists the ADC, usually through healing or crowd control

Understanding each role is essential to getting the most out of your League of Legends account, and over time you'll find which one best suits your playstyle.

Currency and Customization

In League of Legends, two main currencies help you unlock heroes and cosmetic items:

Blue Essence (BE): Earned through leveling up, quests, and breaking down hero shards. This currency is primarily used to purchase new heroes.

Riot Points (RP): Purchased with real money, RP lets you purchase cosmetic items like heroes and skins. While RP can help you customize your hero's appearance, it has no impact on your in-game performance.

Level Up and Beyond

As you continue to play and level up your LoL Unranked Accounts, you'll unlock runes and summoner spells, which give you more ways to customize your gameplay. These in-game boosts are vital to your success, so learning how to use them effectively is key.

Stay tuned for the next part of this guide, where we'll dive into team dynamics, hero selection, and advanced strategies to help you dominate the Rift!