What is considered early game in League of Legends?
In League of Legends, the early game is the laning phase: roughly the first 14 minutes, when players stay in their own lanes, farm minions and look for small trades and ganks. A common marker for the end of it is 14:00, when turret plates fall off, or the moment the first outer turrets go down and teams start moving together for objectives. It is not a fixed timer, though: a team far ahead can end the early game sooner.
What happens in the early game
- Farming. Last-hitting minions is the main source of gold.
- Lane trades and kills. Champions with strong early levels try to win their lane.
- Jungle pressure. Junglers gank lanes and fight over the first camps and scuttle crabs.
- First objectives. The first dragon spawns at 5:00, and early monsters on the top side of the map are contested too.
- Turret plates. Each outer turret has plates that give gold when destroyed, until they fall off at 14:00.
Mid game and late game
Mid game starts when lanes break up: teams rotate, group for dragons and Baron, and fight over vision. Late game is when most champions have full or near-full builds, deaths have long respawn timers, and one fight at Baron or Elder Dragon can decide the match.
Strong early champions
Champions known for strong early games include Draven, Renekton, Pantheon, Lee Sin, Elise and Lucian. They want to snowball a lead before late-game champions such as Kayle, Kassadin or Vayne come online. These lists shift with every patch.
FAQ
What does early game mean in general?
In most competitive games, the early game is the opening stage when players have few resources and set up their economy and position for later.
Is Miss Fortune early game or late game?
Miss Fortune is strongest in lane and the mid game thanks to high early damage, and she tends to fall off a little against late-game hypercarries.
Is Udyr strong early?
Udyr clears the jungle quickly and duels well early, so he is usually considered an early-to-mid game champion.
Who is the hardest champion to play in League?
Players often name Azir, Aphelios, Qiyana, Riven or Lee Sin, because they rely on complex mechanics or combos.