Wards, Glorious Wards~

As a new player there's a lot to learn in a game like League of Legends, from how to play individual champions, to how those champions interact, to gameplay basics that apply to anyone playing any champion. Out of all the tip, tricks, and strategies out there, the one thing people seem to have the hardest time learning is proper warding. I know a lot of people who use and read this forum are to the point in their gaming careers that they will already have learned how. But for those of you who are somewhat newer, or who have been playing a while yet still haven't gotten the knack for it, or who have a newbie friend who needs help learning; I'm writing this here today for you. I myself had a ridiculous amount of trouble trying to wrap my head around the idea of warding until just recently. Now that I've finally figured things out for myself, I wanted to share what I've learned with those who are still having trouble doing so. It's easier than a lot of people make it sound, you just have to learn and remember a few basics, and build on them based on the feel of the m\current match you're playing.

Now, on to the guide!

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It seems to me that the biggest issues people have about warding (at least from my perspective, the mindset I used to have before I learned) are:

*When to buy wards
*How many to buy when you do
*Where to put them at what points in the game
*The amount of time spent out of the lane to place the wards

The first two are easy. No matter what champion you're playing, you should always buy wards, even if only one. If each person buys one at a time, that's 5 wards on the map at any given time. As a rule of thumb, always buy your 1-ward minimum each time you go back to base, even if your previous ward is still on the field. Also, certain champion types might like to carry more or less wards with them. I personally prefer buying two at a time as a tank, and 2-3 at a time as a support. The only times you should skip out on a ward are A). If the last ward you placed is still up, and you already have one ward in your inventory, or B). You really need the gold, right there and then in that trip back to shop, to finish off an item you're building.

As far as the when, people think it's hard to keep track as the game progresses, towers go down, lanes get pushed, old wards time out, etc. But if you build a routine, it becomes second nature. Always check your old wards once whenever you re-enter your lane/jungle, and once whenever you recall. If you're recalling, you'll know whether or not you need to place the one ward you buy right away, or if you still have time to hold on to it. If you check when you recall and see it timed out, you know that you really need to get that new one placed. This also helps to address the issue of time away from the lane. As it is it only takes a matter of seconds to step away and place a ward. Doing so on your way between the base and your lane makes it even more efficient, as in those situations you'll be away from the lane anyways. Why the heck not?

As far as where, and at what points, it does change as the game goes on, but it's not hard to keep track of.
*If you're mid, you can ward the brush directly to the left and right of the lane. This isn't usually necessary if your teammates at top and bottom ward the ideal spots, but it can't hurt just to be safe, and it's good to do if top and bottom haven't gotten the chance to ward yet and you can.
*If you're top, ward the brush closest to the river, the the crossroads near mid on your opponents' side.
*If you're bottom, ward the crossroads mirror-imaged to top, your own river-entrance bush, and the spot on the river between dragon and the crossroads just above.
There are more spots you can ward if you want to and/or can, and you might even want to skip some spots (such as skipping the crossroads near mid if your mid-laner already warded the close brush) but these spots will give you a decent bit of sight early-mid game, as long as you have everyone keeping up on it.

From the mid-game till late (After the first line of towers goes down, while you;re taking out the second), the warding spots change, but not as drastically as you'd think. In actuality, the more time goes on, the less places you have to ward if you're team is doing well. Of course you can ward more spots if you want to or feel the need, but it's even more so quality over quantity the later it gets. The main two places to ward are the bushes at the enemy buffs. I really can't stress this part enough; just having one ward at their giant golem, and one at their lizard will give you tremendous insight, as the majority of the directions the enemy could/would go all pass by the buffs. If you feel the need for more vision, then additional ward sites include the brush on either side of the mid tower, and in the crossroads closer to the river on the side lanes. The spots either side of mid shouldn't be as much of an issue if you ward the buffs, but it'll let you know if they're secretly camping out there waiting for an ambush, or simply went somewhere else nearby. The brush near the river might seem a little odd with the lanes pushed, but it's a good way to watch your back in case somebody's coming to cut you off from behind.
Now, what if it's YOUR towers destroyed, and the lanes are pushed against you? Think in reverse; ward your own buff camps, and the same brush you would farther down the lane, except mirrored on your end. Summoner's Rift was designed the way it was by Riot partly to make things like this easier. Pretty much every part of the map has a mirror equivalent on the other side, you just have to get a feel for where the mirror's edge is. Just remember that once your lanes start pushing back to your enemies again, to start warding there again as well.

late game (when it's down to the inhibitor towers) gets a little wonky. By now you've either pushed the enemy all the way back to their base, of they've done so to you. A lot of times the ones doing the pushing don't even need wards anymore because there are so few places their opponents could be, as they have to mostly defend. But if things do start to turn, and the defenders start to push out again, you should have a really good feel by now where to put your wards if you need them. Always ward the buffs first, obviously. From there it can pay off to play a little cautious (even when you're the ones on the offense), and find a pattern in where your enemies go. Take a look at where they seem to pop up to push the lanes most often, and drop a ward near there. If you're on the defense, ward HEAVILY. It might seem like waste of gold by then, but what good is your shiny Banshee's Veil or Infinity Edge or what-have-you, against a whole team coming to ambush you at once while you try to backdoor? If it gets to that point, you NEED to make the sacrifice, knowledge is power. I know the cost of 75 gold is ooooh so high... (sarcasm), but do it anyways; at least then if you do lose, you lost doing your best and playing smart. It's all about intuition and instinct at this point, but if you've done the previous steps well by now, it should be easy.

It's all really not as hard as people think, especially if you have the whole team chipping in. Practice makes perfect, and the whole thing will get easier the more you do it. Get your teammates/friends to help, teach them these steps too, and you'll find that whether you win or lose, the whole game will go smoother and feel more rewarding (Pun intended).

-Xan