League of Legends
The lighter of the two MOBAs here: five fixed roles, shorter matches and a guided path for new accounts. League suits groups who want strategy and a large cast of characters without the full Dota rulebook.
Profile
What it asks of the group
- Rules to learnOver 160 champions, and each role (top, jungle, mid, bot, support) has its own routine.
- Aim and controlSkill shots reward aim, while positioning and timing carry more weight.
- Talking loadDragons, Baron and tower trades need the whole team moving at once.
- Session flexARAM fits a short evening; Summoner's Rift needs most of an hour with the lobby.
- Team size
- 5v5
- Main mode
- Summoner's Rift: destroy the enemy Nexus. 25 to 35 minutes by our estimate
- Short option
- ARAM: one lane, random champions. 20 to 25 minutes by our estimate
- Platforms
- PC: Windows, with the Riot Vanguard anti-cheat, and macOS
- Ranked access
- Ranked requires summoner level 30 and 20 owned champions
- Price model
- Free to play. Champions unlock through play or purchase.
- Released
- 27 October 2009
Opening hours
Where the first evenings go
The client walks new accounts through the basics and bot games. Each player takes one of the five roles and two champions, and map pings carry most of the talking.
ARAM drops the lanes and the jungle: one corridor, random champions, constant fights. It teaches champion kits fast and fills a short evening. Ranked waits until summoner level 30 and 20 owned champions.
Groups who want a MOBA with fixed roles, and players who learn by trying many characters in ARAM.
Linux users, since there is no client, and anyone who wants the board to reset every two minutes.
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