Good character for a total newb

[Scadente]

Yeah, you can press S, which can be great for baiting. Although just teleporting back to town also works as well! Use it, as baiting is one of the more hilarious things you can do in this game.

[Dren]

Tried out the things mentioned in the videa and it helped a lot.  Did two games.  First one was a complete loss, but I looked like a star from the stats at the end so I'm OK with that.  The second we got shafted because one person logged at lvl 5.  We made it a good game anyway and my stats were pretty good considering. 

I'm terrible at these champ names yet.  I'm using the Angelic Woman in Knight's Armor Champ.  Pretty easy beginner champ I think.  Good ranged splash damage making last hits on minions easy peasy + pestering champs.  Nice single target slow-movement + damage + increased damage debuff to pester champs.  Plus, a heal+movement increase buff.  Finally, an invul shield for those "oh shit" moments.  The bad thing is this champ can't get many champ kills in until higher levels + better items.  Even then, she doesn't have any burst damage (stack attack speed, magic power, reduce cool-down mainly.)  Can survive a lot and is great at the creep game, but not much for ganking.  Can hold a lane solo against 3 champs if I have a tower to back up against.

Most my champ kills were from wearing them down until they made stupid mistakes (like come in range of my tower or get too far from theirs at low health.)

[statisticalfool]

Well done! We should totally play together sometime (tastycap)

You can pick up Tristana and Alistar for free (and both can be quite fun for new players). Subscribe to their facebook and youtube accounts, and wallah.

As a nice style shift from Kayle (angel), I'd recommend picking up Annie (450 IP): she's a good example of a mage, or someone who's fragile, but bursts people down with spells. She gets a stun every 5 spells, so just build to 4 or 5 stacks (you can see when you're going to stun because you have a white ring around you), wait for the right moment, and then go in and drop a bear on their head.

[Dren]

New Question:  So, I'm still playing totally free.  Worth it to pay for boosted xp or rp or whatever else?  What's the best way to get the most for your money if you decide to pay?  I'm not huge into skins, but do want to get more champs.  However, I'd rather earn the champs rather than just buy them outright.  I wouldn't mind boosting to do that though!

[Dren]

I'd recommend picking up Annie ...

Yep, already have her and played a bunch.  I do need to try her again with this new playstyle in mind.  I stunk with her in Dominion though.  The gank factor in that game is too high for a glass cannon like her or at least the way I play it.  I tend to be the loner that caps nodes that the other team is ignoring and holding it until another comes open for a steal again.

[HaemishM]

New Question:  So, I'm still playing totally free.  Worth it to pay for boosted xp or rp or whatever else?  What's the best way to get the most for your money if you decide to pay?  I'm not huge into skins, but do want to get more champs.  However, I'd rather earn the champs rather than just buy them outright.  I wouldn't mind boosting to do that though!

I started out buying champs with IP but eventually started buying them with RL money. After level 20, the runes really are that expensive and you need runes. Do not buy Tier 2 runes, they are a total waste. I have bought boosted IP (in the 4 win package, not the 1 day thing) and the boosted XP probably isn't bad either if you're in a hurry to level. I also bought 1 extra rune page, though I might have to buy another 1 or 2 eventually. I like buying the skins but I usually wait until the skin or the champ is on sale before spending the money. I've probably put less than the cost of a new game into LoL in the last 6 months and got more than my money's worth out of it.

[statisticalfool]

The most efficient use of RP is still buying the bundles. Since the champions in have come down in IP, it's not as fantastic a deal as it was, but it's still pretty great.

The IP boosts are not really that efficient unless you're going to be playing full time for a few days. The XP boosts are really there if you're going to play a lot, and you really want to get to end game fast.

In general, saving IP is good, but I would not worry about buying 450IP champs, and even the occasional 1350IP. (Although, if you're going to buy a bundle or two, buy them first) It's true you'll want runes, but you don't need to deny yourself a fun champ.

Also, tier 1 runes are not that costly.

[HaemishM]

The IP boosts can be very helpful, just don't buy them in the day packages unless you plan to play a shitload of games in that day. I bought the 4 wins IP boost once and I liked the extra IP it gave me.

[statisticalfool]

A 4-win IP boost used solely on summoners gives 145*4 = 580 IP for 290RP. 2:1 ratio.
A 10-win IP boost used solely on summoners gives 145*10 = 1450 IP for 670RP. 2.16:1 ratio.

A 14-day IP boost, with 3 games played per day 85 * 3 * 14 = 3570 IP for 1847RP. 1.93:1 ratio
A 14-day IP boost, with 6 games played per day 85 * 6 * 14 = 7140 IP for 1847RP. 3.86:1 ratio
A 14-day IP boost, with 15 (!) games played per day 85 * 15 * 14 = 17850 IP for 1847RP. 9.66:1 ratio

A 3150 IP champ instead of 975RP, 3.32:1 ratio
A 6300 IP champ instead of 975RP, 6.46:1 ratio. (I'd say the most common use of RP (aside from skins) once you hit endgame is buying 6300s)
A 6300 IP champ on sale for 487RP, 12.92:1 ratio.

The bundles:
41400 IP for the champs bundle / 3410 RP = 12.1:1 ratio.
25,200 IP for the digital bundle / 2520 RP = 10:1 ratio.

[Rasix]

Having the one bundle I bought long ago has been a pretty decent boon for me as I step into other roles more.   This one is pretty solid: http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/Champion_bundle.  You get Gangplank!  Still a few champs I haven't played in a live game with from that bundle.  I'm generally a 2-3 champ per role guy, so I don't tend to play a lot of different champs, especially if I'm uncomfortable with them.

In general I would try do this:

Use RP to buy 6300 IP champs when they are on sale.  Try and make sure you've at least tried them on a free week.  Some champs you'll that you think you'll love just won't mesh well with you.  This happens.   If you want skins, wait until they are on sale as well.  If you don't give a shit about money, buy whatever you damn please.

Buy 450, 1350 champs with IP only.  3150 champs are a toss up really.  There are some really good champs at this level, but not many.  All of the newer champs are still sitting at 6300.  

4800 champs I might wait for sales.  There aren't many at this price point.

Try to save around 20k to 30k IP for when you hit 20.  Runes are really expensive.  Quints are going to run you up to 2k per depending on the rune.


And for my weekly gripe, WHERE'S MAH DAMN YORICK SALE?   Really wish I would have bought Riven when she was on sale recently.  She's still a very strong top.  I'm having issues when someone picks Irelia (she or GP are my normal pick depending on matchup), and this week it seems like the premade are most comfortable sending me top (since I don't jungle).

All I've been playing mid lately is Ryze.  Only really horrible matchup for me with him is Malz, and I've been seeing a lot of him.  Even before the free week, he was everywhere.  Did OK as Gragas against, since you can just poke, push your lane,  and not get relentlessly bullied around for the first 6 levels.  Still sucks that you have to get a QSS (or be GP) or he's just going to kill you anytime you're out of position after level 6.   Still, everyone else I've been just (face) rolling over.  

edit: Looking at a thread, it seems like champs go on sale every 18-20 weeks. So, I'll be waiting another 2 months for Riven, but Yorick should be coming around soonish (maybe a month).  Of course, if I were single, I would have bought this shit by now. 

[HaemishM]

Too much math in that bundle discussion. 

I decided to shelve Trynd for a bit. I'm just too damn aggressive. If I'm playing against muppets, I can faceroll - competent players squish me like a bug. Figured I hadn't really played Gangplank since I bought him. I like him, and did really well early in lane against a competent Sivir/Taric combo (though Taric was only barely competent). Part of that was a good Singed player on my side. I was up 6/2 at one point, but mid game, I started getting rolled a bit. We won and I managed a 9/9/6 game. Of course, the team total was 43/20 so we were playing a really bad set of players. I went Ionian Boots first (though I think zerk boots might have been better), then Manamue, Zeal, Last Whisper and then upgraded Zeal to Phantom Dancer. I was starting to build the Blood Thirster when the game ended. Thoughts?

[statisticalfool]

I think glass cannon plank is kind of inferior (it runs into the same problems of "wins more"), but if you're going to do it, sheen, then IE.

I think going tanky is way more consistent:
boots 1/cloth armor -> boots 1 + wriggles or doran's blade x2 ->  phage/warmogs -> atma -> whatever.

[Rasix]

Too much math in that bundle discussion.  

I decided to shelve Trynd for a bit. I'm just too damn aggressive. If I'm playing against muppets, I can faceroll - competent players squish me like a bug. Figured I hadn't really played Gangplank since I bought him. I like him, and did really well early in lane against a competent Sivir/Taric combo (though Taric was only barely competent). Part of that was a good Singed player on my side. I was up 6/2 at one point, but mid game, I started getting rolled a bit. We won and I managed a 9/9/6 game. Of course, the team total was 43/20 so we were playing a really bad set of players. I went Ionian Boots first (though I think zerk boots might have been better), then Manamue, Zeal, Last Whisper and then upgraded Zeal to Phantom Dancer. I was starting to build the Blood Thirster when the game ended. Thoughts?

My rule for Gankplank boots are:

Ionian boots: If you're pretty confident in winning your lane easily or you're going to need to be a major source of damage on your team.   This would be the boots choice if you're playing support plank.
Merc treads:  AP jungler or someone with a really solid gank.  Lots of CC on the other team.  A little CC is easily countered by oranges.
Ninja tabi:  Garen or another heavy physical damage champ in lane combined with a physical damage jungler.

Some people get zerk boots, I never do.  You can get attack speed through a zeal (build into triforce or PD) or a Wit's End.  Plus, you have a AS steroid, should an AS item not fit in.

It's very hard to build Gangplank poorly.  Your build items you picked are great for a pure glass cannon DPS GP.  No one really builds manamune on him. I don't think you'll spam enough to make it worth it, especially since you only have one spammable skill and your mana requirements pretty much fade away mid to late game.

Start:

Cloth 5hp  v.  AD
Boots 3hp v. AP

Items I build a lot:
Wriggles
Phage
Triforce
Frozen Mallet (build this more than triforce nowadays)
Atma's Impaler

Situational:
Wit's End
Phantom Dancer
Last Whisper
Force of Nature
Blood Thirster
Shurelia's (if I build an early philo stone)
Randuin's Omen (if I build an early HoG)
Hexdrinker

I like to build him a little tanky while still providing solid damage.  Sometimes you might need to go more tanky.  I try to build to win (or just survive) the lane but not to detriment of the whole game.

For instance, last game I thought I was going to be facing Irelia in lane.  SURPRISE, it's Maokai.  Irelia went bot to support.  So, my cloth 5 was only really useful for the 5.  He harassed the shit out of me. He probably could have gotten an early kill, but he was too dumb to chuck a sapling past tower.  First back was merc treads, more pots and a ward.  Lane went better.  I think I got a kill with jungle help or that might have been the time he face checked me in a bad spot.  Next purchase was a vamp scepter, ruby crystal, and another ward or two.  Next time was a lot better as I was able to do some real work on him. Got some kills/assists in lane and roaming.  Went back and got a Wit's End.  Lane over.  He couldn't hang anymore and gave up the lane after a semi-embarrassing twisted advance into getting fucking destroyed.  Finished the phage. And we got baron and middle inhib.  I jumped on their Miss Fortune and basically two shot her with a couple parrleys.  "WTF GP" "thanks Irelia for not going top".  I got a BT just for the hell of it.  Surrender wasn't far off.  

That was a decent example of build winning you your lane and enabling you to carry.  But, almost everything went well there.  A better jungler and perhaps Maokai gets ahead in lane and is able to bully me.  Doubtful though, as even pure AP, his damage won't keep up.  My GP games haven't really been that good.  He's eaten enough small nerfs that some picks really solidly counter him and others just come down to jungle help and player skill.  There's few popular top choices that you just shit all over anymore.  /sadface

[Margalis]

I've never paid for anything except a skin, and that was only because someone gifted me a point card.

I wouldn't be in a rush to get to 30, take your time, play the free champs, try to get better. Chances are when you get to 30 you will still be pretty bad at the game.

[Dren]

It is weird.  I just don't feel the need to buy anything.  I really like the game and think the developers should get something though.  I've had this dilemna with other F2P games.  Eventually, I buy something reasonable just get them some revenue.  I'm silly that way.

I have some kind of status and ability to play in like 5 different F2P games now for this reason.  I doubt I ever go back, but I'm willing to pay for a good gaming experience even if it is voluntary.

[HaemishM]

The fact that it's F2P has actually made me buy more than I would with a sub. The guys made a game I've played almost every day now for 6 months. They deserve a little scratch. Unfortunately, I'm becoming almost a "GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!" junkie about champs. I own too many but I can't resist a decent champ on sale. I'll probably pick up Brand and Veigar on sale this weekend just because they are both decent characters to play.

[Dren]

Yeah, I have that problem too, but at a beginning stage.  I count it as part of the fun of the game.  I'm buying up the cheap ones with earned resources from matches, but I'm sure that's just a gateway drug to much much more.  I'll probably just buy some boosters to start off for accelerated RP.  XP isn't a big deal to me...I'm in no hurry to hit cap.

[statisticalfool]

Boosters give you accelerated IP, you have to pay RP.

Again, do whatever you like, but you'll find that using RP for bundles, or for just knocking off specific champs will be a lot more efficient.

You'll find that you'll have all the 450/1350IP champs you want pretty darn quick.

[ezrast]

If you see yourself getting all srs bsns about the game, be warned that getting all the runes you will want later will cost you tens of thousands of IP, and they cannot be bought with real money - only sped up a bit with IP boosts. So if you're going to be spending money on champs anyway, it's good to start stockpiling IP now rather than later.

If you don't plan to be all min/max-y, then it's no big deal. And 450 or 1350 IP isn't too much to worry about for a champ you want either way.

[Rasix]

First game with Nunu in the bag.  Ho boy, what a fun support. Little too easy to KS with him.  

"Yes, chase Amumu around the corner.  No, I'm not here channeling my ult.  LOLOLOLOL."

ACE.  

He just gets so tanky as well.  Them base stats are huuuuge.  Would play again, and I only picked him because I was annoyed as hell with our team comp.  Solo top Amumu and Teemo bot.  WHATEVER.  We had so much CC and were so damn tanky.  It was absurd how well it actually worked.  No AD carry on either team.   

[Ozzu]

First game with Nunu in the bag.  Ho boy, what a fun support. Little too easy to KS with him.  

"Yes, chase Amumu around the corner.  No, I'm not here channeling my ult.  LOLOLOLOL."

ACE.  

He just gets so tanky as well.  Them base stats are huuuuge.  Would play again, and I only picked him because I was annoyed as hell with our team comp.  Solo top Amumu and Teemo bot.  WHATEVER.  We had so much CC and were so damn tanky.  It was absurd how well it actually worked.  No AD carry on either team.   

Amumu + Nunu is such an awesome combo if you can time your ults up correctly. I'm a huge fan of Nunu myself. He's just about the best jungler there is and throwing snowballs at people is such a great way to lead into ganks. Good stuff.

[Muffled]

He used to be the best jungler there was, I thought that the jungle changes emphasizing fast clear times through multiple target damage hurt him quite a bit.  No argument about snowballs though, that is an absolutely amazing poke.

[Nightblade]

Nunu just breaks dominion, especially if your team is a least decent.

Gets so tanky with his ice ball + frozen heart not even fed late game jax could kill him quickly.

[Rasix]

Got into a game were top 3 picks were Wu, Shen, Karthus (no jungler).  So, they said didn't care where they played (more specifically they said something to the effect of "where ever I want").  Now, if they said go top, I would have picked an actual top.  So, I just said "fine, I'll Nunu" and kept my support runes/masteries.

Lo and behold, "Go top Nunu" once we were in game.  So, I get like my second time top v. a Nid. Now, this didn't turn out bad at all.  Shen/Wukong is a nasty kill lane bottom.  I was able to trade with Nid, not lose lane, and get some early ganks on her.  I finished like 0/2/8, and the deaths were to a gank way keep in their territory and a team fight.  Thanks to the masteries/runes I had a lot of income (just not a lot of offense).

So, I think built right, Nunu is actually a decent top.  Not really in this case, but it worked out well.  You build a frozen heart and a bruiser build Nidalee will never kill you.  You have built in sustain and are tanky as hell.  You just don't clear waves fast or do a ton of damage. 

Fun game and I'm loving Nunu more and more.  Nothing like putting blood boil on your jungle Shyv and melting towers or hitting your ulti in a great spot and getting an ace. 

[Margalis]

Nunu can do fine in any lane.

The problem is late game all he can do is blood boil someone useful. His kit is kind of broken, Blood Boil gives someone else and him attack speed but he has basically zero use for attack speed.

IMO he only works as support because he's too much dead weight late-game to fill another role.

[Hoax]

That's understating it by a lot. There are whispers out there that Nunu top might be a viable counter pick to certain setups and he actually does the following endgame:

+65% attack speed and +15% movespeed on your ad carry (fucking huge, if its Vayne and she lives your basically winning any fight)
-25% attack speed and -60% movespeed on one of their carries, with 30% CDR you can basically keep them locked down in this state 100% of the teamfight

Also absolute zero. It can be good.

I don't think Nunu's problem isn't the late late game when all that really matters is the ad carry because if you peel for him he can kill 4/5 easily. Nunu's problem is during the midgame when many other top lane champs will be more terrifying than the ad carry and Nunu is still just a walking steroid. I think there are probably comps and strategies that could work around him for sure.

[Rasix]

Voli, Malph, Janna this week on sale.  Thinking about getting Voli, since I seem to collect bruisers.  Fucking hate laning against him.  FYI Janna and Malph are only 1350 IP, don't spend real money on them.

Next week was determined by a poll.  Yorick, Irelia and Wukong won.  So, looks like I'll be getting Yorick finally next week. Already have Irelia and Wukong.   I guess people wanted some more top laners.

[HaemishM]

Wukong will be on sale? That sounds like a good one to get. Voli is the only one out of this week I'd be interested in (already have Janna).

[Rasix]

Wu is a lot of fun and really good in the right hands.  Seeing him a lot lately and they're usually doing good. I used to play him quite a bit until a few bad games soured me on him.

You see him a lot more in blind than in draft, because his early laning phase can be a bit shitty depending on the matchup.  Also, with a bad team, you're going to die a ton.  That R draws a ton of attention to you.

[Mosesandstick]

I think he's definitely a fun champion. One of my favourites outside of SR. Only his laning holds him back.

[Setanta]

The fact that it's F2P has actually made me buy more than I would with a sub. The guys made a game I've played almost every day now for 6 months. They deserve a little scratch. Unfortunately, I'm becoming almost a "GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL!" junkie about champs. I own too many but I can't resist a decent champ on sale. I'll probably pick up Brand and Veigar on sale this weekend just because they are both decent characters to play.

I got caught badly this way. Liked the game so I bought the bundles, then started looking at the fun champs not in it and decided that I might grab them on sale. Then looked at the double bundle releases and decided that in the long run I'd like the extra skins (except Sejuani's). Then got a few more skins etc although I only really lashed out on Reverse Annie and Fire Tristana.

At this point in time I only have Urgot, Gragas and Trundle to go and am thoroughly disgusted with myself.

On a plus side, a friend was in the US for PAX and had Sivir and Nasus card lying around but wasn't interested in the game. Freebie time :)

[Hoax]

Man I'm so sad that I didn't get the PAX Sivir, haunts me to this day.

[Rasix]

Next week was determined by a poll.  Yorick, Irelia and Wukong won.  So, looks like I'll be getting Yorick finally next week. Already have Irelia and Wukong.   I guess people wanted some more top laners.

Although there was no announcement, this sale is now active.  Picked up Yorick.  Looking forward to winning my lane by a landslide and then losing the game. 

[Thrawn]

Next week was determined by a poll.  Yorick, Irelia and Wukong won.  So, looks like I'll be getting Yorick finally next week. Already have Irelia and Wukong.   I guess people wanted some more top laners.

Although there was no announcement, this sale is now active.  Picked up Yorick.  Looking forward to winning my lane by a landslide and then losing the game. 

I never realized until recently that champion sales only reduce the RP cost, not the IP cost.  Was waiting for sales on the few champs I don't own for nothing. 

[Lakov_Sanite]

I was in a game where our top lane fiora went vs their yorick.  Neiter had a kill and they were just both up there eating cs uninteruppted by either team, it was bizarre.  They must have gone 30min back and forth, fiora ended that game with 329cs and about 100 more than yorick.