In a game like League of Legends, you will need more than quick reflexes and control; you’ll also need a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. Today, we’re going to delve into some unknown mechanics that many players are not aware of, which we believe could help improve your gameplay. Let’s get into it.

#1: Flashing to Carry Abilities Over

This mechanic involves using flash to extend the range, change the direction, or cancel some short dashes. For instance, Shen’s taunt has a relatively low range and only goes in a straight line, but with flash, you can target one enemy and then flash onto another one that’s further away or even off to the side of your initial cast. Champions like Jarvan, Fizz, and VI can also make impressive plays using this mechanic.

#2: Flash Buffering

Flash buffering is a technique that can help you land your abilities more consistently. Instead of trying to flash first and then input your auto attack or spell command, you can input the command and then flash. Your champion will keep the command and instantly let out an attack or spell after the flash, making it nearly impossible for your opponent to dodge.

#3: Lollipopping

This mechanic explains why you sometimes get hit by skill shots that you thought you had dodged. When a skill shot projectile reaches its max range, it blooms a bit in all directions, trying to latch onto a target. This is not a glitch or bug, but a mechanic that Riot Games has not been very transparent about.

#4: Hiding Spell Animations with Emotes and Other Actions

Some champions can hide their spell animations using emotes and other actions. For example, Nautilus can hide the initial wind-up of his hook by throwing it out in the middle of a passive-enhanced auto animation, making it seem faster when it flies out.

#5: Pulling the Minion Wave

This technique involves catching the enemy minion wave right as it leaves the tower, cutting it to the first bush on that side of the lane, and dipping in and out to keep them there. This ensures that you have a safe way to play the early game since you’ll be immune to jungle ganks and not have to worry about being engaged on by a stronger bot lane.

#6: Support Items

In long games, supports often face the dilemma of what to do with their last item slot. You can sell your support item, giving up green wards but keeping the wardstone for the extra control wards. This gives up some vision control, but when the game goes on too long, sometimes you need every bit of combat power that you can get. For mage supports, Void Staff is a HUGE spike to damage output. The tanks may want to add Stoneplate to beef themselves up even more.

#7: Alistar Fail Combo

If you use Alistar’s WQ combo from too close to an opponent, it actually doesn’t work. You’ll always push the enemy away before Q goes off, resulting in your opponent escaping. You can play around this by moving back a bit and then going for the WQ combo.

#8: Slowing Kalista

Slows are a hard counter for Kalista. Due to her passive, her attack speed is gated by her movement speed. If you slow Kalista, it increases how long it takes for her to complete a hop, which means that you’re increasing the time between every single attack.

#9: Fun Passives

In League’s early days, Riot used to add playful little mechanics to the game. For instance, Nidalee’s hidden passive, being a cougar, would give bonus experience to under-leveled male champions near her. Any skins with sunglasses take one less damage from Leona’s sunlight.

#10: Ally Poisons Work for Cassiopeia’s E

Cassiopeia’s E does bonus damage and heals her if it’s used on a target that’s affected by poison. While her Q and W apply poisons, they aren’t the only poisons that count. Both Singed and Teemo’s poison effects can amplify Cassiopeia’s E damage. This makes Singed one of her very best teammates to get matched with, as he can cover for her in the mid to late game, which is when Cassiopeia is at her best.

These are just a few of the many unknown mechanics that can elevate your gameplay in League. Understanding these mechanics and how to use them effectively can give you an edge over your opponents. So, whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, it’s always a good idea to keep learning and improving your game knowledge.

Remember, League is not just about having good reaction speed and skill shot accuracy. A lot of what determines how good you are is your game knowledge. So, don’t get frustrated if you don’t understand something. Instead, take the time to learn and improve. After all, the more you know, the better you’ll be.