General Strategy for League of Legends: Dominion

General Strategy for League of Legends: Dominion
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What is Dominion?

Dominion in League of Legends is a recently added game mode that turns the original type of the game in a different direction. In the two original maps, players would need to push separate lanes in order to advance to the enemies base by destroying towers and eventually the nexus, thus winning the game. Dominion does not do this, as the goal of this mode is to capture five points placed in a star-type shape on a new map created for this mode only. This mode is extremely team oriented, so teamwork and communication is vital when playing Dominion. It’s the same for the Summoner’s Rift map, which is the map Dominion takes place on, The Crystal Scar is also a five player team size. There are many roles players can take in Dominion, based on the champion they chose and how the team communicates. Both teams start out with their Nexus health at 450 points, the first to reach 0 loses. You must own more points than the enemy team in order to reduce their Nexus health.

Basic Dominion Strategy

Most Dominion games start off as follows: The team will capture the two points on their side of the map, then four players will rush to the very top point while trying to take it before the other team does. The fifth player will then head to the lower point on their side, and defend it from any attackers. This strategy is very popular among players. Later in the game, the scores might be close or far away, if you are on the winning team with a huge lead, the smartest option is to play a very strong defense until the enemies Nexus loses its health and you win. On the other hand, if the scores are close or you are losing by a small or large margin, the ideal option would be to stick with your team and play a very aggressive offense by capturing as many points as you can in order to gain a lead. Games that are, for example, 5-350 can still be won. Your nexus health cannot reduce if you own more points than the enemy, so if you own three points as opposed to two, you can defend and win regardless of the score margin.

The Capturer

Capturers do exactly as their name implies - they capture the points. Capturers should target the neutral points and undefended ones above everything, as they can get there quickly. All capturers should have a good movement speed, by purchasing either Boots of Swiftness or Boots of Mobility. Characters with stealth are also good for capturing points, as they can sneak around without being detected. Priscilla’s Blessing is an item that speeds up capture rate so if you are looking to capture, that would be the ideal item to buy. Health or Defensive items are suggested, as it will help with survivability when moving quickly around the map, capturing points. Suggested summoner spells for capturers are as follows: Ghost, Flash, Cleanse, and Exhaust.

The Disruptor

Disruptors also do as the same implies in that they disrupt any enemies trying to capture their team’s points. Champions with global skills are suggested to be the disruptor, as they can halt captures from long-range, possibly scaring off the player in the process. Some champions ideal for this role would be Ashe, Gangplank, Pantheon, Lux, and Karthus. The capturer should be able to quickly lower the enemy’s HP when they stop them from capturing, giving their team more opportunity to continue capturing, as that enemy would be dead and waiting to respawn. Disruptors are recommended to use Ignite and Exhaust for their summoner spells, but any you wish is alright. Items such as Rylai’s Crystal Scepter/Hextech Sweeper are suggested for ability power disruptors, and The Lightbringer/Infinity Edge for the AD type ones.

The Taker

Takers are intended to steal defended points from the opposite team. The main points of a taker are range and burst damage. That way they can kill the defenders from a distance and quickly without the tower targeting them, leaving an opening for a capture. One excellent champion for this role is Kog’Maw, as he can deal lots of damage quickly and from very afar. Casters fit this role quite well, as they are the main source of burst damage. A Rabadon’s Deathcap on a caster will greatly assist in bursting an enemy down so you can take their CP (Capture Point). Some other recommended champions are Xin Zhao, Leblanc, Veigar, and Kassadin. AoE spells are also recommended for takers, as defenders do move around a lot. Summoner spells for takers are as follows: Garrison, Flash, and Ignite.

The Defender

The Defender is a very important role in Dominion. The better your defender is, the longer you can hold your points. Defenders are usually ’tank’ champions, such as Galio, Maokai, and Nunu. These three champions have AoE attacks as well as crowd control abilities, making them good for defense. Tanks are ideal for defending due to their survivability nature. Although not a tank, Heimerdinger is a very good defender because of the fact he can place turrets to help him attack any takers. Stuns, taunts, and slows are highly suggested for defenders, as they can force an attacker to be targeted by your turret, dealing tons of damage. A highly used item on any defender is Warmog’s Armor, as it gives you a massive boost to your health. Tank AD type champs such as Nasus or Malphite might benefit from the item Entropy, as it gives you attack damage, health, and a slowing effect on hit. Summoner spells that defenders should use are Promote, for good minion pushing to other points, and Exhaust for any attackers you may have.

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