25 Useful Tips Every Player Should Know (Map Awareness)
Whether you're a seasoned veteran in the game or a complete beginner, It wouldn'y hurt to take a tip or two from this list and further improve your game presence by maximizing the game's minimap. Learn about all the important info to look out for and how to maximize the map for communication and shot calling on the fly.
1. Set a Comfortable Map Size
Customize your map size and position in the Interface Tab in the settings menu. Ensure comfortable sizing that suites your finger size for easier navigation.
2. Frequently Check the Minimap
Make it a habit to check the map every few seconds to get valuable information throughout the map. This is useful for quick decision making.
3. Set goals for improving map awareness and PRACTICE!
Decide on a total number of times you have to check the map within a minute to train yourself to always give focus on the minimap. Practice checking the map multiple times in every game and you’ll be checking it subconsciously in no time.
4. Know what to look for when checking the map
Just looking at the map is not enough, you need to know specific information to look for. This could be ally signals, enemy positions, and jungle info. Minion waves can also be seen on the map. The map above indicates all listed and even shows gold plating in turrets where there is opportunity for extra gold.
5. Pay attention to Turtle spawn timers
Jungle objectives is a crucial part of the game, check the minimap to know when and where to show up for objective battles. Make sure to be present to increase the fighting chance of your team.
6. Call out enemy positions
The minimap allows players to conveniently mark areas by clicking on the spot in the minimap. This is important to give info to your team without verbal communications.
7. Check for enemy rotations:
Enemies (marked yellow) often pop in and out of the minimap depending on how they traverse throughout the map, enemies switching lanes or flanking can usually be spotted in the minimap from ally vision and from minion damage. This info is important for quick decision making especially regarding ganks and clashes.
8. Launch Attack Ping
Ping this to alert your allies of a possible gank or winning clash. This lets your team aware of an opportunity to take down objectives as a team or a call to push for an objective which lies on a 50/50 probability of success.
9. Initiate Retreat Ping
Call this to your team if you think moving out is the better option for the situation. This quickly signals your allies that you need to regen your health or wait down your CD before you can engage. This can also mean that you see possible danger from your position that they may not be aware of.
10. Request Backup Ping:
Use this to call for support from your team. Let them know if you are being bullied in your lane or getting outnumbered. This generally tells your group to rotate around your location to help you out with your lane. This also works to call attention to certain parts of the map where spare mates can move to maximize your teams' movement and vision.
11. Ping the Jungle Objectives
Let teammates know of jungle spawns! Sometimes teammates overstay in specific lanes getting engrossed in fights that they forget about important objectives. Use the minimap to quickly ping and call for a rotation toward the Jungle objectives like Lords and Turtles
12. Ping in the map to Coordinate Ganks
Ping areas in the map where you see opportunities to take on vulnerable enemies. This lets your team know where to go and reminds them to pay attention to the map to see the positioning of the enemy team.
13. Track Jungle Spawn Timers
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Major jungle objectives like the Turtles and the Lords show respawn timers after you take them down. This is a majorly important info that should not be ignored in the minimap. Estimate how much time you can spend in a lane before committing to going on to jungle objectives for the quick take. This is especially important for Tanks and Junglers since they are the major players of the jungle area.
14. Check for enemy wards
Enemies like Selena and Popol can place traps along the map that get triggered once an enemy hero steps on them. Avoid making the mistake of stepping on their traps by paying attention to where they place these wards in the map. Being able to gather this info and share it with your team is crucial for safe plays.
15. Remove enemy wards
Following the previous tip, use your skills or call for your tank to clear off wards for you. Tanks can body the wards since they’re built to be damage absorbers.
16. Predict jungle invasions
Enemies treading along the map can usually be spotted by ally visions. Always check the map for roaming enemies and monitor their paths to gauge whether they are moving in foe the jungle steals. Immediately ping nearby allies if you suspect jungle invasions.
17. Communicate available enemy buffs
On the other hand, the mini-map also shows if the enemy jungles are available, use this info to let your jungle know if there are quick steals you can do of enemy buffs. This is also crucial for mages and marksmen who get significant play improvement by getting the blue and red buffs respectively. Stealing enemy buff also reduces their jungler's efficiency which is a great game changer.
18. Use Hero abilities for extra map vision
Estes and Rafaela are some of the few with skills that can show enemies hiding in bushes, cast these on strategic bushes used for ganks to possibly disrupt enemy formations.
19. Coordinate with support or tank heroes
Tank and support heroes are often called the roamers for their task to be all over the map. The mini-map gives you the information of roamer positions and allows you to call for their assistance if you are within their immediate vicinity.
20. Monitor ally and enemy recall effects
Heroes trying to recall are oftentimes low on health or low on mana, either way taking hold of them before they get to their base is always a high chance of an easy kill. Allies recalling could use some protection while they take their time to TP back to base.
21. Familiarize common gank paths
Bushes make the game map more interesting and strategic. Memorize gank paths to anticipate enemy movement and keep them from catching you off-guard. Find safe positions when enemies are off the map.
22. Utilize the map for split pushing
Use you map awareness to track minion waves. You can utilize this info to either quick push unmanned enemy turrets or see lanes which need your intervention to prevent enemy waves from taking your turrets down.
23. Check the map before teleporting
skills and spells: are essential in ensuring you're teleporting to the right location. Teleportation can quickly change the course of a match, so accurate positioning can be game-changing.
24. Use the map to gauge the battle conditions
Assess the state of the game, you can make critical decisions based on map provided information. A losing clash can be exchanged for a major objective like a turret take down or a Lord take. Understanding battle conditions can dictate the flow of the game.
25. Stay calm and focused
This helps you make rational decisions based on the available information provided by the mini-map. This is crucial for game-changing engages and strategies.