I’ve talked about roaming before and what kind of impact it can have on games. Roaming is a fantastic way to flip the momentum of a game on its head or increase the lead gap even more.
Traditionally roaming and ganking are left to the Mid lane and the Jungler. This is because these roles have priority on the entire map. However, many people do not realize just how powerful a Support roam can be.
Roaming as Support can secure Drake, win Mid lane, and snowball the Jungle. The only problem is that roaming will leave an ADC in a 1v2 lane, which may backfire in the end. So before you roam as Support, there are a few things to keep in mind.
In this article, I’ll go over a list of scenarios in which you should consider roaming as Support in League of Legends.
5. When Your Champion Can Gank
You will not be roaming every single game you play. Whether you roam or not heavily depends on who you’re playing. Champions like Soraka and Sona are just not going to have much impact compared to Champs like Thresh and Morgana.
If your Champ has no hard CC and has a kit built around sustain and protection, then you’re likely better off staying in lane and protecting your ADC.
On the other hand, if you notice something going on in the Jungle and you’re in a position to roam, then you should, especially if it is in your own Jungle. At that point, your ADC should come with you and secure a free pick on the enemy Jungler.
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4. When You Have Lane Priority
Lane priority is a fancy way of saying that your lane is pushed. Pretty much, if your lane is past the river, shoving into the enemy turret, then you should look to roam. I recommend calling the Jungler and grabbing a Drake before the enemy can respond.
On the other hand, if you’re being pushed under your turret, and two Junglers are fighting at Dragon, then you probably won’t be able to help.
Try to pay attention to where your lane is and what your Jungler and Mid laner are doing. If they’re playing risky games in the river while you can’t roam to help, then you need to ping them back.
If you try to walk past your enemy laners to help in a river skirmish, odds are you’re going to get picked off, and you will throw the whole lane.
3. When Your ADC Can Survive 1v2
It is a lot less risky to roam if you have an ADC with many escape tools, like Samira. The same can be said about an ADC with a lot of range, like Caitlyn. If you roam, and your ADC dies while you’re gone, they will hold a lot of animosities towards you (justified or not).
You need to gauge your ADC’s survivability, as well as the enemy’s engagement potential. Even if Cait plays as safe as she can under turret, sometimes you just can’t help but get Flash Blitz hooked.
One huge upside to roaming and allowing your ADC to 1v2 is that it will give your ADC solo XP. Solo XP is a fantastic way to jumpstart scaling Champions like Vayne and Jinx and even push bully Champs like Caitlyn ahead.
If you think your ADC can handle a 1v2, then try to look for roams so that they can net that solo XP. Keep in mind that they’ll be much more likely to survive if the lane is pushed to your own turret so that they don’t have to overextend just to farm.
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2. When Mid Needs You
Sometimes your Mid laner is getting run over. Maybe their Champion was counter-picked, maybe they lost an early trade, maybe the enemy laner is just better.
While it’s usually up to the Jungler to change the momentum of losing lanes, you can take matters into your own hands.
Think of your roam exactly how a Jungler would. Have your Mid laner CC to lock down the enemy Champion? Do you have CC? Walk up there, wait for the enemy laner to push, and then make your move.
If you land a kill, try to look for a Dragon or some turret plates. Remember that the enemy Jungler may try to counter gank you, which could be bad. So pay attention to where everyone else on the map is.
1. To Work With the Jungler
If you do have lane priority and notice your Jungler making moves against the enemy Jungler, you should help. Killing the enemy Jungler is a fantastic way to secure objectives, and frankly, tilt the enemy team.
The same can be said for roaming Mid. If your Jungler is looking to play against a fed Mid laner, the more, the merrier. Roam up there with your Jungler, and help secure the kill. If the enemy Jungler counter ganks, your team will still have the numbers advantage.
Trust me, as a Jungle main, there’s nothing I love more than a Support that roams around the Bot-side Jungle with me. This strategy absolutely wins games, and I promise that you’ll notice a stark improvement in your winrate.
Alright, that’s all I got for all of you Support mains. Generally, just ensure your roams won’t leave your ADC vulnerable. Think about what you can gain from a roam and what you can lose. Mastering the roam is a fantastic way to propel yourself into a higher Elo as a Support main.
