Best League of Legends Split Push Strategies

Dominating a massively multiplayer online game like League of Legends requires players to understand how split push strategies work. This is an essential tactic for players wishing to dominate LoL and climb the ranks quickly. The key to split pushing is understanding how and when to pull it off which works to your advantage.

While the top lane is the role most players associate split pushing with, it’s not the only one that can pull it off. As the game progresses to later stages, most roles and champions can split push effectively. It doesn’t matter whether they’re equipped with an ideal optimized kit or not. It comes down to working with what you have. Remember, it’s not always the car that wins the race but the driver behind the wheel.

Explaining LoL Split Push

LoL’s split pushing is when you move to a weaker lane to apply pressure by pushing the wave to gain a tower advantage. This usually occurs during the later stages of a game where it’s easier to do this more effectively. Especially if the lane is undefended, champions can push quickly as death timers become longer when they time their mid to late-game pushing tactic just right.

Lanes that usually are pushed in this manner are Bot Lane and Top Lane. It’s because they’re the outer lanes of the Rift and are longer than Mid Lane. Split pushing is more effective as enemies will take longer to reach you. This gives you time to apply more pressure in the game or escape. These are among the best reasons to split push a slide lane.

When to Split Push

The most effective LoL split pushing strategies require players to do their homework first. Doing so will make split pushing seem easy as you understand many in-game situations lead to similar patterns and results.

Before engaging in a split push, key factors such as team composition and achieving key objectives must be in your favor. This includes establishing good ward coverage around the map. This way, you won’t be collapsed upon by the enemy champions. If you see an enemy champion walk near a ward or is headed in your direction, hold off on the split push. However, if you see an enemy leave your lane, this is your chance to do a hard push. There are plenty of places to use wards and trinkets so be sure to ward appropriately around the lane you’re split pushing.

It’s also important to communicate with your team. This is especially true if you intend to split push. This allows your teammates to coordinate themselves and play around you. If you have Teleport, ping it and let your team know you are there to Teleport if they need you.

Get the Support to drop a Ward or Teleport to the nearest ward and help your teammates in team fights. However, don’t ping Teleport and fail to follow up. While split pushing, keep watch on your team and the mini-map. You may need to Teleport and help them at a moment’s notice. If you have no intent to use Teleport and the enemy pounces on your team, you may be at fault for losing a team fight because you weren’t there for your teammates. It’s key to talk to your team so they know what you’re up to.

Here is a list of additional split pushing situations you can apply;

• When looking to split push, this can be done in a 4v4 or a 4v5 match if your team can successfully hold its own. If you’re confident you can break off to split push, go for it.
  
  
• Your team has consistent wave clear and can push the enemy back if they decide to fight or push. Good enemy teams will realize what you’re out to do. It’s important your team has wave clear and can slow down the enemy’s push by clearing waves quickly and avoiding the fight. You want your team to apply pressure to another objective while you go for another in a side lane.
  
  
• Push waves quickly and clear them fest with auto attacks and AOE abilities. This makes split pushing relatively easy as you push waves and apply pressure to the enemy’s objectives.
  
  
• Quick escape if needed and take objectives quicker if you have an escape ability and are strong in a 1v1 matchup. Your split pushing efficiency becomes easier when you can fight whoever comes to stop you. Should the enemy send multiple players, you can also quickly escape if needed.
  
  
• Split pushing is easier when you have Teleport to a nearby ward or minion and can help your team if they need you. This is important as it will allow you to get in the fight quickly instead of Recalling and walking to them. Teleport is also a great defense when the enemy is trying to crowd you.
  
  

When Not to Split Push

Sometimes. Players think they’re split pushing when they’re merely overextending themselves. They lose focus on obtaining dual objective pressure effectively to split push. While you can use turrets to push waves with no pressure around the map, it’s sometimes harder to do so and that’s just pushing aimlessly with no positive outcome.

• Even though your team can fight 4v4 or 4v5 successfully as a group, you may not need to engage in a split push. Your best bet here is to stick with your team and play on their strengths to meet your in-game objectives and secure the win.
  
  
• When your team is behind and prone to dying in a 4v4 or 4v5 match then a split push is not recommended here. You need to be there to help your team and avoid losing objectives.
  
  
• If the enemy can dive your team with ease you must be able to help your teammates disengage a fight without dying. If they’re weaker in team fights, group up and avoid split pushing. Don’t make it easy for the enemy to dive into your allies as soon as you show up elsewhere on the game map.
  
  

Situational Split Push Tactics

The main objective behind a split push is to gain your team an advantage over the enemy. There is no set timer for split pushing as it boils down to experience and game knowledge. Some ideal situations to split push are as follows;

• Baron - If your team can take on Baron, split bush Bot Lane to apply pressure. Keep pushing the lane and let your team take the objective if the enemy tries to stop you. If your team recently killed Baron and received the buff, it’s time to split push. Avoid fighting as 5 and apply pressure by sieging as many towers as possible. Do this to gain an increased global gold lead and open up the map. The reason to avoid fighting as 5 is to avoid getting caught out as a team. This can lead to all of you dying and the buff is wasted.
  
  
• Dragon/Top Lane - When taking on the dragon, split push to apply pressure to the Top Lane. This will either result in getting its tower or getting the Dragon for free while the enemy comes to stop you. Either situation will send their Top laner to deal with you. This makes the Dragon fight 4v4 or the enemy will send multiple people to stop you. This often leads to a free objective for your team. This tactic also applies mental pressure to the enemies.
  
  
• Proxy Farming - It’s not as common but it’s effective during the Laning phase when you’re ahead of the enemy laner. You can successfully pull off a proxy farm between the Tier 1 and Tier 2 towers. This is ideal when you’re stronger than the enemy champion and can push and clear waves quickly. It helps when you’re fast or can escape with ease, as well as regenerate resources such as health and mana.
  
  
• Rift Herald - Split pushing with Rift Herald almost guarantees an objective on the map if the split pusher has the buff. This can be used in a lane before grouping with the team. Ensure you have pressure on the map so your Rift Herald can deal damage and take the tower herself. This will create a situation where you can join your team as the Rift Herald can push and take an objective without help. This allows you to take another objective or start a 5v4 or 5v5.
  
  
• Wave Stacking - This sets up a split push with a double or triple cannon wave. This requires precision timing from you and your team. The pros often use this as a side lane that gets slow pushed and is set up before taking a major objective. The entire team plays around the stacking waves as an unstoppable unit. Stacking waves like this requires a slow push a minion wave. You kill the back caster minions make the wave slowly push and allow it to stack. It’s not always easy to pull off but it can be done.
  
  

The Perfect Split Push

It requires lots of team coordination and practice to pull off “the perfect split push.” The key to pulling this off is to pressure more than one objective at a time. Let’s say you’re split pushing the Top Lane Tier 2 tower and your team is pressuring the Mid Lane Tier 2. This applies two simultaneous pressures and gives you a higher chance to score your objective. The enemy won’t be able to leave Mid Lane to save Top Lane as the Mid will go down instead.

Split Pushing Pros & Cons

• Pros - You can achieve global map pressure.
  
  
  • Achieving another object while your team attempts to get an objective. While they’re working around an objective, this frees you to get another.
    
    
  • It’s a great method to apply global map pressure as it will split the enemy up. And you can gain a CS lead over the enemy laner.
    
    
  • Most games will have laners give up some CS to group with their team. As you split push, you won’t be missing out on CS or experience compared to the enemy. This means you gain extra gold and experience over the enemy laner.
    
    
  • You can open up the map for your team, making it easier gain objectives as your team pressures another lane or objective. You open the map for your team and put the enemy at a disadvantage. Having all Tier 2 towers on the map will starve the Jungler of Farm. They’ll fall behind and miss out on gold, CS, and experience.
    
    
• Cons - If you’re not focused your team may get caught and die.
  
  
  • Miscalculations are costly. You and your team must be on the same page with communication, timing, and confidence.
    
    
  • Split pushing is a gamble, especially when going up against a strong team that also knows this tactic. If your team is caught out, you can’t split push as you’ll need to stay with them. If you’re not with them, they’ll lose every fight as it will be a 4v5 situation.
    
    
  • There are no guarantees as some games will prevent you from split pushing effectively. This is especially true when facing a team that’s either equally matched as yours or faster/stronger. This is when you apply balance between grouping and team fighting. If you can split push, great. If not, focus on communicating and cooperating with your team to achieve the best end-game results.
    
    

Additional Split Pushing Advice

You need to watch the mini-map as you split push away from your team. Map manipulation helps understand what’s going on. If you see an enemy champion has broken away from their team, you may have to back off from your split push attempts and regroup with your teammates. You can also spam ping your allies to back off if you see the enemy is attempting to engage them. Use your teleport to help your team so they don’t lose team fights.