5 In-Game Timings in LoL You Should Definitely Keep in Mind

There’s a time, or a supposed threshold, where sheer knowledge of the game won’t get you the wins. You can learn all the counter picks and item builds in the world but you still won’t get the wins – Because, at that threshold, there are thousands of tiny minuscule things that could be the decider of a win or a loss. When it comes to League of Legends, this couldn’t be truer. Though below, we’ve gathered 5 In-Game Timings in LoL you should definetily keep an eye on.

While in the early stages of the game, you can pretty much win if you have somewhat knowledge about drafting, in the high ranked games, that sort of basic stuff isn’t even a factor in winning or losing. As a matter of fact, it’s a simple thing called timings. There are a ton of time based variables inside the game that could make or break the whole match for your team. It is important that you memorize these timings in order to clutch the win for your team. If you still feel that memorizing timings is not the way to play the game, then, we’re very sorry to say, but you’re going to be stuck in Bronze for longer than you think.

So, what are these game-changing timings? We’ll go through them sequentially. So, grab a pen and paper because you’re gonna want to remember these time frames.

Outer Blast Cones Spawn

Remembering the timing for the Blast Cone is really helpful when you’re in a side lane and the Cone is on the other side. The timing for this Cone to spawn is between 5:00 and 5:30. If you remember the timing of the spawn, you can just go ahead and deny it as soon as it does. But, make sure your lane is pushing, otherwise the Cone might just come back to haunt you.

You’re going to need some vision around the cone, but if you’re good, you can do it without the vision as well. Some abilities like the Soraka Starcall can also be really helpful to give temporary vision to get rid of the cone. If you’re using a melee champion and on the opposite side of the Blast Cone, use a dash to get in range. If you’re on the side of the Blast Cone, try to have a ward or sweeping lens ready for the river brush. This’ll allow your team’s jungler to go to take out the Blast Cone.

Midlaner Hits Level Six

A midlaner hitting their level six is a huge powerspike for the team and which, if properly used, can have a great effect late game. Typically, if a midlaner stays in lane constantly and no one leeches the experience from the lane, then they will easily hit level six near the 6-minute mark. From personal experience, we’ve seen that the majority of the midlaners are on their way to level seven after the clock hits 6:30.

This is an important timing to remember regardless of whether you’re the midlaner or not. As we mentioned earlier, level 6 is a huge powerspike and if the midlaner has a TP, then he can roam around the map wrecking anyone that is unfortunate enough to face them. That is why once the opposite midlaner gets their ultimate, it might be a good idea to be careful. Make sure your map awareness is on point because a gank could come from anywhere.

Rift Herald Spawns

The Rift Herald spawns exactly at 9:50. That early into the game it is difficult for one team to force the Rift Herald but its possible if they have secured some objectives and have a slight advantage in levels. This isn’t exactly a game-changing timing, but it’s a fair advantage nonetheless.

Even though we said that the herald isn’t game changing, it might be a good idea to memorize this time and take a look at the clock before you go guns blazing to the bottom side of the map. Also, it is important to know that your jungler doesn’t necessarily have to be helping you during that time. Due to the burst you get when you hit the eye of the herald, you can easily claim it without your jungler or smite.

Minor Runes Activate

After Season 8, the 10-minute mark is more game-changing than ever. There are five minor runes that will come online just at 10:00. These runes are Conditioning, Magical Footwear, Perfect Timing, Transcendence and Gathering Storm. Picking out the right rune according to your hero can really help you snowball into the late game. With some additional kills and secured objectives, your team will be that much closer to taking the win.

Homeguard Activates and Baron Spawns

As far as Baron goes, people know that it spawns at the 20-minute mark. But, did you know that’s when the Homeguard activates too? This is the mid-game and what you do here will determine the late game. Any pickoffs on cores can go a long way and farming in the enemy jungle will probably screw you. So, long story short, this is a highly risky part of the game. And once the opponent team feels confident, they’ll spend zero time in going straight to Baron. Whatever you do, just make sure you don’t throw the game when Homeguard activates.

 Elder Dragon Spawns

This is sort of a tricky timing and it’s tougher to memorize like everything else on this list. Riot’s website says that Elder Dragon can spawn only at or after 35:00. But, the problem is that there are a range of times to consider here. The dragon pit needs to be empty for the Elder Drake to spawn and the Elder Dragon’s first spawn time is 6 minutes. What this means is that at 29:00, the dragon must die to ensure that it spawns at its earliest.

The one repercussion of this is that if there is a dragon available in the pit, it will spawn as many minutes after 35:00 as it was alive after 29:00. Another weird thing is that if a Dragon was killed during the time 23:00 to 29:00, another regular dragon will appear instead of the Elder Dragon.

If your team is looking at a severe disadvantage and would like to delay the Elder Dragon’s appearance, than you might want to kill the dragon in the 23 to 29 minute range. If you’re the team with the advantage, then you might want to kill it after the 29-minute mark. We realize that these times might seem like overwhelming at first, but keeping them in mind for a couple of matches will certainly weld them into your memory.

The Bottom Line

We’ve established why you should remember these specific timings in LoL. There’s a chance that your opponents are not aware of these times which provides an excellent opportunity for you and your team to capitalize from your knowledge before them. So, sit back and rise in ranks by remembering these few simple timings!!!