I have seen this so many times when playing an unranked or ranked game on League of Legends: a fellow teammate, or enemy, hugging their tower in hopes that it will save them from eminent death. There is a science to it, don't get me wrong; but it is bothering to see teammates do this with no plan whatsoever. I am positive that one gets the opposite reaction (pure, pure joy) when their enemy is hovering under their tower for defense, unaware that they are about to get destroyed in a matter of seconds. How can this be? one may ask. Players continue to put themselves in unnecessary danger, when it would be so much safer to recall, regenerate health, and hopefully make it back before the tower is taken down. Any avid League of Legends player knows that feeding the enemy is never a good idea. Sometimes allowing them to take the tower is the safer option. This way they aren't ahead on kills, which allows the good guys the chance to push back much easier with a little help. But, as I said, there is a science to this sort of strategy that demands attention--not only for those hovering, but for those going in for, what they believe to be, an easy kill.
Let me begin from the perspective of those players who are on the verge of death. Waiting under the tower is a false hope, for although the strategy appears to be the safest thing to do, there is always the possibility that the attacker will conjure up enough courage to rush into the tower and go for the kill shot. That sort of bravery is rare with the professionals, because if an enemy enters the tower's firing radius, then they are attacked by a damaging blast of pure power; and the pros know better than to put themselves in unnecessary danger like that. The thing is . . . not everybody playing this game is a professional. So, let me create a situation where I, the summoner with only enough health to be a nuisance to my team, is sitting under my tower for protection. I am also in the middle lane (one of the solo lanes). So what is going on through my head? Why am I still in my lane, when I could easily recall and let my health regenerate to its full capacity? Well, suppose I am playing with the teleport spell, and I have used it recently; so I can't go back and return quickly enough to protect the tower from taking considerable damage. As a result, I sit there doing an endless taunt under my tower. Me engaging in my endless taunting also depends on if the enemy is winning our lane. If my opponent has pushed me to my tower, and is forcing me to sit there idly, then it is obvious why I can't move. The question is why I would still be under there when I don't have enough health to make much of an impact, especially against a mid lane opponent (who are mainly ranged mages). I am also out of mana. It would seem stupid at this point, for a ranged opponent could easily take me out, and I have no real way of countering without mana (unless I am a champion like Yasuo, who uses flow, and he doesn't exactly run out of it / I hate Yasuo so much). That is why I should consider the safest option: retreat. It doesn't matter if my jungler is about to assist me. I NEED TO GET OUT. In a perfect example, where an opponent of mine decided it was best to cling to his or her tower in hopes that his or her presence would somehow intimidate me to back off. I was Vel'Koz. I laughed, landed my skill shot, and he or she was dead moments later. It is that easy for the same misfortune to happen to me if I am a champ that has less pushing potential than Vel'Koz (like Ezreal, for instance). In other scenarios, though, there may be a reason for me to stick around for just a bit longer.
Let me pretend I have a half bar of mana, and I am really getting pushed back to my tower. Not only that, but I am also having trouble landing any attacks on my opponent. I have 15 percent health and a jungler who is nearby. This situation is different, because I have enough mana to actually help my jungler gank my opponent. If, say, I asked for assistance in the previous scenario, then me six feet under would have been a very likely result. My jungler would have had to make a savvy escape if he wanted to avoid joining me in my fate. It would have been a mess. If not killed, at least a bit butt-hurt for blowing an opportunity to get ahead. But in this new situation I have mana. This makes a world of a difference for any champion who requires it. My jungle can now gank (hopefully with success) and I can assist. This strategy is safe ONLY when wards are placed. If my opponents jungler sees what's happening and arrives as we are attempting to finish off his teammate, then things would get, well, messy. I would likely die if I already used my flash spell, and my jungler would have to fight his way to safety. So, hugging the tower with barely any health is always risky, even if a player has a gank coming. People play this game, and people are smarter than most like to admit. There is no reason to risk allowing the other team to gain an easy advantage. That is why sometimes a proud retreat is always the safest option in both scenarios (with and without mana). Still, there is another scenario where it may be okay to hug it out.
My enemy has 50 percent health, I have 20 percent. He or she is very aggressive. The scent of blood is in their nostrils, and they won't give up until it has been spilled all over the rift. Here is where hugging it out may be an okay thing to do. One must remember, though, that every decision is situational and dependent on my enemy. I cannot stress this enough. If their range can pulverize me without them getting hit by the tower, then it is best to retreat. If not, I can possibly continue waiting for the right moment. Their relentless pursuit to take me down will prove to be an epic failure if I time it right. First, I call over my jungler. If they are busy, then fear not. I can still catch them trying to rush in for the kill by attacking them with my champion's combo and allowing them the opportunity to hit me at least once. This is risky, because their champ could kill me with one shot if they have enough damage output. That is why this tactic is best when I know how much damage they will do, and how much my champion will resist until dying. A player should be observant of their enemy's damage, total health, mana remaining, and the items they have obtained at that point in the match (HINT: right click enemy to see their health, mana, armor, magic resistance, ability power, attack damage, attack speed, movement speed, and any items / buffs they have. This window is only visible at the top left of your screen when your target is visible). If all pans out correctly, though, then my opponent will take damage from the tower, from me, and possibly my jungler coming in to help. This method is especially useful when a defender is using a champion with a stun ability (Annie, Ryze, Lulu, Brand, Lissandra, etc.). Even if I don't get a kill or an assist, this strategy will show my opponent that I mean business; and that they should tread carefully.
Now onto the perspective of those expecting to rush into their dying enemy's tower and grab an easy kill. It can be tempting for a player to jump into a dangerous situation to secure a kill, but I must urge summoners to be cautious. As I explained in the previous section, an opponent could easily have a plan to counter such an attack. That is why a player must also take into account the factors mentioned above, especially the location of their opponent's jungler. The fact that the former player is passed where the river meets the lane is very dangerous. The defender's jungler can now gank easily, and he, even with low health, can assist his or her jungler with securing a kill (if there is no way to escape). Maybe this isn't the case, and the attacker knows where their opponent's jungler is (he or she sees them in another lane, in a warded area, etc.). In this case, one can breathe easy when making their move into the tower. The only factor to now worry about is whether their opponent can counter any attack handed out, stun them under the tower, or just do anything that could turn the tides against the instigator. For this, one should right click their enemy and check out their stats. For the attacker, armor is important in this situation, because, unlike health, it helps block against damage taken from a tower. If the attacker has a good amount of armor, then it is more likely that they will survive the showdown under the tower--and their enemy will perish. So armor is important to consider. The attacker could be using a long ranged opponent, like Veigar, and the tower would not be a problem. If, on the other hand, they are using a champion like Yasuo, then armor plays a pivotal role (because even with his ranged ability, there is the chance that an opponent lands a successful dodge). Again, these scenarios all depend on what sort of situation one is playing in. For example, I am playing a melee based champion, like Yasuo, and it is fairly early in the game. In this case, I can see that my opponent doesn't have his first item built, and that he or she is not very powerful. I am also not very powerful, but I have the advantage of having more health and a rune page with nine armor seals. It is always a risk to go in for the kill, but if I also have my flash spell, then it is safe to say I can at least try. Timing is everything. I wait until my opponent is in the wrong place at the wrong time . . . and then I strike. Maybe it was successful, maybe it was an epic fail--either way, practice makes perfect. In this scenario, I take a peek at my opponent's items to get a better idea of what sort of damage I need to inflict to secure the kill. This tactic is useful for not only the attacker, but also the defender.
I have explored strategies with solo lanes, but not with the bottom lane--where there are two against two. Some of the same strategies apply (opponent's champions, spells available, the location of both team's jungler, items, health, etc.), but there are also new ways one must look at this situation. The defenders should always consider recalling, unless they have a hook support that can get an enemy under the tower, or a heal support like Sona, Soraka, Bard, etc. Having a hook or heal support doesn't lower the risk though. Recalling should be considered first but always be the last resort. There are situations where teammates can sit under the tower safely and wait for a better opportunity to get back to their base. Attackers have the advantage if they have a hook champ, as well, since the support can pull one of the defenders to them; almost guaranteeing the kill from there. Hiding in the bush and luring out the defenders works, waiting for a jungler to come around the other side of the turret, or just waiting until the defenders make a mistake are all methods attackers can use if they are confident that they can finish off their opponents. Patience is a universal virtue to have in League of Legends. Don't forget to utilize it!
There are many strategies to consider when a player is low on health and trying to protect their tower from destruction. The problem with these strategies is that they all depend on the situation the player is experiencing at that particular moment in the match. Different factors may effect the final decision made by the player, such as: the champion they are against, their mana, their jungler's location on the map, their jungler's ability to help at that moment, their spells available, items, range, abilities available, and so on. All of these variables play an important role when it comes to a strategy like hugging the tower with minimal health, but sometimes there is simply no reason to consider any of these things; sometimes the smartest option is to get back to the base so that opponents aren't being constantly fed. So, players, be wary when trying to hug the tower like a man with acrophobia hugs his seat on an airplane; for there is no worse feeling for teammates when opponent's kills are gift-wrapped and ready to be lugged into Santa's over-sized, red bag. Be that angry elf; delay Christmas for just a bit longer.
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