Last week, our topic was outside the Summoner’s Rift, the Champion Select. Today, we’re returning to the game to discuss Ganking — When to Gank, Where to Gank, and How to Gank.
WHERE TO GANK
Before you emerge from the jungle and cause havoc over the map, you must decide where to gank. In lower tiers, many people don’t put much thought into this. They usually go to either the lane that complains the most or the lane that is closest to them when they finish a camp. There is a little bit more to it than that.
Some important things to consider when choosing which lanes to gank are as follows:
1) Which lane or player has the highest “Carry Potential”? Carry Potential is the ability that somebody has to carry your game. Your job as a jungler is to create the opportunity for your allies to snowball. So if you have a 0/5 Darius top, there is no point ganking for him. It would be best to decide which player you have the most faith in and set them off.
2) Which lane could win with my help? Are any of your lanes even? Laners who are neck to neck that you could sway into your favor.
3) Which lanes can I gank? Are there any summoners down? Do they have no escapes? Are they low?
You need to ask yourself these questions while in your jungle and decide where to gank. This is something that you should be doing while you’re clearing your jungle. You don’t need mad Korean mechanics to auto-attack Gromp. While clearing your jungle, keep your eye on the other lanes, so you know where they stand.
WHEN TO GANK
Now that you know where you plan to gank, you need to figure out when the best time to get there would be. To do this, you need to learn to read the minion waves to see which direction they are pushing and how fast they are pushing. Doing this is simple: look at the lane and do a quick minion count. The side with the most minions will push. The greater the difference, the faster it will move. If the minions are even, check which side is healthier.
The ideal time to gank a lane is when the enemy is about to over-extend. You want to start heading over there as his minion wave pushes into that area where he’ll be over-extending. Another tip is to try and avoid wards by ganking as they expire. Ask your laners if they see their enemy ward with their Warding Totem. You know that Totem wards last for 90–120 seconds. So, in that timeframe from when your ally warned you, you have a completely uncovered lane to gank. Laners usually ward their lane around 3:00, so 4:30 is the best time to gank a lane.
HOW TO GANK
This part is difficult to explain, so it might not provide enough information for you guys. The most frustrating mistake I see in lower tiers is watching them gank in front of the enemy.
It would be best if you always ganked from behind the enemy. The ultimate goal is to get between the enemy and their tower. This way, you can force them to use something to get around you or run in an unsafe direction.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- Talk to your Laners
Let him know if you’re planning to gank or not. Keep communicating. Some laners like to fight before you gank, and some want to let you engage and go deep for the element of surprise. Talk to them and find out what works best.
- Use the “On My Way” Ping
Ping when you’re close to your lane and are about to gank. Spam it, let them know and don't go in if they don’t react.
- Save your gap-closer
Save it until after they use theirs where you can. By using the right paths, you can force them to Flash early. You can then use a gap-closer instead, resulting in a solid gank.
- Repeat Gank
If you burn a Flash, you have a free kill if you return in the next 5 minutes, so you should come back!
That’s all for today, guys! I hope you learned something new after reading this article. Good luck on the Rift!
