Lane Freeze Guide Part 1: Dominating Early Game

  It’s only two minutes into the game but you’re confident already. You have a good feeling about this match up, you can easily poke Taric and take control of the lane. And so you begin to put the pressure on…

   Your momentum builds, pushing Taric a little farther back, getting in a poke from time to time and just about every last hit. Then it all comes crashing down. Suddenly Kha’zix sprints out from the bushes behind you. You already realize this won’t end well. You make a desperate run for safety. The flash, the sprint, but you’re slowed. You desperately move towards the safety of your tower, but each bit of damage makes that bright red tower seem farther and farther away. There is no escape. Soon it’s over, and the screen dims into black and white despair.

  What happened? It’s not like you were going to back off from getting last hits, or let Taric poke you into your tower. So what did they do that got you killed? The answer… they froze the lane.

  Lane Freeze probably isn’t a new term to you, in fact, it’s a little obvious what it entails. But if you want to dominate early game and prevent getting owned in a lane freeze, you might want to master this tactic, and start using it to get an unfair advantage.

 Whether you’re in challenger rank or just challenged, this guide will teach you all you need to know about freezing a lane. From what a lane freeze really is, to advanced tips, we will show you how to destroy the early game with this rarely used, yet powerful technique.

What is a Lane Freeze?

  On both sides of the map, the minions spawn at the same time moving at the exact same speed, reaching the center of the map at the exact same time. When this happens the minions battle it out with even numbers on both sides. This even battle will not move towards one side of the map or the other. It will be frozen in the middle.

  So naturally, if the minion waves are battling it out closer to your side than the enemy’s, your minions will reach the fight before the enemy minions. When your minions arrive first it will give your minions the upper hand, pushing the battle back towards the enemy side. Make sense?

  But if you desire to indulge in the benefits of lane freeze, you won’t let this happen. The trick is to allow their minions to outnumber yours, so when your minions arrive quicker they will be able to hold off until their next wave arrives. But I’ll give more details on this later.

*The term freezing the lane is essentially keeping the minion battle in the same place.

Why Freeze the Lane?

  Now let’s talk about the irresistible benefits to this tactic. Freezing the lane in the right location can give you the upper hand; giving you defensive cover from ganks, preventing the enemy from getting gold and experience, and setting up your jungler for ganks. It is essentially an all in one solution for dominating early game, or even just playing defensively mid to late game.

Where to Freeze the Lane?

  The perfect position for freezing a lane is next to the tree line on your side. In this position, you have easy access to the comfort of your tower, and the fail-proof defense of the tree line for blocking attacks. But you also cause the enemy champion to be vulnerable to the river, setting up your jungler for a profitable ganking opportunities.

When to Freeze the Lane?

  Your main goal is to get the upper hand on the enemy. But in the early game, objectives aren’t up, and you are too squishy to make any moves. And so early game, you want to focus on getting the advantage directly in your lane, while playing defensively.

  Without the power of items and abilities, it’s a challenge to push waves and pressure the enemy. But it is at this point you can easily catapult yourself ahead, by controlling the lane. At this time, a lane freeze creates the potential for an early gank. This could be the tipping point for getting fed, or at least driving the game in your team’s favor.

Congratulations! You’re now familiar with the basics of lane freeze. But this is just the start…

  In Part 2 of the lane freezing guide, we will reveal exactly how to freeze a lane effectively, as well as how to maintain a freeze when the enemy is adding pressure, and as a bonus; advanced tactics to helping you master the art of lane freeze.

  Don’t wait! Check out the Lane Freeze Guide Part 2