Split pushing is one of the most efficient ways to win games in League of Legends. It’s an important skill to have as a top or a mid laner, but it’s a helpful one for any role in the game too.
But why, when, and how you should split push successfully in League of Legends?
Learning how to split push can be a beneficial skill for any League player because it allows you to solo carry games.
Typically, split pushing is a strategy most associated with top laners. But in the mid to late game, just about every role can successfully split push if they know how to do it.
Here in this post, I’ll explain to you the fundamentals of split pushing in League of Legends and how to do it the right way so you win more games in solo queue.
Let’s begin.
What is Split Pushing in League of Legends?
Split pushing is when you apply pressure in an undefended lane to get advantages around the map.
This consists of pushing in waves of minions, taking down turrets, and drawing multiple enemies toward you so that your team can take a free objective like Baron, Dragon, or Rift Herald.
In League of Legends, split pushing is mostly done by one player/champion.
However, sometimes the jungler or the support may follow the split pusher to surprise the enemy team while the other players are taking down objectives elsewhere on the map.
Split pushing is mostly done in the top and bot lanes. This is because they are longer than the mid-lane and it takes more time for the enemies to get to you.
There are other reasons these lanes are best suited for split-pushing and I will get more into it later.
Now that we’ve defined split pushing as a concept, let’s look at some of its pros and cons.
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Split Pushing in LoL – Pros & Cons
While every game of League of Legends is different, the core benefits and drawbacks are relatively the same.
And noticing patterns and opportunities to split push is key in every match, so practice makes everything perfect.
Pros of Split Pushing
- Getting objectives and gold for you and your team.
- Forcing team fights where your team outnumbers the enemies resulting in a winning fight.
- Allowing your team to secure objectives around the map without contesting them.
- Solo ending the game while the enemies focus on your teammates or the objectives on the map.
While you are split pushing, multiple enemy champions may come to stop you from taking a turret or an inhibitor. In doing so, they’re forced to choose to either give up the objective or their base.
This is one of the strongest influences you can have in the mid to late game in League of Legends. And it’s important to understand how powerful it can be for controlling your enemies on Summoner’s Rift.
On the other hand, if you are very good at split-pushing and choose your moments carefully, you can push while your team is fighting over an objective and take the Nexus by yourself.
This is very situational but with the right champion, it is not an impossible task to do in LoL.
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Cons of Split Pushing
- Not being part of crucial team fights with your team.
- Not everyone understands split pushing and communication is key to a good split push.
- One mistake becomes a major setback.
Many times in LoL, especially in low elo, players choose fights that are beyond reason. A good split push works best when you communicate with your team and stop them from engaging at the wrong time.
For example, let’s say you want to push for the bottom inhibitor. You still haven’t reached the minion wave yet and your team starts and loses a fight for no objective or reason.
You must then call off your push as you are the last member of your team alive and the enemies are likely to take your base.
Obviously, sometimes your team may actually fight for important objectives such as Elder Dragon or Baron and that’s understandable.
But knowing whether your team has any chance at winning the fight and whether you should continue or abandon your split push is a difficult skill you need to develop in League.
How to Split Push Effectively in League of Legends?
Many strategies, champions, and methods exist in the area of split pushing. But the main two things I’ve found very helpful are Communication and Warding.
Understanding of split pushing isn’t something every League of Legends player possesses. And explaining what you are trying to accomplish to your team, in-game and in detail, is a great step toward getting a victory.
Knowing where your enemies are on the map is essential for you to do a successful split push. You can’t blindly force a split push and get collapsed on by all five of your opponents.
So, you need to have vision all over the map but mainly around the area you choose to push. This will help you keep track of the enemy team so they don’t surprise you with their engage.
But learning more technical strategies will help you even more. And there are two additional concepts I want you to take a look at here.
They will take some practice but I believe anyone can master them if they put the effort in.
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Stacking Waves
The main goal when stacking waves is to have as many canon minions in one wave as possible. And this is done by slow pushing a wave.
Slow pushing in LoL is done by eliminating the back caster minions first, which causes the wave to slowly push forward.
This is all dependent on the exact position of the wave so don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get a super stack on your first try. Some traditional and best split pushing champions don’t require stacking canon minions to split push effectively.
When two of your minion waves stack together and you have more than one canon minion with you, you can take turrets way faster.
Canon minions do way more damage than regular minions, so stacking waves is an expert technique when it comes to doing a successful split push.
Knowing the Difference Between Split Pushing and Overextending
While your team can make mistakes by initiating too soon and ruining your push, there are also mistakes that you can make.
Overextending is when you are pushing mindlessly or on autopilot. Not coordinating your push with your team’s position and starting before they are ready can cause you to fail for little to no reason.
Split Pushing is never about overextending. It’s about pressing the pressure points at the right time.
So, always watch your minimap and be aware of their positions and the enemies to not have this happen to you.
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How to Split Push When You’re Behind?
Being behind in LoL is awful and we’ve all experienced it. But even something as daunting as facing a fed enemy laner with two items on you is, there is still a possibility for a split push.
First, you need to accept that you are behind and analyze whether grouping with your team would be better than split pushing.
If you add little to a team fight, head into a lane and apply pressure there. Someone will have to eventually stop you and when that happens you are already helping your team by holding someone more fed than you in a lane.
If they ignore you, take turrets and get back into the game with bounty objectives. If your teammates are winning their respective lanes this makes it much easier as the person who beat you will have to help his team while you push.
Some champions like Sion and Volibear are such great split pushers that even while behind they can still take the entire enemy base in under a minute.
Read Also: Top 10 Best Tanks in League of Legends
When Should You Split Push in LoL?
There is no exact time to split push. And it’s more about adapting to the situation.
For example, if your team wants to rush a 20-minute Baron, the best place to split push will be the bottom lane. Be sure to ping your teleport timer so your team knows you can pop in if you’re needed.
The Rift Herald is another objective that is deadly in the hands of a split pusher and it almost guarantees an objective. If used correctly and at the right time, maybe even multiple turrets will fall.
Most split pushers can solo the Rift Herald and secure it for themselves. And when you get the Rift Herald, it’s always a good time to split push. But be careful if your jungle is not near or the enemies have a vision in the area.
Alternatively, you can help your jungler take it and if he’s feeling generous let you take the buff.
Split pushing with the buff from the Baron can also be very powerful. Once Baron is secured, try not to team fight unless you are very confident in a good result. Instead, the best thing you can do is to start split pushing immediately.
Let your team push one lane and focus on what you have been doing all game, only this time with a powerful buff that makes it much easier.
Read Also: The Best Items Against Vayne
Which Champions are the Best for Split Pushing in LoL?
Split pushing is an art form. That being said, not every champion in LoL can do it well.
Focusing mainly on the top lane, here are the 5 greatest split push champions in League of Legends!
Jax
Jax is one of the most powerful split pushers in the entire champion roster LoL has to offer.
Jax is a strong pick that can be deadly if he gets ahead.
With a great kit, including an attack reset with his W – Empower and a quick escape ability with his Q – Leap Strike, Jax can be very slippery even when collapsed on by multiple enemies.
He has the ability to dive an enemy that tries to interrupt him from completing his push and therefore multiple enemies are needed to stop him.
I recommend watching TfBlade’s streams or videos on how to play Jax. It can be very helpful for learning how to play Jax but also how to split push and win more games.
Sion
Not all split-pushers need to be bruiser/fighter champions. Sion is a great example of this as shown to the world by Thebausffs.
Whether you choose to build him tanky or lethality, Sion is always gonna be the enemy turret’s greatest threat.
Combined with items like Hullbreaker, the rune Demolish, and his passive – Glory in Death, Sion makes turrets look like canon minions.
Sion can also use his ultimate – Unstoppable Onslaught as an escape or to close the distance between him and the enemy turret while doing damage as well.
Camille
Camille is another bruiser/fighter that I added to this list because of her great playstyle and kit.
Camille can dominate most laners early and give you the lead a split pusher needs to make your game smoother and easier.
Her E – Hookshot is a great tool for escaping enemies collapsing on you or to initiate a dive to clear the way for a deeper push.
Combined with her true damage Q – Precision Protocol which is also an attack reset and a Sheen proc from the mythic she builds, Camille can take turrets with ease.
Ravenous Hydra is a must for Camille so that she can push waves in faster.
Read Also: How to Find Your Main Champion in League of Legends?
Fiora
One of the most hated champions by all top lane mains, Fiora also benefits greatly from the split pushing strategy.
She is a deadly duelist that can 1v1 almost every champion in the game if played correctly.
Fiora has a low cooldown dash, true damage, and an attack reset. And if you get ahead on Fiora, the enemy top laner might even leave the lane in anger and allow you to split push for free.
Volibear
Volibear is also one of my favorite split pushers in LoL. This is another champion you can build as a traditional tank or opt for a unique full AP Volibear build that makes Trick2g proud.
Volibear also has an attack reset with his Q – Thundering Smash and the ability to disable and damage turrets with his R – Storm Bringer.
Combine that with his passive – The Relentless Storm’s wave clear and you have the makings of a scary split-pusher.
These champions are mainly played in the top lane but that doesn’t mean split pushing can’t be done from champions in other lanes.
Twisted Fate, Lucian, Tristana, and Trundle to name a few can split-push from mid, jungle, and the ADC role.
Here are my top 15 tips for split pushing and winning as Twisted Fate.
What Are the Best Items for Split Pushing?
Items always vary depending on the champion you play, how ahead or behind you are, and the team comps of both teams.
That being said if you choose to split push from champion select and believe you can do so then here are a few items that go well with most split pushers.
Hullbreaker
Best used to push out lanes and siege enemy structures, this legendary item has a unique passive designed for split pushers. Boarding Party, gives you bonus resistances and extra damage to structures while away from allied champions.
Also, canon minions gain extra size and damage while you are near them. And we already talked about how important canon minions are for split pushing. So, this is the perfect item for it!
Ravenous Hydra
If you find your split pushing champion is lacking wave clear, be sure to pick up this legendary item.
Besides giving you the much-needed omnivamp to stay in your lane longer, this item can quickly eliminate an entire minion wave while using auto attack resets.
Trinity Force
A mythic item that grants bonus attack speed for every item you have.
The Sheen proc is deadly against turrets and the extra attack speed you will get as the game progresses will make you a threat the enemies can’t ignore.
Conclusion
Split pushing is difficult to master but well worth it when you do so. Know when to back away from a push and when to keep going.
Watch your minimap, ward consistently, and communicate with your team for the best chance at success.
Hope this helped give you a better understanding of how split pushing works in League of Legends and gave you ways you can positively influence your games from now on.
Good luck and breach those gates!
