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Dodging is moving your champion out of an ability's path before it lands, usually by stepping sideways instead of backwards. Most champion deaths in lane start with one ability you could have avoided, so a clean sidestep is worth more than a perfect combo.
What it is
Most dangerous abilities come in two shapes. A line skillshot, such as Ahri's charm, Lux's Light Binding or Thresh's hook, is a projectile that flies from the caster along a straight path. A delayed ground effect, such as Mordekaiser's claw, Malzahar's portals or Leona's Solar Flare, marks an area and only damages whoever is still inside it when a short timer ends.
Both can be beaten with movement, because both give you information before they hurt you. A projectile has to travel, and many abilities have a cast time before the projectile leaves, which you can read from the caster's animation. A ground effect shows an indicator and then waits. Mordekaiser's claw takes half a second, Malzahar's portals at 0.4 seconds and Leona's flare at 0.625 seconds, so you always have a moment to act if you are watching.
Direction matters. A projectile travels along the line it was fired on, so walking straight back keeps you on that line for as long as you retreat. Stepping out across the line, at a right angle, removes you from it in the shortest time. Many skillshots also stop at the first enemy they touch, and Lux's Light Binding passes through one before stopping on the second, so a minion standing in front of you is a second way to dodge. Finally, dodging is only half the job: the best sidestep also keeps you within range of your own attacks and spells.
How to do it
- Watch the caster, not the projectile
The tell is the cast animation. Thresh pulls his arm back for a short moment before the scythe leaves, and most mages have a quarter-second cast before their bolt appears. Learn the animation of the three or four abilities that decide your matchup, and start moving when you see it begin. Waiting until the missile is visible leaves you very little room against fast projectiles.
- Step across the line, not away from the caster
Right-click a point to the left or right of the line the ability will travel on. Think of the shot as a rail and leave the rail. Move far enough that your whole champion clears the line, not just your centre.
- Move late enough to deny the correction
A caster aims where you are standing or walking when they fire. If you jitter left and right all the time, a good player will start to read it. Walk normally, then make your sharp change of direction in the half-second after the animation starts. The shot is already committed to a line and cannot be adjusted.
- Leave delayed ground zones the moment the indicator shows
When a circle, claw or flare indicator appears, walk out of its edge at once. Pick the nearest edge, preferably the one that also leads towards your target or your side of the lane. For a pull such as Mordekaiser's claw, leaving the area is enough, and moving across its path can also leave you on the far side of the caster.
- Use a dash or blink to leave the line when walking is too slow
If the missile is already close or you cannot clear the line on foot, cast a dash perpendicular to it. Pick a dash that ends outside the line, not one that runs along it. Remember that dashes cannot be cast while you are rooted or grounded, so a movement ability is something to save until you really need it, not to use against every shot.
- Step towards a minion or your own range
When there is a wave, stand so a minion sits between you and the caster, because a projectile that stops at the first unit will hit the minion instead. When there is no wave, choose a sidestep that keeps you within auto-attack or spell range of your opponent, so the moment their ability has missed you can answer.
- Punish the miss
A skillshot that missed is a cooldown the enemy no longer has. Walk forward right after it passes and trade while it recharges.
Watch it
What to watch for: A coach's walkthrough of dodging skillshots. Watch how the movement changes direction in response to the enemy's cast, rather than being constant.
Video: How to Dodge Skillshots in League (Improve Mechanics) — xFSN Saber
Common mistakes
- You back straight away from a line skillshot. You stay on the line and still get hit. Step sideways across it instead.
- You dodge every ability by spending your dash. Then you have nothing left when it is needed. Walk out of what you can and keep the dash for the shot you cannot sidestep.
- You wander constantly left and right with no pattern. A good opponent learns it. Walk normally and change direction only when the animation tells you a shot is coming.
- You stay still inside a ground indicator because you think the timer is longer than it is. The delay can be under half a second. Move the instant the shape appears.
- You sidestep away from your own range. You dodge but cannot hit back. Choose the direction that keeps your target in reach.
Practice drill
- In a custom game against a bot playing a champion with line skillshots, such as Lux or Ahri, farm without taking any ability for five minutes. Success is leaving lane at full health. Repeat with a bot that uses ground zones.
- In a normal game, count the skillshots that hit you in the first ten minutes, and note which animation you missed each time.