- Support
Bush control means owning the brush beside the lane, so the enemy cannot see where you are and has to play around it. Hold it with a ward or your own body and the enemy bot lane walks and trades worse, because they never know what is waiting inside.
What it is
Brush is terrain that hides units inside it. Everything in a brush counts as being in the fog of war to the enemy until they gain sight over that patch, and the units inside turn partly transparent. The key rule is that brush blocks sight from outside in but not the other way: you can see out of a brush, but nobody can see in. Entering it is not stealth. It conceals you only as long as nobody is revealing it.
That asymmetry creates pressure. A support standing in the lane brush cannot be targeted, so the enemy has to either enter the brush or leave. A unit-targeted attack or spell cast from the fog also reveals a small radius around you for about 2 seconds afterwards, so the first hit costs you your cover. That radius is 300 units. Enemy minions also do not aggro on an enemy they cannot see, which is why brush can be used to dodge minion damage.
Control is about information. If you own the brush, the enemy support has to decide each turn whether you are in it. If they own it, you have to guess the same thing. Wards and Control Wards decide who owns it: a ward placed inside the brush reveals the whole patch and denies the enemy any hiding place there. A ward placed outside the brush sees around it but does not look in.
How to do it
- Find the lane brush and the angles into it
Before minions arrive, look at where the nearest brush sits relative to the lane and the river. Note which side the enemy walks from and how far the brush is from your tower. Each brush has an entrance on the lane side where you step in and a back side facing the jungle.
- Ward inside the brush if you want to deny it
A ward inside the patch reveals everything in the patch, so the enemy cannot ambush from it. If you want to hide instead, ward the area around the brush so you see anyone coming but keep your own cover. Choose one purpose for each ward.
- Step in when the enemy can only guess
Enter the brush from the side the enemy support cannot see, so they lose track of you. Stand where you can see the lane and your carry. Your presence is now a threat they must respect, and they will often step back from the minions to avoid a surprise.
- Use the fog to start trades
From the brush, the enemy cannot target you, so you choose when to step out. Start a trade or a hook the moment the enemy steps forward to hit a minion. Remember that your first targeted hit reveals you for about 2 seconds, so commit only when the trade is good.
- Check the brush before you walk into it
A targeted ability cannot pick an unseen unit, so probe with something else. Throw a cheap skillshot or an area spell into the brush: if someone is inside, it stops on them or deals damage. A ward or a trinket sweep also shows what is in there. Use that information before you walk in.
- Give up the brush when the jungler appears
A ward on the far side of the river warns you. If the enemy jungler is close, leave the brush and stay near your tower, since the brush that hid you will also hide them.
Watch it
What to watch for: The chapter list has a Bushes section from 2:17 and a section on when to apply pressure from 3:51. Watch how the support uses bushes for lane presence.
Video: How to Support: Fundamentals of Laning & Spacing- Season 12 Support Edition - League of Legends — ShoDesu
Common mistakes
- You walk into a brush the enemy is already watching. Brush hides you only if nobody has sight, so check for a ward first.
- You stay in the brush without a plan. Hold it to threaten, then step out to trade. Standing there idle gives up lane pressure.
- You attack from the brush and then stand still. The hit reveals you for about 2 seconds, so move or commit.
- You ward outside the brush and think you own it. A ward outside sees around the patch, not inside it.
- You forget that the enemy can use it too. If they enter your brush, expect to be hit from the fog.
Practice drill
- In a custom game, stand in the lane brush and have a friend walk down the lane. Notice at what distance they lose sight of you, and note how a first attack reveals you.
- Place a ward inside the brush, then ask a friend to hide in it. See how the ward removes the hiding place.