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A slow push builds your minion line up over several waves, by killing as little of the enemy line as you can, so that a large stack hits the enemy turret all at once. That crash buys you time: you can recall, set up a dive, or take a Teleport timing while the enemy is stuck clearing minions.
What it is
Minions fight whatever they meet, and a lane only moves when one side deals more damage than it takes. A wave that catches up with the wave in front of it joins the same fight, and a side that stays slightly ahead in damage gains minions with every reinforcement. A slow push keeps your side just ahead, wave after wave, so the stack grows instead of dying in one go.
In practice the method is to let your minions do most of the work and spend your own hits on the enemy casters, the ranged minions at the back of their line. Casters deal much of the damage that kills your minions, so removing them tips the fight your way without ending it, and the melee minions that remain keep trading. A fast push does the opposite: it clears the whole line, a small wave crashes into the turret and dies, and the enemy's next wave walks into your side.
The crash is the payoff. Turrets rank minions above champions when they pick a target, and big waves can overwhelm a turret, so while the stack is under the enemy turret the enemy laner has to clear it or lose the gold and experience. That is your window. Waves spawn every 30 seconds early and every 25 seconds from 14:00, which tells you how long a stack takes to form. A level lead also helps, because the team with the higher average level gets a bonus to minion damage against enemy minions.
How to do it
- Pick the purpose before you build
Decide what the crash is for: a clean recall, a dive with your jungler, a Teleport timing, or arriving at an objective with a wave ready. That fixes when the stack must land. For an objective, most players start the push about a minute before the monster spawns.
- Hit casters, leave melee
Spend your auto-attacks and cheap abilities on the enemy casters as they step into range. Let your own minions deal with the melee line. Watch the minion health bars: you want the enemy line shrinking slowly, not vanishing.
- Count both lines every wave
Check how many minions each side has. You want yours to outnumber theirs by a small margin. If the enemy line is down to one or two minions, stop attacking, because killing them ends the push early and sends a small crash into the turret.
- Let the next wave join
Your next wave arrives half a minute after the last, or 25 seconds from 14:00. Do not clear anything to hurry it. Each wave that merges adds minions, and two or three waves stacked together is what makes a crash big enough to matter.
- Land the crash on your timing
Wait until the front of the stack is attacking the enemy turret. For a recall, press B (the default recall key) then, out of enemy sight, so your minions are still soaking the turret while the channel runs. For a dive or a Teleport, move when the turret is busy with minions rather than waiting for the stack to thin out.
- Watch your flank while you hold the push
A slow push leaves you standing forward, and a stack is a visible signal to their jungler. Ward the river approach before the third wave and keep checking the minimap, because a gank on a far-forward laner is the usual price of a good stack.
Watch it
What to watch for: Watch the slow push chapter from 2:32, then the chapter on managing the wave to get a push from 7:03.
Video: The Ultimate Wave Management Guide for League of Legends — Coach Mysterias
Common mistakes
- You kill the whole enemy line to speed things up. That is a fast push: a small wave crashes, the enemy's next wave arrives on your side, and you have nothing stacked. Leave the melee minions for your own line.
- You recall before the stack reaches the turret. The recall channel is interrupted by damage, and without a crash the enemy simply walks up and farms. Wait for the front of the stack to be under the turret.
- You crash the stack and then stay in lane. The window is the time the enemy needs to clear the wave, so use it to recall, rotate or Teleport, not to stand still.
- You ignore the level gap. If the enemy has the higher average level, their minions do more damage, and your stack can melt before it arrives. Stack more waves or give up the push.
- You trade with the enemy champion while minions are close. Hitting a champion draws minions onto you, which pushes the wave faster than you planned.
Practice drill
- In a custom game or the Practice Tool with minions on, build a stack for three waves against an idle enemy laner. Use only last hits on casters and let the melee minions fight. Success is a crash where at least two waves arrive under the turret together.
- Repeat it with a goal: take B the moment the front of the stack starts hitting the turret, and check that you are back in lane before the enemy's fresh wave reaches your side.