The first week of LCS is over and congratulations to the team that performed well and won games! I am finally back after a short break and here to discuss a specific type of team composition. First, let’s look at team fighting comps, what they can do, how they work, and how to build them. I will cover a lot of information, so get ready!
Fuck the ENTIRE Enemy Team
This is probably the most fun and satisfying style of play to watch; the Wombo Combo. These are the type of teams that make up all the cool videos on YouTube that everyone upvotes instead of articles like this. This comp works by combining ultimates that do large amounts of CC and/or damage. The goal is to kill the entire enemy team before they can react, or at least win the fight through the opponent’s bad positioning. Let’s look at a few champion combinations that can achieve this:
And this is just the beginning. There are many AOE ultimates that can be combined to devastate the entire enemy team. You can even create entire comps that revolve around ultimates that can damage every opponent at once, for example: Malphite, Nunu, Orianna, Morgana, and Miss Fortune.
Now that we know how to create these comps and what their purpose is, let’s look at how to use them. Wombo Combo comps, like the ones mentioned earlier, require a few of the enemy players to be grouped close to you. The ideal arena for this is typically open areas, where there are no walls dividing the fight, and you can force confrontations; usually around Dragon, Baron, and turrets, anywhere that allows you to push an objective and force a response from the opposing team. Once in these situations, it’s just a matter of capitalizing on any missteps made by the opponents.
“If I can just pick one of these comps, push objectives, and kill the enemy team when they show up, why doesn’t everyone just pick this and win #Worlds2016?” Well, Jacob, that’s because these compositions have counters that prevent the perfect storm necessary to make them effective. Split push and pick comps are styles that can be used to counter wombo combos. We’ll discuss those comps later, but they revolve around fighting in the jungle or trading cross-map objectives, both being suboptimal conditions for Wombo Combo comps.
In addition to this, there is the issue of lane matchups and damage balance. Let’s look back at our composition from earlier:
Even though this looks like a scary team to group against, it’s mostly AP-based, making this team easy to counter with itemization. Additionally, the lane matchups for each role are not all strong, making the team vulnerable to punishment. Creating a balanced and effective Wombo Combo team is more difficult than it sounds, so pay close attention to each champion chosen.
Die Slow
The next style we’ll cover is AOE comps. Area of Effect comps dish out consistent damage to nearby enemies, ideally wearing down the entire enemy team over time. Let’s look at some picks for each role that fit this style:
Since these compositions thrive through prolonged team fights, having champions that can kite, CC, or influence the positioning of the opponent is incredibly beneficial. This is why you typically see teams consisting of a control mage, mobile ADC, and the rest of the team picking up the slack on peel and CC. AOE teams have more flexibility in where they can fight since they don’t rely on a split-second decision by the team. This also gives them a better chance against compositions that counter them.
Speaking of counters, although this team is a more reliable means of team fighting, it is still susceptible to counter play, with burst damage being the biggest threat. Pick, Poke, and Wombo Combo comps are all examples of teams that can dish out massive amounts of damage in a short amount of time, completely negating the pace at which AOE comps like to fight. Correct positioning and adequate vision around fights are especially important when trying to effectively execute this style, especially when you only have ~2 damage sources to rely on.
How Season 5 TSM Should Have Played
The last style we’ll cover is the team with the least amount of carries, the “Protect The *INSERT CARRY POSITION HERE* Comp.” The most popular rendition of this fighting style is the “Juggermaw” comp that had Kog’maw, Janna, and Lulu as its three major components. Since then, we’ve seen compositions that layered CC, heals, and shields to protect hyper carries or mechanically gifted players. These types of teams, much like AOE comps, like prolonged team fights and can brawl almost anywhere, as long as the front line is able to engage the enemy team, while the protected player sits to the side, gets buffed by the support/mid, and deals damage from a distance. However, also like the other team fighting comps, this team crumbles against opponents with pick potential, because if the protected player dies, then so does all their damage.
Let’s build a quick composition to see how this style can be implemented…
Notice how every champion brings something to the table in terms of keeping Vayne alive. Kench’s Devour, Kindred’s ultimate, Lulu’s shield and ultimate, and Poppy’s knock back can all be used to protect Vayne. With proper execution, Vayne should have the opportunity to deal damage while being supported by Kindred, who can act as both a damage dealer and life saver. The same philosophy can be applied to carry mid laners, although there aren’t many options for supportive ADCs that can help keep them alive. Teams that prioritize mid lane tend to lean towards Wombo Combo or AOE style comps due to this, but it isn’t impossible to pull off.
DYNAMIC QUEUE HERE WE COME
And those are the basics for understanding how teamfight comps operate. Keep in mind that the lines between these styles are blurred and can easily be combined to implement aspects of each. Champion pools, individual styles, and composition preferences always need to be taken into account. Forcing your ADC into a “Protect The Jinx” comp, when they are better on champions like Varus, can be a recipe for disaster. Although knowing how to play multiple styles is good, maybe teamfighting isn’t your team’s strength. Good news for you, I’m here for the next few weeks, educating you on team comp basics! So hold onto your butts and get ready for a bumpy ride!