League of Legends
Dota 2
What Is Roaming in League of Legends?
Leaving your own lane to help elsewhere on the map, usually to set up a kill, take an objective or secure vision.
What does roaming mean?
Roaming is when a laner leaves their own lane to make plays elsewhere: helping another lane, invading the jungle or contesting an objective. In League of Legends it is most common for mid laners and supports; in Dota 2, position 4 supports often roam from the start. Roams are what turn a lane advantage into a map advantage.
Roam vs. gank
A gank is usually done by the jungler, whose job is to move around the map. A roam is done by a laner, who has to give up something in their own lane to do it: minions, experience or tower pressure. That cost is why timing matters so much.
When to roam
- After pushing your wave. Shove the minions into the enemy tower first, so you lose little while you are away. Good wave management is the base of every roam.
- When your target lane is gankable: an overextended enemy, a lane with strong crowd control or a laner without Flash.
- Before an objective: moving early to Dragon, Herald or Baron gives your team numbers.
- When your opponent cannot punish you, for example if they just recalled.
Example
A Mid laner shoves the wave, sees on the minimap that the enemy bot lane is pushed up without vision and walks down the river. The support starts the fight, the mid laner arrives from the side and the team gets a double kill. The cost was only a few minions in mid.
Failed roams
A roam that finds nothing loses farm and experience, and if your opponent follows or shoves your tower, you fall behind. When you cannot leave safely, holding your lane, sometimes with a freeze, is the better choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should supports roam in solo queue?
Sometimes. Leaving your ADC alone against two enemies is risky, so supports usually roam after a back, after a shove, or toward vision and objectives near the bot side.
What is a roaming champion?
A champion with strong movement and early damage or crowd control, like Twisted Fate in mid or Pyke and Bard as supports, who can impact other lanes quickly.