River
Runes, smokes, and the fog where games actually start.
The river splits the map and holds the information war. Bounty runes, water runes, power runes, lotus pools, and the smoke paths between lanes all live here. Teams that never leave lane lose to teams that walk the river with a plan. Ward the high ground that sees the rune, not the river floor that expires in 30 seconds. Call which rune, which lotus, and whether you have smoke.
- Power runes
- From 6:00, every two minutes
- Bounty
- Every three minutes — four spots
- Smoke
- Walk river fog, not the lane your courier uses
Key spots
Power rune spots
One of two spawns. De-ward or you are ganking into a sentry.
Lotus pools
Contest when you have numbers. Do not 1v3 a lotus.
Smoke paths
From your jungle into their mid ramp, or from river into a side lane. Announce the smoke.
Wisdom corners
Outpost jungle. Take them with a core nearby, not five supports walking in a line.
Twin / portal paths
If the patch still has a portal, it is a rotate tool — not a suicide button into their T2.
Play notes
- Missing every bounty is 200 gold you donated as a team. Supports should path through them.
- A haste rune used on a wave is better than a haste rune used to farm a small camp.
- If you see a smoke on the map, assume they are walking river. Do not stand mid high ground alone.