Any team in League of Legends comes with five roles and the Assassin is not often a part of it. It is more often substituted with a Mage or a Skirmisher in a team composition. What sets an Assassin apart from others is the ability to unleash burst damage at a target as soon as they get closer to their target. Getting closer means putting yourself in danger so the other two classes are often better. If executed well, an Assassin Champion can carry the team from the early until the late game.
Frequent roles of an Assassin Champion
Assassin Champions are frequently found in the jungle and the midlane. Both positions allow them to sneak into either lane to eliminate any isolated targets. The only exception to this is Pyke because he’s designed to share the bounty to his nearest ally. However, he shares the roaming duty with other assassins as he frequents the mid lane. The most usual targets in this case are the Baron laner, mid laner, and enemy jungler.
Your highest-priority in League of Legends should be the enemy dragon laner and Support. However, they are difficult to takedown without help so only try attacking them when you have allies as backup. Likewise, Assassins are vulnerable against ganks from the enemy jungler and top laner so play safe. Only push when you aim to strike at a different lane.
Assassin in the mid lane
The mid lane has the quickest access to either lane thanks to the river. This is both good and bad because the enemies are just as likely to converge on your location instead of pushing theirs. You have to worry about the enemy jungler and support if they are confident in their side laners.
If you don’t see the enemy jungler and support, then it’s better if you burst the remaining minion wave then retreat. Slow push your lane but don’t get too close to the enemy’s side. Place a vision trinket beyond the brushes that separate your lane and the bush. It’s better to plant vision further away than on the brush right next to you so you have more time to react against ganks.
The best time to visit the side lanes is when you notice that there is an enemy jungler ganking your allies while your allied jungler is on the other side. You can notice this by paying attention to the minimap. The best Champions in this role are Zed, Akali, Le Blanc, and Qiyana.
Assassin in the jungle
All you need to have a good jungler is a good set of abilities to clear waves so they can earn as much gold and experience (XP) as possible. Options for this include Qiyana, Evelynn, and Nocturne. If your team needs more assistance from ganks, then it’s better to take Shaco, Kha’Zix, and Rengar who have better means to ambush targets.
Having an Assassin jungler is difficult to pull off for beginners because Champions in this class are relatively weak in the early game. The only way to become a threat in the mid-game is to either delay the enemy’s growth through assassinations or to rush the Dragon Pit’s drake as soon as it appears. For a more beginner-friendly jungler, try a Skirmisher, instead.
Assassin in the baron lane
The Baron Lane is known as the lane for 1v1 duels between the Fighter and Slayer classes. Your goal is to gain at least 2 kills against the opponent then apply pressure to other parts of the map. Although killing is the goal, the top laner is also expected to have high survivability.
Opting for Champions that are great at dodging is a great idea like Akali, Zed, and Rengar. However, you have to have a deep understanding of the mechanics. For beginners, taking Fizz and giving him health-boosting items like Rylai’s scepter is a wonderful idea.
Important factors while playing as an Assassin
Regardless of the position you are playing, you need to take a few common elements into consideration while playing as an Assassin. The first is understanding target hierarchy and the other is how to reach your first target. The last factor includes how to stay relevant throughout the match. Here are those factors in more detail.
Highest threat in the enemy team
The highest threat in the enemy team is the Champion that can defeat your entire team as quickly as possible. That would be the enemy attack damage carry (ADC) which is usually filled by the marksman. Following them on the list is the enemy’s mid lane Assassin or Mage.
If their mid laner is a tank like Galio, then it’s better to focus on the Enchanter Support. Your last priority targets are the tanks. Fighters should be your 3rd or 4th priority but you’ll have a disadvantage in the late game.
Plausibility of reaching the target and retreating
Plan your routes towards your target carefully. Teams are spread out in the early game so it’s easier to attack them one-by-one. For the late game, wait for an ally to initiate an attack then swoop in to target the ADC or Enchanter as fast as you can then run away. Alternatively, you can use the blindspots in the jungle to sneak into the back line while your allies are engaging them from a different direction.
Gaining a lead as early as possible
Assassins like Akali, Fizz, and Zed can apply pressure as early as level 1. It’s better to poke enemies out of the lane to prevent them from gaining gold and XP from your minions. Likewise, you can eliminate them to gain easy gold and level advantage but that’s almost impossible unless the enemy makes a mistake. As an Assassin, your duty is to delay the opponent’s growth and destroy the Nexus as early as possible. ADCs, Mages, and Supports are dangerous in League of Legends because they can scale through the late game as long as they get all of their core items. Since you are the Assassin, you can get your items earlier. That being said, you should complete the game as early as possible because they are going to be difficult to eliminate later.