Guide to strategies, tips, and character info. For advanced and beginner players. by MouseMancer

Hey everyone! MouseMancer here. Felt like it was about time to make an official guide. I've been playing Vainglory since close to its release. I'm a avid gamer and enjoy the in depth strategy of games. Everything in this guide are things I have observed and learned during my time playing, as well as many hours spent researching different aspects of the game. I hope you enjoy reading this and hope you get something out of it. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or anything about the guide, please comment! If you found it helpful at all, hit it with an up vote. Thanks!!

So I'll be breaking this guide up into a couple sections.

General strategies and tips.

• Your Team
• Enemy Team
• Scout Traps
• Kraken
• Laning
• Jungling
• Advanced Tips

Character strategies and tips.

Will update with this content very soon!!!

• Your Team:

  Alright, let's start from the beginning, choosing your hero.
  • When choosing your hero never lock in immediately. Vainglory is a team game. So building a good team is important. If you are playing with experienced or team players it should be normal for everyone to grey out their choice and only lock in when you have a good team.
  • Check to make sure you have a strong team and are well rounded. Do you have anyone who is tanky? Or a dps? Support? The current meta right now is typically 2 junglers and 1 laner. Even if you have a particular character you always play or are the best at, it is always good to be well versed in other roles. Your team may need a good jungler or laner and it will help to be able to confidently play a character to fit that need. Also, having played all the different positions you will be more versatile and knowledgeable in playing as a team.
  • In most games when you start getting into the late game (levels 8-12) your team strategy needs to start changing. You need to start working together as a full team. Team fights are going to be happening much more often now and deaths will cost you much more (due to higher respawn times). So working together is what will carry you to your victory. Stay with your group as much as possible. Don't overextend yourself into enemy territory (or away form help) unless you are absolutely sure you won't be caught in a 1v3.
• Enemy Team:

  Always Check your enemy team. When the game begins you should know who you will be up against. Further in this guide I will be covering more on characters. Keep track of them throughout the game. What are they building? What can you do to counter that? Later game when respawn times become higher, pay attention to those as well. It can make the difference on when to make key moves. Just because you ace your enemies does not always mean you celebrate with a kraken fight. ;)
  
• Scout Traps:

  Your eyes and (explosive) ears across the map. Scout trapping can make the world of difference in a game. Learning how to effectively use and place scout traps will increase your teams control over the game and thus your chances of winning. Every game and every player is different when it comes to scout traps. Learning to be efficient and strategic with placement will save you time and gold. Dropping traps when you are running away from an enemy can also help your escape or even possibly turn the tide of a fight. Placing a trap in the middle of the lane after poking your enemy back a little can help you to push him to either retreat to base or even get you a kill. Here is a picture of good scout trap locations and reasons why. Those labeled Red are most important. Blue being less important. And finally Green being the least important and more situational places. Note: If you are versus a Taka a lot of these will become more useful because of their ability to reveal him.
  • A This grants vision for the laner and prevents the enemy team the element of surprise when ganking.
  • B This bush typically has pretty heavy traffic throughout the game. Having vision here will keep you updated on enemy movements. Also late game keeping a scout trap here and at G will allow you to always be prepared for enemy teams who try to lay in wait by the Kraken. (Will be discussed in more depth further in the guide)
  • C This will finish off a wall, if I may, of vision across the jungle. In combination with A and B you now will always know when an enemy has crossed their side of the map possibly heading towards your side.
  • D This placement is actually very strong throughout most of the game. Early game it will give you vision on the Gold Miner. And late Game will help you keep tabs on the Kraken. Place this trap close up to the edge and on your side. This will help avoid enemies accidentally setting it off.
  • E and F are both places that you should only trap if you are able to counter jungle and are successfully controlling the enemies jungle. These will help you maintain control over their jungle.
  • G This trap is a defensive placement. It will keep you aware of enemies who have entered your jungle, or are going up for a gank. Placing a trap here early game is a good idea for the extra vision against early harassment from enemy junglers. If need be use it to drag them across. Early game it will really hurt their health and possibly give you the chance to make an early kill. Also helps as mentioned in B.
  • These last traps are all very situational. H is a a good place for a trap if you are laning and the enemy is doing a good job of poking you. Some tend to hide up there after pushing you back to a tower. They wait for you to get back out to the middle before poking you hard and being close enough to really get some hits in before you can retreat.
  • I, as well, helps the laner. If the enemy is doing well in the jungle and is keeping your jungers either out of the jungle a lot or keeps sending them to respawn, I will help you have vision from a gank there.
  • J Is not always a necessary place to drop a trap. It isn't an absolute necessity to have vision there but it can come in handy in certain situations. If you are close by, engaging an enemy while they are shopping can give you a good couple hits before they back out and have a chance to respond.
  • K Should only be trapped if you are controlling the enemy jungle as well. It is again not necessary but will give you that little edge of knowing where your enemy is no matter what path he chooses.
  • And lastly L. This location only really needs a trap either if the enemy is controlling your jungle or it is getting late in the game and both you and the enemy team are roaming as a group. Some teams will take a minion mine then lay in wait in that bush to jump anyone who peels away to reclaim the mine. This will help you avoid that.
  Final notes: Now that we have gone over locations, I want to mention the actually placement of the mines real fast. Think strategically when placing them. Sometimes it is better to place them in a corner of a bush, or to the side of a path rather than in the middle. In this way you gain the benefit of their vision without having to replace them all the time because enemies set them off. Unless that is your intent of course. ;)
  
• Kraken:

  
  15 minutes into the game, the game changes. When the Kraken spawns, how the game is played changes a little. If not already, by this time in the game your team should be working as a team. Attempting to take the Kraken can be a dangerous endeavor.
  • Know where your enemies are. It is typically never a good idea to attack the kraken if all of your enemies are alive. You are just asking for them to come down there and start a team fight when you are weak causing you to possibly lose the Kraken. Some Characters also may attempt hiding and waiting to score a last hit to steal your hard work.
  • One strategy that is used often and works a majority of the time (unless playing against an experienced team) is for your team to wait in the bush right next to the Kraken on your enemies side of the jungle. When their characters either come down to get the Kraken, or to see if your team is attempting it, you jump them in a 3v1 if they came alone or at least get a good start in a 3v3 team fight. If you successfully pull it off you will hopefully have aced the enemy team and have a free shot at the Kraken. On the flip side of that strategy, if the enemy team disappears and you think they might be taking the Kraken, never, and I do mean NEVER, go down there to check alone. If they are experienced players they won't be taking the Kraken but rather waiting for your team to walk into their trap. Scout traps in key locations and flares will help your team to know what's going on.
  • Don't always think that because you have aced the enemy team that it is time to take the Kraken. Check their respawns. You don't want to be half way done and get surprised by enemies who had almost respawned when you go that aced.
• Laning:

  This is a big role to take on! In most games, if you are laning solo (which hopefully you are), you will be leveling faster than your junglers and making more gold. So in theory you should be stronger than them. This can make a big difference mid game. As a laner your job is not only to hold the lane and push it.
  • Be watchful of what your junglers are doing. A good laner does not just sit in the lane the entire game. Keep an eye out for team fights happening in the jungle. If you see one happening and can engage, do so. Tip the scale in your teams favor. Remember, this is a team game. If you can help your team out, i.e. by killing their junglers, you have now given your junglers time to clear the enemy camps and gain some extra xp and gold while keeping the enemy from it. The more control your junglers have, the more they will be able to assist you. If they are controlling the enemy jungle, then they will have more freedom and advantage when ganking the lane.
  • Pay attention to pings from your teammates. They might be asking your assistance with the gold mine. Or possibly warning you of an incoming gank.
  • When laning stay higher up in the lane. It will give you more room to see incoming ganks.
  • If both of your junglers die, take that as a cautionary sign. Stay high and closer to your turret. Don't overextend. The enemy junglers could very well be in your jungle and will have a better advantage ganking.
  • Watch when your teammates come up for a gank. Try to step back and let the enemy overextend himself. That will give your team a better chance at scoring that kill and opening the lane for you.
• Jungling:

  
  Being a jungler comes with many responsibilities. You are in charge of keeping your jungle cleared and enemy free. Holding your minion mine. Holding the gold mine. Harassing the enemies jungle. And ganking. If you are double jungling then your xp and gold is going to be shared. This is not a bad thing! I repeat, do not waste time getting upset or trying to ping them away or anything because you think it is bad. It is most certainly not. Matter of fact, double junglers who do a good job working well together will really tip the scales in your teams favor. So learn to work with people. If you are jungling by yourself then take do take advantage of the extra gold and xp.
  • If you are jungling 2v2 (your team has two junglers and their team has two junglers) stay with your teammate. Work together clearing the camps and work together harassing the enemy jungle. If you engage in a team fight closer to your side of the map, ping your laner down there. If you can kill both of the enemy junglers check to see if it is a good time to gank as well.
  • If you are jungling 2v1 take advantage of their single jungler. Press him out of the jungle as much as you can. Clear the enemy jungle camps to keep him from leveling or getting gold. But also note, this will mean that your laner is up against two other laners. Make sure you help out as often as you can. You now control bother jungles so sneak through their jungle and really make those ganks count. Make sure to ping which enemy you are going to attack so your other jungler and the laner know who to hit.
  • If you are jungling 1v2 be extra careful. Scout trapping your own jungle for vision and for running pursuing enemies into can help you stay alive. Focus on jungling your jungle. Don't harass their jungle and don't worry too much about ganks early on. With a full jungle to yourself you will be leveling a little faster and gaining gold a little faster then the enemy. Use that to your advantage. You may not be able to take them on by yourself but your laners are always only a ping away (hopefully). If the enemy is pressing you hard in your own jungle, ping your laners to come assist. Catch them in a 3v2 and tip the scales in your favor.
  • Never forget to keep jungling. Jungling is where your gold comes from. So always try to keep your jungle camps clear. If you've gone up for a gank and are done, get right back to jungling. Don't linger around. You're laner can handle the lane, so you handle the jungle. On that note, don't linger for a gank if it isn't going to happen. Sometimes you will go up but the enemy doesn't overextend enough to make it worthwhile, don't hang around forever waiting for them to. If it isn't happening, back to jungling.
• Advanced Tips:

  • When pursuing an enemy be mindful of a couple things. Watch for signs that he may have allies on the way. If he suddenly turns to fight you after a small chase, it could mean that he has a friend nearby that is coming to help. If your enemy has been using scout traps frequently, watch for those that he might be trying to drag you across.
  • If your team has a character that can solo the Kraken and is doing so, it is better for you to push the enemy away rather than to try to help. If two of you are attack them at their turrets and your teammate is soloing the Kraken, stay that way. Typically teams do not expect a single person to take the Kraken. Note this is very situational and is something you should only do if you are sure of your teammates capabilities and he isn't requesting assistance.
  • Really learn when to and when not to press an attack. Always be mindful of your surroundings and where your enemy is going. It is worse to try to get that kill that you think you can get and die. Then to just let them go and live. Learn when to let it go. It isn't easy! But it will help you to be a stronger player.

Content coming soon!!!

I hope you got something out of this guide and hope you will share it and up vote it. I will be updating it with more content very soon and will continue to do so as the game develops. As said above, let me know if you have any feedback at all. Thank you everyone for reading and for gaming!

MouseMancer