Teamfights: roles, focus and cooldowns

Who goes in, who stays back, and the three questions to ask before every fight.

Roles in a fight

Initiators and Brawlers start the fight and soak damage. Carries and Marksmen deal sustained damage from safety. Mystics and Assassins look for a pick or a fight-winning ultimate. Supports keep the frontline alive and peel divers off the backline. Every hero page lists the hero’s role.

Before you take a fight

1. 01Are their key ultimates up? Fight after they’re used, not before.
2. 02Do we have more souls in the fight? Soul lead is the best predictor of a win.
3. 03Is there an objective on the other side? Don’t fight for nothing.

Focus fire

Six heroes shooting one target wins; six heroes shooting six targets loses. Focus the closest high-damage hero you can reach, and swap to anyone your initiator has stunned.

After the fight

Spend souls immediately, then push. A won fight that doesn’t end in a Walker, Shrine or Mid-Boss is a wasted fight.