I Am Going To Explain Split Pushing

[Drikkink]

Since apparently no one under diamond knows how to play with a split pushing champion on their team, this is how it works.

What is a split pusher?
A split pusher is a champion who excels at dueling as well as dealing damage to structures. The ability to clear a wave quickly is also preferable. They will generally be a top laner although some AD Mid laners are good split pushers as well.

What does a split pusher do?
Split pushers will use their dueling advantage to bully their opposing laner off a tower or, preferably, kill them. They will then attempt to destroy the tower and continue.

But can't the other team just try to kill the split pusher?
Yes, they can, but attempts at ganking a split pusher are sometimes difficult. If the split pusher is ahead, they can sometimes win fights 1v2, so sometimes 3 or more may be sent to deal with the split pusher. If this happens, the pusher's team can take advantage elsewhere on the map.

Well, why doesn't every team split push then?
This is up to the pusher's teammates. Sometimes teams prefer to fight all the time. Sometimes teams don't know how to capitalize when the enemy team sends 3-5 people top lane.

When should someone split push?
In general, split pushing should work all the time. There are times when you really want a split pusher, but the tactic works in every game. When the other team has a very strong teamfight, sometimes it is the right decision to win by playing around them. The more objectives you can get without being in an actual teamfight, the better off you'll be.

When should someone NOT split push?
The short answer is "Whenever you don't have wards to spot enemy rotations." It is incredibly important to know when and from where the enemies are coming as a split pusher. If you see the mid laner and junger start to move through their jungle while you are at the inner top tower, you can assess how long you have and whether it is worth it to take the tower and likely die or make your escape.

What should the pusher's team do?
They should keep pressure in another lane. The moment the other team commits to one side, the other side pushes hard. The most important thing for the main team to remember is that, regardless of how good their catch is, they will likely be fighting a 4v5. Do not engage and do not get engaged on, but stay far enough up that you will get a tower if they move to the pusher.

Yes this is meant to sound condescending. It's still how you should deal with a split pusher on your team. Please learn people.

[apepi]

Maybe try to mention what heroes are good at split pushing?

[Kruncholyo]

Thread topic is a real attention grabber!

That's all.

[Airlick]

This has truly been an enlightening read.

[Drikkink]

Maybe try to mention what heroes are good at split pushing?

Kinda tough to give a definitive list. The characteristics are, in general, good duelist, good waveclear and attack speed OR sheen builders.

Champs like Jax, Kayle, Fiora and Yasuo are good split pushers, but that doesn't really mean that they should always be split pushing.

[gamhacked]

Jax is shit at pushing, he's only good at dueling. He has poor AoE.

[Drikkink]

Jax is shit at pushing, he's only good at dueling. He has poor AoE.

He's got great dueling and great tower taking. He's not the worst at pushing waves, but he is nearly unbeatable at taking towers. Shen is considered a decent split pusher despite his horrible clearing (needs sunfire cape to be even remotely okay) and terrible tower damage.

[gamhacked]

He's got great dueling and great tower taking. He's not the worst at pushing waves, but he is nearly unbeatable at taking towers. Shen is considered a decent split pusher despite his horrible clearing (needs sunfire cape to be even remotely okay) and terrible tower damage.

Any AD champion with 2 AS is better than Jax at taking towers. With Trinity Force and BotRK you will have around 200 damage, which is nothing. Compare that to a Tryndamere with 400 or more with almost the same attack speed, better AoE, better dueling.

[Drikkink]

Any AD champion with 2 AS is better than Jax at taking towers. With Trinity Force and BotRK you will have around 200 damage, which is nothing. Compare that to a Tryndamere with 400 or more with almost the same attack speed, better AoE, better dueling.

Jax has the magical thing known as an Auto attack reset. It makes a huge difference, not to mention triforce spellblade procs on towers.

[gamhacked]

Jax has the magical thing known as an Auto attack reset. It makes a huge difference, not to mention triforce spellblade procs on towers.

Yes but Empower doesn't go on cooldown when attacking buildings so you have to wait like 6 seconds before you can use it again. Pretty sure even an attack speed caster like TF or Diana with Lichbane can do more to a structure. I really wouldn't consider Jax anything more than slightly above average at taking down structures. Remember that damage against turrets is equal to base AD plus either bonus AD or 40% of total AP, so hybrid champions like Akali and Jax (not to mention Ryze) will be quite shit at it, while champions that stack one stat will excel.

[Thallidomaniac]

Kinda tough to give a definitive list. The characteristics are, in general, good duelist, good waveclear and attack speed OR sheen builders.

Champs like Jax, Kayle, Fiora and Yasuo are good split pushers, but that doesn't really mean that they should always be split pushing.

Having a good escape, like Tryndamere's E, helps. Or you can go full manmode and splitpush with Nasus, and if you have enough Q stacks, just 1v1 the person that tries to stop you.

[Deleted]

teemo best split pusher, how can they kill you if you're invisible when they rotate to top? Kappa

[Arewn]

Splitting is for nubs, just 1v5 at middle and then solo barron.

[Soulstrike]

Splitting is for nubs, just 1v5 at middle and then solo barron.

why not split push mid 1v5 middle then solo baron Kappa

good read but you should mention split push doesnt work if your opponent has TP and is ahead of you (can 1v1 you)

[Airlick]

Yes but Empower doesn't go on cooldown when attacking buildings so you have to wait like 6 seconds before you can use it again. Pretty sure even an attack speed caster like TF or Diana with Lichbane can do more to a structure. I really wouldn't consider Jax anything more than slightly above average at taking down structures. Remember that damage against turrets is equal to base AD plus either bonus AD or 40% of total AP, so hybrid champions like Akali and Jax (not to mention Ryze) will be quite shit at it, while champions that stack one stat will excel.

I think you're forgetting that Jax also has a massive AS steroid. Give him 3 seconds to build up and the turret starts going down faster than locked down squishies. Sure, full build Nasus (with Q farmed to high levels, obviously), Tryn or Yi will take down turrets infinitely faster, but they hit that power level extremely late, while Jax gets strong pretty early and stays strong.

[gamhacked]

I think you're forgetting that Jax also has a massive AS steroid. Give him 3 seconds to build up and the turret starts going down faster than locked down squishies. Sure, full build Nasus (with Q farmed to high levels, obviously), Tryn or Yi will take down turrets infinitely faster, but they hit that power level extremely late, while Jax gets strong pretty early and stays strong.

I don't know how you play Tryndamere, but I consider it a rarely bad game if I don't have 300 damage by 30 minutes.

[Drikkink]

I don't know how you play Tryndamere, but I consider it a rarely bad game if I don't have 300 damage by 30 minutes.

So you're a Hydra builder, then?

I find that Bork into Shiv into IE is the best as a pusher and that doesn't give him nearly 300 AD and more than 3 items in 30 minutes is a little ambitious.

[Airlick]

I don't know how you play Tryndamere, but I consider it a rarely bad game if I don't have 300 damage by 30 minutes.

It's not like Tryn hits that with 2 big items + boots finished, eh? 300 AD Tryn is perfectly normal for a ~30 minute game, but you are probably lacking AS at this point in your build. At ~30 minute farmed Jax will beat a farmed Tryn without breaking a sweat and I think he would also splitpush faster - he would take more time clearing waves, but less at the turret. Later on it gets heavily in favor of Tryn, but well, that's why he's a hyper-carry.

[gamhacked]

I hate BotrK on Tryndamere. I had started building Hydra recently when I last played a few months ago and it had become my favorite item. I don't even build SS or PD anymore. Usually, it's Hydra (I might get Avarice early if it's a risk I can afford to take), Ghostblade and IE or LW. The sustain RH offers is massive, the damage of a good hit-Hydra-Spinning Slash combo is, too, and YG during its activation is a stronger weapon than SS in general, and it's cheaper. Attack speed is only better for building fury early in lane (I run AS runes anyway) and helps a little, along with more crit, with Spinning Slash frequency. SS has poor scaling as well, because the magic damage is fixed and becomes weaker as enemies gain more MR and health, and the AE damage it provides is overshadowed by that of RH. You can never have enough MS, but YG, Ghost and a good Mocking Shout should have you covered. The only time I'd go for SS, YG AND BotRK would be against a Vayne, Tristana and Maybe a Nasus or Nunu.

Sometimes, if I'm far ahead, I might even go for two Bloodthirsters and do Baron alone or with one ally for buffs. People think that Tryndamere needs attack speed, that he needs crit from items, when there are many great damage items that nobody thinks of buying for him.

In the order listed, Ravenous Hydra, Youmuu's Ghostblade, Infinity Edge, Last Whisper, Mercurial Scimitar, Zephyr would comprise my end game build. You run the numbers. I remember one time I had well over 600 damage with Baron, red pot and at 1 health, although a BT or two may have been involved. You should have seen their 2.5k, 200 armor Kha'zix go down in 2 hits.

As far as laning against a Jax is concerned - he should be able to beat you, but that's virtually never the case with me. Provided I can't pressure him to retreat or kill him on my own or by gank early on, I just need to stay alive and in lane until he roams or makes a mistakes and I do eventually kill him. Tryndamere is a superior pusher largely because spinning slash is free, generally recharges faster and requires no units to transport Tryndamere over walls. During laning, Jax relies heavily on mana and rarely builds AP, so your Mocking Shout can keep you healthy when he decides to jump you, especially if he manages to stun you because you failed to SS away in time.

The only way I'd lose to a Jax with equal farm would be if he really flashed away well late during Undying Rage with a good Ignite on me, or if I were to horrendously mistime it. There is no champion with equal inventory that can beat you in a fair or well-played 1v1, except a Nasus that can kill you in a single Siphoning Strike.

[Isrozzis]

Sometimes, if I'm far ahead, I might even go for two Bloodthirsters and do Baron alone or with one ally for buffs. People think that Tryndamere needs attack speed, that he needs crit from items, when there are many great damage items that nobody thinks of buying for him.

See that's the thing though. Trynd gets free crit % and AD, so building AS makes the most of the free stats you get. Botrk Shiv is the stable build on trynd because it capitalizes off of the free stats you get. Botrk is also super important because of the active. Trynd is easily kited by teams and the active helps you stick to people. Mocking shout and spinning slash do help you stick to people, but any sort of slow or displacement really ruins trynd's day. He needs that extra little bit of chase to be able to consistently stay on people. Another often overlooked aspect of botrk, shiv and ghost blade is that they make you move faster. Sure BT and Hydra give you more flat AD, but movement speed is incredibly important on melee carries. It doesn't matter if you have absurd amounts of AD if you only get one hit off then get kited.

~~

That aside, I don't think people in this thread are really understanding what makes a good split pusher. Jax is a fantastic split pusher because he takes turrets very quickly and is a good duelist. He lacks strong wave clear and map pressure, but his strengths more than make up for it. Teleport also makes up for the map pressure part since it lets you split from your team and still be able to join them if they do get collapsed on.

I'm not really sure why people are saying that Jax doesn't take turrets quickly. He has a large AS steroid as his passive, which stays refreshed hitting turrets, he has an auto reset, though that becomes less useful the more AS he has, and triforce is a core item on him. Honestly the triforce part and passive are the most important. Sheen procs are probably the single best thing in the game for taking down turrets faster, and Jax can readily get sheen procs to use on the turrets. Yes his W does not actually go off on the turret so you have to wait for it to wear off, then go on cd, but if there are minions around it is quite easy to hit them everytime you need to refresh your W for sheen procs. Another good thing about his passive is that it lets him build way tankier than most other split pushers and he still clears structures just as fast.

Shen and TF are two classic split pushers. Shen has terrible wave clear and is not a particularly strong duelist unless he is ahead, but he has godly map presence. TF has really strong wave clear and turret killing powers, but is a pretty bad duelist. He too has godly map presence with his ult. These two are able to be such effective split pushers because they can almost instantly port away and help their team if they get engaged on. You can also use their ults to draw someone away from your team then initiate a 5v4. So their power comes entirely from their ability to play the map better than any other champion.

A split pusher doesn't necessarily need to take a turret quickly either. It is certainly helpful if they can kill turrets quickly, but even if you are getting just 1-2 hits off each minion wave while your team is applying pressure on the rest of the map then you are being a successful split pusher. You are slowly accruing an advantage for your team and are causing the enemy team to slowly lose ground. It's quite common in pro games to see split pushers hang fairly far back in the lane they are splitting, and only move up when they have a minion wave and slowly whittle the turret down. They only commit when they have solid vision on the other team and know that they won't be in danger. This slow grindy method puts a lot of pressure on the enemy team to come up with a way to stop the siege in one lane, and the split push in another. The pressure that is built up with this method will often cause a team to make a desperate play to get out of the slow grind to defeat which often leads to them making mistakes and the splitting team coming out ahead.

Another thing that people don't really seem to get very well about split pushing is that it is very, very important that you don't die when you do it. Sure if things turn into a team fight dying is ok as long as you do what you were supposed to do, but if you lose the 1v1 while you are spitting or overcommit without vision and get collapsed on, then you are effectively hindering your team. I can't express how important it is to have vision when you split push too. It not only saves you from getting surprise 1v2d, but it also lets the main group know that hey it's 4v3 now and we can apply more pressure than we were.

OP also didn't touch on 1-3-1 split. It's just another form of split pushing that involves all the same things, but has two people split pushing in the side lanes and the group of 3 in the mid. If done correctly it is incredibly frustrating to play against since all 3 lanes are getting slowly worn down. If any single lane on the enemy side has to commit an extra person to defend, then they are going to lose the turret in the lane they moved away from. It is however much harder to coordinate properly in solo queue, so you don't see it very much. Imo it's the best form of split pushing if you have two solo laners that can do it, and you are coordinated enough to do it. It does leave the group of 3 vulnerable to surprise 5v3s, but proper vision and communication should prevent that from happening. It's also worth noting that is often a bad idea to try to split push into a team that has a teleport advantage or an overall global ult advantage.