Course th' next aboard area
Pick th' prize, course or jungle quadrant that matters. Ward fer th' next aboard play, nay th' last aboard one.
See th' play afore it reaches ye
Vision be a crew course, nay a ward total
Push first aboard, enter together, clear th' deck safely and leave a line o' ship's intelligence across th' routes that matter next aboard.
Th' control loop
Arrr, four actions, in this order
A ward placed without course pressure, cover or an exit can cost more booty than th' ship's intelligence it provides.
Move wit' cover
Push a nigh th' ship wave and enter wit' a teammate. Lost overboard enemies turn a routine ward into a face-inspect.
Clear th' deck safely
Sweep likely wards without standing still in a course th' opposing crew can collapse through.
Arrr, place, ping and leave
Layer entrances, ping th' ship's intelligence and leave by th' course ye planned. Do nay linger fer one more booty ward.
Interactive Summoner's Rift sea chart
Place a useful line, then rotate it fer yer side
Pick th' play ye be preparing. Th' numbered markers reveal an order fer establishing ship's intelligence, nay mandatory ward spots.
Yer base
Arrr, opposing base
Baron
DragonPick th' right ship's intelligence tool
Arrr, five ways to control fog
Exact cooldowns and interactions can change. Th' present gear tooltip remains authoritative.
1
Arrr, place reliable vision
Arrr, Stealth Ward
Use th' yellow trinket to cover a course that matters afore ye leave it. A ward astern o' th' play be less useful than one watching th' next aboard entrance.
Course safe harbour, river entrances and th' next aboard prize approach.2
Deny foe ship's intelligence
Arrr, oracle Lens
Sweep while moving through an area yer crew can actually defend. Finding a ward be nay permission to stand still and clear th' deck it while enemies collapse.
Prize setup, roams, ganks and checking a retreat course.3
Hold one fit fer th' captain's eye pocket
Arrr, control Ward
Place it where yer crew can protect it or where immediate denial changes th' next aboard play. Replacing an exposed Control Ward repeatedly only feeds doubloons astern.
Arrr, pit control, defended brushes and a stable defensive entrance.4
Inspect from long range
Arrr, farsight Alteration
Use long-range vision when walking into th' area would be th' perilous part. It be particularly useful fer fragile champions who cannae safely cross fog first aboard.
Remote checks, deep routes and late-battle prize approaches.5
Loadout a vision line
Arrr, support wards
A completed Support quest supplies several wards, but that does nay make vision a one-sailor job. Teammates still need trinkets, course pressure and seaworthy escorts.
Layering entrances instead o' placing every ward in one brush.New fer th' 2026 Rift
Arrr, faelights extend a ward temporarily
Place a ward on a glowing Faelight ring and it becomes a superward: its normal vision radius increases and th' sea chart feature reveals an additional shaped region fer a limited time.
- Th' bonus can see into brush when that brush sits inside th' Faelight region.
- Control Wards do nay make th' Faelight bonus region stronger.
- Th' effect disappears when th' ward dies, and only one allied ward can occupy that Faelight.
Arrr, deep warding
Cross river only when th' sea chart gives permission
Deep vision reveals movement earlier, but placing it be th' perilous part. Pass these checks afore entering.
Pushed course
At least one nigh th' ship allied wave be making foes captain's answer th' sea chart instead o' freely collapsing on ye.
Arrr, known threats
Th' champions who can catch ye be visible, dead, recalling or clearly committed elsewhere.
A second sailor
A teammate be belay enough to contest th' course or lend a hand ye leave. One person should nay enter first aboard and alone.
An exit course
Ye know which course, wall, plant or allied structure gets ye home port after th' ward be placed.
Arrr, useful deep locations
- Jungle crossroads that reveal movement toward two lanes.
- Camp entrances that reveal a course without requiring th' ward to sit on th' camp.
- Paths astern o' Dragon or Baron that expose th' opposing approach.
- Side-course exits used to collapse on a split push.
Abort th' ward when
- Nearby waves be pushing into yer crew and nobody can move first aboard.
- Th' opposing Jungler or primary engage champion be lost overboard.
- Yer teammate has already turned back aboard or recalled.
- Ye would need Flash merely to escape after placing it.
Prize setup
Arrive in waves, nay all at once
These be planning windows, nay fixed Riot rules. Adjust fer recalls, course state, Teleports and th' live prize timer.
Arrr, spend and push
Recall fer gear and wards, then move th' nearest waves so foes must choose betwixt farm and th' setup.
Arrr, enter together
Support and Jungle establish th' first aboard line while nigh th' ship laners cover entrances and preserve escape routes.
Arrr, sweep and layer
Clear th' deck th' routes foes need, refresh useful wards and avoid stacking every ward inside th' pit.
Protect ship's intelligence
Hold th' safer entrances, ping visible movement and stop walking into new fog merely to chase one ward.
Clash state
Th' seaworthy ward line moves wit' th' sea chart
Do nay use th' same ward spots when ahead, even and astern o'.
Arrr, extend one defended line
Ward th' exits foes must use to reach th' next aboard wave or prize. Keep th' line moored to crewmates; do nay turn a lead into five separate jungle invades.
Control th' river hinge
Prioritise entrances and crossroads that reveal who moves first aboard. Push a wave afore converting river vision into deeper ship's intelligence.
Shorten th' line
Ward from allied structures outward, use long-range checks and wait fer visible foes afore reclaiming deeper areas wit' teammates.
Arrr, shared responsibility
Arrr, every role has a vision job
Support carries more booty wards. Th' whole crew creates th' conditions that make those wards seaworthy and useful.
Support
Carry th' largest ward supply, establish th' first aboard seaworthy line and ask fer an escort. Do nay become th' crew's disposable face-inspect.
Jungle
Track which side matters next aboard, sweep likely approach routes and move wit' Support afore a neutral prize.
Mid
Push or stabilise th' centre wave, then lend a hand connect both river entrances. Mid priority makes deep vision safer.
Bot
Ward th' course flank and river course, then move after th' wave. Damage dealers still contribute trinket vision.
Top
Cover th' side-course flank, use vision to extend safely and move afore a top-side prize when th' wave allows it.
Common aboard losses o' ship's intelligence
Arrr, five habits to stop
Ask fer cover afore crossing fog.
Th' ward expires afore th' play matters.
Several wards reveal th' same course and leave others dark.
One visible ward can bait ye into an unsafe pause.
Ship's intelligence be wasted when teammates ne'er notice it.
Arrr, Choose a ward for the next play
Arrr, Six warding decisions you can use in a match
Arrr, A useful ward answers a question before the answer becomes urgent. These examples assume Summoner's Rift; change the route for your side, lane state, visible enemies and available teammates.
Arrr, You want to push a side lane
Arrr, Question: where can the collapse come from?Arrr, Cover the route between the enemy jungle and your lane before extending. Prefer information that gives time to leave, rather than a ward directly beside you that reveals the threat too late.
Arrr, If several enemies vanish, shorten the push even if one route is warded.Arrr, You are pinned under your turret
Arrr, Question: can we see a dive forming?Arrr, Start with reachable lane flanks and approaches from your own side. Do not walk to a standard river spot while opponents control the wave and can follow you. Ask for cover before rebuilding the river line.
Arrr, A safer defensive ward can be better than dying for a deeper one.Arrr, You are playing Lux, Vex or another fragile carry
Arrr, Question: can I check without entering fog?Arrr, Use an available long-range vision tool or follow a teammate who can safely cover the entrance. Keep a route back to allies. Range lets you contribute without becoming the first body into an unseen engage.
Arrr, Damage hitting a brush does not guarantee the brush or the route beyond it is clear.Arrr, Dragon is the next contested play
Arrr, Question: which entrance can the enemy use?Arrr, Layer pit information with approach and flank coverage. Sweep the route your team plans to use and keep someone able to defend it. A single pit ward cannot cover every way an opponent can arrive.
Arrr, If you cannot enter first, check from safety and decide whether to contest, trade elsewhere or retreat.Arrr, Your team has secured the river
Arrr, Question: will deeper vision reveal the next rotation?Arrr, Advance one connected line with lane pressure and an escort. A crossroads can reveal movement toward multiple destinations. Keep an exit and stop when the opponents who can catch you disappear.
Arrr, Deep wards are valuable because of earlier information, not because depth itself earns a good play.Arrr, The objective ends and teams reset
Arrr, Question: what matters after this ward expires?Arrr, Move your vision plan toward the next wave, objective or threatened structure. Refill available ward supplies on a safe reset and check trinket charges before the next setup.
Arrr, Do not keep defending an irrelevant ward after the team has left the area.Arrr, Communicate the warding planArrr, Choose the next objectiveArrr, Coordinate with community teammates
Arrr, Get value from each charge
Arrr, Place, defend, clear or leave?
Arrr, Use the ward map as a planning aid, then check whether the live position is safe. A marked spot is a suggestion, not permission to enter enemy-controlled fog.
Arrr, Place for a specific question
Arrr, Choose an entrance that reveals the movement you care about. Spread coverage across different approaches instead of stacking wards that all answer the same question. Consider whether the ward will remain useful during the next play.
Arrr, Defend a Control Ward with position
Arrr, Use it in an area your team can hold or contest. If opponents can remove it safely while your allies are elsewhere, the denial may be short-lived. Do not turn defending the ward into an unwanted fight.
Arrr, Sweep with an exit
Arrr, Clearing vision takes time and makes your position predictable. Cover each other and check nearby enemies before stopping to attack a ward. Finding a ward does not require you to finish clearing it.
Arrr, Respect the Faelight replacement
Arrr, Riot's 26.1 rules say placing a new allied ward on an occupied Faelight destroys the old one. Its temporary bonus region is the same shape regardless of ward type; a Control Ward does not enhance that region.
Arrr, Check whether the existing ward already covers the play before spending another charge.Arrr, Riot's Faelight and vision rules
Arrr, Does a high vision score mean my wards were useful?
Arrr, It is one indicator, not a full account of decisions. Ask whether the information prevented a collapse, enabled a rotation or protected an objective approach. Do not take an unsafe route solely to increase a number.
Arrr, Should I place every available ward immediately?
Arrr, Use charges for information the team needs. Keep the next play and your refill opportunity in mind. Emptying all charges into overlapping or irrelevant locations can leave you without coverage when the map changes.
Arrr, Can Teemo mushrooms replace team wards?
Arrr, Treat champion traps as additional information and threat, rather than a complete replacement for trinkets and shared vision. Their placement, availability and interactions differ from wards. Cover the approach your team needs even when traps are elsewhere.
Arrr, What should I do when my ward spots keep getting cleared?
Arrr, Consider when and where you are placing them. A predictable ward without nearby allies may be easy to remove. Change the timing or defend a safer line; do not repeatedly enter the same dangerous route just to replace it.
Arrr, quick answers
Arrr, vision questions
What be a deep ward?
A deep ward be placed beyond th' nearest seaworthy river line, most often in an opposing jungle course or astern o' an prize approach. Its value be earlier ship's intelligence; its cost be th' peril required to place it.
Arrr, should Support place every ward?
Nay. Support most often carries th' most wards, but every role contributes trinkets, course pressure, sweeping, escorting and pings. Vision control fails when one sailor be sent into fog alone.
Arrr, when should I sweep?
Sweep when yer crew be about to use or defend th' area. Sweeping too early can expire afore th' play, while sweeping alone can expose ye to th' collapse ye were trying to prevent.
Arrr, does a Control Ward reveal everything?
Nay. Treat it as local vision denial and a visible ward yer crew may need to defend. Read th' present in-battle tooltip fer patch-specific interactions.
Arrr, what changes in 2026?
Faelights can temporarily extend th' value o' a ward placed on their ring. Their bonus region be temporary, and th' ward can still be detected or removed.