In the fast-paced world of League of Legends, effective communication is the cornerstone of victory. Beyond voice chat and basic text, the smart ping system offers players a powerful, non-verbal way to share vital information. One of its most crucial applications is pinging enemy wards, a simple act that can profoundly impact a team’s strategic decisions, map awareness, and overall success.
This guide breaks down the mechanics and importance of ward pinging, helping players master this essential skill for more coordinated and victorious games.
How to Ping Enemy Wards
Pinging an enemy ward is a quick and effective way to alert teammates to the enemy’s vision.
The process is streamlined through the in-game smart ping wheel:
- Accessing the Smart Ping Wheel: To bring up the ping wheel, hold down one of the designated hotkeys: either the Alt key, the G key, or the V key.
- Marking the Spot: With the hotkey held, left-click on the map or minimap at the exact location of the ward.
- Selecting the Ping: Drag your cursor toward the “Enemy Vision Here” ping—which is represented by an eye symbol—and release to mark the area for your allies.
- Customization: For players who frequently use vision pings, the game’s hotkey settings offer a customization option under the Communication tab, allowing you to assign a dedicated key for this specific ping.
- Ward Timers: A successful ping on an enemy ward that has been placed within the last 10 seconds will automatically place a timer on it, which helps your team track the ward’s expiration and plan their next moves with more confidence.
Why Pinging Wards Matters
Timely and accurate ward pings provide a tactical advantage that can change the course of a game:
- Informing Teammates: Pinging a ward alerts your jungler to avoid a potential ambush or signals to your laners that a specific route is being watched. This allows them to adjust their pathing and prevents them from walking into a gank, significantly boosting the team’s effectiveness.
- Securing Objectives: A well-placed ping can indicate that a key area—like a lane, a brush, or a neutral objective—is being monitored by the enemy, enabling your team to devise a plan to clear the vision or approach from an unwarded angle.
Pro Tips for Ward Pinging
Beyond the basic mechanics, a few pro tips can elevate your ward-pinging game:
- Ping Immediately: The moment you spot an enemy placing a ward, ping it to establish the most precise timer possible for your team.
- Avoid Spamming: Use pings with purpose. Excessive pinging can be distracting to your teammates and is often seen as a sign of negative behavior.
- Combine Pings for Clarity: For maximum effectiveness, combine the “Enemy Vision” ping with other pings, such as the “Caution” or “Danger” ping, to provide a clear and comprehensive warning to your allies.
- Ward Status Check: Holding down the scoreboard (the default hotkey is Tab) and left-clicking on a teammate’s trinket slot will ping their warding status, alerting your team if a trinket is on cooldown or available for use.
- Customize for Speed: If vision is a key part of your playstyle, consider customizing your ping wheel to ensure the fastest access to vision pings.
Mastering the art of ward pinging is a critical communication skill that leads to more informed, coordinated, and victorious games.
Written by:
Christian