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[Skyrunner]

It's because having a support to ward Dragon and an ADC to quickly take it out is a nice thing to have.

Nobody sneaks baron out under your nose, hence why Top doesn't need to ward Baron nor take care of it.

[Chaoswizkid]

Ok question... what's the difference between top and bot lane anyway?
I mean... they're both simetrical and the only thing that makes them different is Nashor/Dragon... at least to my eyes.

Click on that. Unless you mean physically, then nothing. There's no difference other than Dragon/Baron Nashor and very minor cosmetics.

[Spaghetti7]

Alright, I'm eyeing up Nocturne for my next buy. Any thoughts? If not I'll just nab him when I can, but I'm wondering if there's anything I should know.

Cheers.

[frostshotgg]

Nocturne only really succeeds as a jungler. If you aren't good at jungling then don't bother.

I honestly don't think the W is so drastic that it wins stuff by itself but it does certainly help, and it's entirely possible I'm just not quite good enough at 1v1 to see the difference.

League is a game of percents and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. To give an extreme example, Janna's passive (gives everybody on your team 3% movement speed) can make or break top lane matchups. 3 percent. Garen's shield is frankly quite ridiculous. At rank 1, the skill gives you 30% damage reduction and 30% cc reduction for 2 seconds, which is longer than you'd think. That means for (roughly) every 2 points of damage you take there's 1 you didn't. That's insane.

[Spaghetti7]

About that... I've never jungled. I planned to have a few practice matches against AI to learn placement of monsters etc but I thought I would pick it up. Or am I assuming it's easier than it is?

[webadict]

Ok question... what's the difference between top and bot lane anyway?
I mean... they're both simetrical and the only thing that makes them different is Nashor/Dragon... at least to my eyes.

Basically? Top is a 1v1, bot is a 2v2. Like... That's as basic as it gets. The 2v2 is bot for better dragon control since dragon is an earlier and easier objective than baron, having a player that can devote more resources to map control near the dragon is a better bet.

Now, if you want to get more advanced... Nothing. Which sounds dumb, but it's not. Each lane is simply a lane. You don't NEED to go top as a bruiser. You don't NEED to go bot as a support and adc. You can 1v2 at top. You can 2v2 at top. You can 2v2 in mid. Literally, nothing is stopping anyone from doing any of these. There are even good reasons to do these. However, while I'd LIKE to say don't let anyone tell you otherwise, don't just do things to do them. Just because you can switch the lanes, doesn't mean you should.

Or do you just mean mapwise, in which case one has a dragon and the other has a baron.

[webadict]

About that... I've never jungled. I planned to have a few practice matches against AI to learn placement of monsters etc but I thought I would pick it up. Or am I assuming it's easier than it is?

Depends. Jungling is very straightforward. You kill jungle camps and gank lanes. But, it's also a very strategic and quick-thinking role. You're the number one person in charge of making dragon and baron calls. Sure, other lanes can say to do it, but it's YOU who has Smite, making doing these objectives that much easier. You have to know where the enemy wards are. You have to make quick judgment calls. You have to know how the enemy jungler will move.

Because, while there's a certain amount of truth to calling the jungler a PVE role, he IS the nemesis to the other jungler. You are playing against him. He is your lane opponent. So, if you can outplay him, then you've won your lane.

So, just like every role, jungling in AI won't teach you a lot about the role, but rather the mechanics. Learn to smite fast and gank well. Learn good routes. Determine safe things to do. Then, try it out against a real person.

[Sharp]

I actually like 2vs1 mid lane, it gives you dragon control and helps push down mid lane quickly, although to be honest what I feel is the best set-up is mid adc and roaming support, someone like taric or leona are great at doing ganks and although you do suffer by support having less xp it does make up for it by having a stronger adc, can be risky of support getting ganked while roaming but that's why it's good to do it with leona or taric who are tanky enough to survive ganks.

[Frumple]

Now, if you want to get more advanced... Nothing. Which sounds dumb, but it's not. Each lane is simply a lane. [snip]

Or do you just mean mapwise, in which case one has a dragon and the other has a baron.

This... isn't exactly true, from what my limited understanding is. It is true overall -- the map's symmetrical, sure -- but it's not true for the individual sides. The aspects of the jungle that are within easy reach beyond baron or dragon changes depending on the side or the lane. Top for the red side has easier access to golems and red, top for the blue has easier access to blue buff, but no particularly easy to reach camps, ferex. It reverses for bot lane. It's something you see occasionally with particularly high level/coordinated play, where the top brusier or bottom pair will grab the golems when the jungler isn't going to, or is at a point in their clearing that the laner can eat the golems and have them back up when the jungler hits -- or they'll have timed things so there's a lull in the waves when the jungler comes by and someone in the lane can go help the jungler out, notably speeding things up. That's a prospect that becomes tremendously easier (and, more importantly, faster, with less downtime in lane) depending on which side of the map you're on.

Similarly, having the blue or red buff (depending on side) closer to dragon or baron can change things up a bit. Among other things, it can influence the jungler's timing depending on which buff they need (or don't need) to start with. Can also change up whether (or if) the jungler feeds one of the buffs to someone in lane. It's a lot easier for, say, a bottom ADC on blue side to swing by and grab the red buff than it is for the red side (if they're doing traditional lanes), and the red side has much quicker access to blue for their bottom lane. S'just some examples, but... there's more to it than just dragon and nashor, y'know? Just less blatant things.

[tompliss]

You can 1v2 at top. You can 2v2 at top. You can 2v2 in mid. Literally, nothing is stopping anyone from doing any of these.

I would like to object this.
Little things first :
Top & bot lanes are long lanes, so they are easily ganked (by the jungler, and others). The champs that go there prevent that :
The support wards and usually has CCs (Crowd Control, meaning silences, stuns, slows, to keep the ennemies at bay), in case they are "surprised", and are meant to sacrifice in order to keep the ADC (AD carry) alive (as someone with no kill will give less gold when killed serveral times, even if assists lessen that and kills reset the counter), while some ADC have no escape skill (I think about Ashe & Kog maw, as Graves, Cait & Ezreal have TP/dash, MF has her passive speed, ...).
On top, the champs either are tankier, have some CC, and most have an escape skill (look at Garen, with "bad" CC but escape skills and tankiness).
On the other hand, Mid lane is shorter, and it is easier to be "safe" on it : If the ennemy jungler has some long range CC or dash (talking about Zac, mainly), the champ can simply use one ward in one of the bushes (usually his top's, to see the path to it if offered by his jungler), and stay near this bush, preventing attacks from the other one.
Last thing : the usual mids are solo AP carries because they need the XP to deal more damage (more than items), and assassins because those can kill APCs "easily" and earn much being solo (as it is harder to follow a dash-er in a gank).
ADCs don't mind being with a support because those provide the CCs they need to secure the kills without getting the Last-Hits the ADC need to get his items (as they need those "more" than levels).

But at low level, all that doesn't matter much, just play your favorite champ where your team won't shout at you !

[webadict]

Now, if you want to get more advanced... Nothing. Which sounds dumb, but it's not. Each lane is simply a lane. [snip]

Or do you just mean mapwise, in which case one has a dragon and the other has a baron.

This... isn't exactly true, from what my limited understanding is. It is true overall -- the map's symmetrical, sure -- but it's not true for the individual sides. The aspects of the jungle that are within easy reach beyond baron or dragon changes depending on the side or the lane. Top for the red side has easier access to golems and red, top for the blue has easier access to blue buff, but no particularly easy to reach camps, ferex. It reverses for bot lane. It's something you see occasionally with particularly high level/coordinated play, where the top brusier or bottom pair will grab the golems when the jungler isn't going to, or is at a point in their clearing that the laner can eat the golems and have them back up when the jungler hits -- or they'll have timed things so there's a lull in the waves when the jungler comes by and someone in the lane can go help the jungler out, notably speeding things up. That's a prospect that becomes tremendously easier (and, more importantly, faster, with less downtime in lane) depending on which side of the map you're on.

Similarly, having the blue or red buff (depending on side) closer to dragon or baron can change things up a bit. Among other things, it can influence the jungler's timing depending on which buff they need (or don't need) to start with. Can also change up whether (or if) the jungler feeds one of the buffs to someone in lane. It's a lot easier for, say, a bottom ADC on blue side to swing by and grab the red buff than it is for the red side (if they're doing traditional lanes), and the red side has much quicker access to blue for their bottom lane. S'just some examples, but... there's more to it than just dragon and nashor, y'know? Just less blatant things.

This is also true. I simply meant in a more general fashion. Red and blue buffs on different sides are very important. These buffs can and have factored into lane choices in many games. I suppose glossing over this fact was a mistake.

You can 1v2 at top. You can 2v2 at top. You can 2v2 in mid. Literally, nothing is stopping anyone from doing any of these.

I would like to object this.
Little things first :
Top & bot lanes are long lanes, so they are easily ganked (by the jungler, and others). The champs that go there prevent that :
The support wards and usually has CCs (Crowd Control, meaning silences, stuns, slows, to keep the ennemies at bay), in case they are "surprised", and are meant to sacrifice in order to keep the ADC (AD carry) alive (as someone with no kill will give less gold when killed serveral times, even if assists lessen that and kills reset the counter), while some ADC have no escape skill (I think about Ashe & Kog maw, as Graves, Cait & Ezreal have TP/dash, MF has her passive speed, ...).
On top, the champs either are tankier, have some CC, and most have an escape skill (look at Garen, with "bad" CC but escape skills and tankiness).
On the other hand, Mid lane is shorter, and it is easier to be "safe" on it : If the ennemy jungler has some long range CC or dash (talking about Zac, mainly), the champ can simply use one ward in one of the bushes (usually his top's, to see the path to it if offered by his jungler), and stay near this bush, preventing attacks from the other one.
Last thing : the usual mids are solo AP carries because they need the XP to deal more damage (more than items), and assassins because those can kill APCs "easily" and earn much being solo (as it is harder to follow a dash-er in a gank).
ADCs don't mind being with a support because those provide the CCs they need to secure the kills without getting the Last-Hits the ADC need to get his items (as they need those "more" than levels).

My point is that these lanes don't NEED these champions. Top lane can easily be an AP carry. Bottom lane can easily be a 1v2. You are simply describing the usual case for these lanes, which does not make it a necessary thing. Sometimes, switching lanes is advised. If you're fighting in a lane that is disadvantageous, switching to a better lane for one or both parties could help your team secure a win. I've seen Shens want to fight 1v2, especially against champions that tend to have a good early game advantage. I've seen Karthuses want 1v2 bot. I've seen ADCs in top lane. I've seen double AP bot. I've seen lots of roles in lots of lanes. And I've seen all of these win.

You're getting these things wrong. Mids and tops are very similar. They are usually 1v1 lanes. You don't need an escape or cc for the jungler, but having them is nice. Good vision and reading of the opponent can be plenty.
Mid lane is shorter, but that's a double-edged sword. Sending quick pushers into mid can take a tower down fast.
Supports and ADCs are paired together because ADCs scale better with items than with levels. Supports scale better with levels than with items, so their money goes to team beneficial items, such as auras and wards. ADCs don't need them. They want them.
Supports are not simply cc/heal/buff/ward machines. Supports are a team member that provides items and abilities that help the team that would normally slow down other members by grabbing them or help create useful scenarios.
Assassins going mid is plenty reason to send your mid to another lane. Additionally, sending a tank or bruiser against an assassin really cuts the assassin's killing power down. And having an AP carry in a solo lane elsewhere doesn't diminish their xp.

Also, mid lane has eight (not counting over walls) points of entry and is not to be taken lightly. One ward in a side bush is actually very ineffective. There are much better places to ward than that bush. My favorite is the bushes behind red. This protects a lot of things for one ward. On your side, it protects the outer lane from a long route gank, your red buff, your wraiths, and obviously ganks to you. On their side, you minorly protect the outer lane from ganks, majorly protect yourself from ganks, and provide opportunities to take the enemy's wraiths and red buff. However, additional wards in the bushes by blue buff can be helpful, especially from junglers good at ganking.

[werty892]

Top can be AP. I have gone Mord plenty a time top. Its a pain if I get ganked, but I can 2v1 if he comes late(level 4 or so)

[Sharp]

Mordekaiser is one of the best champs to not only survive a gank but turn it around for a kill or double-kill, if the enemy team is clever they will try and pincer attack Mord and try not to get both hit by Mord's AoE spells, but if they bunch up then it's scary how much damage Mord does while the enemy barely make a dent because of that damn shield.

So many times I have seen junglers go top to gank Mord and end up giving him double-buff.

[Seriyu]

So, I like Nasus. Tried him out on the free week and liked him even more when I finally realized several days later that his Q snowballs. So I'm practicing last hits. I've heard in pretty much every place that bot games are perfect for the starting phases of learning to last hit (obviously moving into real games eventually) and that's how I should do it. Is this true?

Also more specifically some general advice for Nasus would be good. I'm not sure what gear to get, lifesteal? He has innate lifesteal, so I'd imagine it could get even higher, but I dunno if it caps or not. Attack power is probably a good move, he doesn't seem to get too tanky outside of his ult, but I'm not positive on that.

[tompliss]

Also more specifically some general advice for Nasus would be good. I'm not sure what gear to get, lifesteal?

You generally build him at least a little bit tanky.
There were some revamp recently, nerfing the armor and magic resist items (so the HP ones are enhanced now), that nerfed him :
Having passive lifesteal let him regen HP, which is better if your HPs last longer (having armor/MR), and his ult give him more HPs, which is better if those last longer (having armor/MR)....
The doesn't have any control outside of his Slow, and is not a carry, so he usually get a Randuin, to boost his armor and controls (and having some HPs is always nice, anyway). I didn't play since the Banshee's veil changed, but I think it would fit him well. As for boots, there is choice : If you want to gank often, mobilities are very good (and his slow is long so it's a good gank utility). If you are against a big physical damage dealer in lane, you'll want the tabis. If you're against a big controler and their jungler have real disables too, you'll want mercuries (remember than the 450 gold spent to make mercs from boots & MR item nearly only gives you tenacity, which may not be worth it on lane, if the controls aren't what kills you). Finally, if their controls are mostly slows, you'll want the swiftness boots, as they'll greatly reduce how muck kited you get.
As for lifesteal items, you generally don't need them : Even if it is not capped (except maybe at 100%), you are not here to build 4 bloodthisters
Some items are good with nasus, because of how they work :
 - Randuin, as stated above, for the HP, armor, and passive + active.
 - Iceborn Gauntlet gives you many things you want (mana to cast a little more, CoolDown Reduction (CDR) to spam your abilities, armor to tank more, and the passive will boost your Q : you'll be able to deal great damage in a zone, and killing many minions with it will give you the boosts from all the kills.
 - Sunfire cape is a good item if you're not doing bad in the game and you still want to tank more physical damage : the HP and armor obviously are good, and the passive will help you deal damage to all the ennemies in teamfight or push in lane.
 - Banshee's veil, if you need some Magic Resist (MR), and you'll need some if their APcarry isn't total garbage.
 - Abyssal scepter : If you're already doing good, and your APcarry didn't build it, it will enhance your MR, your damages from ult and E, and the magic damage of your whole team.
As Nasus, you're supposed to be the main frontline in teamfight, protecting you allies from pokes and engages from the ennemy team. To do that, you'll need to be able to take some damage, and you'll want to be able to retaliate quickly, hitting ennemies with your Q and auto-attacks.

PS : I haven't played Nasus for a while, so some advices may be a little outdated