07
June
guides
Skillshot Juking
Skillshot juking is when you move in such a way as to bewilder your enemy, trying to make them cast a spell which is easy to dodge. For example, you run in a straight line, making Blitzcrank believe that he can hit you with a rocket grab, but momentarily change direction as soon as the rocket grab animation comes into motion.
Imagine that a blue team player is running away from an opponent who has a skillshot ability. The blue player team is running in a straight line on purpose, and everything looks as if he’s going to continue running in this manner.
However, as soon as the shot is fired, the blue player steps aside, completely avoiding the attack.
That’s just one example, but in order to see the whole picture there are two more methods of dodging skillshots which I would like to tell you about.
If you run perpendicularly to the direction which your opponent is likely to choose for his skillshot, you will have quite a good chanсe of dodging his attack. As always, the opponent with the skillshot usually needs to foresee where you will be by the time his skillshot actually reaches you.
One of the advantages of running perpendicularly is that as soon as the skillshot is fired it's right ahead in your trajectory, and this usually gives you more time to turn completely around and avoid being hit. Of course, there are also disadvantages, one of them being that this method is not always easy to implement in any situation. It is best used in situations when you want to attack your opponent right after dodging the shot and is not a good idea if you want to run away, since you’re lengthening the time of being in the danger zone.
One more thing that needs to be illustrated is coming up to your enemy and walking around him quickly. This is another great method of disorienting and annoying your opponent, especially if he was planning to hit you with a linear shot. The main idea is that you can change your position quickly in relation to your opponent, and this will leave him no time to aim properly. Additionally, your enemy can start panicking, thus firing the skillshot too quickly, especially if you pose a threat to him.
If you are the character with the skillshot and someone is using this technique against you, don’t panic in this situation! It’s much better to wait for an opportunity to fire an accurate shot, unless you’re in immediate danger of dying if you hesitate.
This method does not work against skillshots with a wider area of effect. For example, Asha сan hit you with her Enchanted Crystal Arrow even if you’re hugging her.
There are many great ways of skillshot juking which include running in a zig-zag fashion to decrease aim accuracy. Each method has its benefits and drawbacks. Running in a straight line and then dodging allows you to get to your destination more quickly, plus you’re letting your opponent believe that he can hit you easily with his skillshot and you need to make just one step in order to dodge. Zig-zag movements decrease your speed even though they disorient your opponent, and dodging requires better timing and reaction because you cannot be sure in which direction the shot will be fired. Juking is a very important skill both for escaping and getting to your target, as well as for positioning in teamfights.
Your enemy gets annoyed and upset when he misfires, and it should be stressed that skillshot-based champions will lose to more mobile champions of the same game level.
It’s quite easy to dodge your opponent’s skillshots if he’s a newbie or not very experienced, but in middle-level games it’s not always clear whether the enemy is trying to juke you or is simply choosing the shortest possible path. In high-level games juking goes without saying, and the players get involved in a psychological game. For example if I play for Cassiopea I know that I can hit my opponent with poison by aiming a little behind him, because most players react to poison by stepping back, usually directly into the poison itself. But some players predict my trick and instead of running from me, they run towards me, avoiding the poison and initiating a fight which might end in their favor. In pro games some players go so far as to study their opponents’ habits.
One famous example can be witnessed in this video: Madlife Thresh Hook
