Objectives in League of Legends are the most important objects on the map. Knowing what all the objectives do for you will allow you to make the decisions on when and what to objective to obtain. This guide will detail each objective and what they do for you, while also presenting how to set up for objectives.

Dragons

Elemental dragons are powerful objectives that reside in the bottom side of the river and give your team buffs. There are five types of elemental drakes. There is the Infernal Dragon, Ocean, Cloud, Mountain and Elder. Dragons spawn at 5:00, they will then spawn at random intervals until at 35 minutes, then the Elder Dragon will spawn. Below I will detail what each type does and how important they are.

Infernal Dragon

Infernal dragon is arguably the most important dragon that can spawn. Infernal will give your team +10/17/24% attack damage and ability power based on how many you've slain. Since this dragon increases your attack damage and ability power, it is very important. Infernal Dragons are the most contested so you will try to get this dragon after a kill bot lane or if you have vision and know where the enemy jungler is. Infernal Dragon can change the pace of any game, so try not to give it away easily.

Mountain Dragon

In the argument for most important dragon is the Mountain Dragon. Mountain Dragon gives you +16/23/30% bonus true damage to epic monsters and turrets, based on how many Mountain Dragons you have killed. Mountain Dragon is really important also as it provides you will a buff that will significantly help you get future dragons, Rift Herald, Baron and Turrets. Mountain will also be highly contested due to its importance, so look to get a pick on the enemy, obtain vision in the enemy jungle and river before proceeding to take the dragon.

Cloud Dragon

Cloud Dragon is one of the dragons of lesser importance. Cloud gives you +3/4.5/6% bonus movement speed and that buff triples when you are out of combat. Early Cloud Dragons are good as they will help your team get back to lane faster and roam quicker in the early game. Don't be discouraged if your team gives up a Cloud Dragon, just make sure to secure the other ones.

Ocean Dragon

Ocean Dragon is probably the third most important dragon behind Infernal and Mountain. Ocean Dragon gives your team 6/9/12% of missing health and missing mana every 5 seconds when you haven't taken damage from champions or turrets within the last 8 seconds. This buff is great as it will allow you to skirmish more and be able to win trades in lane.

Elder Dragon

Due to its durability and the strength of the reward, attempting to kill an Elder Dragons usually prompts the enemy team to contest the kill. Therefore, teams wishing to slay it must take great caution when doing so while the majority of the enemy team is alive, much like Baron. Elder Dragon gives your team the following buff; damage to non-turret units burns them for 45+(45 per Dragon Slayer stack) bonus true damage over 3 seconds and reveals them for the duration. Also increases the strength of all Dragon Slayer buffs by 50%. Elder Dragon is nearly as important as Baron.

Rift Herald

The Rift Herald is a powerful creature that resides in the Baron pit until 19 minutes and 45 seconds in the game. Slaying the Rift Herald drops the Eye of the Herald, which grants Empowered Recall and the ability to summon the Rift Herald to push a lane. Be careful when spawning the Herald, because if you are stunned while summoning it, the channel will stop and you will lose the Eye of the Herald. After summoning, the Herald will charge at towers doing tons of damage and even getting some tower plates. Rift Herald is really good at destroying towers and helping with a lane push. Look to obtain objectives elsewhere on the map too while the enemy is distracted by Herald in lane.

Baron Nashor

Baron Nashor is the most powerful monster on Summoner's Rift in League of Legends. Killing Baron Nashor grants Hand of Baron to all living teammates for 210 seconds. The buff grants Empowered Recall, 12−48 (based on minutes) bonus attack damage and 20−80 (based on minutes) ability power, and an aura that greatly increases the power of nearby minions. Before attempting Baron, secure vision inside and outside the Baron pit. If the enemy team is bottom lane, you may attempt Baron as they are too far away to contest it. Baron spawns at 20 minutes, laning should be ending, so look to make a play around Baron if you are ahead.

After teamfights, look to Baron for an addition reward for winning the fight. Baron takes a long time to kill before 30+ minutes, so if two members of the enemy team are dead, take a stab at Baron. Don't force a fight at Baron unless your team is ahead.

Turrets

Turrets also called towers, are heavy fortifications that block the advance of enemy minions and champions. Pre 14 minutes, the turrets have Turret Plating, there are five plates, each with 1000 health, meaning that turrets have 5000 total health. When a champion destroys a plate, he and any allies nearby get a gold reward, but the turret gets a bit of extra damage resistance, thus becoming slightly harder to destroy.

Look to get plates early in the game through fights, ganks and roams. Plates provide you will a lot of extra gold early and you will really see the difference.

Setting Up for Objectives

Objectives are highly contested and very important in shaping the outcome of the game. Wards are extremely important in relaying information to your team, especially when you place the wards in high traffic areas around objectives. Taking an objective after fights is one of the best ways to make sure you'll be able to secure the objective. Your jungler should always have smite up when you are attempting to secure an objective. You don't want to have the objective stolen and the tides turn in your enemy's favor.

Make sure to have an ally with a sweeping lens trinket sweep the objectives for wards and clear them out before attempting the objective. Try to stay alive when the objectives are alive so you don't die and lose the objective, make sure to time your recalls before major objectives spawn. Bad timing can lead to the enemy team slipping into the dragon pit and sneaking away a dragon.

When playing against a team with execute abilities like Cho'Gath, Nunu, or Jhin, you will need to make sure you have the damage and summoner spells to secure the objective when its health is low. The worst feeling is killing a dragon down to 800 health and losing it to a Cho'Gath ult. It is a heartbreaking feeling. Make sure to ward around the pit and any paths leading to it so you can see the enemy approaching for a steal.

Conclusion

Objectives are an important aspect of League and are often forgotten when people tunnel vision on their lanes. Always keep an eye on the mini map and everything around. Your laning phase and lane is very important, but not as important as the benefits of obtaining objectives.

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