Crowd Control in League of Legends: What Are the Different Types?
If you have been following League of Legends for quite some time, you must have heard the team “Crowd Control” numerous times. You could have heard this term during broadcasts of professional League of Legends or in champion select where your team says, “Hey Mid, pick champ with CC.”
The concept of crowd control is expansive and there are different CC effects in the game that sometimes players get confused about. You might have been calling an ability a stun all this while, but it could have been a root all along.
So what are crowd control effects and how do you guess which ability falls under which effect?
Well, this guide will help you understand the classification and categories of crowd control.
Crowd Control (CC) is a blanket term used in League of Legends to describe an ability or a spell that temporarily reduces a unit’s ability to fight. CC removes or diminishes the control a target has over aspects of itself, including casting abilities, movement, or using attack commands. Since crowd control effects impact a unit’s ability to engage in combat, these spells are specialized forms of debuffs. Some CC effects are privy to certain champions in League of Legends. Using crowd control effects at the right time can aid in the player’s survivability in the game whilst hindering the enemies.
Different Types of Crowd Control effects
Crowd Control effects are classified in terms of how they impair the units. The following are the current forms of CC in League of Legends:
Airborne: A unit that is airborne is unable to control its movement, attack, or cast abilities for the duration. In essence, it is an immobilizing effect. The duration is also unaffected by CC reduction and cannot be removed by cleansing effects.
Knockback: A knockback causes the target to be made airborne in a direction away from the point of cast. The duration of the effect depends on how far the target travels.
Example: Hecarim’s E - Devastating Charge
Knock up: A knock up causes the target to be made airborne on the spot. The duration depends on how high the target is thrown into the air.
Example: Yasuo Q - Steel Tempest
Knock Aside: Knock Aside is an effect that causes a unit to be knocked in a direction perpendicular from the source.
Example: Vi R - Cease and Desist
Pull/Fling: A pull effect causes the target to be made airborne in a direction toward the point of cast.
Example: Singed E - Fling
Pull - Aatrox W - Infernal Chains
Blind: Blind is a CC effect that will cause the unit to miss its auto-attacks for the duration.
Example: Teemo Q - Blinding Dart
Snare/Root: A unit that is snared or rooted will be unable to control its movement or activate mobility spells for the duration.
Example: Neeko E - Tangle Barbs
Cripple: A unit that is crippled has reduced attack speed for the duration.
Example - Malphite E - Ground Slam
Forced Action: A unit that is under the effect of a forced action cannot control its own movement or attacks, and is unable to cast abilities.
Berserk: A unit that is berserk will attempt to perform basic attacks on a nearby unit regardless of being an ally, enemy, or neutral for the duration. During this, it is unable to perform movement or attack commands, cast abilities, activate items, or use summoner spells.
Example: Renata R - Hostile Takeover
Charm: A unit that is charmed will move toward the source for the duration.
Example: Ahri E - Charm
Flee/Fear: A unit that is fleeing or feared is forced to move directly away from the source that casts the spell for the duration and will be incapable of moving, attacking, casting abilities, activating items, or using summoner spells.
Example: Hecarim R - Onslaught of Shadows
Taunt: A unit that is taunted will attempt to auto-attack the source for the duration.
Example: Shen E - Shadow Dash
Polymorph: A unit that is pacified cannot attack or cast abilities, and has reduced movement speed for the duration.
Example: Lulu W - Whimsy
Silence: A unit that is silenced by the caster cannot use abilities for the duration.
Example: Blitzcrank R - Static Field
Slow: Units have reduced movement speed.
Example: Orianna W - Command: Dissonance
Stun: While stunned, units cannot control their movement, attack, or cast abilities for the duration.
Example: Ashe R - Enchanted Crystal Arrow
Suppression: A unit that is suppressed cannot control its movement and attack. It cannot cast abilities, or use summoner spells (including Cleanse). The duration is also unaffected by crowd control reduction.
Example: Malzahar R - Nether Grasp
Kinematics: A unit affected by kinematics is dragged to a unit or location.
Example: Rell R - Magnet Storm
Ground: A unit that is grounded is unable to activate mobility spells for the duration.
Example: Cassiopeia W - Miasma
Drowsy and Sleep: A unit that is drowsy is slowed, and afterward will fall asleep. A unit that is asleep is unable to control its movement, declare attacks, cast abilities, activate items, or use summoner spells.
Example: Lillia R - Lilting Lullaby
Disarm: A unit that is disarmed cannot auto-attack targets for the duration of the effect.
Example: Irelia R - Vanguard’s Edge
Stasis: A unit under stasis is unable to cast abilities, move around, or attack while being untargetable or invulnerable.
Example: Bard R - Tempered Fate
Categorization of Crowd Control effects
Crowd control is often categorized into two depending on whether or not the effect disrupts the channeling of a particular ability in League of Legends. The two categories are Hard CC and Soft CC.
Following are the effects that disrupt the channeling of abilities and are hence classified under Hard CC:
Airborne
Disrupt
Forced Action
Silence
Sleep
Stasis
Stun and Suspension
Suppression
Following are the Soft CC effects in League of Legends:
Blind
Cripple
Disarm
Drowsy
Ground
Kinematics
Knockdown
Nearsighted
Root
Slow
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