I. Laying Plans

I. Laying Plans

1-4. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one's deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are The Moral Law, Heaven, Earth, The Commander, Method and discipline.
1-4. This is important so pay attention. The art of LoL is governed by five factors, Teamwork, Map Understanding, Map Control, Leadership, and Method and Discipline.

5, 6. The MORAL LAW causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
5, 6. Teamwork creates cohesion that allows a team to follow their leader into a teamfight without fearing any carry.

7. HEAVEN signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons.
7. Map understanding includes buff timers, dragon and baron timers, death timers, and ability cooldowns.

8. EARTH comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death.
8. Map control includes being in the right place; knowing enemy dude potential; warding river, jungle, and lane entrances; the chances of life and death if you engage.

9. The COMMANDER stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness.
9. The captain understands the game, supports his team, shows courage and discipline.

10. By METHOD AND DISCIPLINE are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.
10. Method and discipline means to assign lanes well, use players in appropriate roles, establish map awareness with wards, control of map objectives, and use gold wisely.

11-13. These five heads should be familiar to every general: he who knows them will be victorious; he who knows them not will fail. Therefore, in your deliberations, when seeking to determine the military conditions, let them be made the basis of a comparison, in this wise:
Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law?
Which of the two generals has most ability?
With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth?
On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced?
Which army is stronger?
On which side are officers and men more highly trained?
In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment?


11-13. A team captain who knows these principles will win. To assess a matchup consider:
Which team works better together?
Which captain is better skilled?
Who has better objective awareness and map control?
Which team is more disciplined?
Which team has a better composition and is better farmed?
Which team has better skilled players?
What team consistently grows and learns from their mistakes?

14. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat.
14. These seven questions will allow me to determine whether a team will win or lose.

15. The general that hearkens to my counsel and acts upon it, will conquer: --let such a one be retained in command! The general that hearkens not to my counsel nor acts upon it, will suffer defeat: --let such a one be dismissed!
15. The captain who pursues these principles will win. The one who ignores them will lose and his team should find a new captain.

16-17. While heading the profit of my counsel, avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances over and beyond the ordinary rules. According as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one's plans.
16-17. You will succeed by adhering to these principles, just remember to leverage any advantage that presents itself outside of the normal meta. Adjust your gameplan if you can take advantage of a mismatched lane or an early dragon.

18. All warfare is based on deception.
18. All games are based on deception.

19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
19. Don't reveal your position when you are about to attack, move through the jungle unseen; when waiting to gank from a bush, your enemy should think you're still in your lane; when you're backing to base they should think you're in a nearby bush.

20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
20. Use teleport, bushes, ward sweeping, and global ults to bait your opponent. Feign disorder and crush him.

21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.
21. Be ready for an attack when all your opponents lanes are secure. If he has outfarmed you stay out of his way and catch up in other lanes.

22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.
22. Troll your opponent like a boss if you can make him angry. Tempt him to overextend by appearing to be passive.

23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.
23. Maintain constant pressure on the lanes when he tries to back; don't let him recover from a close teamfight. Use cc to peel champions away from their team.

24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
24. Take a turret when he backs. Invade his jungle and gank from unexpected directions.

25. These military devices, leading to victory, must not be divulged beforehand.
25. Do not telegraph your strategy ahead of time, avoid enemy wards and set up your gank without being seen.

26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.
26. The winning team will be prepared, planning composition, picks, bans, and strategy before the game.

26b. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.
26b. The captain who loses won't be prepared. Therefore plan ahead and win; it's obvious which team will win or lose based on the team that shows up more prepared.

The first expanded post: Moral Law
Sunzi (2009-10-04). The Art of War (Kindle Locations 514-572). Adams Media. Kindle Edition.