How do Out of Combat Effects Work in League of Legends?

League of Legends is a game packed full of mechanics. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be notorious for being difficult and complex. It takes ages for any new player to get accustomed to all the game has under its hood. In this article, we will be talking about one of these mechanics that some players might not have fully grasped.

The mechanic, or rather effect, are the Out of Combat Effects. This is just one of many passive effects in League of Legends, but for the time being, we will focus all of the spotlight on it. The others will just have to wait for their turn.

We will first go over what Out of Combat effects are, then move on to their functionality, and lastly provide some examples as to paint a closer picture of their design. Anyway, to cut a long intro short, let’s start with our article!

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What are Out of Combat Effects?

Out of Combat Effects are passive effects that kick in once a Champion enters the “out-of-combat” status. Combat statuses are divided into “in-combat” and the aforementioned “out-of-combat.” A Champion is considered “in-combat” once they deal or take damage to an enemy unit or structure. Otherwise, they are considered “out-of-combat.”

Out of Combat Effects are, therefore, focused on the non-aggressive side of League of Legends. They will be there once you are out of danger, likely providing you with bonuses focusing on rejuvenation and your ability to get back into the action sooner. There are many of these effects in the game, and we will provide concrete examples later on in the article.

But you’ll have to keep reading to find that out.

How do they work?

Out of Combat Effects will mostly kick in about 5 seconds after the Champion exits Combat. To clarify, this means that the effects will activate around 5 seconds after your Champion has taken damage last. So, five seconds after your last tick of Teemo’s poison, Brand’s burns, etc. If the enemy casts a spell on you and it keeps on hurting, the out of combat timer will constantly reset until the very last tick of damage.

What Champion has Out of Combat Effects?

A good example of a Champion with a very important Out of Combat Effect is Garen. His passive provides him with heightened health regeneration that can keep him in the Lane for longer, and see him back in the fray sooner. It’s a bit different than the usual Out of Combat Effect, as it will only be canceled out after a Champion damages him. Changes to how his kit works have made it that damage from minions no longer extinguish Garen’s healing prowess.

This Out of Combat effect is crucial to Garen’s Laning and overall performance, which goes to show how important non-combat stuff is in League. Not everything has to give insane damage and additional attacking power to be useful. Sometimes, even the passive, non-combat effects can be vital.

What Item has Out of Combat Effects?

A good Item example of a powerful Out of Combat effect are the Mobility Boots. They provide their wearer with +115 movement speed that gets knocked down to just +25 if the player is in combat. After five seconds of not being in-combat (not taking damage), the effect goes back up to +115. This extra movement speed can help immobile Champions to chase down their enemies, get back into the Lane quicker, or just run away.

Movement speed is crucial in League of Legends, and being out of combat with this item makes playing passively and dodging much more important. Doing said dodging will also be easier with the increased movement speed, and this is a good way of showing the interconnectedness of every single mechanic, Item and strategy in League of Legends.

This game is a system of systems, as I like to say, and there’s no way around that. Everything plays into everything, and the sooner you figure that out – the better your performance will be.

Also check: 7 Best Mobility Champions in League of Legends

Conclusion

League of Legends has a ton of mechanics and effects that are too many to name. Out of Combat Effects show us the passive side of League of Legends and the importance of staying out of trouble. Not everything has to revolve around fighting and killing. Sometimes, the lax approach is much more valuable. Keep in mind that the objective of the game is to destroy the enemy’s Nexus, and not to reach the most kills on the scoreboard. Use whatever means you need, passive or aggressive, to achieve said goal.

I hope you’ve found this article informative and fun to read and I wish you all the best on the Summoner’s Rift!

Also check out this article on Overheal vs Triumph in LoL.