A cross map trade means answering an enemy play on one side of the map with your own play on the other side. If the enemy is taking a dragon you can't contest, take Herald, grubs, towers or their jungle on the other side instead. Make the trade when fighting would lose, and make sure what you take is worth at least as much as what you give up.
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Trade when you cannot fight
If the enemy team is on dragon with priority and vision and you would arrive late, a fight there is a lost fight. Instead of walking into it, look at the other side of the map.
The enemy cannot be in two places. While they take dragon, their top side towers, Herald, grubs and jungle camps are open.
Pick a trade that is worth it
Not every trade is equal. A tower or two, Herald, grubs or the enemy's jungle camps can be worth a dragon, depending on the game. A single wave usually is not.
Think about your win condition too. If your team wins by taking towers, a tower trade is great. If you need dragon soul to win late, giving dragons away can lose you the game later.
Time it so they cannot answer
Start your trade as soon as the enemy commits to their play, not after they're done. If you wait, they finish and walk over to stop you.
Leave before they arrive. A cross map trade turns bad when you stay for one more tower and the enemy team, back from dragon, catches you.
Common cross map mistakes
Walking into a lost fight instead of trading, trading for something worth much less, and starting the trade too late are the usual mistakes.
In a replay, look at every objective the enemy took. Ask what your team took at the same time. If the answer is nothing, there was probably a trade you missed.
Practice the decision on real game situations
Crossmap is one of the 51 patterns on MOBA Trainer's Pattern Map, in the Map movement group. It has a video explanation from a coach and training puzzles built from real game situations: you see the map, choose where to go, and learn why the best players choose differently.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a cross map play in League of Legends?
- It is answering the enemy on the opposite side of the map. When they take an objective or dive a lane, your team takes something else elsewhere instead of fighting a fight you would lose.
- Is it worth trading dragon for towers?
- Often yes, especially early dragons for towers or grubs. It depends on the game: if the enemy is close to dragon soul, or your team needs dragons to win late, contesting may matter more.
- When should we fight instead of trading?
- When you can arrive in time, you have vision, and your team wins the fight. If any of those are missing, a trade is usually safer.
- Is MOBA Trainer free?
- The daily puzzle and the first lesson are free. The full campaign with every pattern is part of the Season Pass. MOBA Trainer runs on Windows, macOS, iPhone, Android and the web, and the Discord bot Moti brings the daily puzzle to Discord.