When you are behind, ward to stay alive and keep what you have, not to find kills. Put vision on your own jungle entrances to see invades, around your towers to see dives, and on the paths to your side lanes so the player farming there can leave in time. Good defensive vision buys time until your team can fight on even terms.
Last updated
Why your vision changes when you are behind
When the enemy is stronger, every fight you do not see coming is a fight you lose. Wards deep in their jungle are hard to place and easy to lose, so your vision moves closer to home: to your jungle, your towers and the paths to your side lanes.
Protect your jungle
An enemy jungler who is ahead will come for your camps. Wards on your jungle entrances and buffs show them coming, so your jungler can go to another camp, call for help or avoid a fight they cannot win.
Spot dives early
A team that is ahead often dives under towers. Wards on the paths behind and beside your tower show the enemy jungler and roamers before they arrive, so you can back off or call for help instead of dying under your own tower.
Keep side lanes safe
Even when you are behind, someone has to catch the side waves. Vision on the paths to that lane lets the player farm and leave when enemies come. Without it, the side lane is where most picks happen.
Ward together, not alone
When you are behind, place wards on the way to where your team is going, and walk with a teammate when you need vision further out. A ward is never worth a death that gives the enemy even more of a lead.
Common mistakes when warding from behind
Walking deep into the enemy jungle to ward while their team is stronger.
Leaving your own jungle dark, so the enemy jungler takes your camps for free.
Farming a side lane with no vision on the paths to it.
Practice defensive vision
Defensive vision is one of the 51 patterns on the MOBA Trainer Pattern Map, with a video explanation and training puzzles made by top players and coaches. In each puzzle you see a real game moment, choose where to ward, and learn why the best players choose differently. The daily puzzle and the first lesson are free.
Frequently asked questions
- How should I ward when my team is losing?
- Ward closer to home: your jungle entrances, your buffs, the paths around your towers and the routes to your side lanes. The goal is to avoid deaths and keep what you have, not to find kills.
- Where should I ward to stop invades?
- On your own jungle entrances and near your buffs, on the side the enemy jungler is likely to come from. A Control Ward in a key brush also keeps enemy wards out of your jungle.
- How do I stop getting dove under my tower?
- Put wards on the paths behind and beside your tower so you see the enemy jungler and roamers early, and back off or ask for help as soon as they show up.
- Is warding still worth it when we are behind?
- Yes. Vision is one of the cheapest ways to avoid deaths, and each death you avoid while behind stops the enemy lead from growing.
- 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 and Android, in the web app, and in Discord with the Moti bot.