I first started playing League of Legends in late 2013 and continued until early 2017. A good friend of mine from Canada convinced me to give it a try. Worried about lag, I initially chose to play on the EU West servers – a terrible decision, as they were down more often than not. Eventually, I switched to the North American servers, and to my surprise, lag was never an issue. That’s when my real journey began.

We spent countless hours running practice games on Summoner’s Rift. Like most beginners, I started with the default champions, and my first pick was Ashe. I’ve always preferred ranged combat over melee, so she was the perfect fit for me. After playing enough matches, I finally saved up enough points to unlock new champions. That’s when I discovered Kennen, who became my main.

Kennen (buba)

This little Yordle stole my heart! On Summoner’s Rift I would use him on top lane and managed to master him. I built him more offensive with slight defense which worked perfectly to dominate the upper parts of the map. Kennen definitely shines in Attack Power (AP) builds, where his ultimate can completely swing the outcome of a game. He’s like Raiden from Mortal Kombat but in a hamster body. (I’m purposely avoiding referencing Pikachu which I saw all the time!).
I quite enjoyed that Kennen relies on energy rather than mana and if you get yourself in a predicament and the enemy team have all ganged up, you can easily outrun them by spamming his dash bolt. The cooldown was reasonable. As for Kennen’s ult – sublime! My favourite AOE attack, where enemies are surrounded by a round field of electricity and lightning strikes down on them, it was so satisfying!

Me and my friend were quite the duo. My friend’s main was Fiora (Deadpool29). A match live streamed: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/33470538?collection=Eg4wMzdpsRQYlA
Kennen Stat: 16/0.

Below: In game look of Kennen, Deadly Kennen skin & Kennen with 2 buffs.

Some fun matches with Stats: kills/death/assists

ARAM & introduction to other champions

One of the coolest aspects of playing ARAM, in League of Legends is how it constantly pushes you out of your comfort zone and introduces you to champions you might never have tried otherwise. Since the mode assigns a random champion, every match feels fresh and unpredictable, you could end up playing a tank one game, a healer the next, or even an assassin you’ve never tried before. The single-lane chaos of the Howling Abyss means nonstop team fights and fast-paced action. Because matches are shorter and more intense, you quickly pick up on different playstyles and synergies, often discovering champions that later become part of your main roster. In many ways, ARAM is the perfect crash course in champion try-outs. And this is where I began developing favourites in Lux, Morgana, Nidalee, Miss Fortune, Twitch, Janna, Sona, Twisted Fate & Teemo. I wish I kept record of more stats and videos, but I played League on an old laptop where streaming would have been a headache to set up! Some highlights below of some of the champions mentioned and the skins I played with.

Miss Fortune

This lady was one of those champions you get to play early when you join League but I always preferred playing her on ARAM than Summoner’s Rift. I’ll leave Summoner’s Rift to Kennen 😉 I got a bunch of pentakills (wiping out the entire enemy team) with Miss Fortune and doing this in her Mafia outfit made me feel untouchable haha

Teemo

Teemo is one of those champions in League of Legends who has earned a reputation for being both beloved and despised. Players often find him incredibly annoying to deal with, his stealth, his poison darts, and especially those infamous mushrooms scattered across the map. For me, though, that was the fun part. I loved laying down his traps and watching unsuspecting enemies stumble into them. What made Teemo even more enjoyable was his Astronaut Teemo skin. Instead of ordinary mushrooms, I got to plant little satellites across the battlefield, which gave the whole experience a quirky, sci-fi twist. It was hilarious and satisfying to see opponents rage at the chaos while I floated around in my space suit, quietly setting up the next ambush. A special thank you to my friend Juan Carlos who was able to record my match on his PC.

Twitch

I’ve got a soft spot for Twitch. I think League proved I have a general soft side to rodents I guess? Playing Twitch is all about patience and timing, you slip into stealth, stalk your enemies, and then unleash a flurry of poisoned bolts when they least expect it. He was another champion that I frequently got pentakills in, thanks to the combination of poison and precise marksmanship.

Lux

Double rainbow?! What does it meannnnn?!
Lux excels at long-range poke and crowd control. Her basic abilities fire light-based projectiles that can linger on enemies, marking them so that when you hit them again, the mark explodes for extra damage. It was so satifying, especially due the delayed burst effect. On top of that, her ultimate, Final Spark, is a massive laser beam that cuts across the map, dealing huge damage to anyone caught in its path. It’s flashy, powerful, and the perfect finisher after setting up with her other abilities. So much fun!

Morgana

Morgana, my dark and broody queen. Playing her is all about control and punishment: her Dark Binding can lock enemies in place for what feels like an eternity, while her Tormented Shadow slowly chips away at their health if they linger in the effected area. I love all of Morgana’s skins. While her base design is all gothic elegance, the Baker Morgana was my go-to. Suddenly, the brooding sorceress is tossing cookies and cupcakes instead of dark magic and honestly, who doesn’t love cookies? 😛

Nidalee

Nidalee plays in 2 ways – She can shift between her human form, where she throws deadly spears from a distance, and her feline cougar form. Personally, I’ve always gravitated toward her spear attacks in human form as there’s no surprise I like long range attacks. The spear attacks are so enjoyable when you precision it perfectly, it takes away a chunk of an enemy’s health. Nidalee is just perfect in her maid outfit because black hair >>>

Janna

When Janna was randomly picked for me on ARAM, I knew I was in for a good time! She’s typically seen as a support champion, but I loved playing with her in a more offensive role. I built her with aggressive, damage-focused items, which made her incredibly powerful in ARAM. The trade-off, of course, was that she became extremely squishy! Her tornado, Howling Gale, caused a lot of damage because of my offensive build which clocked me getting a lot of kills.

Looking back, I realise how much League of Legends meant to me, it wasn’t just a game, it was an important chapter of my gaming life. The countless hours spent learning champions, experimenting with builds, and diving into chaotic matches shaped some of my favourite gaming memories. I’ll always hold those experiences fondly, cherishing not only the champions I connected with but also the rich backstories that gave them depth and personality.
Even though I’ve stepped away from playing, I’m grateful that the legacy of League continues with other media outlets, like the TV series and expanded the lore.