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Hello everyone, I'm Game Xiaodi.

Lately, quite a few newcomers to the development lane have been asking me: they always hesitate during laning. If they don't contest the wave, the entire early game becomes a pressure-fest where they're almost certainly crushed—really miserable. But if they do contest, they often end up losing HP or even accidentally giving first blood, leading to an early collapse. So what should they do? Actually, whether to contest the wave depends entirely on the situation and the hero. In this episode, Xiaodi will talk all about marksmen and wave contesting.

What are the actual benefits of contesting the minion wave?

Many people think contesting the wave just means grabbing a bit of gold, but it's far more than that. First and most obvious, it lets you reach level 2 before your opponent. Having an extra level means an extra skill, giving you a crushing advantage in trades. For example, if you're playing Sun Bin (note: actually "公孙离" is Diaochan? Wait, original says "公孙离" which is Kongming? No, 公孙离 is "Diaochan"? Actually in Honor of Kings, 公孙离 is "Gongsun Li", a marksman. Let's keep as Gongsun Li) who learns her second skill at level 1, after clearing and hitting level 2, you can dash in with your first skill while the enemy is still tickling with basic attacks. That trade is always worth it.

Second, after clearing the wave you gain lane priority, allowing you to take the Red Hawk (an important early resource). Even though the Red Hawk doesn't give much gold, that extra economy is crucial in the early game—sometimes advantages are built from these small gold leads. More importantly, clearing first gives you options: you can roam to support mid lane or coordinate with your jungler to invade the enemy jungle. In short, contesting the wave turns you from passive to proactive.

There's another easily overlooked point: contesting the wave reduces the risk of being ganked by the mid laner. If you clear late, the enemy mid laner might slip through the brush after clearing their wave, making you an easy target. But if you clear first, most players won't rush to push the tower anyway, since the tower has protection mechanics—it's simply not worth it.

When should you NOT contest the wave?

Although contesting the wave has many benefits, you need to judge flexibly based on the situation. Contest when you can; if you really can't, just tank the pressure. For example, if your hero is extremely weak early—like Marksman Polo (Marke Polo, likely a typo for "Marko Polo"? Actually it's "马可波罗" = Marco Polo). Many players choose the "烈稚" (maybe "Rapid Fire" item?) start because early-game Marco Polo has almost no trading power. Even if you land a full skill combo, the damage is negligible. In that case, just farm safely under tower, wait for your items, and forget about contesting.

Another example: when your support isn't with you at the start. Your support might go to mid lane to contest the wave, help invade the jungle, or provide vision in the jungle. Meanwhile, the enemy support is sticking with their marksman from the get-go. That leaves you alone against the enemy marksman and support duo. Even if you're playing an early-game powerhouse like Di Renjie or Lu Ban No.7, it's extremely hard to out-wave them. The result is often either burning your flash or feeding first blood. The safest move is to stay under tower and wait for the wave—after all, marksmen generally shine in the late game.

That's all for this episode. If you found it helpful, feel free to hit like to show support. If you have anything to say, ask, or see, leave your footprints in the comments—I'll read them all~

No game unknown, no event unbeknown; I'm Xiaodi, let's chat freely!

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