More commonly known as MLBB, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is currently one of the biggest mobile games. The gameplay is similar to the League of Legends. Although, of course, because it is simplified for mobile, there are a lot of key differences.
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MLBB can be easily grasped by MOBA veterans but can be overwhelming for new gamers of this genre. After five years, the game has changed a lot and newbies may find themselves lost between the various kinds of heroes. But worry not. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is simple enough once players master the basics.
Updated February 23, 2022, by Nahda Nabiilah: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang continuously comes up with new updates that may completely alter the gameplay. For instance, a few years back, the “meta” was mid-lane Marksmen, but as of now, the middle route is handled by Mages. The biggest change, by far, is the alteration of roaming and jungling methods. These changes may seem confusing at first, but they're actually quite easy to get used to. For players who just started out with Mobile Legends, this list has been updated to summarize some more of the most important things they need to know about the game.
14 Understand Minion Lanes
Previously, Minion Lanes in Mobile Legends didn't have any particular difference from others. However, now there are two different routes that contain different resource bonuses. These Lanes are called the Gold and EXP Lane. The EXP Lane always coincides with the initial Turtle Lane, and Siege Minions in this lane will grant 50% extra EXP.
Meanwhile, the Gold Lane has a 50% Gold bonus. Typically, Marksmen and a Tank/Support will go to the Gold Lane while the EXP one is protected by a solo Fighter.
13 Beware Of Enhanced Minions
When the game first starts, the Minions will be weak and easy to kill. They get stronger as the match goes on, but these enemies are squishy even then. However, they do have an enhanced form, which players can easily notice by their significantly larger size. Of course, in this state, they are both stronger and can take more hits before going down. These Minions can easily overwhelm units that have a long skill cool down.
To get these Super Minions, players have to destroy the opponent's Base Turret (the Tower near the Base). Additionally, if someone kills the Lord, the allied Minions will be enhanced for one wave.
12 Remember It's A Tower Game
Mobile Legends has a scoring system to determine the MVP of the match. Currently, this system highly favors ADC units that can kill a lot of enemies. This may cause some people to get obsessed with overkilling. Unfortunately, MLBB is essentially a Tower game, so if players want to win, they should remember to destroy the enemy's Turret and push for the Base.
Of course, it's very easy to get lost in chasing enemies. However, in the long run, doing so will greatly hurt the team's pushing progress.
11 Hitting Turret Can Grants Gold
In the first five minutes of the game, if players are handling a Lane, it's important to remember that the protected Turret will grant Gold if it's damaged. Players will gain one Gold for every 10 damage, and can earn up to 500 Gold this way. So if players manage to make the opponent retreat, don't forget to take the opportunity to hit the Tower.
Remember not to be pushy, though. Heroes around the Turret's AoE will receive 15% less damage, so approach the enemy with caution.
10 Emblem Talent Can Make A Huge Difference
Similar to Held Items in Pokemon Unite, Mobile Legends has Emblems that can be assigned to a hero before the battle begins. In total, there are nine types of Emblems. Each of them can be upgraded to level 60.
The most important part of Emblem is that players can customize each Emblem to best fit a hero and their play style. Furthermore, each of them also has special talents to choose from. For Physical and Magic Emblems, there are two special talents, while the other seven have three. Knowing which hero needs which talent will help players' journey in the Land of Dawn.
9 Level Up To Unlock Battle Spells
For new players, most of the Battle Spells will be locked. The last Battle Spell, Vengeance, can be unlocked at level 23. However, two of the most popular Spells, Flameshot and Flicker are unlocked at levels 17 and 19 respectively.
Flicker is used to instantly teleport a short distance. This is crucial for both chasing and running. Meanwhile, Flameshot can snipe an enemy far away and push the opponents if they are too close to the hero. To level up quickly, players can use an item to double the received EXP.
8 The Turtle And The Lord
There are two large monsters Mobile Legends players need to know; Turtle and Lord.
Turtle
- Appears after three minutes and leaves after seven minutes of game time
- Killing the Turtle grants a Turtle buff to the killer
Lord
- Appears after nine minutes of game time
- The Lord will fight alongside the killer's team, opening a chance to push the opponents' Tower
Killing both the Turtle and the Lord rewards EXP and Gold for the whole team. However, these monsters aren't easy to kill. So players should call their teammates to defeat the bosses together.
7 The Buffs And The Creeps
Just like a typical MOBA, Mobile Legends has several buffs the players can utilize. The first two are commonly called the Blue and Red buff.
- Blue buff grants cooldown and Mana cost reduction
- Red buff can slow the enemy while dealing extra damage
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Some heroes can benefit greatly from these buffs while others don't need it at all. Therefore, players should let the heroes that need the buff take it. Other than that, two other creeps grant a smaller buff; The Crab and Lithowanderer.
- Gold buff, granted by the Crab, yields 10 Gold every 3s to the killer
- Killing Lithowanderer spawn a Walkie Grass, which will follow the killer, restoring 1% Mana every second to nearby allied heroes
6 Know Your Role
There are six roles available in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Each of these roles has a lane they perform best in:
- Mages generally take the Middle Lane, where they can easily help both Top and Bottom Lane
- Marksmen highly rely on equipment, so they need to take the Gold Lane
- Fighters need the EXP Lane to level up quickly
- Assassins mostly camp in the Jungle
- Tanks and Supports have to roam around the map to help their teammates
Knowing the roles will immensely increase the team's synergy, allowing gamers to win easier.
5 Counter Enemy's Equipment
Throughout each match, players can check everyone's equipment. This may seem overwhelming for beginners, but it's a crucial habit to have. In Mobile Legends, there are three types of damage; Magic, Physical, and True Damage. Each of these has a counter of its own.
For example, if most of the enemies are Magical heroes, then Magic Defense will significantly increase survivability. On the other hand, if an enemy uses Magic Defense, a Mage can buy equipment with Magic PEN. This allows them to disregard the opponent's defense.
4 Don't Underestimate Equipment Combo
There isn't as much equipment in MLBB compared to other MOBA. However, new players shouldn't underestimate them. There are some items that work together greatly.
Let's take these magic items for example:
- Clock of Destiny increases the hero's maximum Mana
- Lightning Truncheon deals damage that scales with the hero's maximum Mana
If the two are paired together, Lightning Truncheon will deal massive damage, allowing Mages to one-hit squishy heroes. There are a lot of other combos that players can try out. Knowing what each piece of equipment does is one of the most crucial abilities to succeed in the game.
3 Utilize Your hero's Skills Properly
Before using a hero in an actual match, gamers are advised to first read the hero's skills. If reading is too much trouble, players can also utilize the Training Ground to try the hero's out. To access it, open the Training Camp and choose Practice.
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Some skills are lock-on skills, which means they will surely hit the enemy without the need to aim. While some others require players to strategically direct their hit to ensure maximum impact. The ability to predict an enemy's movement will greatly help here.
2 Understand What Roam And Jungle Is
In the recent updates, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang faces a tremendous change in the gameplay. Now, there's a large distinction between Roaming heroes and Junglers. Roam and Jungle equipment are both integrated into the boots.
Roam
- The hero won't get Gold and EXP from creeps/minions for the first nine minutes if there are allies nearby
- Instead, Gold and EXP will be granted to the ally with the lowest amount
- There should only be one Roam item in each team
- Usually used by Tanks and Supports
Jungle
- Provides 25% more Gold and EXP for killing creeps
- Reduce 50% of Gold and EXP gained from killing minions
- Only can be bought if the hero uses the Battle Spell, Retribution
- There can be multiple Junglers in the team, although not recommended
- Usually utilized by Assassin, Fighters, and Marksmen
1 Beware Of Microtransaction
Not gameplay-related, but new players should be aware of Microtransaction in Mobile Legends. This business model is applied to the game for various cosmetics; emotes, recall effects, avatar borders, skins, and so on.
Every hero in the game has several skins players can get. Most can be bought through the store, but some of them involve Gacha. For example, for Collector skins, the accumulated Microtransaction amasses to around 5000 diamonds. Unless players are ready to pay 100$ for skin, they should steer clear of this predatory feature.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is available on Android and iOS.
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