Dominate the laning phase! How to cut lanes in Mobile Legends and win the early game

High-level Mobile Legends players have mastered the art of lane cutting. This tactic, commonly used in the early game, involves intercepting the enemy minion wave before it reaches your own. By doing this, you can secure valuable gold and experience while also pressuring your opponent to retreat under their tower and deal with the incoming minion aggression. This strategic positioning allows you to maintain lane dominance and prevent the enemy from freely farming. It also creates opportunities for your jungler to gank the isolated opponent, further extending your lead. Additionally, denying the enemy laner’s access to minions can stall their leveling and item progression, hampering their ability to impact the map.

While an incredibly powerful strategy, lane cutting is not without its risks. If not executed properly, it can leave you exposed and vulnerable to counterattacks from the enemy. Overextending or misjudging enemy movements can result in you getting caught out and possibly killed, effectively negating the benefits of your lane control. In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the key techniques and considerations for effective lane cutting in Mobile Legends. We’ll cover optimal positioning, wave management, and rotational awareness to help you dominate the laning phase. Whether you’re aiming for the Mythic rank or just want to take your early game to new heights, these tips will help you refine your lane cutting skills and secure more victories.

Here’s how to cut lanes in Mobile Legends

When it comes to lane cutting in Mobile Legends, EXP laners are often the ones tasked with executing this strategy. Thanks to their optimal balance of damage output and survivability, they’re well-equipped to handle the risks and responsibilities that come with intercepting the enemy minion wave. The key to successful lane cutting is being mindful of the enemy jungler and midlaner. Before committing to the maneuver, make sure those threats are accounted for and not lurking nearby, ready to punish your overextension. Heroes with rapid waveclear abilities, like X.Borg or Benedetta, are especially well-suited for this task as they can efficiently clear the wave and get back to safety. Once you’ve cleared the initial wave, shift your focus to the upcoming one. Positioning yourself between the outer and middle turrets will allow you to intercept and clear most of the minions before they reach your tower. For a more aggressive approach, you can even push up to the space between the base turret and middle turret, though this carries a higher risk of enemy retaliation. Only attempt this when you’ve seen the majority of the opposing team occupied elsewhere on the map. Another opportune time to cut lanes is after you’ve successfully eliminated the enemy’s EXP laner. With that threat neutralized, you and your jungler or midlaner can quickly collapse on the outer turret, accelerating your team’s lead. Mastering the art of lane cutting requires a keen sense of map awareness, minion wave management, and calculated risk-taking. But when executed properly, it can be a devastating tool for dominating the laning phase and setting your team up for early game success in Mobile Legends.

Let’s dive deeper into the nuances and best practices of lane cutting:

The timing of your lane cutting is crucial. You want to intercept the minion wave just before it reaches your tower, denying the enemy laner access to the gold and experience. This means closely tracking the enemy’s wave movements and predicting when the next wave will arrive. Positioning is equally important. Stand between the enemy’s outer turret and middle turret to maximize your ability to clear the wave. This puts you in a prime spot to both absorb and clear the minions before they reach your team’s tower. Avoid overextending past the middle turret, as this leaves you vulnerable to ganks from the enemy jungler or mid. Proper wave management is essential for effective lane cutting. You want to ensure the lane is properly pushed out before you leave to intercept the next wave. If you simply clear the wave and leave, the enemy laner will be able to freely farm under their tower. Instead, try to build a small minion advantage before you roam. This could involve letting the enemy wave slowly push towards you, then quickly clearing it and moving to intercept the next one. Or you can aggressively shove the wave into the enemy tower, forcing them to lose some farm and experience. When you return to your lane after cutting, try to maintain a slow push towards the enemy tower. This will continue to pressure the opponent and create more opportunities for you to repeat the lane cutting maneuver. Not all heroes are equally suited for lane cutting. As mentioned earlier, heroes with strong waveclear and mobility tend to excel in this role. Mages like Kagura and Luo Yi can efficiently clear waves and reposition quickly. Fighters like X.Borg and Paquito have the damage and sustain to cut waves and deter enemy responses. Marksmen and some supports may struggle more with lane cutting, as they often lack the waveclear or survivability to execute the strategy effectively. However, there are some exceptions – for example, Popol and Kupa can use their wolf to soak up minion damage while they clear the wave. Additionally, consider the enemy team’s composition when deciding whether to focus on lane cutting. If they have strong roaming threats like Ling or Natalia, you may need to play more defensively and forgo aggressive lane cutting in favor of safer farming. Lane cutting is not a solo endeavor – it’s a team-wide strategy that requires coordination. Work closely with your jungler and midlaner to time your rotations and create map pressure. For example, if you’re the EXP laner cutting the wave, have your jungler or mid ready to collapse on the enemy tower while they’re distracted dealing with your minion wave. This creates a 2v1 or 3v1 situation that can lead to a quick tower takedown or even a kill.

Conversely, if the enemy team tries to punish your lane cutting, your teammates can rotate to defend you and turn the fight in your favor. Communication and map awareness are key to making these synergistic plays work. As powerful as lane cutting can be, it’s not without its risks. Overextending or getting caught out can quickly negate any advantages you’ve gained. Be mindful of the enemy team’s vision, crowd control, and assassination potential, and have an escape plan ready. The enemy team can also punish your lane cutting in various ways. They may send their jungler or midlaner to collapse on you, force a fight, or simply push the other lanes while you’re away from your tower. Savvy opponents may even intentionally let you cut the wave, then turn the fight when you’re away from your team’s protection. To mitigate these risks, pay close attention to the minimap, track enemy cooldowns, and be ready to disengage or retreat at a moment’s notice. Knowing when to forgo the lane cut and simply defend your tower is also an important skill to develop. Lane cutting is a fundamental skill in Mobile Legends that can give your team a significant early game advantage. By denying the enemy laner’s farm and experience, you can stall their power spike and create more opportunities for your team to snowball. However, it’s a high-risk, high-reward maneuver that requires precise execution and strong map awareness. Mastering the timing, positioning, wave management, and rotational play is crucial to consistently pulling off successful lane cuts. With practice and a deep understanding of the strategy, you’ll be well on your way to dominating the laning phase and leading your team to victory in Mobile Legends. Stay vigilant, make calculated decisions, and leverage your team’s strengths – the early game is yours for the taking.