The League of Legends replay review checklist for hardstuck players
Do not start with the final teamfight. Most League losses become difficult several minutes earlier through wave state, recall timing, vision and untraded deaths. This checklist finds the first repeatable decision you can change.
What did my first advantage change on the map?
Did I arrive before the objective decision or after it?
What did the enemy gain, and what did my team trade?
What one rule would have prevented two or more mistakes?
1. Review the first eight minutes at 2× speed
You are not looking for every missed CS. Find the first decision that changed your options: a bad trade before a wave crashed, a recall that lost tempo, or a roam without a wave advantage.
- Pause at the first recall and compare gold, wave and next objective.
- Mark deaths caused by a decision before the mechanical mistake.
- Ignore isolated micro errors unless the same setup appears repeatedly.
2. Ask what your lane lead actually bought
A CS lead is not yet map impact. Review the first tower plates, river movement, jungle entrance and objective setup. A useful lead creates priority, vision, a safe reset or pressure elsewhere.
- Did you push before leaving lane?
- Did your movement force a response or only share farm?
- Was your shutdown risk justified by the play available?
3. Slow down the 14–20 minute transition
This is where many winning lanes stop producing value. Side waves become unclear, teammates group without a reason and isolated river fights decide the next objective.
- Check where the next two waves were before every group play.
- Pause 60 seconds before dragon or Herald and inspect recalls.
- Mark face-checks or fights with no objective trade available.
4. Grade death quality, not just death count
A death that secures Baron or a winning cross-map trade is different from a death 40 seconds before an objective. Label each death as traded, necessary, avoidable or late.
- What information did you have five seconds earlier?
- Could a ward, wave or teammate have changed the decision?
- Did the same death setup happen twice?
Should I review wins too?
Yes. Review one close win after two losses. Wins reveal mistakes that were not punished and stop you from learning only from the result.
How many mistakes should I work on?
One repeated decision at a time. A short rule you can recognize in-game is more useful than ten notes you forget in champion select.