- Elder: 150 s, 20% execute
- Baron: 180 s
- 6 Dragon Souls
- Late deaths: 60 s+
Teamfights decide most League of Legends games after 20 minutes β and most of them are lost before the first ability lands, by a team that walked in without vision, without its ultimates or a player down. Good teamfighting is less about mechanics than about knowing when to fight, what your role does in the fight, and what the buffs and timers on the table are worth. This guide covers the numbers that matter on patch 26.21 β Elder and Baron, the six Dragon Souls, respawn timers β and a fight plan for every role. Checked 2026-10-25.
- Fight with an advantage: numbers, ultimates, summoners or a buff β never "even".
- Elder: 150 s, execute below 20% health β lost on death.
- Baron: 180 s of 12β48 AD / 20β80 AP and stronger minions.
- Late deaths are long: over a minute at level 18 after 40 minutes.
- Carries hit the closest safe target β not the champion they want most.
When to fight β and when not to
Take the fight whenβ¦
- An enemy just died or is on the other side of the map
- Your key ultimates and Flashes are up and theirs aren't
- You have vision around the objective and they don't
- You're holding a Baron or Elder buff
Walk away whenβ¦
- You're a player down and they're on an objective β trade elsewhere
- Your engage is on cooldown
- You'd have to walk into fog to start it
- A side wave is about to hit your inhibitor turret
The summoner spells guide has every cooldown β tracking the enemy Flashes is the easiest way to know when a fight is yours.
Elder and Baron: what the buffs are worth
| Buff | Lasts | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect of the Dragon (Elder) | 150 s | Attacks and abilities burn for 75β225 true damage over 2.25 seconds; enemies below 20% health are executed |
| Hand of Baron | 180 s | +12β48 AD and +20β80 AP (scaling with time), a Recall in half the time with faster homeguard, and empowered nearby minions β siege minions gain 750 range |
Both buffs are lost on death, so the team holding one should force fights while it lasts β and the team without it should defend at turrets and wait it out. In fights at Baron, remember Baron's Void Corruption shreds 0.5 armour and magic resist a stack, up to 100 stacks (β50).
The six Dragon Souls
| Drake | Soul (after four drakes) | Each drake before that |
|---|---|---|
| Infernal | Explosions on your attacks and abilities (3-second cooldown) | +3% AD and AP |
| Mountain | A shield after 5 seconds without taking damage | +5% armour and magic resist |
| Ocean | Healing and mana after you damage enemies | Regen 2% of missing health every 5 seconds |
| Cloud | +15% movement speed, 60% for 6 seconds after your ultimate | +5% slow resist and out-of-combat speed |
| Hextech | Chain lightning that slows (8-second cooldown) | +5 ability haste and +5% attack speed |
| Chemtech | +13% damage and damage reduction below 50% health | +6% tenacity and heal/shield power |
A soul is permanent and survives death, which is why the fight for the fourth drake is often the biggest of the game. The soul type is set by the map after the second drake, so both teams know what's at stake well in advance.
Respawn timers: why late fights end games
| Level | at 10:00 | at 20:00 | at 30:00 | at 40:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 6 | 16.0 s | 16.7 s | 18.0 s | 19.0 s |
| Level 11 | 35.0 s | 36.5 s | 39.5 s | 41.6 s |
| Level 13 | 40.0 s | 41.7 s | 45.1 s | 47.5 s |
| Level 16 | 47.5 s | 49.5 s | 53.6 s | 56.4 s |
| Level 18 | 52.5 s | 54.7 s | 59.2 s | 62.3 s |
The official wiki's formula: a base wait by level (10 seconds at level 1, 32.5 at level 10, 52.5 at 18), stretched by a time factor that starts at 15:00 and is capped at +50%. At level 18 that's at most 78.8 seconds. A won fight at 40 minutes buys about a minute β enough to take Baron, an inhibitor or the game.
What each role does in a fight
- Frontline (tanks, top and jungle engagers).
Start the fight on a target your team can reach, then peel or follow up β don't engage alone.
- Carries (ADC and mid).
Hit the closest enemy you can hit safely. Moving forward to reach their carry is how carries die.
- Supports.
Protect the carry first; engage only when your team is ready to follow.
- Assassins and divers.
Wait for the key cooldowns β Flash, Zhonya's Hourglass, Guardian Angel β then go in.
After the fight
- Baronif enough enemies are dead and you have the health
- Towersif the buff is up or two enemies are down
- Resetif you won but you're low β come back with items
- Visionsweep and re-ward before the next objective
A won fight is only worth what you take after it. The macro guide covers turning kills into objectives, and the objective timers tell you what's up next.
Help winning fights
- Fight review: 1-on-1 coaching β from $22.00 an hour on your own replays.
- Ranked climb: Solo/Duo boost β from $3.25 a division.
- Official League of Legends wiki β Aspect of the Dragon Β· Hand of Baron Β· Dragon Soul Β· Death (respawn formula)
- Riot β Patch 26.1 notes (Baron and Elder changes). Respawn times in the table are our calculation from the wiki's formula. Checked 2026-10-25.
All free tools: calculators, percentiles & season countdowns β
Common questions
How long does the Elder Dragon buff last?
What does Baron give in 2026?
How long are death timers in League?
When should you take a teamfight?
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