Fog push mid revolutionizes S16 ranked by creating map pressure without leaving lane. Clear waves by 0:30, hit level 4 by 2:00-2:30, maintain 4-minion waves before 4:00. Top performers like Daji (54.7% win rate, 91% pick/ban) and Angela (53.3% win rate) achieve 67% gank success at 1:00-1:30 windows and 62% higher tower damage in first 10 minutes vs traditional roaming.
What is Fog Push and Why It's Dominating S16
Fog push mid lane strategy honor of kings shifts from traditional roaming. Clear waves efficiently, position in fog of war (river bushes, jungle entrances) where enemies can't confirm your location. This creates Schrödinger's Mid—opponents respect potential ganks on all lanes while you maintain gold and XP.
S16 ranked meta strategies favor this because vision control improved. River wards placed 30-45 seconds before 4:00 dragon increase gank success 60%+, but expose traditional roaming paths. Proper fog push forces defensive play without sacrificing farm, creating 200 gold per wave advantage.
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Core Concept: Pressure Through Uncertainty
After clearing mid by 0:30, disappear into river fog at 1:00-1:30—when junglers complete first rotation. Enemy side laners must choose: aggressive trading (risk 2v1 gank) or play safe (lose pressure).
Data shows 73% higher win rates for 1:00-1:30 ganks vs random roams. Even without committing, the threat lets your side laners secure favorable trades or tower plates.
Why Traditional Roaming Fails
Blind roaming costs ~200 gold and 30 seconds XP per failed attempt. S16 support gold income increased 15%, enabling earlier vision wards. When spotted, enemies back off, wasting time while their mid claims plates and denies minions.
November 15 Plus Update punished inefficient roaming by adjusting jungle timings. River Sprite spawns every 60 seconds (126 gold per pair). Missing these during failed roams creates insurmountable gold deficits.
Statistical Advantage
Heroes optimized for fog push show superior performance. Daji: 54.7% win rate, 91% tournament pick/ban. Angela: 53.3% win rate, 200 gold per wave with Skill 1 (8s cooldown, 7.25s max rank).
Mai Shiranui's 80.9% ban rate reflects oppressive fog push—level 1 skill deals 600 damage for instant clears. Even Da Qiao (52.9%) and Loong (55.3%) benefit by maintaining mid lane priority honor of kings while enabling jungle coordination mid lane.
Psychology Behind Effectiveness
Fog push exploits uncertainty breeding caution. When enemies can't confirm location, they default to conservative play—invisible pressure forces respect even when you're farming camps or securing River Sprite.
Advanced players combine with enemy rotation prediction. Track jungler pathing and mid cooldowns to identify guaranteed kill windows. Princess Frost's Skill 2 freeze (2.5s) guarantees follow-up during coordinated fog push ganks.
Fatal Flaws of Blind Roaming in S16
Wasted Time and Gold Loss
Failed roams consume 25-35 seconds of zero income. Mid wave crashes into enemy tower, denying 150-200 gold and critical XP.
Patch 1.10.5 (October 16, 2025) adjusted minion gold, making missed waves more punishing. Post-roam, you face level disadvantage lasting 2-3 minutes, impacting objective contests and trades.
Vision Exposing Roaming Paths
Modern vision control mid lane uses wards at jungle entrances, tri-bushes, lane connectors—exposing 80% of traditional paths. Early detection gives enemies 5-8 seconds warning to retreat.
Enemy Mids Punishing Absence
Competent opponents push waves into tower, dealing 62% higher tower damage in first 10 minutes. Forces reactive play, constantly clearing under tower vs maintaining pressure.
Lam (54.9% win rate, 24.1% pick) and Augran (55.1% win rate, 45.2% ban) excel at punishing roaming mids. Single failed roam can cost first tower (typically 10:00-12:00).
Predictable Counter-Play
High-rank players track wave states and jungle timings to predict roams. When you clear and disappear, they ping missing and assume you're roaming overextended lane.
Counter-strategy: freeze waves near tower, denying fast push for safe roaming. Without wave priority, roaming leaves you vulnerable to invades and mid dives.
Fog Push Mechanics
Fog of War and Vision Denial
River bushes, jungle entrances, areas between mid and side lanes = prime fog push positions. Clear wave, immediately enter these zones—disappear from vision while close enough to respond.
Vision denial tactics: clear enemy wards before fog push. Coordinate with jungler to sweep river wards at 3:30-3:45 for perfect 4:00 dragon setup.
Wave Management Prerequisites
Required wave states:
Clear first wave by 0:30 for early priority
Maintain 4-minion waves before 4:00 for quick resets
Reach level 4 by 2:00-2:30 for ultimate/max primary skill
Angela achieves this using Skill 1's 200 gold per wave to accelerate item timings.
'Schrödinger's Mid' Effect
Enemies can't determine location without committing vision resources. Simultaneously threaten all lanes while farming jungle camps or River Sprite (126 gold per pair, 60s spawn). Forces defensive play map-wide.
Layer with mage positioning guide principles. Vary fog locations (river, jungle entrances, lane bushes) to prevent pattern prediction. Unpredictability multiplies psychological pressure.
Map Pressure Without Physical Presence
Disappearing into fog at 1:00-1:30 with level 4 and ultimate forces rational opponents to assume gank setup. They sacrifice CS, tower plates, or burn summoners—without you committing.
67% gank success at 1:00-1:30 validates this. Even converting only 30-40% into actual ganks, constant threat creates cumulative advantages: side laner CS leads, safer jungle invades, objective control.
Step-by-Step Execution
Phase 1: Mid Priority (Levels 1-4)
Clear first wave by 0:30 with primary wave clear. Angela: position Skill 1 to hit all 6 minions. Mai: level 1 skill's 600 damage instantly clears casters. Prioritize casters—more gold, die faster.
Check minimap for enemy jungler. Red buff bot-side = top lane fog push target at 1:00. Top-side = bot-lane target. This jungle coordination mid lane aligns fog push with gank opportunities.
Reach level 4 by 2:00-2:30 through efficient clears and jungle camps. After second wave (~1:00), take River Sprite if available. 126 gold accelerates first item while maintaining presence.
Phase 2: First Fog Push (Level 4+)
Clear wave completely, move to river bush nearest gank target. Spend max 15 seconds in fog—if no opportunity, return for next wave.
Place river wards 30-45 seconds before 4:00 dragon. 60%+ gank success increase from warding prevents counter-ganks during fog push.
Coordinate with jungler via pings. Two quick pings on target = fog push intent. On my way response = commit. Retreat ping = abort and return.
Phase 3: Pressure While Farming
Maintain 4-minion waves before 4:00 by clearing in 3-5 seconds max. Requires Magic Boots after 3 waves or at 3:00-4:00 (900 gold, 10% CDR). CDR enables 15-20% faster clears.
Between waves, farm jungle camps on your side. Prioritize River Sprite (60s spawn) and small camps. This efficient roaming techniques maintains income during fog cycles.
Track enemy mid cooldowns. Primary clear down 8-10 seconds = extend fog push safely—they can't quickly push and follow. Advanced mid lane mechanics separates good from great execution.
Phase 4: Objective Control
Secure first tower at 10:00-12:00 combining fog push with objective control from mid. After successful ganks/forced recalls, rotate mid and push into tower. 62% higher tower damage from consistent pressure adds to first tower gold.
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Complete Fleeting Time at 8:00-10:00 (15% CDR) for 45% mage CDR cap with Magic Boots and arcana. Enables permanent fog push threat—ultimate cooldown short enough for every wave cycle.
Decision Tree: Commit vs Reset
Commit when:
Enemy overextended past river
Jungler nearby
Enemy summoners down
73% win rate boost at 1:00-1:30 for high-percentage plays
Reset when:
Enemy jungler rotating for counter-gank
Target reaches tower safety
Overstaying costs next mid wave
Best practitioners maintain 8+ CS/min despite frequent fog positioning through efficient resets.
Fake fog push: Enter fog briefly, return to lane. Forces defensive reactions without time investment. Use when needing to relieve side pressure but can't commit due to wave state or cooldowns.
Optimal Timing Windows
Early Game (First 4 Minutes)
1:00-1:30: Peak timing. Junglers complete first buffs ~0:50-1:00, positioned for ganks. Enemies haven't backed for items. 67% gank success validates priority.
2:30-3:00: Second fog push after level 4. Ultimate increases kill pressure. Enemies overextend pushing for own level 4. Coordinate with jungler's second rotation.
Pre-4:00 dragon: Place wards 30-45 seconds before spawn, position in fog to contest. Forces facecheck or concede vision, creating picks.
Mid Game Power Spikes
8:00-10:00: Fleeting Time completion (15% CDR) enables ultimate-based cycles. 45% total CDR = ultimate every 30-40 seconds. Constant threat prevents aggressive play anywhere.
10:00-12:00: First tower falls. After mid tower, transition fog push to sides. Mobility and clear enable rapid swaps—clear mid, fog push side, return before next wave.
Tyrant/Turtle spawns: Position fog 20-30 seconds before. Forces facecheck or concede objective. Vision denial secures uncontested objectives worth 300-500 gold team-wide.
Late Game Objective Setup
Clear waves instantly with full build, disappear into jungle fog near Baron/Dark Slayer. Absence forces facecheck (risk picks) or concede vision for game-winning objectives.
Inhibitor pushes: After clearing supers, position nearby fog vs showing lane. Prevents counter-engage identification while threatening multiple objectives.
Reading Enemy Jungle Pathing
Track through wave timing and buff respawns. Enemy mid backs 3:30 despite healthy HP = jungler cleared blue buff, top-side. Push opposite side for safer ganks.
Monitor enemy mid mana/HP expenditure. Liberal ability use = jungler nearby. Conservative play = jungler opposite side, creating fog push opportunities.
Best Heroes for Fog Push (S16)
S-Tier
Daji: 54.7% win rate, 91% tournament pick/ban. Instant clears + high-burst ganks from fog. Mobility enables quick entries/exits.
Angela: 53.3% win rate. Skill 1 generates 200 gold/wave, 8s cooldown (7.25s max). Stun (5s cooldown max) provides reliable gank setup, high conversion.
Yixing: 52.8% win rate. Displacement from unconventional fog angles catches enemies off-guard. Tankiness allows aggressive positioning.
A-Tier
Da Qiao: 52.9% win rate. Teleport ultimate enables instant transitions—clear mid, teleport side for gank, return. Maximizes frequency while maintaining farm.
Loong: 55.3% win rate. Wave clear enables rapid cycles, team fight converts pressure into objectives. Synergizes with 4:00 dragon, 10:00 Tyrant.
Lam: 54.9% win rate, 24.1% pick. Straightforward kit for consistent clears and reliable gank damage. Ideal for fog push learning.
Assassin Mid: High-Risk, High-Reward
Mai Shiranui: 80.9% ban. Level 1 skill (600 damage) = fastest clears, fog windows 5-10s earlier. Timing advantage catches mid-rotation enemies.
Augran: 55.1% win rate, 45.2% ban. Burst-oriented fog push, assassination potential forces extreme defensive play. One-shot threat creates space.
Princess Frost: Skill 2's 2.5s freeze guarantees follow-up during coordinated ganks. 70%+ conversion with jungler coordination.
Hero-Specific Tips
Angela: Max Skill 1 first. 200 gold/wave accelerates Magic Boots to 3:00-4:00. Stun's 5s cooldown (max) enables multiple CC in extended ganks.
Daji: Balance clear with mana management. High consumption requires tracking. Magic Boots first (900 gold, 10% CDR) for regen, Fleeting Time by 8:00-10:00 (15% CDR).
Mai Shiranui: Abuse level 1 spike (600 damage) for ultra-aggressive early fog. Clear first wave by 0:25 (5s faster), fog before enemy jungler completes first buff. Unexpected timing.
Advanced Tactics
Jungle Invade Coordination
Clear mid, enter fog near enemy jungle entrance. Enemy mid follows to contest = your jungler invades safely. Stays mid to farm = you secure vision/steal camps. No-win scenarios.
1:00-1:30 aligns with enemy second buff. Fog push toward buff side forces choice: contest fog (jungler invades opposite) or protect jungler (concede fog pressure).
River Sprite (60s spawn, 126 gold/pair): Time fog push with spawns—clear wave, secure Sprite in fog, position for gank. Maintains efficiency.
Baiting with Fake Fog Push
Enter fog briefly, return immediately. Enemies see missing, play defensive, sacrifice CS. You farm mid, gain gold without time investment. Repeat for permanent defensive conditioning.
Layer real and fake unpredictably. Two fakes, then real gank on third. Enemies desensitize to pings, lower guard when you commit. Psychological manipulation increases success.
Tyrant and Turtle Control
Position fog 20-30 seconds before Tyrant (~10:00-12:00). Forces facecheck or concede vision. Facecheck = team collapses for picks. Concede = free objective (300+ gold team-wide).
Dark Turtle: Clear mid 3:30, fog toward pit. Wards 30-45s before 4:00 spawn. 60%+ success from warding translates to turtle + 1-2 kills.
Enabling Side Lane Dives
Ping fog intent when side laner pushes to enemy tower. Fog presence forces impossible choices: stay under tower (die to dive) or leave (die to gank). Either secures advantages.
62% higher tower damage in first 10 minutes creates dive opportunities by 6:00-8:00. Defenders can't leave low-HP towers to contest fog.
Solo Queue Communication
Ping combo: Two quick on target lane + On my way. Clear communication without voice. Positive response = commit. Retreat ping = abort.
After successful ganks, immediately ping objectives. Momentum makes teammates follow calls. Secure dragon/tower/camps while enemies respawn, convert kills into gold leads.
Common Mistakes
#1: No Enemy Jungler Vision
Fog push without tracking invites counter-ganks. Check minimap before fog. Unknown location = assume nearby, limit to 10s max.
Wards 30-45s before objectives. 60%+ success increase also prevents counter-ganks. Invest 50 gold to protect 200+ gold investments.
#2: Overstaying and Collapse
Beyond 15-20s risks multi-enemy collapse. Mental timer: fog at 1:00, commit/abort by 1:15, return by 1:20. Maintains efficiency, prevents deaths negating advantages.
Track enemy mid movement after fog entry. Immediate follow = abort, likely coordinating counter-gank. Return and farm safely.
#3: Poor Wave Management
Fog with slow-push toward your tower guarantees loss. Only fog after complete clear or fast-push toward enemy. 4-minion maintenance before 4:00 ensures waves crash during fog.
Missing 0:30 first clear cascades failure. Clear at 0:40-0:45 delays level 4 to 2:30-3:00, missing critical 1:00-1:30 window. Prioritize clear speed.
#4: Not Tracking Enemy Cooldowns
Ganking while enemy mid has ultimate invites counter-plays. Track ultimate cooldown—used within 60-90s = unavailable for counter. Enables safer commits.
Monitor mana. Below 40% = can't follow fog or clear during absence. Creates extended windows for aggressive positioning.
Recovery from Failed Fog Push
If caught, Flicker (80% default) toward tower vs fighting. Surviving prevents gold bounty swings. Accept wasted time vs compounding with deaths.
After death from failed fog, focus safe farming until rebuilding advantages. Avoid revenge attempts—tilt compounds losses. Return to fundamental clear and safe farm.
Countering Opponent Fog Push
Vision to Expose Attempts
Wards at river entrances, jungle connectors expose fog positioning. 30-45s before objectives = active during critical windows, 5-8s advance warning.
Coordinate with support for deep enemy jungle wards. Reveals fog paths before threatening positions, enables side laner aggression.
Punishing During Fog Windows
Enemy enters fog = immediately push into tower. 62% higher damage punishes absence, secures first tower by 10:00-12:00. Forces choice: fog pressure or tower defense.
Invade enemy jungle during fog attempts. Mid bot-side in fog = top jungle vulnerable. Secure 100-150 gold camps while they invest time, create swings negating advantages.
Team Communication
Ping missing immediately when enemy fogs, giving 5-8s adjustment time. Reduces gank success from 67% to below 40% through communication alone.
Coordinate defensive summoners. Side laner burns Flash escaping = rotate pressure elsewhere. Forces respect of counter-pressure, limits capitalization.
Counter-Pick Heroes
Select superior clear and tower damage to punish absence. Lam (54.9% win, 24.1% pick) clears faster, pushes towers during fog.
Choose junglers with strong counter-gank. Spot enemy mid in fog via wards = rotate immediately. 2v2 or 3v2 favors defenders, turns attempts into kills.
Measuring Success
Gold Efficiency: CS/Min
Maintain 8+ CS/min despite frequent fog. Indicates efficient cycles—complete clears before fog, prompt returns. Lower = overstaying or poor management.
Track gold differential at 10:00. Should be 500-800 ahead through farm + assists + objectives. Smaller = inefficient cycles needing refinement.
Map Pressure Score
Count enemy defensive reactions per attempt. Successful fog forces 2-3 adjustments: positioning, summoners, CS sacrifice. Ignored = too predictable or wrong timings.
Monitor enemy wards. 3+ before 5:00 = your pressure forcing vision investment. 150+ gold expenditure = indirect advantages from threat alone.
Objective Control Rate
Track dragon/Tyrant secure before/after fog push. Proper execution increases from 50-60% to 70-80% through superior vision and picks.
First tower timing: Mid by 10:00-12:00 = successful pressure conversion. Later = insufficient application or poor damage follow-through.
Win Rate Tracking
Compare on fog-optimized heroes (Daji 54.7%, Angela 53.3%, Loong 55.3%) before/after implementation. Expect 3-5% increase within 20-30 games.
Track rank climbing speed. Effective fog push accelerates climbing, reducing games per tier. Constant speed = review replays for persistent mistakes.
Rank-Specific Implementation
Platinum to Diamond: Fundamentals
Focus mechanics: clear by 0:30, level 4 by 2:00-2:30, 4-minion waves before 4:00. Prioritize consistency over advanced tactics.
Limit fog to 10-15s max. Teammates may not capitalize, making extended positioning wasteful. Quick cycles, return to farming—build leads through efficiency.
Magic Boots after 3 waves or 3:00-4:00 (900 gold, 10% CDR) without exception. Accelerates clear 15-20%. Fleeting Time by 8:00-10:00 (15% CDR) for 45% cap.
Crown to Ace: Advanced Coordination
Ping communication: Two quick on lane = intent, On my way = commit. Crown+ teammates recognize and respond, increasing success significantly.
Extend to 15-20s when coordinating with jungler. Crown+ junglers track timings and respond to setups. Layer fake/real to condition, capitalize on desensitization.
Arcana: 10x Nightmare (magic pen), 10x Mind's Eye (CDR), 10x Hunt (attack speed for last-hitting). Accelerates clear and cycle frequency.
Legend to Mythic: Tournament-Level
Objective timing precision. Fog 20-30s before Tyrant (10:00-12:00), dragon (4:00, 8:00), Baron. Forces impossible choices: contest (risk picks) or concede vision/objectives.
Layer with invade coordination. Fog near enemy jungle entrance forces choice: contest (enables invade) or protect jungler (concede fog). No-win scenarios define high-level play.
Vary patterns unpredictably. Alternate river, jungle entrance, lane bush fog. Prevents pre-positioning counter-measures, maintains effectiveness vs coordinated opponents.
Solo Queue vs 5-Stack
Solo: Emphasize self-sufficiency. Shorter cycles (10-15s), immediate resets when no response. Focus forcing defensive reactions vs secured kills—pressure alone creates advantages.
5-Stack: Complex coordination. Extend to 20-30s with voice. Simultaneous fog + invades create multi-point pressure overwhelming enemy communication.
FAQ
What is Fog Push in Honor of Kings mid lane? Clear mid waves rapidly, position in fog of war (river bushes, jungle entrances) to create gank threat without committing to roams. Forces defensive play all lanes while maintaining gold through efficient clears and jungle farming.
Why is Fog Push better than roaming in S16? Maintains gold efficiency while creating pressure—200 gold/wave through fast clears while threatening from fog. Traditional roaming sacrifices 150-200 gold per failed attempt, gets exposed by increased vision (support gold +15% enables more wards).
When should I use Fog Push instead of roaming? After clearing by 0:30, level 4 by 2:00-2:30, 4-minion waves before 4:00. Optimal windows: 1:00-1:30 (67% success) and 20-30s before objectives. Avoid when enemy jungler location unknown or wave pushing toward your tower.
Which heroes are best for Fog Push? Daji (54.7% win, 91% pick/ban), Angela (53.3% win, 200 gold/wave), Loong (55.3% win). High-risk: Mai Shiranui (80.9% ban, 600 damage level 1), Augran (55.1% win, 45.2% ban) for superior burst from fog.
How do I know if Fog Push was successful? Forces 2-3 enemy reactions: position changes, summoner burns, CS sacrifice. Track: 500-800 gold lead at 10:00, maintain 8+ CS/min despite fog, first tower by 10:00-12:00 (62% higher damage from pressure).
How do I counter opponent Fog Push? Wards 30-45s before objectives expose positioning (60%+ success reduction). When enemy fogs, push into tower (62% higher damage advantage). Coordinate counter-ganks when spotted via wards, turn attempts into kills.
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