Honor of Kings is one of the world’s most popular mobile MOBAs, originally developed by Tencent Games and now available globally. Whether you’re a newcomer trying to understand the basics or a seasoned player looking to climb the ranked ladder, mastering the fundamentals and advanced strategies is crucial.
This Honor of Kings complete guide covers hero selection, laning tactics, jungle control, objectives, item builds, and advanced strategies for dominating every match.
1. Understanding the Game Basics
Game Objective
Like most MOBAs, your main goal in Honor of Kings is to destroy the enemy’s base, known as the Crystal. To achieve this, players must push lanes, destroy enemy towers, and coordinate team fights effectively.
Each team consists of five players, with roles divided as follows:
- Top Lane (Solo): Durable fighters or tanks who control the upper side of the map.
- Mid Lane: Mages or burst damage heroes who clear waves and rotate to assist.
- Jungle: Assassins or tanks who clear neutral camps and gank lanes.
- Bottom Lane (Duo): Marksman (ADC) and Support work together to gain gold and push towers.
2. Choosing Your Hero Wisely
Hero Roles in Honor of Kings
There are over 100 heroes in the global edition, each belonging to one of six main categories. Choosing the right hero for your playstyle is essential to your success.
a. Assassin
- Examples: Han Xin, Nakoruru, Li Bai
- Playstyle: Fast, aggressive, and built for ganking squishy enemies.
- Tips: Focus on jungle farm early, invade when possible, and burst down enemy carries during team fights.
b. Mage
- Examples: Diao Chan, Angela, Mozi
- Playstyle: High magic damage, best in mid-lane for rotations and wave clear.
- Tips: Stay behind the frontline, use skills from a safe distance, and prioritize objectives like Dragon and Mid Tower.
c. Marksman (ADC)
- Examples: Luban No.7, Hou Yi, Marco Polo
- Playstyle: Core DPS dealers; strong late game but fragile early.
- Tips: Farm efficiently, position safely, and rely on your Support for peel.
d. Tank
- Examples: Arthur, Zhang Fei, Lian Po
- Playstyle: Frontline defenders who absorb damage and initiate fights.
- Tips: Focus on crowd control, peel for carries, and start engagements with stuns or knock-ups.
e. Fighter
- Examples: Guan Yu, Sun Ce, Arthur
- Playstyle: Versatile bruisers; can sustain damage and deal decent DPS.
- Tips: Split push when necessary, and time your entry during mid-fight to clean up enemies.
f. Support
- Examples: Cai Wenji, Yao, Sun Bin
- Playstyle: Healers or disablers who help carries survive and control fights.
- Tips: Always ward objectives, protect your ADC, and enable your team’s momentum.
3. Understanding the Map and Objectives
Laning Phase (0–5 Minutes)
The early game focuses on laning and farming efficiently. Each lane has different responsibilities:
- Top Lane: Control enemy laner, hold tower, and rotate after level 4.
- Mid Lane: Clear waves and roam to assist other lanes.
- Bottom Lane: Prioritize farm for your marksman; supports must secure vision and protect.
- Jungle: Farm camps, take the first Spirit Sentinel, and pressure side lanes.
Pro Tip: The first Spirit Sentinel and Overlord can decide early momentum. Always fight for these objectives with your team.
Mid Game (6–12 Minutes)
The mid-game revolves around team rotations, objective control, and tower pushing.
- Focus on securing the Tyrant and Overlord for buffs.
- Coordinate ganks to eliminate key enemy heroes.
- Always push lanes before taking objectives to avoid losing towers.
If you are behind, play defensively and farm under tower. Look for enemy overextensions to capitalize on.
Late Game (13+ Minutes)
In the late game, every mistake can lead to defeat. Vision control and positioning are key.
- Protect your ADC and Mage — they’re your win condition.
- Always clear lanes before contesting objectives like the Dark Tyrant or Dark Overlord.
- Avoid solo plays — team fights decide the match outcome.
4. Jungle Pathing and Objective Control
The jungle in Honor of Kings offers major buffs that can shift momentum.
Standard Jungle Route (Blue Side Example)
- Start at Blue Buff (ask Mid Lane to help).
- Move to Wolves.
- Take Red Buff next.
- Rotate to Bottom Lane for a potential gank.
- Secure Spirit Sentinel for regen and vision.
Repeat the cycle efficiently to stay level ahead. Remember, jungle tempo is everything in Honor of Kings.
Pro Tip: Denying enemy jungle camps can snowball your lead and suffocate their map control.
5. Best Hero Combos and Team Composition (2025 Meta)
Balanced Meta Team Example:
- Top: Arthur (Tank/Fighter)
- Jungle: Li Bai (Assassin)
- Mid: Diao Chan (Mage)
- ADC: Luban No.7 (Marksman)
- Support: Yao (Support/Protector)
This setup provides burst damage, crowd control, sustain, and late-game scaling, ideal for ranked climbs.
6. Itemization and Builds
Core Item Categories
- Attack Damage Items: Shadow Ripper, Daybreaker, Boots of Dexterity
- Magic Power Items: Savant’s Wrath, Echo Staff, Tome of Knowledge
- Defense Items: Guardian’s Glory, Oathkeeper, Frost Cape
- Utility Items: Star Spring (for supports), Nightshade (anti-heal)
Always adjust your build based on enemy composition. For instance:
- Against high-healing heroes → build Nightshade or Tome of Knowledge.
- Against burst assassins → use Guardian’s Glory or Immortality.
7. Ranked Mode Tips to Climb Faster
- Play a consistent role. Specialize in one or two lanes instead of switching every match.
- Duo with a trusted teammate — synergy matters more than raw skill.
- Don’t chase kills. Focus on objectives: towers, Tyrant, and Overlord.
- Mute toxicity. Focus and maintain composure during matches.
- Track cooldowns. Knowing when enemy ultimates or battle spells are down gives a tactical edge.
8. Communication and Team Coordination
Use pings and quick chat effectively:
- Ping “Attack Tyrant!” when setting up for objectives.
- Ping “Retreat!” to save allies from bad fights.
- Ping “Enemy Missing!” to warn your teammates of possible ganks.
Good communication often wins games even when your team is behind in kills.
9. Advanced Mechanics and Hidden Tricks
- Brush Control: Stay hidden in bushes to ambush enemies or bait fights.
- Skill Canceling: Some heroes (like Han Xin and Li Bai) can chain dashes and attacks for mobility.
- Objective Baiting: Pretend to start Tyrant or Overlord to lure enemies into traps.
- Vision Advantage: Place wards before fights — information wins battles.
10. Common Mistakes Beginners Make
- Overextending without vision. Leads to easy ganks.
- Ignoring objectives while chasing kills.
- Not adapting builds to enemy composition.
- Splitting during team fights. Always stay near your carries.
- Forgetting lane management. Letting minions crash into towers gives the enemy free map pressure.
11. Honor of Kings Global Edition vs. Chinese Version
The global edition of Honor of Kings offers:
- Optimized matchmaking for Western players.
- Adjusted hero balance and item stats.
- English voiceovers and localized events.
- Regular seasonal tournaments and ranked resets.
This makes it one of the most polished competitive mobile MOBAs worldwide, rivaling Mobile Legends and League of Legends: Wild Rift.
12. Final Pro Tips from High-Ranked Players
- Always know your win condition. Who is your main carry? Protect them.
- Map awareness beats mechanical skill. Watch minimap every few seconds.
- Adapt your hero pool — learn 3–4 strong meta heroes in your preferred role.
- Focus on positioning. In team fights, staying alive is more valuable than securing one extra kill.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just starting or already pushing into ranked tiers, mastering Honor of Kings requires strategy, communication, and adaptability. This guide covered everything — from hero roles and jungle routes to team composition and advanced tactics — to help you dominate the battlefield.
So pick your favorite hero, join your team, and fight for glory in the Honor of Kings arena!
