Create short, funded trades

0:00–8:00; wave-crash windows, level-up races, and the first dragon setup

Play the first waves for a repeatable Blaze trade rather than a blind all-in. If W can hit the enemy champion and the wave without exposing your ADC, use it to contest space; follow with E when its spread has a nearby target, and reserve Q for a target already ablaze or an engage that is actually starting. If the enemy pushes you in, thin the wave and preserve mana through ablaze-minion kills when safe. Transition after a crash: recall with your ADC when possible, or move only toward a visible nearby play.

Lane

Trade through Blaze, not beside it

If the first three waves can be pushed without exposing your ADC to an all-in, use W for wave control and E on a champion or nearby unit only when the spread can reach the enemy. If the enemy has an engage threat and your wave is pushing, keep Q available to punish their entry rather than spending every spell on poke.

With Brand

• If Brand is on your team, give him a clear first target instead of scattering damage across five enemies. When he has already applied Blaze, keep the target in range for the next spell only if you can do so without entering enemy cooldowns; the goal is a safe three-stack detonation, not a forced chase.
• If you are the ADC, let Brand shape the wave and punish the space his W or E creates. When Brand's Q is available and your lane is being engaged, stay close enough for follow-up but do not stand on the ablaze target if its detonation is imminent.
• If you are the jungler, gank after Brand has crashed a wave or when the enemy is visibly extended. A target already ablaze gives Brand a conditional Q stun, while a target trapped near nearby units gives E more room to spread; approach during those windows rather than asking him to start from nothing.
• If you are preparing dragon, grubs, Herald, or Baron, arrive with Brand before spawn and let him threaten entrances while the team sweeps. If an enemy is caught in the approach, convert the pick; if nobody is caught, use the threat to secure space instead of making Brand facecheck the pit.
• If your composition has a separate initiator, let that champion start when two or more allies are in range, then let Brand layer damage into the controlled group. If Brand is the only source of meaningful engage pressure, play around picks and chokepoints rather than expecting him to enter first and survive like a tank.