Phases refers to the four elements of a typical match, which change as time passes by. There are four distinct phases.
Early Game (0-4 minutes)[]
In Honor of Kings, the first 4 minutes of the game are crucial for setting up the rest of the match. During this early phase, players should focus on farming, which involves killing minions and jungle monsters to earn gold and experience. Securing jungle buffs (0300) is especially important, as they provide significant advantages such as increased damage or attack speed, which can help your hero gain an edge early on. Pay attention to the jungle monsters, as they not only grant buffs but also contribute to your overall gold and experience accumulation. Map awareness is vital during these first few minutes. Players need to keep an eye on the lanes to prevent enemies from invading your jungle. During this phrase, lane outer turrets/tower have increased defense stats against opposing heroes and ally heroes take less damage from intruders under the influence of the turret, hence it would be unwise to push, but instead to focus on farming.
Mid Game (4-10 minutes)[]
In Honor of Kings, the 4-10 minute phase is where the game begins to transition from early farming to more active engagement. During this phase, players should start focusing on objectives, securing kills, and coordinating with teammates to gain map control. The first few kills, objectives, and significant team fights will happen within this window, so it’s critical to stay aware and make strategic decisions.
During the 4-10 minute phase, securing objectives becomes a high priority. The first major objectives, such as the towers in each lane, should be contested as they offer valuable gold and map control. Taking down an enemy turret not only weakens the opponent but also opens up the opportunity to push deeper into their territory and secure their farm and gold supply. Jungle monsters, including buffs or special monsters like the Overlord/Tyrant (Spawns 0400, 0800) should also be prioritized during this phase, as they provide both team-wide buffs and additional gold/experience. After 4 minute mark, outer turret shields are broken (defense stats lowered), and one of the ranged mage minions in each wave will be replaced by a ballista with increased damage.
At this point in the game, you’ll likely begin to see more frequent team fights. These battles are key to determining who will gain control of the map. Effective positioning and coordination with your team are essential to winning these fights. Support heroes should focus on protecting their teammates and providing crowd control, while damage dealers and assassins need to focus on eliminating key threats from the opposing team. Successful team fights during the 4-10 minute phase can turn the tide in your favor, giving your team a gold advantage and better opportunities to secure objectives.
Late game (10-20 minutes)[]
The 10-20 minute phase in Honor of Kings typically extends into the late game, where the focus shifts toward larger team fights, pushing lanes, securing critical objectives, and completing key items. By this time, most players have fully developed their heroes with their core items, and the stakes are high. Considering purchasing advanced items to aid your hero. The decisions made in these minutes can dramatically shape the rest of the game, as teams look to close out the match or turn around a deficit. Minions movement speed are increased.
During the late game (10-20 minutes), team fights become the primary focus. Every skirmish and engagement has the potential to decide the outcome of the game. The heroes are fully built, and the damage output, tanking potential, and utility of each character are at their peak. As such, it’s vital to be highly strategic with your team fights. The focus should be on target prioritization—eliminating key enemy damage dealers or disrupting the enemy’s team composition before they can wreak havoc. Effective initiation (starting a fight at the right time) and peeling (protecting your carries) are essential for success in these high-stakes battles.
Shadow Overlord/Tyrant spawns at 1000, respawns every 3 minutes and 30 seconds when slayed. At this point, objectives such as the Shadow Overlord and Tyrants become even more crucial, though note of Primal Bond. Securing these objectives not only provides gold, experience, and buffs but also gives your team a huge strategic advantage. The Shadow Tyrant especially becomes critical for gaining the upper hand, as it can grant powerful buffs that significantly enhance your team’s strength. However, the Shadow Overlord could be more important in a lot situations as it can miraculously change the tides of victory too, granting great comebacks through effective turret pushes. Additionally, controlling the map becomes more important than ever. Pushing lanes and establishing vision around important objectives can be the difference between winning and losing.
Final Showdown (>20 minutes)[]
Crowd control, such as stuns or silences, becomes particularly important in these late-game battles to shut down high-priority and late game targets and ensure your team can secure kills. A single poorly executed team fight can lead to losing a turret, losing an objective, or worse—losing the game.
At 20 minutes, objectives become even more critical than in earlier phases. The Tempest Dragon, which grants a significant buff and super dragons, is the most valuable objectives to secure, as it can tip the scales in favor of the team that controls it. Losing your High Ground Tower will result in opponent granting access to Super Minions, putting your team in major backdoor-invading disadvantages.