Mastering Counter-Strategies: Defeating Cheese Comps In Competitive Play

how to counter cheese comp

Countering a cheese comp in competitive gaming requires a strategic blend of adaptability, map control, and targeted counter-picks. A cheese comp typically relies on early aggression, unconventional strategies, or high-risk, high-reward tactics to secure an advantage before the game stabilizes. To counter this, prioritize early scouting and vision to anticipate their moves, allowing your team to react proactively rather than defensively. Focus on securing key objectives and denying their resources, as cheese comps often struggle to sustain momentum if their early plans fail. Counter-pick heroes or champions that excel in disrupting their strategy, such as crowd control-heavy or burst damage characters, and ensure your team composition can handle their specific threats. Finally, maintain disciplined teamwork and communication to avoid falling into their traps, as a well-coordinated response can neutralize their cheese and shift the game in your favor.

Characteristics Values
Early Game Pressure Focus on early aggression to disrupt enemy laning phase and secure leads.
Wave Clear Prioritize champions with strong wave clear to counter enemy push tactics.
Engage Tools Use champions with hard engage to catch enemies off guard and force fights.
Vision Control Ward aggressively to track enemy movements and prevent ambushes.
Objective Priority Prioritize neutral objectives (Dragons, Herald, Baron) to gain map control.
Split Push Utilize split pushers to create side lane pressure and force enemy rotations.
Peel for Carries Draft champions with peel abilities to protect your carries from assassins.
Itemization Build defensive items (e.g., Zhonya's Hourglass, Randuin's Omen) to counter burst.
Communication Maintain constant communication to coordinate counter-engages and rotations.
Champion Select Draft counter picks with range, crowd control, and sustain to negate cheese.
Early Tower Pressure Push for early towers to limit enemy map presence and gold income.
Adaptability Be prepared to adjust strategy based on enemy composition and gameplay.

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Draft Phase Strategies: Ban key cheese heroes, pick counters, secure early game control, deny enemy synergy

In the draft phase, your first line of defense against a cheese comp is to ban key cheese heroes. These are the heroes notorious for enabling unconventional, high-risk strategies that can snowball out of control if left unchecked. Heroes like Chen, Enchantress, or Nature’s Prophet often form the backbone of cheese comps due to their ability to push lanes aggressively, summon units, or control the map early. By removing one or two of these options, you disrupt the enemy’s ability to execute their plan seamlessly. Think of it as cutting off the head of the snake—without their primary enabler, the cheese comp loses much of its potency. Use your bans strategically, focusing on heroes that are both high-impact and frequently picked in cheese strategies.

Once bans are in place, picking counters becomes your next priority. Cheese comps rely on catching opponents off-guard, so selecting heroes that directly neutralize their strengths is crucial. For example, if the enemy drafts a heavy push strategy with heroes like Beastmaster or Lone Druid, consider picking wave-clear specialists like Leshrac or Lina to counter their lane dominance. Similarly, if they opt for a ganking lineup with heroes like Bounty Hunter or Clockwerk, heroes with strong escape mechanisms like Storm Spirit or Puck can render their early game pressure ineffective. The key is to identify the core threat of their cheese strategy and draft heroes that can either shut it down or outpace it.

Securing early game control is another critical aspect of countering cheese comps. Cheese strategies thrive on early aggression, so denying them momentum is essential. Prioritize heroes that excel in the early stages, such as strong laners or junglers who can establish map presence quickly. Heroes like Bloodseeker or Mirana can help you contest enemy movements and prevent them from snowballing. Additionally, consider drafting heroes with global presence, like Shadow Shaman or Earthshaker, to counter their attempts to push lanes or gank. By dominating the early game, you force the cheese comp into a reactive position, limiting their ability to execute their plan.

Finally, deny enemy synergy by disrupting their team composition during the draft. Cheese comps often rely on specific hero combinations to function, such as pairing a pusher with a ganker or a summoner with a carry. Pay close attention to the heroes they pick and prioritize drafting heroes that break their synergy. For instance, if they draft a combo-heavy lineup like Tiny and Io, consider picking heroes with disable abilities like Silencer or Lion to interrupt their coordination. Similarly, if they rely on illusions or summons, heroes with area-of-effect damage or debuffs, like Dark Seer or Enigma, can render their strategy ineffective. By targeting their weaknesses and breaking their synergy, you dismantle the cheese comp before the game even begins.

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Early Game Pressure: Focus on aggressive lanes, secure runes, gank cheese cores, disrupt enemy farming

Cheese compositions thrive on early game snowball potential, leveraging unconventional picks and strategies to dominate before traditional carries come online. Countering this requires a proactive, suffocating approach that denies them the breathing room to execute their plan. Early game pressure is your scalpel—precise, relentless, and aimed at dismantling their foundation before it solidifies.

Step 1: Lane Dominance Through Aggression

Pair your lanes to outpace theirs. A dual offlane with heroes like Clockwerk and Bristleback can zone out melee supports, while a safelane trio featuring a ranged carry like Drow Ranger and aggressive support like Earthshaker punishes overextension. Prioritize level 2 timing plays—a level 2 gank on an enemy support at rune spots or a rotated lane can net first blood and establish lane control. Use aggressive pulls to deny creeps and force enemy supports to choose between stacking, pulling, or defending their carry, diluting their impact.

Step 2: Rune Control as a Strategic Chokehold

Cheese comps often rely on early power spikes from runes. Assign a midlaner or roaming support to contest every 2-minute bounty rune, prioritizing the river rune at 0:00 and 2:00. Heroes like Mirana or Tusk excel here, using their mobility to secure runes or ambush enemies. If contesting is risky, ward enemy rune spots to predict their movements and counter-gank. Denying them double damage or haste runes cripples their ability to snowball through early kills or tower dives.

Step 3: Targeted Ganks on Cheese Cores

Identify the linchpin of their composition—the hero enabling the cheese (e.g., a Meepo, Broodmother, or Chen). Gank them at levels 1-3, exploiting their vulnerability before they hit critical item or level thresholds. Use smoke ganks or rotated lanes to catch them off-guard. For example, a level 1 gank on a jungle-starting Nature’s Prophet with a Bounty Hunter and Enchantress can delay their farming pattern by 2-3 minutes, starving them of gold and experience.

Cautions and Trade-offs

Aggressive plays require coordination and map awareness. Overcommitting to a gank can leave your own lanes exposed, so communicate rotations clearly. Avoid tunnel vision on the cheese core—if they’re well-warded or backed by allies, disengage rather than feeding. Balance rune contests with lane presence; sacrificing too much farm for runes can stunt your own scaling.

By applying early game pressure, you force cheese comps into reactive positions, disrupting their timing and morale. Every missed last hit, every delayed item, and every death chips away at their plan. This isn’t about out-cheesing them—it’s about imposing your tempo, dictating the game’s flow, and ensuring their unconventional picks never reach their peak. Play smart, play aggressive, and watch their strategy crumble under the weight of your pressure.

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Itemization Adjustments: Build defensive items, prioritize utility, counter enemy damage type, adapt to their strategy

In the face of a cheese comp, your itemization must pivot from offense to survival. Prioritize defensive items like Zhonya's Hourglass, Spirit Visage, or Thornmail to buy time and mitigate burst damage. These items not only increase your effective health but also disrupt the enemy’s ability to snowball early. For example, a Frozen Heart on a tank can cripple an AD-heavy cheese comp by reducing attack speed, while a Randuin's Omen provides additional kiting potential against divers. The key is to identify the enemy’s primary damage source and build accordingly—don’t let their all-in strategy overwhelm you before you scale.

Utility items are your secret weapon against cheese comps. Locket of the Iron Solari, Knight’s Vow, and Redemption provide team-wide defensive bonuses that can turn the tide in a chaotic teamfight. These items are particularly effective in cheese comps because they counter the enemy’s reliance on quick, coordinated engages. For instance, a Knight’s Vow on a frontline tank can protect a squishy carry, while Redemption offers a second chance to save a teammate caught out. The goal is to maximize your impact without relying solely on damage output—utility items ensure your team stays alive long enough to outscale the cheese.

Understanding the enemy’s damage type is critical for effective itemization. If they’re a magic damage-heavy comp, stack Magic Resist with items like Force of Nature or Maw of Malmortius. Against physical damage, prioritize Armor with Dead Man’s Plate or Gargoyle Stoneplate. For mixed damage, consider Sterak’s Gage or Guardian Angel to provide a balance of resistances and survivability. Tools like Ninja Tabi or Mercury’s Treads can further tailor your build to counter specific threats. By neutralizing their damage type, you force the cheese comp to overextend, giving your team the opening to strike back.

Adaptability is the cornerstone of countering cheese comps. Monitor the enemy’s strategy and adjust your build mid-game if necessary. For example, if they’re focusing on split-pushing, invest in Vision Control Wards and mobility items like Boots of Swiftness to respond quickly. If they’re grouping for teamfights, prioritize Aegis of the Legion or Bami’s Cinder to enhance your team’s frontline. Keep an eye on their itemization too—if they’re building Grievous Wounds, counter with Maw of Malmortius or Spirit Visage. The cheese comp thrives on predictability; by staying one step ahead, you dismantle their plan piece by piece.

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Map Control Tactics: Ward aggressively, contest enemy movements, secure objectives, limit their split-pushing

Cheese compositions thrive on catching opponents off-guard, exploiting map pressure, and forcing chaotic engagements. Countering them requires a methodical approach to map control, transforming their aggression into a liability.

Step 1: Ward Aggressively – Deny Information, Create Opportunities

Cheese comps rely on surprise. Neutralize this by establishing vision dominance. Place wards in enemy jungle entrances, high-traffic paths, and objective pits 2-3 minutes before power spikes. For example, in *League of Legends*, a *Control Ward* in the enemy blue buff at 7:00 can reveal an incoming gank, allowing your team to counter-engage or secure a free objective. Prioritize wards over minor CS gains—vision is the ultimate disruptor of cheese strategies.

Step 2: Contest Enemy Movements – Force Predictable Patterns

Cheese comps often commit heavily to early invades or objective rushes. Shadow their movements by grouping as 4 or 5 when they push a lane. In *Dota 2*, if the enemy *Clockwerk* and *Spirit Breaker* initiate a level 2 tower dive, collapse immediately to punish overextension. Even if you don’t secure a kill, the threat of your presence limits their future aggression and forces them into safer, more predictable rotations.

Step 3: Secure Objectives – Starve Their Tempo

Cheese comps aim to snowball through early gold/XP leads. Counter this by prioritizing uncontested objectives. If the enemy bot lane is top diving, secure Rift Herald or Dragon in *League of Legends*. In *Heroes of the Storm*, capture the first Bruiser camp to counter an enemy push. Objectives provide global pressure, negating the local advantage of their cheese strategy and shifting the map’s momentum in your favor.

Caution: Avoid Overcommitting – Split-Pushers Are Waiting

While contesting movements and securing objectives, beware of split-pushers like *Tryndamere* or *Naga Siren*. Cheese comps often pair early aggression with late-game split-push threats. Assign a reliable wave-clearer (e.g., *Azir*, *Puck*) to monitor side lanes. If the enemy *Vayne* pushes mid while her team fights bot, a well-timed TP or Blink Dagger rotation can save the tower and punish her isolation.

By warding aggressively, contesting movements, securing objectives, and limiting split-pushing, you dismantle cheese comps’ reliance on tempo and map pressure. This approach forces them into prolonged, even fights where their lack of scaling becomes apparent. Remember: cheese melts under consistent heat. Apply it through disciplined map control, and watch their strategy crumble.

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Team Fight Execution: Engage on isolated targets, avoid clumping, focus enemy supports, disengage when necessary

In team fights against cheese compositions, precision is your greatest ally. Engaging on isolated targets disrupts the enemy’s synergy, forcing them to react defensively rather than execute their planned chaos. For instance, if the enemy relies on a hook-heavy champion like Blitzcrank or Thresh, targeting their squishy ADC or mid laner while they’re out of position neutralizes their ability to initiate fights on their terms. Always prioritize targets separated from their team, as this minimizes the risk of counter-engage and maximizes your damage output.

Clumping is the silent killer in these matchups. Cheese comps thrive on area-of-effect (AoE) damage and crowd control, turning grouped enemies into easy targets. To counter this, maintain spacing and position yourself in a staggered formation. For example, if the enemy has a Malphite or Amumu, spreading out reduces the impact of their ultimate abilities. Assign roles pre-fight: tanks should absorb initial engage, while damage dealers stay at a safe distance to punish overextensions.

Enemy supports are the backbone of cheese comps, providing the utility needed to execute their strategy. Focusing them early strips the team of crucial healing, shielding, or crowd control. In a fight against a Yuumi or Soraka, assign a burst damage dealer (like an assassin or mage) to eliminate them swiftly. However, be cautious of their positioning—supports often stay near their carries, so coordinate with your team to peel for your own backline while pressuring theirs.

Knowing when to disengage is as critical as knowing when to fight. Cheese comps often bait teams into prolonged skirmishes where their scaling or burst damage shines. If you notice your team losing key members or the enemy landing decisive abilities, retreat immediately. Use summoner spells like Flash or Dash to create distance, and prioritize surviving to regroup. A lost fight is recoverable; a lost inhibitor or Baron is not.

In practice, combine these principles with champion-specific knowledge. For example, if the enemy has a Zed or Fizz, engage when they’re on cooldown or out of position. Against a Ziggs or Xerath, avoid prolonged fights in open areas where they can poke safely. By isolating targets, avoiding clumps, neutralizing supports, and disengaging strategically, you dismantle cheese comps before they can execute their game plan.

Frequently asked questions

A cheese comp is a strategy or team composition in competitive games that relies on exploiting mechanics, bugs, or imbalances to secure an easy win, often at the expense of fair play. It’s problematic because it undermines skill-based competition and can make matches feel unfair or unfun for opponents.

Focus on adaptability and preparation. Study the cheese comp’s weaknesses, such as limited counterplay or reliance on specific timing. Practice counter-strategies, communicate effectively with your team, and prioritize shutting down the cheese tactic early in the game.

Yes, roles or heroes with strong crowd control, mobility, or disruption abilities are often effective. For example, in MOBAs, heroes that can interrupt key abilities or escape quickly can neutralize cheese strategies. Additionally, heroes with global presence or strong early game pressure can counter cheese comps before they snowball.

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