In Onmyoji Arena, like in most other MOBAs, the standard 5v5 map is divided into three lanes, as well as a jungle on each side. Through the years since the genre rose to popularity, a certain way of playing these games proliferated. Specifically, the way the players are distributed across the map became a staple, with the top and middle lane being manned by one player each, the bottom lane by a duo of players, and the final player occupying the jungle. The style and purpose of each player varied according to their lane, and proper fulfillment of these purposes will more often than not lead their teams to victory.

While the general objective of the match is the same regardless of your role and position, your gameplay style will vary somewhat depending on your lane and role. And with that being said, today we’ll be talking about the top lane in Onmyoji Arena; what its purpose and specific objectives are, and give a few tips and tricks on how to win in this position.

Top Lane Basics

The top lane has the particularity of being the most “secluded” area in the game, far from the struggles of the bottom lane where the hard carry must be kept safe so that they can farm, as well as away from most of the neutral objectives strewn about the river and jungles. This seclusion, however, comes with the advantage that they have a lane to themselves, which lets them farm a significant number of minions, obtaining tons of gold in the process, as well as climbing quickly in levels.

These advantages, combined with the fact that the Shikigami assigned to the top lane are usually hardy Samurai, makes the players here some of the most important in the entire match, considering that they’re often the ones in charge of targeting and neutralizing the enemy hard carry during teamfights.

Just like with hard carries, the main attribution of the top lane players is to farm as much as possible, refraining from pushing the turret too early if they hold the advantage so as to maximize gold and experience gain. And they must do this while also attempting to block the enemy from farming and pushing. This means that, while scoring last hits is a priority, trading blows with the enemy is not uncommon in the top lane.

However, the relative isolation of the lane also makes top a hotspot for ganks from the jungle, and players must always consider their current positioning to avoid getting trapped in an ambush.

Top Lane Shikigami

For the most part, as we mentioned above, the heroes that are optimal for top lane fall into the Samurai category, as they often have the ideal balance between attack and defense that lets them farm for extended periods and build themselves as fast as possible, though anyone that shares these traits can play in top regardless of their category. However, since Samurai tend to have skills to chase and initiate teamfights, they can also become the “tank” of the team if a proper Tank Shikigami isn’t present.

Regardless, while the Samurai are the most common option for top, there are some Ninjas that can also thrive in the top lane, though the play style is quite different than the previous, particularly since Ninja are more fragile, but can deal much more damage and have better mobility than other Shikigami.

Some of the best Shikigami or top lane in Onmyoji Arena include the following:

• Kani Hime (Tank)
• Shishio (Samurai)
• Aobozu (Samurai)
• Lord Arakawa (Mage)
• Yuki (Samurai)
• Takiyasha Hime (Samurai)
• Kujira (Samurai)
• Kainin (Ninja)

Tips for Winning the Top Lane

Now that we know the basic objective of the top lane (farm and block the enemy from farming), here are a few tips and tricks to outplay the competition and win your lane:

• Block the Enemy, But Don’t Overextend

Farming and preventing your enemy from doing so is often easier said than done. Nevertheless, there will be matches when you’ll take the upper hand and will be able to easily zone out the enemy while free-farming in your lane. In these cases, it’s important never to become overconfident and overextend away from your turret. Not only is this a way to expose yourself to a gank by the enemy jungler or mid lane, but it also gives your opponent at top a way to fight back and make you retreat, forfeiting your advantage.

Play Onmyoji Arena on PC

Play Onmyoji Arena on PC

The same applies for pushing the tower, which brings us to our next point.

• Don’t Push the Turret Early

The absolute worst thing you can do in any lane, except feeding the enemy, is pushing the tower when you have the advantage. This is because destroying a turret early on will essentially forcefully end the laning phase and greatly restrict your farming, since you won’t be able to remain in your lane for too long due to the risk of getting ganked, since the enemy will have no tower and you will have to venture far deeper into their territory if you wish to keep farming.

On the flipside, quickly destroying a turret might be ideal if you’re losing another lane since it will leave you free to help. Nevertheless, it’s always preferable to farm as much as possible before moving onto the turret.

• Take the Initiative in Teamfights

Once the laning phase has ended, and players are moving across the map trying to gank and push the objectives, teamfights will start becoming more common. As the person occupying the top lane, you will be expected to be of a higher level than your teammates. And if you’re using a Samurai or Tank Shikigami, you’ll be much sturdier than the rest of your team.

This defensive focus will mean that your teammates will often wait for you to initiate before committing to a fight. This means that you must play proactively instead of simply reacting to what’s happening in the field. In other words, your job will be to hunt the enemy alongside your team and try to pick them off while distracted in order to engage with the upper hand.

• Neutralize the Enemy’s Hard Carry

And finally, when it comes to the teamfights themselves, you have a very important objective as the top laner: Destroying the enemy hard carry. 

The fact that you were on top with plenty of farm means that you will likely be of a higher level and with better gear than the enemy’s hard carry, at least early on. Furthermore, if you build yourself correctly, you should have both the defenses and the skills to effectively counteract the enemy hard carry. At the very least, your job during fights will be to stay always on the enemy Marksman to prevent them from wiping out your team. This can be done by exclusively targeting them, or via CC and other disruptive skills to keep them under control.

The top lane, for us, is one of the most fun, particularly since you can relax and have some nice farming, as opposed to bot where you need to constantly harass and fend off the enemy. This doesn’t mean that playing on top is easy; far from it. Nevertheless, practice makes perfect, and this is no exception.

Best of luck in the field!