Top 10 esports baits

Curtain up for our next Top 10! It’s probably happened to us all before and it feels either really good or really lousy. It’s all about the smartest baits and no, we don’t really talk about fishing.

You can trap opponents in Esports in many different ways, the question is if they really fall for it, but with clever bait, you can catch the really big fish. 

10. Metsy Bait (Rocket League)

When We Dem Girlz were leading in their Series against Chiefs, Metsanauris in particular was the game changer of the match. In the second game, Ignite couldn’t get a good shot off, but instead, put the ball back in front of the goal to Metsy. And what he does then is crazy: Instead of shooting the ball into the goal, Metsy pulls the brakes and baits first one of his opponents and then another one, who eats the bait and tries to save the ball. At the same time, he has created the perfect setup for Metsanauris, who can easily shoot the ball into the goal.

9. Fnatic Death Bush Bait (LoL)

It’s actually so simple and yet can be so effective, even though you would actually think to yourself “no one can be that stupid”. Yes, we’re talking about a bush trap in League of Legends and in the early League years, Fnatic was particularly known for this strategy. Plays like this taught us early on to never, under any circumstances, face-check bushes. So the next time you want to run blindly into the bush, just remember such plays and put a Ward in first. You can only allow yourself to do it if you are tanky and can best dash out as well. And if you ever want to try such a trap yourself, just take a Pink Ward and a Sweeper with you!

8. Burst Bait (Smash)

You know it from anime, fights that drag on forever and where the attack has to be charged up for half an hour. Many anime fighters, like Guilty Gear or Dragon Ball FighterZ have a burst mechanic that lets you cancel a combo or push your opponent away while blocking their attacks. Such burst attacks are extremely powerful, but also super expensive and rarely comes to more than one per round. The crazy thing: even this counter, can in turn be countered. A burst bait, so to speak. If your opponent falls for it and starts a burst, but you avoid being hit by it and initiate the counter, then the tide can change so quickly and suddenly you set the tone. Jebaited is all I can say.

7. 2014 Fake Start Baron (LoL)

Nowadays in League of Legends it’s not uncommon to fake start Baron, also to provoke a fight so you can Nashor afterwards. Who knows who invented this strategy first, but in most cases it works. This was the case in Fnatic’s game against ROCCAT. They put themselves in the shadow of Baron-Pitts, except for their Bait Syndra. With a couple of fake attacks, the trap snapped shut and before their opponents realized that the Baron hadn’t even been launched yet, it was already too late. They only got one kill, but were able to avert a teamfight and save the Nash. And once again, a few Wards would have helped, because Vision is Key!

 

6. Roshan Bait (Dota 2)

We start with a really smart bait in Dota 2, and this one has it all. No one has thought of such a bait until this point, let alone succeeded. After losing the first match, Team NTH needed a good strategy. At the beginning of the game, someone from Roshan’s team got himself killed. As a result, their opponents from EG suddenly got scared and wanted to check if they were really in the process of killing Roshan. Well, that was the most blatant bait in Dota 2 history, because EG had taken the bait and NTH threw themselves on the buffet. You have to come up with that one first.

5. Faking Bombsite (CS:GO)

 

In games like R6S, it’s all about the Bombsite. Controlling it can make the difference between victory and defeat. It can definitely turn into some baits, like by throwing a Smoke to lure your opponent on a false trail. Team Sinister managed to do that when they played the Pittsburgh Knights. They lured the Knights to the wrong side and ironically, the Knights even wondered if it was a Bait. Unfortunately, they still fell for it and stormed the area way too early. That cost them their lives. Especially in Esports, you shouldn’t just brain-AFK storm forward.

 

4. TI 2019 (Dota 2)

On the play you should have just been a bit more attentive, then this bait wouldn’t have worked out either. OG JerAx was able to stack techies mines unnoticed, which were ready on the top lane. In the teamfight that ensued shortly after, OG’s team had lost a lot of life and retreated. Of course, this was all part of the sinister plan that Vici Gaming simply didn’t expect. They went for a double kill, but that wasn’t enough for them and the chase was on. Intelligently, OG kited their opponents into the vicinity of Techie, who then exploded and sent all of Vici’s players to their graves, unfortunately not without getting killed himself.

 

3. Fake Flashes (CS:GO)

There is hardly anything more satisfying in Esports than successfully baiting enemies. In CS:GO you can do that with a fake flashbang. You can stop the grenade’s animation in time when you switch weapons. But most enemies realize too late that no grenade is coming after all and come out of their cover like startled chickens. By the way, this also works when you drop a weapon and look straight up. Your opponents are just completely confused, lost and don’t know what will happen in the next moment. Genie S1mple did it again, but this is really a 5Head move.

2. LEC SK vs. BDS Jnx “Bait” (LoL)

Let’s move on to a Bait that you can’t be sure was one. Even the casters are wondering about this play of SK’s JNX. Calculated is what SK fans are probably saying now, but this “bait” couldn’t have been any tighter. SK were clearly in the lead, but in League, it happens that the momentum can tip to the other side when you lose a late game team fight. After SK were able to cat one of their opponents, the siege was actually over for the time being. But the opposing LeBlanc hadn’t had enough and just wanted to do her W on JNX for a short time. She almost killed him with it too, but then the rest of SK came back and made sure that BDS didn’t come back. 

1. Faker is the best Bait

The perfect bait doesn’t exist, you think? Faker presents you the opposite. He is the Unkillable Demon King, the first of his name, and he wouldn’t be a legend if he didn’t show us that he himself is the perfect Bait. What haven’t his opponents gone through to bring him down? And how many times have they ended up in the grave with the Chase himself? Countless times, of course, as they did in this match against G2. Actually, Jankos was way too deep in T1’s Jungle and was already backing off. But then the situation escalated quickly. Faker engaged as Tristana on G2’s AD carry because he was seemingly out of position. However, with his Jump, he had suddenly moved a good distance away from his team after all, and it looked like he himself was now out of position. G2 immediately pounced on Faker and simply ignored the rest of the opposing team. A big mistake, as it turned out. Faker survived with ease and G2’s Jungler and AD Carry had to learn the hard way that you shouldn’t be chasing the Unkillable Demon King.