Today I want to talk about something called the “Lord Dance.”
Sounds weird, right? Lord… dancing? Definitely not some party move or a dancing Lord. Nope, “Lord Dance” is a term frequently used by casters and analysts during major tournaments like MPL, M-Series, or ESL. So what does it really mean?
The "Lord Dance" refers to a high-level strategic setup around the Lord objective in Mobile Legends, especially during intense 5v5 late-game situations. It’s called a “dance” because both teams linger around the Lord area, poking, resetting the Lord, faking out engagements, waiting… and waiting… to see who will make the first move — whether that’s bursting the Lord or initiating a team fight. It’s essentially a mind game filled with baiting, vision control, and calculated risks.
The phrase “Lord Dance” was popularized by Filipino teams around MPL Season 9, a couple of years ago. They became known for their patience and discipline in these situations. One iconic example was the Blacklist International strategy involving Wise using a jungle tank and Venus on a healer. They would "dance" around the Lord — pulling it, poking enemies, but never actually bursting it until the perfect moment. They waited until the enemy jungler was visible or forced to back off before securing the Lord.
Because their setup was nearly unkillable. The jungle tank could withstand the Lord’s damage, and the healer kept him alive. It allowed them to hold the Lord’s aggro safely while zoning the enemy team. They controlled vision and bush positions early, making it hard for opponents to contest. The moment the enemy overcommitted or their jungler revealed themselves, took the Lord or won the fight.
Lord Dance strategies became so prevalent and, frankly, boring to watch, that Moonton made changes. Around a year or two ago, they updated Lord mechanics:
Lord now deals more true damage, especially to tanks — making it harder for jungle tanks to just hold him endlessly.
Lord can't be pulled too far from his spawn area anymore, preventing long, drawn-out bait setups.
So yeah, the classic Lord Dance doesn’t work the same way anymore. But that doesn't mean it's gone.
Today, the Lord isn’t pulled as often. Teams still group around him, but the dance is more about fighting near the Lord rather than dragging him around. The Lord itself becomes a neutral threat — damaging whoever gets too close, disrupting enemy formation, or even helping your team in a team fight unintentionally.
Some teams still use healers or sustain heroes to keep the dance alive. Think heroes like Rafaela, Gatotkaca, or Khalid — any hero with regen or healing mechanics can play a part in that sustained presence around the Lord.
Here’s the thing — pro players don’t like to gamble. In ranked, we might just dive in and pray we win the retribution duel, but in pro play, a 50/50 retry fight is a massive risk. Losing a Lord can cost the game. So instead of gambling, they opt for control:
Control the bushes near Lord — like the L-bush in mid or the long bush below. If your team owns the vision, you see enemy movements and can better prepare for fights. It’s about being ready before the fight even starts.
Push the side lanes — especially the one far from Lord. Force enemies to decide: do they defend the lane or contest Lord? This confusion can make them overthink and misstep.
Some teams run 4-1 split pushes, where four watch Lord and one pushes the far lane. Even a solo Moskov split-pushing can cause panic in ranked. You’ve probably seen it — when the enemy sends their jungler to defend a lane and leaves Lord wide open.
Here’s the twist — sometimes, Lord isn't even the real objective. The team just wants to force a fight around Lord. If the enemy dies, you don’t even need the Lord to win — just go for the end. That’s why teams start dancing — they want the enemy to overcommit, expose themselves, and lose the fight.
Lord Dance is usually only viable if:
Your team is winning, or
The game is even.
If you're losing hard, forget it. You can't even walk into the Lord area without getting caught. Lord Dance relies on control and confidence, not desperation.
You can, especially with a party. But it’s tough. Everyone’s patience varies. And honestly, if your jungler sucks at retribution? Just dance. Don’t force a retry fight. Better to bait the enemy, control the bush, and secure it cleanly than to lose Lord three times in a row.
Lord Dance = Patience.
It’s about control, vision, and discipline — not flashy plays. So next time you're near Lord, maybe don’t rush it. Dance first. Secure later.
