Mechanics: Input Buffering For Instant Reactions

You can press an ability before it is possible to use it, and the game will fire it the instant it becomes possible. It is the closest thing to a reaction speed cheat in League.

League of Legends Mechanics

Input Buffering

Updated August 2026

Input buffering means queuing an action before you are actually able to perform it. Use a targeted ability on a visible enemy while they are still outside your range, keep moving, and the moment they step into range the ability fires on its own.

You are not reacting anymore. You already reacted, and the game is executing on your behalf the first frame it becomes legal.

Why It Beats Reacting

Human reaction time is roughly two tenths of a second at best. A buffered input has a reaction time of zero, because the decision was made in advance. Against a target trying to escape at the edge of your range, that difference is the difference between the ability landing and the ability never being cast.

Chasing a fleeing target

Queue the ability while they are just out of range and keep running. It fires the instant you close the gap, instead of when you notice you closed it.

Through your own animations

Queue the next action during an ability you have already committed to, so it comes out the moment the current one finishes rather than after you notice.

Coming out of crowd control

Press what you want to do while still stunned. It executes the frame the stun ends, which is far faster than watching for the bar to empty.

At the edge of range

The most common use. Rather than walking forward and then casting, cast and then walk forward, and let the game find the moment.

Stop trying to time it perfectly. The instinct is to wait until you are certain the ability will land and then press. That is strictly slower than pressing early and letting the buffer resolve it. Trying to be precise by eye actively makes you worse at this.

The Catch

A buffered ability is a decision you have already made. If the situation changes, if they flash away or a teammate arrives, it fires anyway. That is usually fine, but it means buffering an ultimate or a long cooldown deserves more thought than buffering a basic ability.

For any term used here, the League of Legends Terms Glossary covers it.

The rest of the mechanics series

• Auto Attack Resetting
• Blocking Dash Damage
• Double Ward Gold
• Auto-Attack Spacing
• Extending Flash Over Ledges
• Advanced Hotkeys
• All Advanced Mechanics