The quick cast option was previously known as “smart cast.” Riot changed the name of this characteristic of some of the abilities in League of Legends in the patch V3.12 that came out in October 2013. Despite the name change that happened almost ten years ago, some players still refer to it as smart cast.
So, what is a quick or smart cast? It’s a characteristic you can turn on in-game for all champion abilities. It automatically casts the selected ability towards the current position of your cursor. This eliminates one step, which is clicking on your target. Usually, you would have to click on the ability and then on the target. With quick cast, it’s only one click instead of two.
For example, if you are playing with Blitzcrank, the hook will be shot in the direction of your mouse, but it won’t show you the range indicator. When you press Q for this ability, it will just shoot the hook where your mouse is at that moment. In the picture below, the player needs to keep their cursor on Ryze, but with the quick cast, you can just keep it around the general direction of your opponent.
This can be a game-changer for some abilities because it speeds up your game. Split seconds matter in a game like League of Legends. However, for some abilities, the fact that you save time is offset by the toll quick cast can have on your precision. Essentially, quick cast works really well for self-buff abilities or grounded-target abilities. However, they might not work as well for skill shots and targeted abilities.
This is all a little confusing, so to simplify, we made split champions and abilities into three categories. In these categories, you will find popular champions and how their abilities react with quick cast. For some champions and their abilities, quick cast is beneficial. For some, not so much. For others, some abilities always have quick cast on by default. Now that you know what it is, here are a few more examples of how it works so you can find the best option for you.
Also read: Why Do Supports Take Ignite?
Quick Cast Pros
Like we said, for more passive abilities, quick cast can be a game-changer. A good example of this is Annie’s Disintegrate (Q) or her ult Tibbers (R). Overall, Annie is a good champion to play on quick cast. As mentioned, quick cast works the best with champions whose abilities are mostly self-buffs and ground target. Another champion that’s perfect for quick cast is Sona.
Other examples of champions and abilities great for quick cast can be split into four categories. First would be fast single targeted abilities with relatively low cooldowns, some examples are Singed’s Fling (E), Fizz’s Urchin Strike (Q), and Teemo’s Blinding Dart (Q). The second category is sort of spammy abilities with really low cooldowns like Ahri’s Orb of Deception (Q), Zigg’s Bouncing Bomb (Q), or Mundo’s Infected Cleaver (Q).
The third category of abilities that’s great for quick cast are dash-like abilities. Think of Ahri’s ult Spirit Rush (R). So, anything you can use to swiftly escape or come closer to your target. Notable examples are Ezrael’s Arcane Shift (E), Master Yi’s Alpha Strike (Q), or Tryndamere’s Spinning Slash (E). Last but not least, are the abilities that are designed mainly for crowd control and can be implemented fast. The best example of this is probably Lux’s Light Binding (Q). Other examples are Jarvan’s Dragon Strike (Q) and Demacian Standart (E) combo or Maokai’s Nature’s Grasp (R).
Basically, almost every champion that relies on the abilities that can be effective but do not require the cursor to be extremely precise will perform excellent with the quick cast. However, it’s not all fun and games, pun intended.
Also read: The Best Rengar Combos
Quick Cast Cons
Basically, eliminating one click can work great for supporting champions with healing abilities, but this time-saving option can ultimately cost you a kill and the game if you need precision. Blitzcrank’s Rocket Grab (Q) that we talked about before is a great example of this duality. If you are an experienced Blirzcrank player quick cast can increase your reaction time because you know where your cursor should be at all times, but if you are learning, your aim matters.
Other examples of quick cast “debuffs” are:
- Nami’s Aqua Prison (Q),
- Pantheon’s Grand Skyfall (R)
- Viegar’s Event Horizon (E)
- Chogath’s Rupture (Q)
- Grag’s Explosive Cask (R)
- Ziggs’ Mega Inferno Bomb (R)
- Amumu’s Bandage Toss (Q)
- Lee Sin’s Sonic Wave (Q)
Also read: Best Scaling ADCs
Quick Cast by Default
Another thing we have to discuss before concluding is that some champions have abilities where the quick cast setting is enabled by default. We talked about Ahri’s ult Spirit Rush (R) as the ultimate dash-like ability that’s great for quick cast. Well, that ability has quick cast enabled by default actually.
Before thinking about turning quick cast off or on, check if the champion has a default so you are not surprised. Some other examples are Cassiopeia’s Noxious Blast (Q), Vayne’s Tumble (Q), or Fizz’s Playful/Trickster (E). Another example is “Flash,” as in the additional summoner spell you can choose before the game.
Conclusion
Quick cast can save you some precious seconds that can determine the course of the game. However, it all depends on your skill level with the champion you chose, and the champion itself. You have to keep two things in mind when deciding to turn quick cast off or on: (1) the primary abilities of the champion and (2) your familiarity with the champion.
If the primary abilities of the champion have low cooldowns and are heavily ground-target, quick cast is an excellent option for that champion no matter your skill. However, if the champion’s abilities require extreme precision, quick cast is not the best option unless you are highly skilled with this champion.
