When should I use Shen's ultimate?

Question

I usually play Shen toplane and I'm wondering how to use his ultimate. It is on a pretty long cooldown and I'm wondering how and when I should use it. I like to use it whenever someone bot lane get's ganked, but people sometimes get mad at me when I do, saying I'm stealing their xp. Often, as soon as the gank is over, I recall then run back to top lane. But I'm wondering if there's a more efficient way to use it. I am mainly looking for uses during the laning phase but information on how to use it in teamfight phase would also be nice

Answer 1

Shen can be very usefull to help defending/countering against ganks. The way you described it, seems like a good way to use your ult. Stealing xp has nothing to do with it because if your team scores kills, you get an assist and the gold with it.

The ult should be used as soon as possible, not as saving someone at the last moment (unless you are late and that is when you see it, you might save someones life). If your target gets killed before you finish channeling, you will not get teleported and the usefull part of your ult is actually the teleporting.

In teamfights, you can use your ult on the guy getting focussed or the one in front. Shield the one who will get the most damage. The same goes for laning phase, if you teleport to the one in front, you can taunt the moment you teleport in and divert the focus to you, giving your team some free shots at the taunted people.

Your ult is very usefull for split-pushing as well. If your team is with 4 and you are at an other lane, and the fight starts 4v5, you can ult yourself in the fight. In the meanwhile, before the fight starts, you can push that other lane.

Your ult can be used defensive as well. If you get ganked, you can teleport yourself out of there, since your ult will give yourself a shield as well while channeling. Be carefull to not get interrupted there though, because the animation might continue while your spell is actually stopped. In that case, you should try and make a run of it instead of waiting for nothing to happen.

Answer 2

In the lane phase, you are the Guardian, your job is to teleport onto someone who is likely to die, turning the fight around. Salvaging a kill or two for your team and keeping your allies alive can turn the tide of the game.

In a teamfight, your job is much the same, although you'll also often be initiating with your taunt. Your job is to keep your carries alive by using the port if necessary.

As Shen, you also have a strong split-push option, where you'll go off on your own to top or bottom lane while the teams congregate mid. You push towers, and if your team gets engaged on, teleport to the carry granting a shield, and making it a 5v5.