Just thought I'd share my thoughts on mana side (usually for forces of light)

You're farming.  That's all you're doing..  if you get a kill, the enemy sucks and you're probably going to win anyway.. so who cares

Anyway.. the way I do it is this:

1.) Take over mid flag.  Ideally you cap (not caplock) this before the enemy team arrives.. if not, oh well, go take mana flag and wait for creeps.

2.) Kill creeps, then head back to the xp flag to cap it again (if they haven't taken it from you, just hang out for a bit then).

3.) Rotate back and forth, always killing the creeps before you leave for mid.  If you want to harrass the demigod in your lane, go for it, but don't get so low that you can't continue farming effectively.

4.) Waste as little time as possible.  If you aren't in the process of capping a flag, killing a creep, or running between mid / mana, you're wrong.

5.) Wait as long as possible before you go shop.  You don't need any items as you aren't battling anyone.  You're just running back and forth.

6.)  If they caplock mid, just wait it out, continue farming, then go cap mid whenever it drops (after you killed the creeps).

I literally don't do anything other than this until about level 6-7 (including shop).. sometimes higher if literally nothing is happening on the map.  I might harrass someone a little bit.. but I'm usually oak, and I really just can't do that well early on.  But, I'm usually the highest level on the map.  Now I go back and get helms and a teleport.  I'll continue doing this strat, except now I'll constantly spam mana on harrassing the other person in my lane, potentially going for the kill, or the tower.  If my teammates might have a potential kill going on the fort side, I'll probably teleport in now.

I don't like wasting a teleport to try and help a teammate that calls for help if I don't see a way to kill.  I will continue farming.  By level 10, I can do w/e I want, as I'm usually 2 levels ahead now. 

With this strat, your team should always have the fort flag, as you have 2 people there, and they never leave it except to shop.  They need to be good fighters and not over extend.  Ideally one of them bought a caplock for when they need to go shop.  You are rotating back and forth on the other 2 flags.  I find the mana flag to be pretty worthless early on.. nobody cares if you lose it for a little bit to go get mid.  Whereas losing the fort flag to go get mid can prevent you from ever regrabbing the fort flag for several minutes.

You are the person your team is feeding, you don't buy cit upgrades early on, you just level up, then get items to abuse your high level.  If you aren't the highest level on the map, you're doing it wrong.  Ideally you have an easy way of taking out creeps so when you are no longer on farming status, you can kill creeps fast and maintain your level advantage (surge II as oak ftw).  The game will seem boring for 7 levels, then take off and you can go do what you want, wherever.  You want to triple team at the fort flag, kill a demigod and a tower? Go for it.  After you farm the advantage to be the best by mid game.