Last week, we talked about Control Wards. Today, we’re going to talk about something that’s outside of the Summoner’s Rift. We’re going to talk about Champion Select. This article aims to tackle some subtle things, but they are essential.
BEING READY
Okay, so before you hit that play button, ask yourself, “Am I even ready to play this game?” Are you tired, hungry, or distracted? Well, then, you won’t play as well. You’ll get frustrated, which might make you say or do something that could set off your teammate or put you on tilt.
Make sure you have time to play the game. League of Legends isn’t a 30-minute or even a 45-minute match. You should ensure at least an uninterrupted hour before you queue up. That’s how long some games will take after factoring in even dodging and loading times. All those things take time.
Don’t play on tilt. Tilt is when you are down or feeling bad about the last or last few games you’ve played. If you go into a game with a negative mindset, you might as well throw your League Points (LP) away. Here’s something to help you avoid tilt. You have to realize that losing is an unavoidable truth of this game. Even the best players lose 50% of their games. So remember that losing happens, and it’s a matter of playing each game to your best as it comes. But if you do get down, because it does happen to everyone, take a break and don’t play.
Think of playing ranked like you are gambling. You are betting the system 25–30 LP that you will win the next game, and if you do, you get the LP. But if you lose the game, you lose it. You wouldn’t gamble if you had a terrible hand in Poker. So don’t gamble your LP if you aren’t holding all your aces.
RESPECTING ALLIES
Now that you know you are ready to play, you’ve queued up, and you’re in champion select, let’s meet your allies. I want to think I have no idea who these people are, what kind of day they’ve had, or if they’re on tilt. So it’s better to assume that they’re all on the verge of losing their minds and they plan on going Away from Keyboard (AFK).
Whether you like it or not, the system has paired you with these four other individuals. These four people you have on your team will make the difference between winning and losing. You already have five enemies on the enemy team and don’t need more on yours. With that in mind, know that a happy team will help you reach your dream. To do that, we have to apply the Super-Nice-Guy-Tactics.
Be as cheerful as possible. As much as you hate it or as insincere as it may be, this is a strategic play that will increase your chances of winning. It’s also good to get people talking. Let your team know if you can fill in anything. But what if someone says “Mid or Feed” or “ADC Only”, but you want to play your assigned role? Ask yourself, “What if he plays that role so much?” or “What if that’s the only role he can play?” After you’ve justified agreeing with those questions, let them have it. It will keep them happy and help you win the game even if you are better than them in that role.
If you want to climb, you must adapt and accept that some people will be stubborn. It’s your job to get the best outcome from that.
PICKING YOUR CHAMPION
Now that you’ve sorted your team out and ingrained your role in the game, it’s time to pick a champion. Many people believe they can win better if they choose a meta champion. Which they most likely saw in the competitive scene or high ELO games. This isn’t true, and to be honest, the meta in the competitive scene rarely even applies to Solo Queue, which is even worse when applied to lower tiers. While it is true that some meta champions can be powerful, it’s always important to play what you enjoy.
Play the champion that you’re comfortable with. If you have 150+ games on Darius and know him inside and out, but Maokai is the current meta champion, play Darius. It’s your skill that will always outweigh a meta champion. With that in mind, you should never criticize other people’s picks. If somebody is trying a champion who is out of the meta or is weak, let them play what they are comfortable with. It’s the people who pick random champions who usually surprise you and the enemy the most. Nobody knows how to play against an AD (Attack Damage) Malzahar.
Finally, I cannot stress enough how important it is that you can play every role with at least 1–2 champions. People say you should never play a few champions to climb, but I disagree. That’s because the best way to get better at this game is to play against better enemies. The fastest way to get there is by being the best you can be. Playing a few champions can increase your chances of climbing. But you must also recognize that you must be able to fill for the team if they can’t play their autofill role. A general rule is to play at least 1–2 champions in each role well. Then, as you get more comfortable, you can expand your pool.
TIPS AND TRICKS
If somebody is taking a while to select a champion, post a funny YouTube video or joke to lighten the mood. Talking in champion select can cheer people up and throw them off tilt.
Keep track of what your allies say. Let’s say somebody mentions that they can only play Hecarim and have 1,000+ games with him. If the game gets dodged and he isn’t on your team anymore, it could be a good idea to ban Hecarim so the enemy team can’t play him.
That’s all for today, guys! I hope you learned something throughout. As always, good luck on the rift!
