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It's not a horrible idea to practice on bots before going into pvp.

Knoyle··58 votes·4,617 views

Yes, I get that normals are usually "practice" for people and such but some of us DO play normals over ranked. Yeah, normals are all about good fun and whatever and I can get behind that all day everyday. However, there is no fun to be had when you go 0/8 before the 12 minute mark simply because you don't know how the champion you are even works. I get that first timers will always have flaws and make big mistakes adepts won't but if you are losing horribly purely because you don't even know Jhin has to stop and reload every 4th shot or Teemo's W isn't an attack speed steroid or maybe that Kindred isn't easy af to jungle with because she is inherently squishy, (Stop getting executed by gromp!) I really think you NEED TO PLAY A BOT GAME FIRST. You have nobody to blame but yourself because you are too proud to use a bot as a practice dummy for 5 minutes. Yes, it's norms but that doesn't mean people don't want to at least ENJOY the game.

49 Comments

ModWulf Helhammer20 votes

The way I do it whenever I start a new champion: Custom game first 1 or 2 bot games PvP

This lets me get a pretty good feel for the champion before I actually have to put it to the test

Asyde4 votes

{quoted}

The way I do it whenever I start a new champion: Custom game first 1 or 2 bot games PvP

This lets me get a pretty good feel for the champion before I actually have to put it to the test

Agreed. I usually do a custom game first just to read the abilities thoroughly, get a feel for them and figure out good build paths. (also running around aimlessly doing random shit to practice combos and try new things)

Then take it to a bot or two game to give it a test. Then if I'm feeling relatively confident I know what i'm supposed to be doing with this champ I go play Normals. You learn much much quicker against real players than you do bots.

Michael Sykes1 votes

yes, and knowing a champions abilities helps to see some weaknesses before someone starts to feed the enemy in a normal game

Zarvanis6 votes

I play my mains in bot games to get a quick warm up for Normal games. But then I almost always decided afterwards that I don't want to play Normals. So I just have a lot of bot games in my match history.

GaleWinUnleashed8 votes

Up to about 3.5k bot games here =P

XeroKimo2 votes

You aren't the only one

GaleWinUnleashed2 votes

I like to practice my timing on global snipes, mainly Ashe ult. Build max CDR and some lifesteal, then jungle forever and fire off your ult whenever it's up. Good practice.

Stars Shaper6 votes

Can we give this man 50 RP please?

Darkslayer854 votes

Plus the three invisible zeroes.

Alüe4 votes

at higher elo's i see no challenge playing bots. Usually when i'm practicing a champion build i do it in normals.

blkKalameet2 votes

this is about people that have never touched the champ before. suggesting that instead of there first run being in normal play a bot game or custom. that way they at least know the abilities and some grasp of the champs play style.

Alüe2 votes

Suffice to say most people at higher elos grasp the champions concepts within the first few levels.

macromite1 votes

first few levels can be too late for a game these days. putd you behind at the get go, and it can be hard to catch up with a character that you don't know the ins and outs of.

BluePolarizer1 votes

I played 1v5 bots every day last season when I was in plat 1 and climbing to diamond. If you don't cheese the AI, it really strengthens your mechanics. It's like shadow boxing and conditioning in kickboxing.

Alüe1 votes

I actually find playing different roles helps for instance if you are an adc main, trying csing with a mage mid. It is a completely different level. Playing different roles at the same level excentuates different areas. Jungle needs great map awareness, mid lane especially teaches you not to overextend and win trade offs. Top is a contest on when to push correctly and to continually ward. You get my point, it works better against actual players rather than bots.

BluePolarizer1 votes

I'm a jungle/support/top main and I found playing ADC strengthens my idea of positioning immensely. I can look at a teamfight and see where vulnerabilities are.

But, for mechanical practice, there's only ranked or 1v5 bots, since in normals I sometimes go against silvers who aren't even as good as 1v5 bots.

Knoyle4 votes

Bots aren't necessarily there to be a challenge. A practice dummy is always useful. Also the problem with trying out builds in normals can be that other players may cause it to be ineffective or difficult to obtain. You never know when that random feeder will show up. A custom against friends can be good as well. Honestly, a sandbox mode would be the ideal for this.

Alüe1 votes

That actually makes the scenario better imo, for instance lets say i have someone that feeds on my team. How does my build comparatively set me up against players that are ahead of me. Does this give me a slight opportunity to trade? sustain? roam? bots if hardly ever roam imo. it being my opinion of course i just feel the best mechanics to work through are in a real scenario. Never will i have a game that operates like a bots game in ranked. If it does on the lucky chance, then i will be more than prepared.

Odinakos2 votes

You can build freaking AP Vayne on intermediate bots and go legendary. Yes, practisiong builds require normals. Bots are fine for warm-up, practising combos/timings and getting a feel of how a champion plays. But you will never understand how good is a build on COOP.

Kitten of Evil4 votes

Well, especially with practicing a first clear on a jungler. You could even do that on a custom game with no opponents.

Biff Manly3 votes

But bots don't yell at you for running Warwick Mid and building item 3504

I didn't know the "intended roles" until I was level 28. It's such a tacitly understood thing, nobody explains it to new players. Most people probably can't. They just follow it because it's what works.

SuicideJ3 votes

That would be because the tutorial system is a joke and Riot doesn't want to put effort into teaching people how to properly play the game. That being said, I like to break meta because no one knows how to counter it or understands your unique playstyle like you do. It makes things more fun xD

Gorgannan2 votes

Even if I don't know a champion, bot games get insanely boring after 10 minutes, and you can still not even understand how the champ works and beat them.

blkKalameet2 votes

play a custom, test out the abilities so you know there ranges and what they do exactly. then end the hands when you want to.

71883083DEL12 votes

Understanding mechanics is the best way to learn the game, keep practicing boys. =)

RookPusher1 votes

Amen.

When I buy a new champ, I do this:

  1. Watch the Spotlight.
  2. Bots.
  3. If I don't hate them after bots, I play one game of normal.
  4. Before going to ranked, I look at suggestions on items builds.
  5. Ranked.
Dweeebles1 votes

I always do some bot games when trying a champ I have never played before, then normals... Then, when I am almost always winning my matchups, I will play ranked with that champ.

Mysticman891 votes

Depending on your familiarity with the game on the whole and if you've laned versus the champ you're about to play before, you might be able to get away with going directly to normals. If you don't know the champs moves or what they do though, then absolutely play a bot game first and/or do some research on the champ.

I don't think people should take someone into ranked until they can consistently stomp with that champ in normals. People who only play 1 or 2 normal matches with a champ and then go to ranked scare me.

kile1471 votes

Just played a ranked game with a Eve that died to red buff first pass, then nearly died again going back. Even if the bots themselves aren't great practice, the minions and jungle monsters are the same which still makes it a good place to test how to do your jungle clear and how to best clear waves. These are skills you should at least be competent at (if not good) before you play in an even somewhat competitive environment.

Having fun and doing something new/odd is fine in normals, but neither of those things are going to be fun for either team if it causes you to play siginificantly below your skill level.

KidKaiser1 votes

i roll custom 1v5 inter-bots and see how far new champs can go in terms of splitting/teamfights/damage output

vs Alistar Chogath Malphite Leona Lux .

tossing lux mid to start rolling off faster before the bots start grouping up. or malphite mid if i'm playing an magic dealing champ avoid malphite in fights at all costs tho. that random flash+ult will kill u and end the game.

BluePolarizer1 votes

that kinda defeats the purpose of playing 1v5 bots though. I always go to the 1v2 side lane.

KidKaiser1 votes

i find it easier to test out damage and skill combos fighting against the solo mid lane. then transition to one of the side lanes to test newly learned combos. and some jungling throughout the first 10mins of the game to see how they would fare in the jungle.

then eventually the horror of a Malphite+4 CC bots. that'll test waveclear and flash dodging malphites ult for big baiting plays.

and as it goes on. split pushing becomes more prevalent. **if u can stop the enemy teams push with just 1 man. why not shove a lane elsewhere? which leads to wave management and so forth.

can just buy zzrot and make it freebo. that's last ditch effort tho.

Dolyna1 votes

I play bots with characters that are new.

And characters that aren't new.

Lovelle1 votes

Custom games are the best way to learn everything about a champion.

SuicideJ1 votes

This. So much this. Very much this!

Jasiwel1 votes

I always play bots until I know and feel comfortable with the basics of the champion I'm wanting to learn.

I also find bots to be leisurely, relaxing way to unwind if I'm tilting.

Caezium1 votes

I find bots to be mostly useless for me. They don't replicate opportunities for me to get used to. Let's say I'm playing Taliyah, I'm unlikely to get any idea of how to use her in teamfights vs. bots because they usually just sit in lane.

I guess I could learn certain tricks in lane, but bots also unrealistically react often I find faster than players, just have no concepts of trading or csing. If it's just to learn what the skills do and how they interact because for some reason I can't picture it, I'd rather have some sort of sandbox or custom game that can't end.

Let's say, I wanted to learn the chain range of GP barrels so I can rapidly chain 3 for teamfights. I don't think bot games would be the most efficient for this, it'd likely be a sandbox mode of some sort or custom games. Your post seems more aimed at people who are still learning the game itself.

BigPooStorm1 votes

Imagine if there was sandbox mode. You want to queue up as LeBlanc mid? Quickly jump into sandbox mode for LeBlanc. Can choose your level and items, moving targets, practice your combos with your skills on lower than normal cool down. One can dream.

Mhihnj1 votes

The only champ i didn't practice with before going to pvp was singed

BoundaryBreaker1 votes

press Q, right click. On occassion hit summoner 6 or R. Tutorial complete.

Rendarkan1 votes

Only reason I even bother with bots now is when the new champ is out and I want to get an idea of how her abilities work. That way its a controlled environment.

Sp33d Zer01 votes

I agree, the first couple levels of the game are a great place to learn.

But once you know how to move your character, you really will only learn by being punished for your mistakes.

Then again, I am a firm believer of trial by fire...

Sypher The Poro1 votes

I can understand why some people practice with bots first, but at the same time I prefer normals.

Bots are too easy. I can, and have, built AP Riven in bots and still stomped. They are super easy to predict, don't dodge skill shots, and flat out stop fighting once their health drops below a certain level.

ValyrianBlade1 votes

{quoted}

I can understand why some people practice with bots first, but at the same time I prefer normals.

Bots are too easy. I can, and have, built AP Riven in bots and still stomped. They are super easy to predict, don't dodge skill shots, and flat out stop fighting once their health drops below a certain level.

The point isn't to practice a bots game to "get good". It's to learn the basics of your champion before being 0/3 at the 4 minute mark. You can easily go to a TT beginner game, learn the kit and the combos, and be done in 10 minutes or less. If that's too long, you can go in to a custom game and learn the same stuff and quit the game after around 5 minutes.

Sypher The Poro1 votes

I understand that, and there is nothing wrong with jumping into a custom/bot game to figure out a champion, or even to learn a specific trick on them.

I have 300K points on Riven, and I still go into customs to practice a new trick or combo that was previously not known.

ValyrianBlade1 votes

I always play an intermediate bots game before going to PvP. Most of the time I make sure I destroy in that game (some harder champions I only do okay in, like 11/3, I want scores of like 19/0 before I go to PvP). I also always look at guides, builds, skill order, runes, masteries, etc...

Completely agree, people need to not try new champions this way. It's one thing if it's an easy champion and you've played similar stuff (e.g. I got my champion pool banned out one game and had only practiced J4 jungle on bots but was going top, I went J4 top anyways and won the game because I was a Hecarim main and J4 is pretty darned similar and easy to play). Even then though, you should play the early game passive until you develop a feel for the kit. Don't trade heavily, don't all in, etc...

Ozag the Mighty1 votes

Same, bot matches with a new champ before PvP.

bill841 votes

See i tried this with singed yesterday, and it was nothing like what a real player would do. I would go behind the outer turret and poison all the waves while the enemy renek just stood their under the tower. I don't like it because it is not really like a real game.

Papa Slothy1 votes

I always use a custom and try out a few ability sequences and builds

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