In ranked, why should first pick not pick support first? It going to be Leona anyway. Wink. If you are trying not to be countered shouldn't you defer to the pick that is less likely to be countered anyway. Others have mentioned picking champs that can play in more than one lane just in case they try and counter you early.
T RexHasLongLegs2 votesThe most obvious answer I can think of is that first pick isn't a support main :D
In all seriousness though, unless you're trading first pick is gonna be playing whatever they want to so if that isn't support, support isn't getting picked first. Additionally, some people don't WANT to play support a ton (for me it's a toss up between jungle and support as to which I prefer if I'm filling for the team, and I don't really play ADC), so they have a couple supports but not all of them. That can make it hard to trade. It's not every game, but I can't remember the number of games that I've been filling as support and someone has complained that I don't have thresh, leona, ali, naut, or really any other tank support except I guess gragas now that he can kinda play support. It happens a lot that I'm filling and people complain that I'm like "you want janna or lulu support?" and I tell them I don't have whatever support they respond with that I didn't include in that question.
Only Play Darius2 votesBecause playing support is not how you climb in elo, especially in bronze.
If you must play support, play one that can carry, like 
etc.
Occams Raiser4 votesI think you misunderstood the question.
Sirsir1 votesOnly 3 of those are even remotely decent supports (Annie Voli Zyra)
Heim will never be a support, neither will Veigar or GP. Ashe and Lux aren't unthinkable but they still suck as supports.
Only Play Darius1 votesI never said they were good supports. I said that they can carry mid-late game without straight-up losing lane. You are crazy if you have blind faith in Bronze5 ADC's in solo queue.
Sukishoo1 votesNot true at all.
Season 3 I climbed from Bronze 5 to Bronze 1 only playing 
Only Play Darius1 votesYea, back in S3 where the support mages were more like AP carries than they were supports.
Not to mention 2 years ago league wasn't as popular, so you didn't have nearly as many trolls and casuals in bronze.
You can land all the 5-man knockups you want, but if your team doesn't follow up, then you haven't made a difference. Playing a role like supoort and tank that requires you to be with the team is like rolling the dice at champ select. Either you get a team that capitalizes on your plays, or you get a team that doesn't take the game seriously, in which case you are screwed and the game is lost despite your personal skill. Supports are powerful in coordinated play, but are exceptionally weak in solo queue. I'm sorry if I don't feel its fair to lose LP because my teammates goof off.
Sukishoo1 votesSupport Mages still are like that... cause that's all they are, a Mage trying to support but I meant with a REAL support.
atomicwit2 votesYes, it would be most logical for first pick to take support, 2nd pick JG, 3rd ADC, 4th top and 5th mid.
Dreadlocks1 votesdepends on the picks.. what i mean is, if you first pick sm1 like sona, then she can get easily countered as a support.. Same for jungle, if you pick sm1 like amumu, they can go shaco or lee for example and invade. Just depends on the strategy or the champ.. Top jg picks are top picks because they can usually safely farm jg and hold invades etc.
Occams Raiser1 votesAlmost everyone can get countered but it is better for that someone to be the person that is only picked for their utility that wont be getting fed.
Dreadlocks1 votesSo if a support gets counter picked.. the enemy ADC can't get fed?
Occams Raiser1 votesThat's not rue. With two in lane you would have to counter pick both of them and be better than their synergy and skill level.
Dreadlocks1 votesexactly.. so what is your point with this thread.. lil confused lol.
Occams Raiser1 votesThis does not undermine my position. Duo lane has more to work with cause you have help and it would be hard to say that the counters to two different adc and supp would work together as well the team they were counter picking. It would be better to pick supp first if you get first pic to reduce counter picking. Now I see people pic top first just to get top countered which is a solo lane.
Dreadlocks1 votesI personally.. and this is my opinion.. That jungle should be picked before support.. in MOST cases.. unless ofc that support is thresh... because hes the jack of all trades lol.
Salidfingers1 votesSupport is less likely to be countered.
If i am squishy support people either pick
Blitz Leona Thresh Janna
In this order.
So i pick an ap carry support all the damn time to give them false hope of security and when they try to all in they just die focusing there adc
If i pick someone like leona they pick champions like
Janna Thresh Lulu Braum
So I go AD master leona and cheese it with AA+Q+AA+Wproc for free level 2 kill or 1 depending how stupid they are.
First picking is about baiting.
Miku Lv991 votesIf you first pick Leona you can expect a good player to pick someone like Janna and just q all your engages start game and massively outscale you. Leona can very much be beaten.
I like to first pick support but when I do, I like to pick Nami. She doesn't have any counters that counter her by enough to bother me much.
Occams Raiser1 votesI would bust out laughing if someone played Janna against my Leona. Counter picking below gold is a waste. Most ban blitz and the only hope someone has of beating Leona is if my adc picks someone with no burst. Most people are not in your position. Down in the gutter Janna is an auto loss 9 out of 10 times. But I am sure you remember.
AMYS GRAVE1 votesJanna has a 53-54% win rate at all elos, she is especially useful when your adc doesn't know what they are doing because you have peel for days.
Occams Raiser1 votesPerhaps am one of those guys that plays well against her in my elo then cause I love seeing her. I know I won't being dying unless my ADC sucks all forms of d.i.c.k. Only time I lost lane to her was when my adc was trolling talking about lag. I might giver her a second chance since many think she is good. I found her boring like Alistar to play. That is 4% over normal viability. Why is this impressive?
MalzaharAnyLane1 votesYou first pick jungle or ADC first. That being said, if you know your character is vulnerable to being countered, you can use this information to your advantage with your other opponent's picks.
There's a delicate balance to be had in solo queue versus team drafts, in solo queue your skill with your individual champion often determines whether you win or not, but in 5v5's mind games are more important than mechanical ability. If you try to play mind games in solo queue, you usually get your crap pushed in.
Lugg1 votes1st pick should be jungle, support, or ADC. This gives you the least chance of getting counterpicked.
NoMonku1 votesIt depends on the situation. In ranked you are best off picking an "OP" champion that wasn't banned for your own team. If you pick a lower priority champion like Leona(Leona isn't a high priority champion) you are giving up the benefit of being allowed to pick first.
Occams Raiser1 votesI can get with this idea.
Durzaka1 votesBecause until youre plat+, counter picks don't matter nearly that much. You are much better off picking a champion you are confident with, than picking someone you arent just because you are worried you will be countered.
Occams Raiser1 votesJust seems logical to me is all.
Durzaka1 votesNo.
Every time i see someone post this, all I see is someone complaining first pick stole their role. Because that is what it boils down to.
Occams Raiser1 votesIf someone first picks support, everyone else gets mad?
Linna Excel1 votesBecause I want to play Ahri mid or Sej jungle. If I'm first pick I can ban out my counters.