The 5 phases in mastering your champion

So many people assume mastering a champion involves just learning passive q-r and than learning how to do team fights and lane phase with them, thing is, it's actually a 5 step process, and until you master this 5 step process of your champion, you will find yourself confused in how to end games, and asking yourself "why good I have a good KDA but still lose?" This applies to every champion in the game, and is largely why people recommend to one trick pony or stick to a small pool, for the less champions you are playing the faster you get through this 5 step process, thus making it easier to win games.

TLDR: Learning a new champion comes in 5 steps, the faster you get through those steps, the more consistently you will win games. While discussing this topic I will be using as a main example

Phase 1: The Lane phase mastery

I think many people can agree that playing a champion in lane phase vs team phase are 2 completely different things. In Lane phase it almost feels like a completely different game, where you are in a one v one, two v two scenario (depending on lane you chose). Focusing on out witting and out playing your lane opponent to create lane pressure and hopefully get to the point where you can get that glorious solo kill. Each champion plays the lane phase uniquely to their kit. learn what your champion is good at, learn what spells they like to use to wave clear, what openings do they want when in a one vone scenario? How much damage can your champion tank and deal.

Phase 2: The team fighting

After Lane phase is over, you will enter a few team fights, this is sorta self explanatory, but i'm going to use Zoe as an example. Zoe becomes a completely different champion during team phase. During lane phase you use your q to nuke waves, and your E/Q to harass damage onto your laner and hopefully kill them. But the moment a team fight happens, it's all about how good you can abuse your R and your W, this is not saying your don't go Q/E, you still do that tons of times during a team fight, but you will notice focus heavily dependent on how good you can abuse your high mobility ultimate, and seek out opportunities to grab summoner spells with your W. Many champions will have a huge play style shift when a team fight happens, and it will take time to adapt to that shift on a new ch amp.

Phase 3: The Pick Phase

Ending games often involves knowing how to make those game breaking picks, if you see an wonder infront of you and she doesn't notice you, and you know for FACT she doesn't have the assistance of her teamates, than you as the need to understand, and be compentant enough to instantly Q/R/E/Q auto to murder her. Making picks like this will allow your team to go "Can we baron? Can we siege towers? Can we get a dragon?" for now it's a four v five, and you have the opportunity to brute force an objective. Each champs make picks differently. For it involves sniping people with her sleepy time E, and than nuking them with a q/q/auto upon sight.

Phase 4: The Win condition

Each champion specializes at doing something really strong, something they are very good at, and they want the game to be under a certain condition to end. shares many traits with and . Lot's of poke, and great CC. Champions like this, heavily want to be in a condition where her team can siege down towers. Now why is that? For with the poke they have, they can wittle enemies down to the point they have to walk away from the tower or else risk being dived. WIth heavy cc through E she can zone many people away or they will risk being hit and nuked right after by either zoe or her teamates. Champions like this, the moment they can turn it into a game of siege the towers, if they know how to land skill shots, the game is all but won for them. Learn the IDEAL CONDITION your champion wants to be in. Some champions like to be heavy split pushers, some champions are god tier roamers and want to be in this permanant make picks phase. Some champions want a big team fight for they have god tier ultimates that can take over team fights. Learn the win condition your champion wants, and winning games will feel so much better.

Phase 5: The cool advanced mechanics.

This phase honestly comes last, but can be done at any point of the game. Almost every champion, even the most basic of champs like or have cool little tricks they can do that a player can do once they become creative and learn how to abuse their champion to the fullest of their toolkit. Example Janna can cancel almost any dash towards her with her Q, or if you do W slow first, landing a Q becomes near guarentee. For Annie it's about getting Tibbers to be as angry as possible by abusing his rework conditions. Even basic champions have cool tricks to learn, and once you master them, you become a force to be reckoned with.

Why am I making this topic? It's to teach players that learning a champion isn't as simple as learning what your Q-R does, it's not as simple as saying "oh i won lane phase so I should win the game" Learning a champion is a process that goes in five Phases, and it isn't until you complete those five phases where you will notice a win rate surge. That is why you will say things like "oh i can only win games when i'm playing X champion" For that's perhaps the only champion where you completed all five phases, without even realizing it. For me personally realizing it is a five phase process is what lead to me learning champions much faster , for now i'm completely aware of the phases. Best of luck to everyone : P