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New to League (COMPLETE NOOB), help with champion.

SwiftCrane·11/30/2016, 3:52:11 AM·17 votes·1,747 views

So... I'm new to League, recently quit StarCraft 2 because it's pretty much dead T.T . I've been playing some games with the free champions and have been doing rather well. I've been saving up IP (at 3k now :D) for a cool hero that I could main (at least my first main) and so far the hero I like best is Syndra. Unfortunately Syndra is kind of expensive 6300IP, but I'm slowly getting there.

So, my question, should I get her? Is she considered OP or is she too commonly picked? I don't want to main someone that I won't be able to play consistently. I don't want to play a champion that is banned all the time because she's OP or just looked down upon as easy or anything like that.

I'm doing rather well with her. I've learned not to feed and get kills, and do an okayish build for my level.

Can anybody give me any advice on her though? I have trouble finishing people off in the beginning, but I'm waiting on the ignite spell (almost level 10) which is supposed to fix that problem.

Although, lategame she seems to fall off. Maybe I'm just not getting the correct Items but she has very low health and I don't have any escape tools so I die a lot. Should I be getting the higher stat items or are the passive abilities of them really important?

Any help is appreciated

45 Comments

Kilanost11/30/2016, 6:51:46 AM11 votes

Find a champion you like that has a low difficulty rating and buy it so you can learn to play league instead of focusing all your energy on how to play a champion.

Seriously this is the best advice you will get regarding this topic.

Handy Sandy 11/30/2016, 4:08:18 AM7 votes

Syndra is strongest lategame, due to her passive. Since she has low health, she really relies on her stun to protect her and engage for her so she can pull off her combo. Hitting that stun is critical, and then following up with a W+R to finish them off. Maybe W+Q+R if your Q is off cooldown on time. (By the way, if you place a sphere while her ult is still going, that sphere will get picked up and thrown with the rest of your ult.) Passive abilities are really important, but make sure you have enough AP. Some good items that you buy for are

item 3151 (Against really tanky teams) item 3116 (Every game) item 3165 (Cooldown, 1st item) item 3152 item 3030 (Mobility, situational) item 3102 (Defensive item for super late game, situational) item 3135 (Magic penetration) and most of them have AP on them also, making them really good for her.

She's considered OP, and almost always banned. Karthus Velkoz Ziggs Azir are some lesser played champions that are viable as long as you aren't some diamond rank and above, and are almost never banned.

Mobafire.com and Lolking.net are great sites for guides and builds.

Castanean11/30/2016, 6:00:06 PM5 votes

If you enjoy playing her, the yes, you should get her! Nothing is stopping you from getting other champions as well either!

She is pretty strong though and some people hate facing her, so while she's not very banned at the moment, you should probably get a few backup champions. 3 should be enough that you'll always have something to play.

When it comes to mages, I'd personally suggest these champs for a beginner: Veigar Lux Ahri Annie

They all share the strength of being fairly simple to play, though if you want to know some more specific, individual strengths or tips for playing them, just ask!

Now! Regarding the issue of finishing someone off... Try to not make them feel like they're in danger. Make them think they can survive your next barrage of damage by spacing your damage out. When you start closing in on level 6, prepare your lane opponent by poking them down just low enough that your full combo can kill them, but not much further. They'll think they're safe, and the instant you hit 6, you go for the kill.

Basically; Don't show them your full potential damage until you know it can kill them.

Also remember to basic attack. No one really takes a mage's basic attack damage into account. When you think "Mage Damage", their ABILITIES come to mind, not their basic attacks, but those basic attacks can work wonders if you just let them.

sirwaterfles11/30/2016, 10:42:07 AM5 votes

there are only a couple of champs you should stay clear of: Galio Warwick are getting reworked soon so no point in learning them, then Aatrox Azir Kalista Urgot are always going to be kept weak until they get a rework of some sort, RekSai Nidalee are oppressive on the toplvl but are weak below and lastly i wouldnt realy play heavy teamreliant champs pre silver 3 or without a doupartner you can trust to carry if you peel right Janna Soraka Taric

also dont sell your soul to satan Teemo and be awere that you have an increased chance of becomming toxic if you ever touch one of these Zed Yasuo Vayne Riven LeeSin Shaco

Enlegacy11/30/2016, 12:23:13 PM4 votes

Hi, I am a Syndra main, although there are a couple other board members who are also and can are better than me at her, i can give you some advice. Generally you want to build something along the lines of item 3165 as your first item, and item 3116 as your second item. I'm still on the fence whether you will build Rylai's after its nerf next patch, but I think you might. After that it is usually something like finish your boots (normally item 3020 , they are very important and if you have the extra gold I suggest finishing them earlier), followed by items like item 3135 , if your enemies are building magic resist, item 3157 , if they are a very AD heavy team or earlier if they have an AD assassin like Zed or Talon , or if they have a close ranged AP heavy team Ahri or Diana , then build item 3001 . Finish with item 3089 and that's generally the build. Playing her is complicated, and I would suggest watching people like Bjergsen or Faker play her, two very well respected pro players.

EDIT: A bit more about her kit: Since she is immobile, it is very important not to do anything too rash, and generally stick back a bit. Summoner spells on her are generally your preference, I like taking summoner 4 all of the time (You really should on any champion, save a few), and summoner 6 if it is a normal matchup, because it gives her a lot more mobility which helps shore up her weaknesses. If it is a hard matchup and the enemy can burst you quickly, like Zed or Fizz , I would take summoner 3 . If it is an easy matchup I can just where I can just kill the enemy champ over and over again, Karthus and others like him, I would take summoner 14 . There are a couple niche matchups where I would take , mainly being against TwistedFate and Lissandra , because their stuns are the main threat they pose against you.

In addition, a good strategy is making sure you prepare your spheres before you go in to kill someone. Often times many players, if you drop a sphere in the minion wave, will walk back up to their minion wave, thinking they are safe. This is where you move so that you can hit them with your sphere that is on the ground after a second or two, catching them unprepared.

Also, being a Syndra main is fine, I would suggest also playing a couple others too. Ones I like include Diana and Taliyah , and if you are an SC2 player and like microing things, I would suggest trying out Orianna and AurelionSol .

Aptest11/30/2016, 12:33:06 PM4 votes

the up-side:

She's never banned, despite being very strong. She's good at point-and-clicking someone to death. has long range catch skill which is invaluable and can also peel for herself and others.

the down side:

she's pretty immobile and thus her play style is restricted. She's not a character that has enough depth to justify OTPing .

Phazo11/30/2016, 12:53:06 PM3 votes

[deleted]

Cowseed11/30/2016, 7:53:19 AM3 votes

Get Yasuo if you want to feel loved

AcidTheWarlock11/30/2016, 10:10:43 PM3 votes

Watch the pros. That's how I learned to macro. Of course, I'm Silver trash that only started close to the start of season 6 and I can't force myself to main champs so my micro is shit buuuuuuut

I can rotate and switch focus, take objectives, and really stop chasing.

Picking up a squishier, long-range champ like Xerath ( Xerath ) or Syndra will also force you to learn positioning, which is vital. I carried a game on Kassadin ) not because I'm a Kassadin god, but because I got some good early kills and roams, as well as having a strong frontline to eat CC and damage before I dove and killed their whole team.

invisiblecat111/30/2016, 10:27:46 PM3 votes

Honestly don't worry about saving up for champions, because if you really have fun playing with them during the time they are free, then you will be able to reach the amount you need quickly
Early-midgame syndra is not too strong. With ignite you may be able to finish off more kills, but IF YOU HAD RUNES AND MASTERIES the kills would be yours
People may say that you should buy and easy champion and learn how to play first, but don't bother since you already know how to play
Syndra works very well with her passive, but it kinda feels like Riot nerfed her Q damage to match how it becomes stronger. (Kinda like how champions with passives that give them mana/mana regen have very high mana costs) So pre-9 you will not be getting as many kills
Basic combos before level 9 are to land several Q's for poke. Make sure to farm was well as you can or else you will run out of mana too quickly. Then when you want to kill them (preferably with Unleashed Power), just poke with 2 more Q's, W one of the sphere's and make sure to hit them with it or else your combo is ruined since you want to follow it up with an E and the slow makes it like impossible to dodge. Since they are stunned you can Q them and press R. At level 6 this should kill BUT I AM NOT SURE how runes and masteries will affect this since I never played syndra without them.
Feel free to add me or just respond to the comment if you have anymore questions :3

xxxDogmanxxx11/30/2016, 2:54:04 PM2 votes

http://www.op.gg/champion/syndra/statistics/mid

Mountain Warden11/30/2016, 5:36:24 PM2 votes

If I were you, I'd invest in some of the cheaper champions. Syndra is awesome and can pump out serious damage, but she's expensive as you said and she sits currently pretty high on the ban list (although that will likely change in a month or two). You are too new to settle on one champion.

I take my buddy for example. He started into leagues and played tryndamere. And for a couple of months that's all he was playing and he wanted to main Trynd. Well guess what happened. I introduced him to Rengar and he hasn't looked back. Now Trynd isn't a 6300 IP champ, but if he had been, he would've been a poor investment of IP for my friend.

Again just try some of the cheaper champs to build a roster and invest in the more expensive ones later when you've gotten better perspective.

TheTrueQuarian11/30/2016, 6:31:39 PM2 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQdXCP6_Ur4 Some advice

Flawless Fetus11/30/2016, 7:28:08 AM2 votes

Add me in game. I'm on a lot. Have been around for a long time. Will be more than able to help you with anything league related.

Backup4now11/30/2016, 6:30:56 PM1 votes

Syndra isn't a good starting champ, people DO hate her/ban her (but since you're just starting out, you won't see banning any time soon anyways. No big deal), and what she can do is pretty different from the rest of the roster. Even if you master her, getting used to the idea of stunning someone and always having enough damage to kill them isn't good practice, since as soon as you change characters you might find yourself struggling massively when you can't always kill someone in one rotation. Not having enough damage is something you should definitely learn to play around early on in your league career.

Spacesuit Spiff11/30/2016, 9:32:48 PM1 votes

The game gets a lot more vicous early once everyone has ignite/runes/masteries, syndra is fine at finishing people off, its just generally hard to at first by design. Also, hold off on buying runes until you hit level 20.

Syndra isn't an awful pick to start out on but she's mainly about taking down one person and against new players, you can aim higher. Lux has longer range and more AoE, Annie has shorter range but can nuke several people at once.

I wouldn't worry about the meta to the extent that you are, beyond the basic roles it won't really exist for a couple hundred games.

Swiftstrike411/30/2016, 9:39:56 PM1 votes

She still has a 40% ban rate in plat or higher elo.

You should pick a champion that you have fun playing and then learn the lane in which you want to use them.

It would be tough to justify learning a champion that you do not have fun using.

I would also figure out how you like to play as well in this game. I gravitated towards the top lane because it is a lane that has less pressure than the mid lane.

GuaigaWaruiDesu11/30/2016, 4:02:39 AM1 votes

I don't personally main Syndra but for any building reference moba fire is my shit http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/champion/syndra-104

Troll Slaiyer11/30/2016, 10:50:48 PM1 votes

Teemo I'VE COME FOR YOUR PICKLE

GuaigaWaruiDesu11/30/2016, 4:03:46 AM1 votes

Add me we can roam some games

Shuyin17811/30/2016, 4:05:07 AM1 votes

When picking a champion, you need to also consider which lane you are going to focus on getting good at 1st. (Top, Jungle, Mid, ADC, or Support) Syndra is a strong champion once you get her down and can sometimes be a contested pick as one of the better range mid lane champions.

Papa Slothy11/30/2016, 6:08:31 AM1 votes

syndra does fall off lategame, but her midgame is so strong that she can usually get fed and prepare for lategame

ExhibitD11/30/2016, 7:08:50 AM1 votes

If you want a mid laner that is always going to be consistent I would go with Orianna. The whole premise of this champ is microing your ball and positioning, two things I would expect a former SC2 player to understand fully. I don't think she would be too difficult for you to pick up and she have never been a nonviable pick in any meta.

Orianna has great utility, burst, and safety. She is who you want to go with if you are looking for consistency, fun, and strong.

Edit: I should mention that she can be kind of difficult at first, but she is the kind of champ whose skill ceiling will never stop growing. the more you play her the more you will get out of her.

Edit2: Orianna is free and you should try her first while she is free.

five oh tree 11/30/2016, 8:18:59 AM1 votes

Pick up ekko or ahri if you want a main that isn't commonly banned but is worth actually learning. Their skill ceilings are pretty high, but neither of their skill floors are suuuper high. fun champs.

Xilixer11/30/2016, 9:47:38 AM1 votes

as you can tell she is getting nerfed and it was due to her interation with her balls. any good syndra player will abuse the cooldowns so the balls are almost out constantly with little to no counterplay.

Ulriah11/30/2016, 1:37:30 PM1 votes

She's OP atm, but will be getting nerfed. This usually means that the champion will be unplayable.

She's also very hard to master, that's a big downside for a new player.

Imo, don't waste your time with her.

TheEvilQueen13511/30/2016, 2:50:33 PM1 votes

personally I haven't seen her banned frequently. however the price point is high so maybe look for some slightly lower priced champs until you're a bit higher level and get to know the game.also, you really don't have to worry about bans though until you have enough champs for draft modes.

BBW Slayer 6911/30/2016, 3:11:52 PM1 votes

play chogath he looks boss as fuck you get huge hes simple has a knock up silence true damage and natural tankyness

bigambrus11/30/2016, 3:50:03 PM1 votes

I suggest visiting this reddit board https://www.reddit.com/r/summonerschool/ . It is aimed at beginners. You should probably post there.

TheySeeMeWardin11/30/2016, 4:48:52 PM1 votes

Since you like Syndra you might like other high burst mages like Veigar, Lux, or others. If abilities seem the most fun to use then mages and assasins are your best options. But their are a high variety of mages (artillery, dps, one shots, or supports) as well as ability reliant ad champs. There's this great RIOT page that shows champs you may also be good at if you are good with certain champs. http://na.leagueoflegends.com/en/page/find-your-lunch-table-which-champs-are-friends I'm not the best at explaining but definitely give this place a try. Find Syndra and see champs you might also be good at (that are more in your price range). Hope this helps!

boo91011/30/2016, 5:42:51 PM1 votes

listen to mountain warden

also why dont ya add me,

i play on wkends(only on cause im sick)

evening est.

one last thing

you will eventually need to buy a champ to grind ip for her

but by the time you get there

you may not want her

so buy cheap items

edit

play every single role in bots

all of them

top, middle, attack damage carry, support, jungler

and try to ignore the toxic players

you will still need them to win

see ya around!

ABlueQuaker11/30/2016, 5:45:37 PM1 votes

Get 4800/6300 IP champs with RP. You need to start saving your IP as early as possible for rune page(s). Back when I started I had a basic AD and AP Tier 3 rune page done by the time I hit lvl 30 (but that was before it was easier to level). If you start saving from ~lvl 15 onwards you should be able to get a full AP page done by the time you hit lvl 30.

If you wanna learn champs or how to play norms/ranked, watch streams. If you wanna learn the game on a macro level, watch competitive VODs.