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It feels nearly impossible to get an S in ARAM (Examples inside)

Møt·5/9/2018, 4:13:38 AM·1 votes·1,338 views

Hello,

Like many ARAM players, I feel like the mastery grading system is "off" on the map compared to Summoner's Rift. I've started tracking games where I feel like I earned at least an S-, but did not get it. I understand that your grade is a direct comparison to how your champion performs on-average, but I believe that for this map that formula should be reconsidered. Last hits and deaths are two things, among others, that play out differently on Howling Abyss that probably have an impact on the grading scale. I'd like those aspects to be reconsidered.

There are many situations where it is best to not last-hit minions: having a champ like Sion or Veigar on your team, where they scale even harder on minion kills than other champs, having a low-health ADC with lifesteal, or having a single AP champ on your team while you're all AD. There are also times where, even if you want to last hit, a mage or a Sivir on your team can one-shot the wave and keep you from even having the option. These all also apply to SR, but the multitude of minions and jungle camps allow each champ to have a real chance at getting last hits.

The second criteria, deaths, are also unique on the map. A 12/1/10 Nami is much, much, much less useful than an 8/5/10 Nami in terms of power. Keeping deaths as part of the formula also encourages players to play for the rewards after the game rather than the victory in the game, sacrificing their own power for the sake of the mastery grade.

Maybe this things don't really matter and there's something else about the examples listed below that kept me from earning an S. I'd love to know what those are. But regardless, the mastery system feels much worse on ARAM than SR game modes, and I'd like to see it changed. I understand that there is an ecosystem in the game and that flooding it with additional loot is a problem, but I think there could be a balance struck that could make ARAM feel much better to play.

Thanks for reading.

Examples:

3/14/2018 on Vel’Koz / 21 - 5 - 17 out of 49 total kills / Almost twice as much damage as anyone on my team (34k to 57k) / A+ 4/1/2018 on Gangplank / 16 - 4 - 14 out of 36 total kills / Most damage by 10k / A+ 4/17/18 on Swain / 11 - 3 - 23 out of 40 total kills / A+ 4/20/18 on Graves / 16 - 5 - 21 out of 43 total kills / A+ 5/5/2018 on Morgana / 5 - 1 - 25 out of 34 total kills / Game ended in 12 minutes / A+ 5/9/2018 on Kog’Maw / 20 - 4 - 19 out of 50 total kills / A / Most damage on team

3 Comments

ThePikol5/9/2018, 7:10:31 AM1 votes

lol no. Getting S is quite easy on Aram. Even yesterday I got S+ on Kayle, some time ago I got S on Azir and Jayce and I tell you these are chamions I don't play at all. Just don't die 4+ times, try to cs and you good

Baka Red5/11/2018, 2:16:23 PM1 votes

This is from a person who usually has got 4 chests waiting for those S- results (sometimes only 3 for a little while).

While minion score most likely plays a part in the equation, it doesn't mean that every champion needs that much CS for that S- rating(Janna S-, 30 CS, 15½ min, one stolen Penta (My apologies again Katarina)). PS: The Katarina was cool about the steal and got the honor from me for that.

Deaths are also allowed (Soraka S- with 9 deaths in 21½ min and LB S+ with 10 deaths in 29 mins. CS is pretty high for the champion in question in both of those games.) as long as you succeed otherwise.

Those games tell us that you need some exceptional results for the champion to get the S-, but everything doesn't need to be perfect, even for the S+ result. (And they are my latest three, and I don't remember a fourth. S- might be hard to get, but it that for a good reason - and it isn't "nearly impossible".)

Imo the grading system works fine enough. The main reason why most people hope to get those S- or better in ARAM is after all the hope of getting skin shard from the chest. Each skin shard is some lost money for Riot Games and "free money" for the player getting it. If they don't get money, we won't be playing for long. So, just play along and play well, and you get the occasional free lunch. We players should not be too greedy or Riot might stop paying our free lunches.