Free the champion Rotation key fragments!

Vaintex·Apr 10, 2016·67 votes·10,435 views

First off let me say I can understand the reasoning behind not giving chests to free champion rotation champs. Key fragments however, should have nothing to with mastery or owned champions IMO. It seems somewhat idiotic for RIOT to make a system that rewards you for expanding your champion pool while at the same time punishing you for trying a free champ. It tilts me to no end to win a match just see a message in chat telling me I would have received a key if I had owned the champion. Either don't inform me I would have been given a key or just give me the damn key. My team won the match reward me, don't punish me. Key fragments are hard enough to get after the sixth drop. With ARAM now giving out key fragments it makes even less sense to punish free champion players. Is the player suppose to re-roll, trade, or dodge when receiving a free champion?

Update: Hey sorry it took so long to reply to you guys. I just noticed this got a few up votes so I thought I'd update this and help clarify the issue so I'll make a few key points.

All my testing with free champs were done through ARAM. Some people have replied saying they've received key frags on free champs. This leads me think this may be an ARAM exclusive problem or I may very well be wrong in my assumptions and have not tested it enough.
My experiences were on an account that had not received ANY key fragments before ARAM enabled dropping key fragments. It is pretty well known at this point the first 6 or so key fragments an account drops is at a very fast rate in my experience I'd say about 1-3 wins will drop a key frag.
Normally after an ARAM win I would see this message in the chatbox on a champion I own. http://i.imgur.com/wkMlelM.png However, every single time my team won with an unknown champ I would see this message http://i.imgur.com/qtiGKDp.png I'll admit at the time of posting I could have sworn it mentioned key fragments but keep in mind this picture was taken post victory in an ARAM match which has no chests or mastery. Also at the rate key fragments were dropping for me on this account which had never received any before it felt like every victory or two one would drop. The only exception here is when playing a free champion I never once gained a key fragment. This also applies for the friends I asked as well.

My theory here is free champs in general or possibly only free champs in ARAM are some how coded wrong by attempting to reward a chest and being unable to since the champ is not owned and/or it is an ARAM match and then instead of a rewarding a key fragment in it's place it simply gives no reward at all. It could also just be we were unlucky and wouldn't have received a key frag at all those matches regardless if free champ or not. I'll admit I haven't sat here and checked hundreds of matches yet.

Last I'd like to add if this problem does exist the issue isn't so much "big deal you had to win 1-3 more matches before getting your key(possibly more depending on how many champs you own)" It's more an issue once key drop rates become much more harsh say around after your 6th key fragment. If you miss out on a win that should have given you a key frag it could be quite a few more victories before you gain it. I can't say for sure I don't entirely know how the system works. Either way I enjoy the hextech system and playing some ARAM with my friends but if this is an actual problem the chance of getting a key frag is much lower than other modes.

33 Comments

ValexforApr 10, 20169 votes

This makes sense, here upvote.

Queen SunmiApr 10, 20165 votes

You can get key fragments with free champs.

VaintexApr 10, 20167 votes

Can you? I keep getting a message regarding champion mastery when I win with a free champion in ARAM saying I would have received something had I owned it. I've heard similar from others thus the post. If it's possible then please ignore and move on. :D

AbsorbedHorizonApr 11, 20162 votes

{quoted}

Can you? I keep getting a message regarding champion mastery when I win with a free champion in ARAM saying I would have received something had I owned it. I've heard similar from others thus the post. If it's possible then please ignore and move on. :D

You can't earn boxes, but you can still get fragments

P0IS0N IVYApr 12, 20162 votes

Can we get some proof of this? I have yet to get one when playing a free champ.

AbsorbedHorizonApr 12, 20161 votes

{quoted}

Can we get some proof of this? I have yet to get one when playing a free champ.

Well it's just really uncommon to get one in general, I have no proof besides saying I have done it before.

MVDuneCatsApr 13, 20161 votes

Key fragment drop rates are so low though. All it would take is one person playing a free champ and taking relevant screen shots of getting a key to disprove it. To do that, though, someone would essentially have to play only free week champs long enough to get their next key fragment. Maybe when the monthly key fragment drop rate resets, someone curious enough can attempt to test for this.

I believe Hextech launched on 3/15. The "monthly" drop rate cycle for key fragments starts with the first key fragment that drops for a player. 3/15 was 29 days ago. The next couple of days would be a good time for someone to test this.

20082016May 17, 2016

It looks like champ must be owned to get key frags

SaiannaApr 11, 20163 votes

What a spoiled brat! He dares pointing fuckups Riot did with hextech!

In my times we just had a goddamn ROCK. And often that rock was old, petrified SHIT instead. And we were happy! We didn't ask why it smelt bad. Or why it was fragile. It didn't matter. Be like us, the old men of the past and...

#embrace the shit cause that's all you'll get sometimes

EDIT: LoL idiots can't see sarcasm unless someone writes /s. xD

VaintexApr 13, 20161 votes

What a jerk! /s xD

Garlic ButterSep 2, 20161 votes

{quoted}

What a spoiled brat! He dares pointing fuckups Riot did with hextech!

In my times we just had a goddamn ROCK. And often that rock was old, petrified SHIT instead. And we were happy! We didn't ask why it smelt bad. Or why it was fragile. It didn't matter. Be like us, the old men of the past and...

#embrace the shit cause that's all you'll get sometimes

EDIT: LoL idiots can't see sarcasm unless someone writes /s. xD

Some important defitions for you: Sarcasm (it has only one): the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. Ironic: happening in the opposite way to what is expected, and typically causing wry amusement because of this. (however it is to be noticed the one making the ironic statement MUST NOT KNOW OF ITS IRONY or it ceases to be ironic, however all other listeners that see the faux pas will be amused in a wry/dry wit manner).

So 3 things come into play here: Sarcasm cannot be conveyed through text (without emotive elaboration(such as in novels that describe a characters expressions and reactions) as it is conveyed through TONE and AWARENESS signaling in facial expression and/or body language (so essentially, sarcasm can only exist in the real world), and it is MAKING ironic statements or such but being AWARE they are ironic(which normally would make them no longer speaking with irony if one was being sincere instead of deceitful). You are mocking or attempting to convey CONTEMPT which is a SERIOUS BREACH of code of conduct and as contempt and mockery involve many things against Leagues Behavior ToS and summoner conduct rules (you are openly and willingly violating them). And finally 3rd: You are being deceitful, which as a community member fills me with rage you would mock serious discussion and answers with such behavior, you should be punished by tribunal for this.

SaiannaSep 2, 20161 votes

what a load of crap.. Ofcourse you can use sarcasm via words. You just need someone smart enough (smarter than a boot) to get it.

But whatever mr smartypants The hate is real! Woohoo

MVDuneCatsApr 22, 20163 votes

I just saw a slightly different worded message tonight when I won an ARAM with a free champ: http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii539/mvdunecats/Screenshots/Key%20on%20free%20champ_1.png

Well, that sucks.

TekkenPlayerApr 10, 20162 votes

Literally got 3 skins that I all owned simulataneously.. and I dont even have many skins either. #scammed

ArakadiaApr 11, 20161 votes

You werent really scammed as it was free and you didn't pay any real currency, although if thats true that sucks alot bro.

VaintexApr 13, 20161 votes

That really sucks, at the very least it's not a total loss since you can re-roll a perm or get essence. It's something at least, good luck in the future.

theArtifactsApr 11, 20162 votes

I haven't tested this however I believe you CAN receive key fragments on champs you don't own. Just not chests. In all likelihood you were going to receive a chest; perhaps from a teammate earning an S on a champ you don't own.

VaintexApr 11, 20164 votes

Honestly I've only had it occur in ARAM (where there is no chests or champ mastery) I play champs I own in other modes. It could be an ARAM exclusive bug I don't care to test it out though.

RisenDarkKnightApr 11, 20162 votes

That's rough, you didn't even chose to play a champ you didn't own and Riot still decided to tease you

Solari FortuneApr 11, 20162 votes

Key fragments are not in anyway tied to Champion Mastery Key Fragments are only tied to just Winning the game, which is only a chance at getting it Premades help boost you chance at getting a key fragment With each Fragment you earn, the next one will be harder to get This scaling resets every 30 days since your first key fragment

Rıots Bad ClientApr 11, 20161 votes

Hey friend. I'm pretty sure they mentioned somewhere premades don't help you get a better chance of getting a key.

MVDuneCatsApr 11, 20161 votes

Riot Wingfield specifically posted that key fragment drop rates go up if you are in a premade.

http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/bug-report/rJ4rQmHA-after-getting-4-chests-key-fragments-no-longer-seem-to-drop-for-a-lot-of-people See Wingfield's first post.

SofaKingHi420Apr 11, 20162 votes

The thing I don't understand is limiting key fragments to owned champions in ARAM. Unfortunately no matter how many champions a player owns (unless they own them all) players get stuck playing the free rotations champs. Doesn't make much sense to limit them in ARAM. Other modes I understand, because players get a choice, but in ARAM, it's a bit silly.

AzeranthApr 10, 20161 votes

Yeah I agree

OwltearsApr 10, 20161 votes

I totally agree with not allowing mastery chests for free week champs you do not own. But when you play one and do not get a key fragment because you do not own it made me sooo upset. I don't have enough IP to BUY champs, that's why I try them on free week! It does feel like a punishment but only because: You do so well to get the chest/key but do not get it because you do not have the champ :c

ArakadiaApr 11, 20161 votes

What is the reasoning behind not giving chests to free champions users?

MirkhailApr 11, 20161 votes

Chest are tied to a champion score, they want to reward good score, expand your champion pool and playng with friends

MVDuneCatsApr 11, 20161 votes

{quoted}

It tilts me to no end to win a match just see a message in chat telling me I would have received a key if I had owned the champion.

Do you have a screenshot of this message? I'm curious to see the exact wording.

VaintexApr 13, 20162 votes

Hey sorry for the delay, I updated my original post to include some screenshots for you.

P0IS0N IVYApr 12, 20161 votes

They should just remove the restriction of boxes and keys from the free champs period. Why would I ever play a free champ ever again and remove my chance of getting a key fragment or a box?

MVDuneCatsApr 13, 20161 votes

I played a couple of ARAMs last night, but didn't get a champ on free week that I didn't already own. However, I did play a free week champ in a Blind Pick Normal game last night.

My team did not win. My grade was a B. I had queued up solo, and no one on my team played well enough to get an S anyway. So I wouldn't have gotten a key fragment or a chest even if it was a champ that I owned. In spite of that, the game still displayed the "You must own the champion in order to earn its mastery chest."

I would take that to be an indication that the game always displays that message in the post game screen when you were playing with a champion that you don't own. It's not an indication that something would have necessarily dropped had you been playing with an owned champion.

Láughing ManApr 19, 20161 votes

I see many people saying that they had won a key on a free champions, but i think it's really really really LOWER rate than if you own the champion. I playing on a new account when i didn't had any champ, didn't got any key at all. Then i bought Alistar, won once and boom, got a key.... later i tested again with few more free champs and again no reward after 20 matches, then i switched to Alistar again, and guess what... i got a key after the win ... i beleve the code is bugged somewhere in the system.