Probably a dumb question but..

GeÌst·May 7, 2017·1 votes·944 views

Is it better to pick your champ because you like playing them or pick the champ that is strong and you have a smaller chance of losing?

I'm not a fan nor am I that good with most of the popular champs right now but, at the same time, the champs I do like aren't in a good spot or have to many weak match ups against the popular champs or they take so much mechanical skill that I don't have a chance doing well with them. I feel stuck, not only in rank, but with my choice for mid champs as well. Should I stick with the champs I enjoy even though they aren't doing well ( or I'm bad with them like Azir) or should I stick with the champs I don't like playing but win with?

23 Comments

EndlessSorcererMay 8, 20172 votes

[1] Identify which champions you enjoy and perform well with to build a champion pool. [2] Pick the champion which best suits the current situation

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

Most of the time, I'm one of the first picks so picking for the current situation won't happen otherwise i would. As for your other point, the only champ I enjoy and actually have a chance of improving as/ playing well as is Lux but in my elo she is still some what popular.

EndlessSorcererMay 8, 20171 votes

Most of the time, I'm one of the first picks so picking for the current situation won't happen otherwise i would.

If your allies are hovering champions using pick intent, try to synergize with what they plan to choose.

If you don't know your opponent(s), try to grab someone who is useful in most match-ups/situations.

If you notice a vulnerability in your (or your opponent's) team composition, pick to exploit it.

Even if you have to pick early, you can still adjust to the situation. You don't necessarily have to counter-pick your lane.

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

i never said counter pick my lane. also i have tried switching with someone and I've gotten screwed over every time so i don't do that anymore

MOIST MarletMay 8, 20172 votes

Often times, there are different metas depending what division you are in. A good example I can think of is Janna. Lower elo Jannas may not find the same success/win rate as higher elo Jannas, simply because sometimes the AD is not worth peeling for as they are not skilled enough. The same lower elo Janna may make a partially correct statement: "Janna is not good early game". While this may be untrue, it may be true enough in that division.

I say this because if you do enjoy playing a high skill cap champion at low elo, you may not realize or understand their full impact until you learn more about the game or become more skilled. Azir, for example, I feel like has a lot of good matchups. A good Azir may even make the opponent mid think the matchup is undoable (assuming no constant help from enemy jungle). However, it is unreasonable to play Azir thinking that you can only impact mid game or over when there are sometimes clear opportunities for you to impact prior mid game.

As for which champion to play in your current division, I personally would recommend you pick according to a certain method you like playing. Assuming you play mid, it could be (using my own terms here): Control - impact though a good amount of cc, dmg, and shields/heals ( Karma Lux Morgana High Damage - can be assassin or long range, impacting through mostly high damage ( Velkoz Fizz Ziggs Talon Utility/Niche - act through unique skills, capability, or a lot of cc ( Zilean TwistedFate Lissandra Fiddlesticks )

TL;DR - Play something you can enjoy, but enough to be able to impact the game.

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

I like karma and morg but i don't normally do well in ranked with them. Lux is probably the only control mage I'm decent with and i think of her as more of a poke/ burst mage the only assassin i can do decent with is talon but i hate playing him. most other long range mages I've been struggling with lately. I don't think I've ever been able to play any of the utility mages with any success I've played for years and (kinda sad but) idk what TL;DR means lol

MOIST MarletMay 8, 20171 votes

The reason why a lot of LoL Youtubers recommend easy to play champions like Lux, Velkoz, or Ziggs is because how easy it is to impact the game. The only thing you really need to do is Farm + Hit skillshots = Get kills. The reason why the utility mages are harder to play is because the player needs to understand how and when to use their skills. A good example is Fiddlesticks. A lower elo Fiddlesticks may deplete their mana and blow his ultimate at a small skirmish, and may not even achieve anything. A better Fiddlesticks will save his ults for fights over Dragon, Baron, or defending a tower. Of course there are always exceptions to this, but it is generally the case. Same goes for the other champions I named ( Zilean TwistedFate Lissandra ).

A well timed, skillful ult placed by these champions will have devastating effects BUT this goes for almost every other champion, and pretty much every champion in general.

Different skill divisions will also change up the difficulty of certain playstyles (pertaining to long range mages). Lux, in higher divisions, definitely gets a lot harder to play. Better players will know how to dodge better or predict movement better, but a good Lux will always hit her skillshots.

Don't feel bad about know TL;DR, it means "Too Long; Didn't Read". It often appears at the end of a long post, like this one!

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

I'd say liss is the only one I've done decent with but the others, either feel to weak in my elo or i just can't play them like tf. However, the matches that i don't do well with liss, i was against yas if i remember correctly and idk how any one can stay in lane against him much less kill him even when building armor and such.

MOIST MarletMay 8, 20171 votes

Lissandra is actually a pretty good pick against an enemy Yasuo. Her W nullify's an in-lane approach, while you can just point and click your ult for an instant CC on him. I'd say the only way a Yasuo to have fairly beat a Lissandra was that the Liss didn't make good ults and was purely outdamaged.

I would actually focus on what happened midgame after laning phase had ended rather than only depend on the laning phase itself. This is because if Lissandra does not make good ults, it is almost certain that Yasuo can outdamage Liss later.

However, for the laning phase:

Lissandra can waveclear a lot better than yasuo can with just her Q. You can hit the whole wave after it settles in against yours, therefore giving you control over the wave/lane itself. If Yasuo attempts to stop your wave clear by dashing into you, simply W and autoattack kite him. If he windwalls, wait until it is over and continue waveclearing.

Controlling the wave may cost a bit on your mana, but Liss works well with TP + buying Lost Chapter early, she also has her passive to make q's easier.

Liss should not buy armor early against Yasuo imo. I say this because she can impact so much better with AP in early skirmishes. I'd say a good item pathing is item 3802 item 3165 item 3020 or item 3158 then item 3157 . Alternatively you can replace with item 3010 into item 3027

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

I tend to like the RoA approach against high burst champs. Most of the time with Liss i would use me ult to peel for whom ever was carrying that match or, if the enemy doesn't have anyone that can dive past the front line, i would use it on who ever was carrying their team. I normally didn't need to use it on myself as i generally get zhonya's and use that instead.

RenownedWheat42May 7, 20171 votes

If all you care about is the climb, play what you win with. If you're just trying to relax and have fun, hop out of ranked, go into norms, and play who you enjoy, even if they kinda suck right now.

GeÌstMay 7, 20171 votes

I don't relax in league. If I under perform from how I think i should be doing in a match, it frustrates me more than just losing. While climbing is what i want, I want to play a consistent level even more.

JoxcabMay 7, 20171 votes

Play the champions you enjoy.

But if you want to climb, get good at a few champions at least to a solid extent. If it's the ones you enjoy, that's a bonus.

GeÌstMay 7, 20171 votes

Only one I've got that fits into that is Lux but if they pick an assassin and have an idea of how to play them, then the lane and, most of the time, the game are lost. As for the others that Op.gg says I win with, I only won with them because I was playing against bronze and, even though it might be just barely, I am better than the average bronze.

JoxcabMay 7, 20171 votes

Kayle, Lissandra, Morgana, Karma, Swain, Vladimir, Malzahar, and Galio/Cho are all alright against assassins.

Kayle has range which can outbully most of them as well as her ultimate which stops all damage. Lissandra has easy CC to shut them down. Morgana can avoid CC and farm safely and CC them if they get in point blank. Karma can go fairly tanky and have a significant heal/shield/MS escape. Swain goes fairly tanky and has decent sustain. Vladimir can go untargetable on a basic ability and has sustain as well as able to go tanky. Malzahar just R-clicks on the assassin to stop them in their tracks, and has both ranged poke and a silence. Galio and Cho'Gath can both go incredibly tanky to make it impossible to be assassinated realistically and have CC to shut down attempts with.

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

If only i could play any of them well except swain, but most of the time I'm like first or second pick and i get countered so it really doesn't matter much since i don't run to any of them as comfort picks.

Whiteeye AvelynMay 7, 20171 votes

Find a set of champions you enjoy meta our not, but the more flexibility the better, Master them and play the one who you think will do better in match ups based on your exps. The reason their are alot of one trick ponies in diamond and up are because they are so good with their pick match ups and meta shifts don't hurt as bad

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

I don't want to one trick though. I get to bored playing the same champ every single match. As for find the set part, I've tried that for over a month and most i either show absolutely no chance of being decent with or they are so weak right now that it wouldn't help if i did learn them.

WeatheredMay 7, 20171 votes

If you are a competitive person and it's more fun to win no matter how, then I would choose meta champions. If you want to prove to yourself that you can still play well while having a good time playing your champions, then pick the ones you enjoy.

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

Except i either suck with most meta mids or don't know the meta as no website seems to be really reliable. Only champ I know that is in meta is Ahri but i hate her so much. to me she is too close to being an assassin and i hate that play style.

woodvsmurphMay 8, 20171 votes

Hey, fellow silver/gold here. In low elo like we are, it is much better to pick a couple champs for each role you might play and learn them very well. It doesn't matter if they are meta or not - just that YOU know them well and enjoy playing them. If you get to diamond/plat+ then you might want to consider learning how to adjust to the new meta as patches change what is meta. But if you are lower than that, learning how to play your champ effectively in all sorts of matchups is best. Besides finding a few champs 2-3 for each role you play (ex: jg, mid, sup or top, sup etc.) you should find a good streamer/youtuber or two to watch. Not just some high elo player, but someone who actually explains WHAT they are doing and WHY they are doing it. Guides can help, but there is something else about actually seeing it unfold as you hear about it.

So if you like azir, know that you outscale many other midlaners. I know this sounds stupid, but actually it helps a lot if you keep reminding yourself of this. Why? It means you don't have to overcommit to WINNING laning phase. Going even or losing only slightly vs someone you outscale is a win. If you can get bullied by a certain opponent, try to exploit their overconfidence. Ex: baiting them into a tower dive where they die or at best trade kills or... baiting them into the arms of your jungler or roaming support. Just focus on farming in lane. Don't be afraid to back when you are low hp - even if you will miss some cs and xp - because if you stay, you still miss most of it AND end up feeding away a free kill. It's painfully hard to do, but you can do it.

Learn your matchups. Ex: are you against a talon? Watch out for his fabled lvl 2 all-in. Where did their jungler start and where are they most likely at right now? Will they be more likely to gank early (ex: lee, elise) or just farm for 6 (ex: sej, noc, kha). What combo's will your opponent use on you in lane? How can you best position against that to minimize their damage via the combo while maximizing your own? What items can you best build? Do you need mr rush? Can you punish them for lack of waveclear by shoving in early and backing - negating the harass they got on you? Should you let them push you in and farm by tower and try to freeze lane on your side of map?

What does their team comp look like and what does yours look like? Are they heavy in tanks and cc? Lux is probably a bad choice since she's immobile and unable to kill tanks or poke them low enough before they can hard engage and delete her with their base damage and any followup from enemy carries. Similarly, kat and zed would be bad picks here. Starting to get the picture?

Don't just build recommended items. Look at both team comps, how well allies and enemies are doing, and adjust your build accordingly. Ex: Fed enemy toplaner who rushed mr? If they are going to try to get in your face, you might want voidstaff 2nd/3rd item instead of whatever you normally build. Or no enemy mr and all squishy or able to be ignored due to lack of meaningful damage and cc? Pure damage or flat pen would probably be a better choice.

Finally, let your jungler and teammates know in champ select or upon first spawn on fountain that you are likely to get bullied early and might need a bit of attention but that you outscale (if it's true).

GeÌstMay 8, 20171 votes

For the most part, I win my lane and if I see an opportunity to I will roam and such. Mid to late game though, so much is out of my hands with most of my teammates not wanting to work together half the time and then the other half is spent flaming each other making it to where no one wants to really keep playing. When it comes to the champ select though, if i get one of the later picks I take just about everything I can think of into consideration b4 locking in a champ. Most of what you've said I do look at but i rarely get a chance to do so as I often get one of the top picks and every time I've tried to swap with someone they've screwed me over so i don't trust anyone I'm not duoing with to swap.

woodvsmurphMay 9, 20171 votes

If you have truly mastered trading with opponents (to the best of what average ability you and I have), if you itemize based on current game and not just recommended items, if you play safely and only take intelligent risks and you are still losing or going even in lane, then you are probably at your proper rank. Keep practicing and watching higher ranked players and maybe you will pick up on new things eventually. If you are losing because of mid/late game bad decisions by your TEAM and not by YOU, then we all deal with it to some extent and there is nothing much to be done for it. Trying to keep people positive and focused on objectives is the best you can do. Set an example (buying that control ward instead of a longsword if team isn't warding - then ask them to help ward - and ping to show your trinket is on cd because you used it). Complement teammates for the smallest positive things - like escaping a gank or getting an assist. They will be more likely to follow you and listen to you. It doesn't always work, but it never hurts. If you have good shotcalling, then do it in a friendly manner, but watch to see if team will actually listen - if they won't doing a good call makes you look like you made a bad call. If you are not the best at making good shotcalls and someone else on the team is, don't spam ping or stuff - it distracts from people focusing on what the shotcaller is saying and pinging. If there's something vital he/she missed, sure point it out real fast, but don't keep typing pinging constantly. Predict what the enemy team will do based on what they have done so far in the match. Ex: when they disappear from vision in your red jungle are they: a. setting up a pick in some bush in hopes you facecheck b. baiting baron or elder drag c. doing baron or elder drag d. rotating to another lane to grab a tower e. recalling to do one of the above

Make the best choice accordingly. Can you facecheck after a short while to probably catch out a low hp enemy recalling slightly later than rest of his/her team? Can you fake or actually commit to some other objective to force enemy to show on map if they are hoping you facecheck? If not, who goes in first or can you just risk giving up objective if they actually are doing it? Can you trade baron for elder or vice versa? Do you need to contest? Threaten a teamfight while they get worn down by drag/baron until you can actually fight them? If you can't win a fight, do you need to risk stealing it? Or will that just ensure you lose your base when your jungler dies and they get the buff? Can you rotate it time to save the tower or do you need to let it fall and secure vision in jungle while shoving other lanes out fast and rotating to defend inhib tower in the lane the enemy is going to? Can you sneak an objective while the enemy is recalled to base or split up?

These are the things you need to think about in advance so you can take action immediately when you see the opportunity. Because waiting even 3 seconds can be the difference between uncontested baron/drag and getting aced and losing. If your teammates won't listen, you need to decide if it is better to go for something alone - such as enemy tower/inhib/basic dragon or whether it is better to go with their call as 5 people even if it is the wrong call or not the best possible option. Which of those options is best can vary throughout the game. It might help to point out after a teamfight what your team did right/wrong and what your alternative actions were (as a team) if you can do it nicely, or it might just get your whole team to be salty at you. You never know until you try. Some games you just can't carry no matter how much outplay potential and good calls you make and you need to accept that. Move on to the next game, stay positive, and try again - if your last match(es) are influencing you negatively too much, you just gotta call it quits for awhile.