Counter-picks and Tier Lists Spread Deception

There's something to be said for crunching the numbers, but there's such a thing as going too far. People too often regard counter picks as absolute, and tier lists as 100% truth. It leads people to select champions based on popular opinion rather than personal skill or comfort level, and it leads non-meta picks to lead teams to giving up at the loading screen.

Tekken's Josie is regarded by most sites as a bottom-tier character, yet I'm able to overcome some of Asia's best Kings and Hwoarangs with her consistently. In Houkou to Iou, logic dictates that snipers are at an advantage against almost everything, but a good assault or mozu can position, outflank, and completely demolish even a pro-level sniper. I know because I've done it more than once. Likewise, I have a 79% win rate with Support Tank LeBlanc on JP. When I try this on NA, people throw a fit and tend to give up immediately. "That's not how she builds." She builds however her player builds her. "That's not how you play her." Nonsense, I do it all the time and it works.

It works in the reverse too. If you're picking a champion because x counters y, and you're not very good with that champion, you're going to lose. And you're going to make it even harder on yourself because your team will probably judge you. "You counter him, why are you losing? You must be pre-Bronze. Go uninstall." It turns into a huge mess.

I suggest avoiding these sites. Or at the very least, using them as a very rough guideline and nothing more. Ignore the meta while you're at it. A great Sejuani can play her top, bot, mid or jungle. A great support is better off supporting top than they are jungling. If you wind up with four tanks as a result of everyone playing their own way? Go with it! Some of my best games have involved four tanks and one hard damage champ.

Play your game, don't play the community's.