Boards›Gameplay

Does the meta only work becuse everyone agrees to play it?: A thought I had

WastelandKittah·2/19/2015, 6:34:02 PM·3 votes·1,535 views

So I was playing a few very none meta games last night, one via ARAM and another on the rift which is the one i will be talking about here, feel free to check my match history for proof and specifics.

So i was in a pre-made 4, and we did a weird team comp in which the entire team was melee except me who was to play sona support.

we had

jungle :top :support :mid : In place of ADC

The hardest part was getting the to late game vs and However due to adapting my build to fit( and building items you probably wouldn't see on a meta sona mostly items that focused on auras and shields) and maxing my w first we not only survived but won lane(we took their bot tower first) the rest of the lanes where not doing so well but sense I got the fed we where able to make a comeback steal Barron,and dominate team fights.

The other team had no idea how to deal with the epic tankyness and damage the team was dealing; in said team fights and we won the game.

this got me thinking,is the meta really set in stone? I mean I understand why two bot 1 jungle 1 mid 1 top works,but my thought was as long as the numbers are right does the champ you play in those lanes actually matter,if you know what your doing?

Many people will either flame me or say yes, the meta can never be changed ; and anything un-meta is trolling, but then there are games like this one that defy that thought process.

So I thought it would be a good discussion topic, does the meta only work because everyone seems to have this unwritten code of honer that states all sides will play the meta-game and never deviate from it.

21 Comments

Phrixscreoth2/19/2015, 6:44:35 PM6 votes

The reason the meta is used is because it's consistant. It combines saftey, damage and control in such a way that the only weaknesses it presents are on a champion to champion and player to player basis. You don't need to worry about having too much of one thing and not enough of another thing. For instance, a weakness that your team comp presents is a lack of range damage or much in the way of serious crowd control. You have to get right up in the other team's face, and if they can kite you or lock you down you're dead in the water.

With the standard meta, you can rely on everyone else knowing how you're going to play, and for your setup to cover most broad strategies the other team will try and throw at you. It's less about an unwritten code of honor and more people not wanting to (or not being able to) effectively convince and communicate a wild idea to their teammates in the time they have alloted before a game starts. So while an off the wall strategy is very effective at shaking up the expectations and reactions of an enemy team, they will likely have far better unspoken coordination to counter you as they have practiced their strategy more often.

In short: It's harder to pull off because of communication and time restraints. People would prefer the consistancy of what they know over the risk of relying on strangers in a new idea.

J Eevo2/19/2015, 6:46:04 PM3 votes

The "META" is what works the best most of the time. If your comp would work better against the current meta it would effectively BECOME the new meta. the Meta is what it is currently not because someone told the players that it's how they should play but because it was the most efficient way to win games and thus people begun to play like that.

In the past we had ADCs going mid, tanks were jungling, the double lane was sometimes top sometimes bot but it became clear after a while that pairing adc with a support is a good idea because one is more efficent with gold and the other doesn't need it that much and aps should probably go mid since they can clear waves fast and thus avoid ganks from the jungler with mid being the most ganked lane etc.

You can shuffle positions all you want, go 2 top, or whatever but unless it's beating the current meta more than the current meta beats it, it won't become popular

Subject 52/25/2015, 6:34:42 AM2 votes

Had a game with Yi and fiddle jungle in ranked, I was fiddle and lanes were ganked constantly. Our ADC was behind on CS yet the skill difference and champion pick selection in the bottom lane made it viable, my top laner was my duo and also went well. We ended up winning :D

JJI7442/19/2015, 7:50:32 PM2 votes

I don't intend to be mean, but it is going to sound that way. At the level you are playing at, having an ADC is a bad idea, just because no one is skilled enough to actually play an ADC properly. Take the opposing EZ for example: BT, Hurricane, Shiv, working on a Maw. Did not even buy boots, 123 farm in 47 minutes, and did 23k damage in a 47 minute long game. (You, as Sona, did 18k damage building nearly full support).

Although to be frank, you are right. The meta only stays the way it is because everyone keeps playing the same way. With tanks dropping off in popularity, ADCs are not even THAT needed anymore. You don't really need the "certain to chew through anything lategame" when there isn't really a big meatshield to chew through.

Duke Anax2/19/2015, 8:28:20 PM2 votes

The answer is. OF COURSE.

"Meta" refers to the strategically best way to approach a game on Summoners Rift. However when both teams follow the Meta, neither has an dvantage.

That's why Pros actually break the meta all the time, to beat the opponent.

Bresn2/19/2015, 8:31:45 PM2 votes

Break the meta then.

Like smite top or all smite teams are doable.

ModKnightsKemplar2/19/2015, 8:34:41 PM2 votes

I lose to non-meta all the time. You're exactly right that it isn't always the best way to do things. The possibilities, in principal, are nearly endless.

However, most of those non-meta comps can be easily countered if you know what you're doing. I suspect the pros attempt some of these "cheesy" strategies on each other, and it's easy to stomp them if you know what's coming. Again, suspect. But I think that's what's going on. This is shorter version of the "because it's consistent" post I see at the top here, and also an expansion of it.

Dinitrophenol2/19/2015, 7:26:55 PM2 votes

if you wanna go 2 bruisers bot lane, y not just keep the mage up top and use an adc mid lane? or vice versa? ez mid is popular atm so he'd be the ideal adc mid, and use lissandra top. could still use w/e jungler would recommend a bulkier jungler due to bruiser bot lane will be underleveled for maximum tankiness until very late game.

Retillin2/19/2015, 7:19:48 PM1 votes

The main reason for having adcs is to take towers/objectives. With this team comp either you have to dive for towers or hope that you can pick someone off. If the enemy team has wave clear it is going to be VERY hard to win with this comp. (on a regular basis)

GaleWinUnleashed2/19/2015, 7:24:35 PM1 votes

As you basically said, though in different words, having people spread across the map is perfectly logical, as it takes advantage of all sources of gold and experience. Beyond that, though, everything "meta" is based on opinion, popularity, and above all reliability. In most cases where you are matched with random teammates, it's best to follow the meta, simply because most players know what to expect and how to react if you do; not doing so causes confusion. But on the other hand, sometimes it's interesting to go completely against the meta, just to totally confuse the enemy team.

GroundRuleDouble2/19/2015, 7:17:06 PM1 votes

I believe that duo bruiser bot lane counters the current meta. I have a played a team comp (I can't remember the exact champs because it was a while ago), but AD tanky top, AP assassin mid, AP jungler (Amumu or Fid, for example) and Jarvan/Darius bot. The duo bruiser bot has a very good match up against the current meta bot lane.

Raptamei2/25/2015, 6:24:19 AM1 votes

No point in not following the meta, because it gets you reported. Winning a few more games is not worth the risk of getting an automated punishment.