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Concerning "Rank = Knowledge" and Elo Hell

USmellLikeSheep·8/17/2016, 3:11:07 PM·21 votes·1,335 views

Editing to add: This post is not about my accounts. I only used myself here to show an example of the change in mindset I wish to share with others who think they are struggling in elo hell, or are being told to "git gud" SIMPLY because of their rank without those people playing a match with you

Rank does not always reflect your knowledge of the game. It just as often reflects your knowledge of that Rank.

I'm tired of people throwing rank around like it ONLY reflects your knowledge of the game. It doesn't. Here is my case:

My original account, Eitan Leigh or Nova Skye depending on when you last looked at it, could NOT get any higher than B3. In normals, I would play with people that would say "But you don't play like a bronze, you should be climbing out". Fact was, I could NOT! And no one knew how to help me out.

So I did the most logical thing, and started over on this account.

Original Account's History: I was introduced to League via a college gaming group. I had never played anything like this before, and honestly, I hated it the first night. I couldn't get it. I understood nothing. I couldn't even find the keys to use on the keyboard. But they made me play, and I learned how to League in a group of no less than 5 - most of which were Gold and higher. So as soon as I hit 30, I went straight for ranked, assuming I could land around the same rank as my friends.

Well, obviously, that was not enough time to learn how to play the game in general. After a year of struggling through it and never getting out of B5, I found friends and coaches to help me outside of the club (who also helped). I studied and practiced and learned, always trying to play with Gold and higher players, to see the mechanics the "good" players used. Through sweat and many tears, the next season I was able to get as high as B3 - and that was it. By this point I was getting those comments of "You don't play like a bronze" from every single coach throughout the entire season. And I started hearing about this Elo Hell.

The problem: I knew the TEAMWORK aspect of League and could execute it well, including roaming, ganking, engages and disengages - as well as objective calling. I knew the game at the end of last season, where I was still in Bronze.

What I did not know... Was how to play in Bronze. The place where teamwork does not exist and it's every man for himself. The place where your previous rank decides how people respond to your shot calling. Where no one understands what you were trying to do on that engage, where they are fifteen steps to far back (or forward), where they overextend relentlessly and yell at the support for not saving them from a 1v5.

So this account was born out of frustration Hence the name. Sheep are either dirty followers or wayward drifters. Yes, I rage-named this account. And I approached the pre-30 portion of this account as though I were once again brand new to the game. I only played with one other friend or solo, claimed no knowledge of League when I screwed up, and silently evaluated every game with a "what went right/wrong" mindset.

I learned how to solo que. I learned to keep All Chat off. I learned how to read my team's knowledge level without checking external websites. I learned how to play with what I was given - no fancy plays if the team didn't understand follow up, save abilities for disengage if they tend to stay in trouble OR engages if they were on top of roaming/ganking, let people over extend with just a single ping of warning, and most importantly - did not follow those people without the entire team present.

This has converted beautifully into exquisite high level games and tolerable low level ones. I walk away from every game either knowing I was outplayed, that I just sucked that game and it's time to turn it off for tonight , that I was carried, that my one ult turned the game around, that I knew I had supported the right carry.... In essence, every game has much more meaning than a win/loss ration with stats attached.

I have not been tilted since the creation of this account. I have just yesterday started my ranked promos, and so far am being placed among gold/silvers. In normals, every other games has a plat in it, so I can already tell that the game has placed me with more knowledgable people.

I have started watching twitch accounts again, one in particular is in Plat. And my games do not look very different from theirs. It's encouraging, and enlightening, to see the problems I see in every normals game look the same as the problems in this person's ranked.

In Conclusion Rank CAN reflect your knowledge of the game/teamwork/mechanics.

More often, though Rank ALSO reflects your knowledge of the other people in that rank.

Elo Hell is, therefore, definable as not knowing how to play to your rank. This is usually manifested in people trying to outplay their teammates to be that one carry. Learn to be carried, and learn to support the most fed person on your team no matter your role, and you will find that Elo Hell really isn't a thing to complain about.

30 Comments

Dukues8/17/2016, 7:37:37 PM4 votes

Idk man I like the first 2 paragraphs but I don't agree with everything. Your right that rank doesn't always mean skill / game knowledge. But it is an decent indicator. There are players who don't play much ranked but play a lot of normal and their general skill or knowledge is more than their rank. Also playing in bronze is different than playing in other elos.

But that doesn't mean just because you can't get out of bronze on one account means you can compete in silver on another. Since your account is new it will assume your an average player and most likely place you in silver. If you keep playing you will be demoted to bronze unless you start playing better. And if you can compete in silver on this account then you should be able to rank your other account out of silver.

So although rank does not mean everything, it is a good indication of ranked game knowledge.

Like normals yea... people are trolling, trying new champions, new builds, etc. But in ranked people are playing champions they know in roles they know and trying to win. At least... generally speaking. Its a more competitive environment and you need to learn champions/roles/the game to rank up.

Rustling Bush8/17/2016, 4:28:35 PM3 votes

if you couldn't get higher then bronze 3 then you deserve to be there, "but people told me i don't play like bronze", people shouldn't stroke your ego like that, you're really not. i was put in bronze 5 this season and i climbed to bronze 1 (currently sitting at 83 lp) despite the fact that i don't normally even play ranked, it was easy. i mean i'm looking at your current account and your going things like 2/15, 1/11, 4/12, despite you being a smurf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1SNoY6HIIo

meanwhile you got elo boosters going around going 30/2 in the majority of the games because their mechanics better, and mechanics are just a extension of ones game knowledge, are you going to say that those elo booster are just getting lucky teammates? sorry bud, but the problem isn't your teammates, its you, if your not skilled enough to carry yourself then its the elo you belong in.

colesy8/17/2016, 5:08:41 PM3 votes

what? "elo hell" is where you basically hit your skill cap and don't know how to git gud to progress. that'll keep happening until you hit like ... diamond 3/4 and then the game just becomes a case of, well you're good but you need to put enough time in to it.

Lord Azır8/17/2016, 4:13:45 PM3 votes

You realize the reason you're being paired with gold / silvers is because when you start your first ranked games that's where you get placed right? That's the average player and the system assumes you're average. You have to be pretty bad to decay to bronze from there which is probably going to happen. I checked your most recent games and they aren't pretty.

1/6/20 2/6/14 0/9/12

Until you get your actual placement you can't say you belong any higher than B3, your last placement.

Rain Smurff8/17/2016, 5:23:23 PM1 votes

You don't know the game. Your game knowledge lacks. You think you know what your talking about but that idea is scewed.

If you want advice just play easier champs and play to learn rather then climb. Climbing comes after.

Wreckanize8/18/2016, 3:56:41 AM1 votes

You do have a point that you have to play a little differently in Bronze. Exactly how might vary between champ and role. I placed in Bronze 5 this year, and ended up being a Sejuani main. Slow-scaling tanks aren't really known for carrying games, so I had to learn to adapt my build and play style to be more impactful on the game. Now I'm Silver II, and am maintaining a 67% win rate on Sejuani.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with others, I think you jumped the gun on this post. I agree that low Elo players may know some things, but they clearly don't know everything. You suggest we listen to you, and your justification is that your friends say you play better than your rank, and your smurf account is getting matched with better players in normals. These two things really mean very little. If you had just waited until you actually got placed in your 2nd account, you would at least have something tangible to prove you know what you're talking about. Pre-level 30 normal games and placements can be all over the board. You are try-harding, and they are probably fucking around. My friend a couple years ago placed into Silver IV or something. Every year since he's placed in Bronze III-V, and he can't pull himself out. Good luck, and let us know how you do.

Lucian Waifu8/18/2016, 3:58:15 PM1 votes

I would just like to say that I started out at Silver 5. The nest season I was dropped to Bronze 2 and over the next 3 weeks worked my way to Silver 2. If all you could get is Bronze 3 then that is exactly where you are suppose to be. By the way I went from Silver 4 to Plat 5 this season.

Edit: atm op.gg says your mmr should put you in silver 2, so you have definitely improved but learning how to carrying yourself is an extremely important role that most bronzies don't realize while they are bronze.