So, I had more first ranked game and uh... Help?

WaffleJuicer·Jun 5, 2016·1 votes·650 views

FUCK! I hate ranked. I almost never want to touch it again. It made me feel like shit. I played Vi, a champ I was rather comfortable with, and went 1/8/2 with our team getting crushed into the ground. Goddamn I couldn't do anything! My teammates were telling me to build tank when I was halfway to trinity, my buffs were constantly stolen, I didn't know how to ward properly, I couldn't engage right, my mid laner fed vel'koz. I almost just left and decided to uninstall this fucking game.

Enough with the rants, down with the question: What should my mindset be going into ranked?

16 Comments

Mysticman89Jun 5, 20165 votes

You should assume you're much worse then you think you are, if most of your experience is with normals. It's completely normal to get destroyed early on in ranked, since normals people don't try very hard and/or are learning champs, while in ranked almost everyone is playing to the best of the ability on their main champs, so it's a pretty jarring transition for most.

You'll fall to where you belong, and maybe it'll be bronze at first. This is fairly common. But don't despair, ranked is the best place to learn and actually 'git gud' at champs. If you persevere, you'll start climbing, and escape bronze, and as long as you adopt a mindset of looking for ways to improve yourself (instead of ways to blame you team), you'll consistently rise, slowly but surely.

warpenguin555Jun 5, 20161 votes

{quoted}

You should assume you're much worse then you think you are

its that mindset right there that removes most of my toxicity and helps me learn better

TehNACHOJun 5, 20164 votes

If you're not carrying, stop trying to carry.

Honestly your teammates were probably right in telling you to build tank, given you managed a score of 1/8/2. Especially if you say you are comfortable with playing Vi, you should've noticed by now how much her damage falls off when she falls behind. Buying defense would've allowed you to die and feed the enemy team less, along with giving you way more breathing room for what sort of engages you can do and forgiveness over bad engages.

If your buffs are being stolen, you can start by dropping wards next to your buff camps. If it was the case the enemy was sneaking your buffs, pink warding Jungle entrances or at least Yellow warding the buffs themselves would be more than enough. If it was the case that the enemy was fighting you, well for a start you should've built tank, and then second get everyone on the same page. "Hey, looks like Nidalee/Lee Sin/Whatever is in my Jungle a lot. Get ready to collapse on them for an easy kill guys" or something like that is usually enough to get the Mid Laner to help me when I'm having issues with a Counter Jungler.

Warding sense is just something you need to drill. For now, just keep putting wards in bushes. You want to build a habit at this point; you can worry about micromanaging ward and vision efficiency later.

If any one lane is feeding as the Jungler, at first try to stop the bleeding. If that doesn't work and they're really feeding, just ignore them.

KillerKellJun 5, 20161 votes

Well, in Lane I'd say 'ward in bushes'.

I don't agree as much in Jungle, outside of the River Brush on both sides.

Between Frog and Blue for instance gives you a huge range of vision and protects 3 Camps, unless they go close to Mid to route for Wolves. But then a Ward at that Entrance protects Wolves and keeps Enemy Jungle from getting behind Mid to Dive (if Tank) or snipe/pick off if pushed back by Enemy Mid (if Assassin).

I mean, if you aren't sure, yeah... any ol' Brush will do... but you'll find in the Jungle it's less about the Brush and more about openings or large areas.

But in general, just more warding is required in Ranked... even in Bronze. And you ALMOST can't put one in a 'bad' place.

TehNACHOJun 5, 20161 votes

But in general, just more warding is required in Ranked... even in Bronze. And you ALMOST can't put one in a 'bad' place.

That's what I meant when I made my statement.

From how it seems that WaffleJuicer is beating himself over it, he's overthinking wards. From what I assume his skill level is, I just wanted to point out that for now, having the habit to just ward a lot is a lot more important and way more manageable of a goal for him then trying to micromanage his ward efficiency, as the majority of your post is trying to point out.

Remember, this is just his first game. Putting his pride aside, we should really tailor our advice for just above the beginner level so that he would learn the most efficiently.

KillerKellJun 5, 20161 votes

{quoted}

That's what I meant when I made my statement.

From how it seems that WaffleJuicer is beating himself over it, he's overthinking wards. From what I assume his skill level is, I just wanted to point out that for now, having the habit to just ward a lot is a lot more important and way more manageable of a goal for him then trying to micromanage his ward efficiency, as the majority of your post is trying to point out.

Remember, this is just his first game. Putting his pride aside, we should really tailor our advice for just above the beginner level so that he would learn the most efficiently.

Absolutely, which is why in another post I suggest him moving to Top. Less complicated, less 'moving parts' to be concerned with.

But if he stays Jungle I suggest Sight Stone Jungles. Or at least ones it's viable on. Lee takes to much mechanics, so nix him. But Jax is simply to learn (not so easy to master) and if building Tank can put in a Sight Stone and not simply suck. Gragas is one that can get away with SS. Rek'sei, if he can learn her. I've done it with Sejuani because once you get so much Armor/HP it really has diminishing returns, might as well get a little HP and way more Vision.

Also allows you to NOT go with the Vision Jungle Item, which is nothing compared to Sight Stone, so you can have a better Smite Option (like Challenging Smite) for Team Fights.

You can't TRUST the Support to Ward, so you can cover if they suck. And if they do, you can light up a lot of the map and never be caught without knowing they are there.

And Pinks. Every time your Pink dies... put another one out there. Different spot and all, but you need that Vision.

TragicTricksJun 5, 20162 votes

Dont think about ranked

Alot people get nervous when playing ranked

When people are nervous they make mistakes

When mistakes are made you will lose the game

When you lose the game you get put in Bronze 5

Never get put in Bronze 5

CerealBoxOfDoomJun 5, 20161 votes

{quoted}

FUCK! I hate ranked. I almost never want to touch it again. It made me feel like shit. I played Vi, a champ I was rather comfortable with, and went 1/8/2 with our team getting crushed into the ground. Goddamn I couldn't do anything! My teammates were telling me to build tank when I was halfway to trinity, my buffs were constantly stolen, I didn't know how to ward properly, I couldn't engage right, my mid laner fed vel'koz. I almost just left and decided to uninstall this fucking game.

Enough with the rants, down with the question: What should my mindset be going into ranked?

If you have to ask then don't go into ranked right now

First you need a pool of champs to pick from and some understanding of what it is you need to be able to do as those champs.

disregardableJun 5, 20161 votes

You're going to lose. Half the time, in fact. It's got nothing to do with playing ranked.

KillerKellJun 5, 20161 votes

Until you understand proper Warding... and take this from some one who jumped into Ranked WAY to early (16 Champions and no Runes)... don't play Ranked.

Also Jungle is about the most difficult thing one can do when new to Ranked, because there is so much you have to focus on to be effective. Clear, Counter Jungle, Gank, Counter Gank, Neutral Objectives, Group vs. Farm, Map Awareness, Warding, Clearing Wards... I mean it's no wonder in your first match you had a bad experience. You took what for beginners is likely the toughest job of all and dove in.

Secondly, you have to REALLY know Comps to know how to Build. You may be right that Tri-Force is a good item on Vi... but if your team is getting smashed and needs a Tank, you got to be Tank Vi or you can't help them.

Feeders will happen. You simply have to get better to carry them 50% of the time. That's it, just salvage half the Feeder Games and you'll be ahead of the curve. More easy to say than to do, doesn't sound like much but it's a hell of a task.

Jungle and Top have a lot of similarities and Flex Champions... I suggest you work on Top until you get more comfortable with the pace of Ranked. Work with Teleport, and learn the right times to flip the map to help so you can Split Push without the constant "Never with Team!" crap. It's amazing what coming in for a few fights will buy you in 'Free Split Push' later in the game, because they know you ARE watching them, ready to join if TP is up and help if they need you.

Don't give up... but at the same time maybe cool off, adjust to Top before diving back to Ranked Jungle (less things to manage while you test the waters) and watch some Videos.

Now... when you died, HOW were you dying? Out played? They had better Mechanics? You didn't understand the Champion that killed you? You tried to help a Weak Team Mate (feeding) into a Strong Enemy (Fed Vel Koz)? Team Fight?

It's important to know these things to understand how to die less, so you can start learning how to Kill and Assist more, so you can Rotate to Objectives after Kills and Assists more. Because in the end, it's the Objectives that will Win the Game (Watch CLG beat TSM with NO CLG in TSM Base... Winions in the Pros man, playing the Map works).

The DeckownerJun 5, 20161 votes

go play another 100 normal and get some practice.

DrCyanideJun 5, 20161 votes

The best advice I heard from a friend of mine:

40% of games you'll lose despite what you do. Learn from them, but don't get hung up on them. 40% of games you'll win despite what you do. Don't let them go to your head. The last 20% are the ones you have an impact in. Give them your all.

Malix FarwinJun 5, 20161 votes

dont play alone.

WaffleJuicerJun 16, 20161 votes

Heeh. Thanks for the help guys. Guess I'm not as good as I thought I was. I guess tempering my expectations will make things better for me.

FourVsFiveJun 16, 20161 votes

Peoples mind set going into ranked, should be, Ok I want to improve, to do so I will do my best and learn from my mistakes, and not worry about how others are performing.