Playing 'Good' Champs vs. Playing 'Fun' Champs

McKeifus·Apr 6, 2016·3 votes·346 views

I often find tension between playing champs I like, and playing champs that are easy to succeed at. They are often not the same thing, as I enjoy champs that are more mechanically satisfying(see: complex/interesting), such as Heimerdinger or Malzahar, rather than champs that are just very good and powerful on their own, such as Yi, Graves, or Fiora.

What about you? Do you play champs based on how 'good' they are in the current meta? Or do you stick with the same champs that you enjoy playing, win or lose?

12 Comments

xl Kirito lxApr 6, 20162 votes

I don't follow the overpowered like the average meta sheep. But it is tiring that a non-meta pick has to work twice as hard to win as a meta pick does.

McKeifusApr 6, 20161 votes

This is what made me quit LoL the first time I played, many years ago. I loved Heimer when he came out(and still do, even after they gutted his turrets), but he just wasn't good enough, he was too easily countered, even at the time. Compared to champs like Yi at the time, he was pointless. I couldn't play the champ I wanted and just get good with them and succeed unless I was a God level player to begin with. And even then - my guess is that these players who are very good with these off-meta picks would be better with a meta pick.

At the end of the day, it's a balance issue, and Riot doesn't seem to care enough about bringing these odd champs into the fold. They only seem to care about their big buff or pretty simple button mashing champs.

Yordle XayahApr 6, 20162 votes

v.s. playing the champion you like

Mecha MaIphiteApr 6, 20161 votes

I like to experiment, provided it's in a normal game. I'm not giving up any LP because jungle Kassadin "seemed like a fun idea".

McKeifusApr 6, 20161 votes

Fair 'nough. I don't think I would play a champ in Ranked that wasn't considered Tier 0 or 1(unless I was super good at them and had a build that I knew effectively placed them into Tier 0 or 1), just because I think that's kind of inconsiderate to other players.

Best Valor NAApr 6, 20161 votes

(see: complex/interesting), such as Heimerdinger or Malzahar

Malzahar.. 'complex' ?

I mean he's not that complex.

But I like champions that are both. Fizz is fun, and is strong lol, Yi aswell is stupid easy to play and I find fun to play sometimes, and fiora :b.

McKeifusApr 6, 20161 votes

The Malefic Visions play is actually pretty complex. Keeping the spell rolling, trying to keep it near your opponent to zone them from getting CS, it's a fun little mini game. More than just "drop spell, kill minions" or "wait til health < X, aa" that most champs have for CSing. Getting Malefic Visions on champs, because of its short range, usually involves manipulating/taking advantage of minion positioning, and using your other spells to press them into it. It also involves making sure they fear MV early to keep them off of you.

DarkLarvitarApr 6, 20161 votes

how is Heimer mechanical... ahhh his spells... good one

McKeifusApr 6, 20161 votes

The turret mindgame is extremely critical to Heimer's gameplay, and involves a lot of positioning and psychology. I guess I am using the term wrong because of the definition of "fast button pressing in specific orders" that 'mechanics' has in LoL. I typically take mechanics/mechanical complexity to mean interactions between spells, stats, and the physical champion layer.

ErockandrollApr 6, 20161 votes

I always play to have fun. (That's the point of a game) And I can't win if I'm not having fun.

Athenes LuluApr 6, 20161 votes

I've been insane and took Lulu to botlane as a support in ranked anyways.

Subpar winrate since season 3, still fun as hell.

Meanwhile if I ever pick up a "good" champion, I will make sure he looks like garbage. I just suck at adapting to diverse playstyles.

WenderwallApr 6, 20161 votes

I play yi for fun, just plain fun. I also play morg and mumu to see how a skilled Q/stun can ruin enemy game . It's way too much fun to see a fed champ die and then lose their inhib.