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The Lonely Masochist: Main Support

ky4t3··7 votes·2,215 views

Lonely is the existence of the Main: Support. When not staring at the Friend's List hoping to find a duo there is the Solo Queue. My House of Pain.

This game's format doesn't encourage players to choose to support. Other than jungle getting passed around from time to time during picks, it's mostly "Fill. No support." There is no glory in support. No accolades for having 25+ assists, plus saves, plus wards and vision, plus guarding objectives, plus focusing them, plus peels. Support works harder than any other role. Period. And your team hates you. HATES you. Even when you set up Pentas - You suck and your parents don't love you.

You can save your jung, top and adc from a gank while sacrificing yourself in the process - FEEDER! with 0/8/15

Grabbing a creep or GODFORBID an accidental last hit - it's toxic or mute because they hope you can't escape from the car when it's on fire. I have a screen shot of that one. Classic.

I do not enjoy the incessant killing the other roles require. It's not the best role I can play. I do enjoy saving my ADC and feeding them so fat I ride the wave to the Nexus. I like providing sight on the map - because NO ONE wards, thus saving my teammates from ganks and providing safe exits.

There are no Thank you's. And I am OK with that. It's a thankless role. But it is cruelly denounced and leaves me at the mercy of my team. It leaves my rank to the mercy of my team. I watched myself drop from the cusp of Silver rank to Bronze VI. And I fell hard.

I have carried some, but it's not always possible. And the games I do carry - I am told to slit my wrists because I am taking kills from the 4 / 17 / 5 Siv who I can't get to spell-shield despite explanation, begging and, even, negotiation.

The game's format doesn't encourage true support. The players don't either.

Love your support. They just want to help.

19 Comments

UZuDGuot1A6 votes

Your bronze, there is no glory for supports in bronze. Every elo besides bronze/silver supports are very loved people.

ky4t31 votes

I dare to dream, Best. I dare to dream. However, I have tried other roles. I am not as good at them. I have seen bad supp's SINK games. I often feel its the only option I have to play to maximize wins.

There are no glorious announcements for supp. No demoralization attached to being great at it, as compared to a 3 / 5 / 0 Zed who I then set up a Triple Kill for. Then, he's hot and awesome - unlike me "who should uninstall."

It's the most silent role in the game. I wish Riot would do something to educate the lower-ranked players that support is needed for the announcements - not just the glorious last hit.

Aranii1 votes

This is true. I climbed from Silver to Plat since rejoining League a few months ago, and this is one of the biggest differences I've seen. Supports are far more appreciated, and are typically better at cross-map help.

Greeds 6 Sins1 votes

Well, I'll have to work at my support play to get myself past to at least gold then, The dream is quite far though.

FantasySniper3 votes

I'll play support to make sure we don't get an idiot support.

Then I'll play ADC to make sure we don't get an idiot ADC.

Then the cycle will start again as I realize most every lane partner is a dumbass with a deathwish.

kcStranger2 votes

I think a lot of low-level players just don't understand the fundamental reason why you have a support (because the map only provides enough farm for 4 players). I actually made a post about this: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/gameplay-balance/2etzUUPE-this-is-why-you-have-a-support

One thought which might help: A lot of low-level ADC's will go for very aggressive trading in lane regardless of the matchup. For instance, I recently played a match (as Janna) where the matchup was Vayne/Janna vs. Kalista/Thresh. Because Vayne kept going for aggressive trades (even before level 6), she died 3 times before 10 min (and me once). Maybe just a quick comment like "their laning is stronger than ours, so let's play this more passively" might help avoid some of that. Similarly, sometimes you're trying to sacrifice yourself so that your teammates can get away, but a lot of people will read your move to mean that they should all-in. It's probably worthwhile to throw out an alert ping (or even two) when you do that, to increase the odds that they understand what you're doing. In short: Communication is key.

Also: Some people are idiots, but I don't think the majority are. It can be hard, but I think you simply need to learn to brush off the negativity of some of your teammates. Also just recognize that because you're so focused on setting up plays for other people, sometimes your stat line will just be bad when you actually did very well. (The reverse is also true; you can have a pretty bad game and still go like 1/3/30 just because you were shielding your fed ADC all the time.) You really have to learn to judge your play independently of the stat line to some degree, at least for any one game in particular (I know this can be hard).

ky4t31 votes

KC -

I agree with Communication being huge. And I do attempt this in every game - particularly when there is time (at picks and pre-spawn). For instance, I enjoy playing Braum but I will be less likely to pick him if my ADC is unfamiliar with the utilization of his passive, etc, etc.

In fact, I like to communicate with my ADC to just farm. Farm. And I'll handle the pokes and blocks. It's my preferred strategy while I'm fishing for spell cool-downs so I may initiate opportunity kills.

And near 100 wins, my Honors for teamwork reflects that in MOST of my games - I am positive. Not all. I'm human.

I believe the biggest problem is as you stated about the aggression which is ultimately: Greed. This game rewards greed. It also punishes it.

Support is the one role that is dissuaded from being greedy. In fact, greedy supp's tend to lose more than they gain in a lot of cases.

Another problem is the rampant abuse of the much needed role that has no glory.

After being told I'm a piece of shit after getting my team saves and kills does not motivate me to keep playing. I often just want to afk or quit. Why should I buy wards if I am getting shit on?

I find myself thinking that, and I know it doesn't help my team. And I find myself questioning if I even want to help them anymore.

It shouldn't be like that. It is not like that for ADC I am feeding - who is terrible but feels the need to join in because they have the kills/prestige and I (being supp) do not.

kcStranger2 votes

Hmm, I'll say this is one aspect of the game that I guess I'm good at just because of my personality. I simply don't care about people's negative comments; I just want to win. If it gets really bad I mute them, otherwise I just acknowledge when I do make mistakes and always try to do my best. I don't really care too much about recognition, just the W.

It sounds like you're doing the right things. And if you've gotten honors for teamwork, then people are recognizing that. Some people are s***heads; just do your best to ignore them.

There's really not much more to it than that. The world is an unjust place; I hope we don't lose you from the brotherhood of supports because of it :)

bad arcade kitty2 votes

Support works harder than any other role. Period.

false. it's the second most chill-out role, if not the first, competing with solotop where you can win as 0/0/0

And your team hates you.

they send you +rep even if you play soraka with a smite (and never use the smite), lol, like i did a few hours ago

You can save your jung, top and adc from a gank while sacrificing yourself in the process - FEEDER! with 0/8/15

0/8/15 is kind of bad if your team is doing ok, it's kda less than 2 and a few deaths

ky4t31 votes

{quoted}

0/8/15 is kind of bad if your team is doing ok, it's kda less than 2 and a few deaths

I agree with this - it was not a good game for my play. However, I did give up several deaths to save teammates that resulted in double kills. Most of my assists that game I traded for my teammates to win teamfights.

Spacesuit Spiff2 votes

Outside of bronze/silver it's actually a lot better. Even then the team is rarely lining up to fellate you, but the extent to which you can control the game is huge and adcs can usually do something with the lead you get them. Sure, there's the odd facetank-Draven or all-in-Vayne that turns 6/0 into 7/8, but it's not like bronze where you HAVE to adc just to make sure the nucleus of your teamcomp isn't trying to dive the enemy fountain all game.

ky4t31 votes

{quoted}

Outside of bronze/silver it's actually a lot better.

This was mentioned earlier:

[{quoted}](name=Best Thresh NA,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=V7Rvb8ZL,comment-id=0000,timestamp=2015-03-15T18:06:32.311+0000)

Your bronze, there is no glory for supports in bronze. Every elo besides bronze/silver supports are very loved people.

The role shouldn't be nearly unplayable half of the time for two whole ranks. Unplayable being defined as a very large and opportunistic target that gives up gold and exp in exchange for toxicity and unappreciation.

That being said. I have had bad games. And I have seen bad supports. There is no illusion of infallibility.

TripNichols1 votes

A wholesomely agree with every statement made in this post.

Rito. Do something.

ky4t31 votes

I've been playing this game format since the first implementation of the DoTA mod for WCIII. I even won in a few of early tourneys.

Playing support back then was far more rewarding than it is now. I can say that. There was no honor system, no records, no nothing. If you were bad, you were not invited to play in ranked. If you were an asshole, you were not invited to play in ranked. And the only way you could play in ranked is if other players let you.

However, the current format of this game rewards being a greedy asshole more than it does cooperation. It really does.

ky4t31 votes

I guess I am just disheartened I have one of two options: abuse (or silence - with mute) or play a role I am not as good at until I reach a higher rank.

kcStranger5 votes

Just mute the haters. Please. Don't give in to the dark side.

DanofDemacia1 votes

stop complaining. Its not the most work u dont have to cs. Also if you lose no one ever blames the support. Lasty appreciate yourself. If u know you saved everyones asses give yourself a pat on the back. I just recently started play soraka and i fucking love it. My first game i played as raka i got the first three kills and carried the early game. My adc was a fucktard but it didnt matter i kept him alive. Lucky my team did apprecciate me and so did the enemy team. Regardleess dude just appreciate yourself and stop complaining.

Sassmast3r1 votes

I myself am a support main (Nami ftw), however, I don't play in ranked (I despise just about every person I've seen from ranked and thus avoid it like the plague). But, in NORMALS games I very rarely get verbally harassed for last hitting, and, although I don't actually receive thank you's from people all that often, I most CERTAINLY don't see people getting mad at me really for anything I do. As long as I protect the ADC, set up kills, and ward (ensuring the dragon is warded as well), I never really have much of a problem. Solution - Stop playing ranked xD.

Greeds 6 Sins1 votes

I would have to agree with you, but funny thing is because no one else wants to play support you almost always get the role you want. I main support (been recently playing many games with Leona lately, LOVE IT!), and I know it's really hard to play when nobody points out your sweet setups or assistance is securing a kill. I believe that being the support you kinda have to make your team notice you; Notice me Senpai ;).

As you know, as the support you want to communicate with your team, but not only communicate MIAs, telling someone to be careful, signalling where wards have been put etc. but be that moral support for your team, be active in the team chat and praise your teammates. Morale is so important in a game, we all know that time when your feeling frustrated and make mistakes, don't let that happen to your teammates! As you are more verbal to them they will be (hopefully) more verbal to you.

On more of the gameplay side of things, it is true that it isn't only the support's job to ward, but the whole team's. To quote a friend of mine "Vision OP".

It's a thankless role, but someone's gotta do it, yet it doesn't have to be thankless. Being a support is more than keeping the alive and assisting with kills, but also keeping the team on the up vibe and carry the team like no one else can.

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