How to break the meta without pissing people off.

Icestar1186·Jul 5, 2015·6 votes·614 views

Step 1: Try it in bots to make sure it's possible. For example, Vladimir dies to blue even with a massive leash at Gromp. Best to find that out before you try it in PVP, right? Step 2: Play some normals to make sure it is viable. For example, Mordekaiser can't gank well if you try to play him jungle. A bot won't know how to deal with a gank. A person will, and the flaws of Mordekaiser Jungle become apparent. Step 3: Get rank 4 mastery. This will prove to people that you understand the champion. Step 4: If it works, take it to ranked!

16 Comments

IcyPepperJul 5, 20152 votes

I have one step to breaking the meta:

Ask your teammates if they're cool with it.

Usually works for me.

Junsui AoiJul 5, 20153 votes

This^

I always appreciate it. And if you have a track record with it, link it to them as well (like op.gg)

7ha7guy777Jul 5, 20151 votes

Only doing it in a 5 man premade normal game probably also qualifies under "ask your teammates if they're cool with it"

IcyPepperJul 5, 20153 votes

Yes, but asking four complete strangers if it's okay if you try "X" can net desired results from time to time.

People tend to be a little reasonable if you're upfront about it.

Some will say no, that's troll, and you'll shrug it off and make a normal pick. Some people will say whatever and let you do it, and some people will take bets on whether or not you'll feed and have fun with the game because it's a video game and it's not ranked I'm talking about.

7ha7guy777Jul 5, 20152 votes

It's honestly only a problem if people don't want you to do it and you do it anyway. Most people tend to be okay with it in normals from what i've seen. It probably helps that i typically do weird botlane combos with a duo (maokai blitzcrank, swain malzahar, adc nasus blitzcrank support, etc.). The best part about asking first is being able to adjust the teamcomp to mitigate the downsides. For example, you'll probably want an adc top or an ad assassin mid or jungle with 2 ap bruisers in botlane

IcyPepperJul 5, 20152 votes

It's honestly only a problem if people don't want you to do it and you do it anyway.

I never do this. I mean, I can understand others doing it (since it's technically not against the rules), but it causes a rift in the team if you go against their wishes without even considering how they feel about it. It's not good teamwork.

Besides, imo, there's always enough people and teams and even team builder to make up for that one team that didn't want you to break the meta. If I can't break the meta this game, there's always the next.

Hell, sometimes people ask how something would work. Then you tell them. And then show them.

People are a bit more reasonable than we give them credit for. At least for normals.

7ha7guy777Jul 5, 20152 votes

I like doing it normal draft sometimes because the enemy team only sees the champions and has no idea that the maokai is going bot instead of top. It also helps blind picking maocrank into caitlyn. I don't know why but cait is the bane of the maocrank cheese. Her laning phase is just too safe for us to consistently stop her from getting cs. On another note it's hard to tell tone and such on the internet so in case it seems like i was accusing you specifically of meta breaking against your team's wishes, i am not. Your response to the OP just happened to be a good one for me to post my reply on.

IcyPepperJul 5, 20151 votes

Not a problem, mate.

And I do the same thing. I pick something unorthodox, see if they pick the meta counter, and a friend of mine counters their counterpick.

Btw, have you ever tried Leona jungle? She might be played primarily as a support, but jungle is quite fun for her.

7ha7guy777Jul 5, 20152 votes

I've played against it and those over the wall near gromp Es are scary af but i can't jungle and don't own leona.

CalabokJul 5, 20152 votes

how about NOT breaking it?

IcyPepperJul 5, 20154 votes

how about not enforcing the meta?

Ranked aside (being competitive), normal games are still that: games. Are we not allowed to have fun as long as we're not trolling?

ShuffledPancakeJul 5, 20151 votes

In my opinion you should start krugs then go red then raptors.. tell top to ward blue. then go back to it. cause you really dont need blue as much only for exp and cdr.

3tysonJul 5, 20151 votes

actualy i got rank 5 mastery yet the fact that it may work does not mean it will always work

and even if your doing good people sometimes say your troling

Icestar1186Jul 5, 20153 votes

Meta stuff doesn't always work either. Every game has a losing team.

LaceUp23Jul 5, 20151 votes

Lol, as if people will listen to this. There are so many players in ranked that play a champ at their designed role with having 0 games on the champ, you really think they are going to practice an undersigned role? Half the time the people that pick "off-meta" things are the ones that wanted to try Vlad top for the first time, but are last pick, so they are just going to take vlad at whatever is left.

IpolsJul 6, 20151 votes

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