Problems in Low ELO
Let's start off by mentioning that this isn't a rant; I'm not mad. I'm trying to make a point. I guarantee that this thread represents many, many low ELO players, because they face the same challenges as I do. This is targetted towards players who are good at their champions, not feeders/trolls.
Low ELO is often scoffed at. People who identify as "Iron", "Bronze", "Silver", or sometimes even "Gold" are ridiculed for their low ranking (since it implies a low skill level). But this should not be the case! Many people who are in low ELO are there for a few simple reasons:
First-time teammates Feeders
First Time Teammates
A huge problem that I see in a majority of my ranked games in bronze are teammates/enemies who play champions that they aren't necessarily good at, but rather "counter-pick" the enemy. For example, according to u.gg, Annie mid gets hard countered by Kassadin (true). If an enemy picks Annie in champ select, many low ELO players will play Kassadin because Kassadin counters Annie, not because they are good at Kassadin. This should not be the case! A mastery 7, experienced Annie player will definitely beat a first or second time Kassadin. But low ELO players don't seem to understand this.
Feeders
This is my biggest issue, and it's not that I hate feeders at all. I've fed before, and it sucks. I hate not only being useless, but also being a hindrance. After all, this is a game, and if you aren't doing damage, you aren't having fun (unless you're a support).
The problem is that many games that I've played are solely decided by the team with the feeder! Games in low ELO are not skill-based at all. They are usually dependent on "which team has the feeder?". This makes ranked very frustrating, as it forces good players to play 1v9 champions, even if they aren't good at them.
TL;DR - Many bronze players resort to learning champions they don't necessarily like (like I don't necessarily like Nasus, but I play him to 1v9) just so they can win games. Why is this the case? Shouldn't the game be fun? How come your playstyle revolves around other players? Both of those reasons cause low ELO games to be awful. You like playing Talon? Too bad. He's not a hard carry champion. Go play Jax, whether you like it or not. I mean, you want to win right? That's the problem with low ELO. It strips the game of its fun.
