Rethinking Skill: Opinion

GigglesO·Dec 24, 2016·2 votes·296 views

Honestly, I'd like the community to step back and take a different outlook on the phrase "takes skill to play".

Everyone wants to think champions like Lee Sin, Vayne, Yasuo, Zed and other high mobility champions take a lot of skill to play, but what if we look at it from the other perspective. Is it really that hard to be where you want when you want? Mobility allows the ability to control the fight. Doesn't it really take more skill to negate the enemies ability to have better mobility than you?

Let's stop saying having mobility makes a champion harder to play. Look at league of legends least popular champions. Besides Kalista, they are all pretty much immobile.

It's time for us to ask for nerfs on the skillless champions that are mobility champions. Just remember none ever said having mobility makes a game harder.

12 Comments

Nameless VoiceDec 24, 20162 votes

I've said it before, but in my opinion "takes skill to play" means that the champion can be heavily punished for making mistakes.

Lee Sin, for example, has so much mobility that he can often make lots of mistakes and still escape or "outplay" his opponent. He needs mechanical ability / APM to perform correctly, but much less tactical skill than a less mobile champion.

I personally value tactical skill far above mechanical. Mechanical is just a matter of reaction time and reflexes, and I wish League would focus more on the tactical/strategic side.

GigglesODec 25, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=Nameless Voice,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=dwIUqBml,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2016-12-24T22:29:05.543+0000)

I've said it before, but in my opinion "takes skill to play" means that the champion can be heavily punished for making mistakes.

Lee Sin, for example, has so much mobility that he can often make lots of mistakes and still escape or "outplay" his opponent. He needs mechanical ability / APM to perform correctly, but much less tactical skill than a less mobile champion.

I personally value tactical skill far above mechanical. Mechanical is just a matter of reaction time and reflexes, and I wish League would focus more on the tactical/strategic side.

This is what I was trying to make a comment about. While some champions take a lot of skill, mobility effectively makes them less punishable when they do make a mistake.

DynikusDec 24, 20161 votes

Simply having mobility isn't what makes them mechanically difficult to play, and I've never seen someone make the argument that it is. Hecarim is incredibly mobile, but he's not really one of those champions that people talk about when it comes to high skill ceilings.

If you want to see what "takes skill to play" means, watch this. https://youtu.be/oVReiJdIYF4?t=10m17s

GigglesODec 24, 20161 votes

{quoted}

Simply having mobility isn't what makes them mechanically difficult to play

I don't think you get that I was trying to get some laughs out of this, people are so serious on the boards. That and mobility does remove some skills like planning, dodging skill shots, and removes gameplay for enemies. A great example of that is a gank vs morde or a gank vs riven. Riven is just going to stun and dash her way out, meanwhile morde has to plan ahead so he isn't as likely to get ganked.

GigglesODec 24, 20161 votes

{quoted}

If you want to see what "takes skill to play" means, watch this. https://youtu.be/oVReiJdIYF4?t=10m17s

I actually don't see "the skill" in that. Any champion without mobility CAN NOT do that. While it is impressive to watch, it would have taken more skill to stop him from doing that.

DynikusDec 24, 20161 votes

The skill in that is give almost any one else lee sin in that same circumstance, and they wouldn't be able to pull off the same thing.

GigglesODec 24, 20161 votes

{quoted}

The skill in that is give almost any one else lee sin in that same circumstance, and they wouldn't be able to pull off the same thing.

Someone hasn't seen a good Lee Sin in plat or diamond MMR.

DynikusDec 24, 20161 votes

I'm confused how that's countering what I said. You're just saying that another good lee sin might be able to pull off something similar. That still requires a lot of mechanical skill. Also I guarantee that bengi is a better lee sin than anyone in plat or diamond.

GigglesODec 24, 20161 votes

{quoted}

I'm confused how that's countering what I said. You're just saying that another good lee sin might be able to pull off something similar. That still requires a lot of mechanical skill. Also I guarantee that bengi is a better lee sin than anyone in plat or diamond.

It's the fact that if you have any other champion that much mobility they could do exactly the same thing. Let braum ward hop. And allow him to use his q like Lee and he could do the same thing.

DynikusDec 24, 20161 votes

Okay? Yes, he could. But just because a champion is capable of something, doesn't mean it's easy to pull off. That's the entire meaning of a high skill ceiling.