Secret to Free Elo (How to improve and carry)
These aren't in any particular order, all are equally important
So, it's often a topic of interest to people how they can rank up and get better at the game, so I thought I'd make a thread outlining some of the best techniques.
#1 most important thing when playing ranked Stay Positive As tempting as it may be to flame that one guy who is trolling or playing badly, being negative will only result in negative things. If you're tilting or salting, stop playing for a bit (not in the middle of your current game of course), try to take your mind off of it. When you come back, hopefully you've calmed down a bit. If you stay positive, you will play better, and your teammates will play better with positive reinforcement. It's understandable sometimes to be salty, it happens to all of us, but how you handle it is whats important.
#2 most important thing when playing ranked Mentality How you look at queuing up for ranked is very important, at least in my book. Ranked should be about self improvement for you, not about just winning. Focus more on improving yourself, and less on freaking out about losing a game. Look at what you did wrong, ask yourself how you could've played better, look back on your plays. I use Overwolf Replay Hud (google it), it lets you record and look back on your plays/deaths so you can analyze them. _You should always be seeking self improvement in solo queue. _
#3 most important thing when playing ranked Vision Whenever I play a game of solo queue, I'm always thinking about where I should ward, always asking myself if I need pink wards, etc. Vision can have a large impact on the game, either positive or negative. Knowing if you're gonna get ganked, or if they're taking an objective is the kind of knowledge that can win you the game. The more knowledge you have of your enemy, the easier it is to win. If you don't know the core warding positions, there is a plethora of videos that can teach you them. Remember to ward.
#4 most important thing when playing ranked Communication How you speak to and communicate with your team is crucial. League is a 5v5 team game, and if you don't communicate with your team, you won't have a fun time in solo queue. Use pings, pings are a great way to signal your team to what you're thinking. Be careful how you speak to your team, if you end up fighting your team, you most likely are going to lose, so try to stay on the same page. If someone does happen to act rude towards you, remember that you are never forced to respond to them or type in chat. Riot implemented a mute button for a reason, mute them and move on. Try to be friendly, you don't have to be best friends with your teammates, but you have a mutual goal, win.
TLDR; Stay positive, communicate, ward, keep a good mentality, and you'll improve a lot faster, which is the true secret to gaining elo.
Leave any suggestions, feedback, or comments below. :)