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Difference between playing off meta and trolling

Zed genius··95 votes·5,792 views

So I wanted to address this topic since people seem to not understand it. Off meta picks means you play a champion in a different way that the one it is supposed to be played. Going Yasuo Adc, Lucian Jungle, Miss Fortune Mid, Lee sin support etc. is fine AS LONG AS you do what the role u are playing is supposed to do. For example, when you are top lane, running smite and following your jungler to steal their camps is not playing off meta. When you are support, pick whatever you want, it is fine, but go bot lane, don't take cs from your ad carry, buy at least a sightstone or a default support item. If you fulfill those you are fine playing whatever you enjoy playing.

Context I wanted to say this because of a recent game I had. It was a normal game. My support hovered Orianna. I was thinking that Yasuo + Ori would be a sick bot lane. I guess she had a different idea of that. I told her we can all in level 2, and she replied she is not going to listen to a yasuo player who is "trolling", she then bought a doran's ring and started endlessly farming. Even when we got like 8 kills on the enemy bot lane she would still call me a troll and wouldn't understand that the actual troll was her.At the end game screen I had the most damage on the game and she'd still say that I was trolling.

People seriously need to understand the difference between playing off meta and trolling.

144 Comments

WinTheWarOnPants45 votes

If you play off-meta it's pretty much a given that if you don't destroy your lane you will get accused of trolling. Jinx(0/4/1)"pls ff this game is impossible" XinZhao (1/3/1)"no shit! we have a freaking mid lane Eve...." Evelynn(6/7/0)"how is this my fault?" ally has been slain* Jinx(0/5/2)/all"pls report eve for trolling thanks"

Zed genius20 votes

had a yasuo adc game. Team score was like 19/9 I was 14/1/1 They surrendered. My support vel'koz with barrier added me to flame me even more about my pick.

WinTheWarOnPants8 votes

XD the struggles of being a pioneer lol I love seeing people do wierd stuff. unless it's a duo bot. Duo bots ALWAYS feed lol. If someone picks something like a yas adc i just pick Sejuani sup and go to town lol I've never had a problem with people picking off meta. I had a ranked game where after the first person banned someones intent ever ones intent ended up banned lol It was actually hilarious because everyone was a good sport about it. Our team ended up being Urgot top Teemo jg Draven mid Mordekaiser adc Evelynn sup <--- me of course lol

and we destroyed the enemy team XD ended in ff@20 with 2 inhibs already down

Electro5227 votes

I once had a Xin Zhao support. He took the role because the person who was supposed to support screwed up, so he moved from jungle.

Amazingly, this guy knew the limits of his champ extraordinarily well, and we ended up completely destroying our opponents in lane.

Unfortunately, I've seen the other side of it too. Once had a Draven "support". Said to myself "this is fine, as long as he doesn't fight me for CS". But, of course, he ended up doing just that, and since he was Draven, and I was Jinx, he could last hit easier than me. But, we both ended up falling behind, and ultimately lost the lane.

And who got blamed for it? Why me, of course! (sigh)

WinTheWarOnPants5 votes

You can take a champ pretty much anywhere if you understand them well enough. That's what meta slaves and flavor of the month abuser don't understand. They depend so much on OP strats/abilities that they never really learn how to play any of their champs.

Need Gold 4 Tent3 votes

{quoted}

You can take a champ pretty much anywhere if you understand them well enough. That's what meta slaves and flavor of the month abuser don't understand. They depend so much on OP strats/abilities that they never really learn how to play any of their champs.

As long as there's a logic to it. I succeeded going a low AD rageblade/high AS tank Vayne top lane. My reasoning was - I increase the proportion of true damage, meaning I need less physical damage to do damage. It worked out well. Then I tried it jungle, not so much because of the invades and low income... and suddenly I'm a troll. A Mundo went PD tank in that same game, he's a troll too although I can see what he was doing, coz it made sense.

There are even subtler ways of trolling, like a person who posted a Cait intentionally just walking around in teamfights and that OP was wondering why they were losing every single good engage until they found out her damage to champs was roughly 3k (post-game). There has to be intent when trolling, not all strange builds/playstyles are trolls.

However, if one went AP Riven, that would be pretty hard to justify which probably means the intent to troll was there (troll as in make your team angry, not doing something strange and trying to win with it).

EkyonKun8 votes

I remember taking Annie top (do it all the time) and while I was 0/0/0, my team was 3/13 or something crazy like that by the 10 minute mark. I was laning vs pantheon and had him pushed in to prevent/punish roams. He barely left lane, but of course that didn't stop the Feeding Frenzy from taking place. ... ... ... Guess whose fault it apparently was that we lost : ^)

HeroineSam3 votes

gosh, I feel that.

SirTeemoMushroom41 votes

i main teemo for 4 years.. even when i carry people still call me a troller .

sirwaterfles10 votes

Good

(i mained voll4 years ago. Nice to know you sufferred as much as you made me suffer kappa)

Doodlzzz14 votes

i main teemo for 4 years..

tough life

Divewing7 votes

<Quietly dials a mental asylum>

CrazFight 24 votes

I main bard top (and also dabble in some taric top), and honestly i haven't been playing it recently, every game I get yelled and reported for playig the picks even when I do well. Its kinda just de moralizing.

Frontline Fury6 votes

/mute all and let your performance speak for you. Making report calls in chat is considered toxic behaviour and is, ironically, reportable.

Power Mac2 votes

[{quoted}](name=Cersi Lannistar,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=oxLkv87E,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2017-09-09T21:15:20.558+0000)

I main bard top (and also dabble in some taric top), and honestly i haven't been playing it recently, every game I get yelled and reported for playig the picks even when I do well. Its kinda just de moralizing.

I do not totally agree with the OP. While Bard top does make sense (ap Bard is ridiculously strong), a support Yasuo does not. The latter is unequivocally trolling, because even if he buys sup items and doesn't steal his adc's farm, he'll be the most useless champion ever: not utilities, no cc, not enough farm/kills to actually hurt the enemies, nothing at all. Some picks do make sense (Lee Sin support was mentioned, he's a thing, just like MF mid full ap), but other picks do not at all.

Frightning18 votes

Orianna+Yasuo is a pretty legit bot lane. Frankly, Orianna support is less common than Yasuo bot. Main reason for that being that the number 1 thing that makes a champ good for support is a strong early game, which Orianna doesn't really have, but she does have a lot of the number 2 important thing: synergy with a teammate around (and specifically with Yasuo).

Ayame Isaki3 votes

I'd love to try Yasuo +Janna .

Flemman2 votes

When you play yasuo bot, it's go hard or go home.

So with that in mind, the funnier lane is yasuo Xin bot with double targon :p

RobinROTMG3 votes

To be honest Yasuo + Rakan seems like a lot more fun... Maybe it's because I'm a (partial) Rakan main but whatever.

ˉˉˉˉˉˉ17 votes

Holy fuck I hate these extremely ignorant and oblivious players like that Orianna, every other game I wonder how people even survived this long without dying from their stupidity.

Like, just shut up and THINK for a second about what you are saying, and what I am saying. Just THINK about that. THINK about what senseless argument you are making on impulse.

P0IS0N IVY7 votes

There's also a difference between off meta roles and off meta playstyles.

Zed genius5 votes

well yeah but they are minor categories of off-meta,hence why I didn't include them

PePsiLemoNN6 votes

Play whatever you want AS LONG as it's not in ranked. If you're actually playing mf jg or w/e in ranked , I do hope you get banned.

Zed genius22 votes

so you basically need to get banned when you play something that is not meta in ranked? When i get autofilled adc i am forced to play Twitch Tristana Kalista ?

SomeStars2 votes

im perfectly ok with off meta stuff but i never played ranked in my life and i don't go off meta myself

but you should never go off meta in ranked unless you are in a premade or the team agrees with your'e choice

by off meta i mean lucian jungle and yasuo bot i dont mean playing varus or corki as an adc even though they aren't meta right now they are playing in there designed role

DarkRitual2 votes

You should be free to go off-meta when it's something you're experienced with, and fits the teamcomp and matchup.

You have a melee top/mid/jg and the enemy team has a single-carry teamcomp? Rock the Sejuani support.

Enemy has three tanks? Maybe Lethality Pantheon mid isn't the best choice.

Dani El Pezglobo5 votes

I like to play ahri adc

SSrikeShadow2 votes

Well autofill is an entirely different deal. But yes, the meta exists because pro players have determined - through math calculations on damage, hp, cc etc. - what has good potential and what does not. Now if you have done the math, then fine you will have an edge on players who have not. Granted, if you are a mastery 7 on a champion, then you will do better with that champion in most roles because you know its limitations and potential better than most people you face. But going off meta in a champion you are mastery 3 in is trolling.

DarkRitual4 votes

Players also have to realize, part of the Pro meta is communication and coordination. This is why some picks are MUCH stronger for them, and don't work for everyone else.

LordGeovanni2 votes

Like how shen is forever nerfed for only his ult for pro but solo que cant even use him cause the rest of his kit either so weak or has such a long down time.

Pumping Iron2 votes

yes, maybe Sivir too

Floupi5 votes

[deleted]

Thewannabegamer7 votes

You can't win this game with a vision disadvantage. Having a item 2049 and a item 3341 is part of playing supp. I'd also expect them to be buying pink wards because otherwise we will never have enough control or information to do anything unless your team is just roflstomping the enemy team with a 10k gold lead at 20 minutes.

Lewd Fiora2 votes

I do agree on that. As long as it is not a stomp where all lanes and jungle have a big lead you should definitely buy one. But this game is an example for one where a sightstone is not needed. http://matchhistory.euw.leagueoflegends.com/en/#match-details/EUW1/3283663390/210847960?tab=overview Pretty funny bot, would recommend it to everyone that hasn't tried it yet

Daddy Ants4 votes

I've played some pretty off-meta and weird stuff in normals the past few days -

Syndra Jungle - http://matchhistory.euw.leagueoflegends.com/en/#match-details/EUW1/3334104259/224873355?tab=overview

Syndra Support - http://matchhistory.euw.leagueoflegends.com/en/#match-details/EUW1/3337620714/224873355?tab=overview

As long as you are doing the following then it is not considered trolling.

  1. Playing the role how it is intended to be played.
  2. Playing with intentions to win and co-operating with your team.

The only people who say off-meta picks are trolling are the people who are meta slaves.

Playing off-meta and weird things is NOT report-able so don't feel forced into picking something just because a team mate doesn't agree with it.

My team didn't like my Syndra jungle at first but at the end they were like "WTF you made it work..."

Me and a buddy play a lot of the following as well -

MonkeyKing Kayle Yasuo Kayle

We once played Irelia Kayle bot lane and demolished Caitlyn Morgana

SanKakU3 votes

It sickens me how often people rage over a Kayle pick. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. What's ironic is the times this nonsense happens, my chance to win a 4 vs 5 is surprisingly not too bad. I doubt I'd have such fortune in ranked, though.

SanKakU4 votes

These people are discriminating against your champion pick. Report them for it and get these foul players off the Summoner's Rift.

Acheron164 votes

You have as much right to play off-meta shit as people have to complain about it.

You can play Yasuo ADC if you want, but you'll have expect and understand that your team-mates will complain because not only you didn't pick a ranged champion (making laning that much harder), you picked a champion that is infamous for drawing bad players.

And if you start failing then you have to be ready for their complaints. People want to win the game and when you pick weird things or champions that are notoriously hard to use you are, in their eyes, tanking their chances of winning for your own selfish reasons (wanting to play Yasuo bot).

Bazookapc3 votes

I just love people who pick off-meta supports but they don't start spellthief/relic/coin. Seriously, they screw themselves over. It'd almost be funny if it didn't cost me wins. -,-

DarkRitual3 votes

The only time it MIGHT be acceptable is item 2032 item 2055 start on Ornn. Problem is, someone has to play Ornn, which is kinda throwing anyhow.

Frontline Fury3 votes

That's low rank players for you. Above gold you'll rarely even get a question mark.

Example: me going Taric top into Tryndamere might get a question mark or two, but nobody calls me a troll for it. Especially when i start zoning trynd off of his cs.

AmazoX2 votes

[{quoted}](name=Frontline Fury,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=oxLkv87E,comment-id=0011,timestamp=2017-09-10T02:46:52.027+0000)

That's low rank players for you. Above gold you'll rarely even get a question mark.

Example: me going Taric top into Tryndamere might get a question mark or two, but nobody calls me a troll for it. Especially when i start zoning trynd off of his cs.

Your name just makes your comment better about picking Taric Top [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

Yordle Xayah3 votes

Oh gotta love those guys "I must take your farm and build damage, that will definitively not harm your resource income, I NEED FARM"

Raiyza3 votes

There's nothing wrong with picking a non meta champion. It's nice when it can completely shut down one lane. For example, Ekko support would be nice against non mobile bot lanes. Parallel Convergence can be an amazing roadblock if you put it behind them.

You just have to be smart about it. I had an Ornn support. He was absolutely useless. His ultimate was the one thing that made it ok, but other than that he wasn't much use.

Leonerdo3 votes

You completely missed the point. The difference between trolling and off-meta play is the player's intent to win, not if they are playing a standard role in the standard way or not. [Source]

As long as you do what role u are playing is supposed to do That just means you want people to play on-meta strategy-wise, but you don't care what champion they pick to do it. That doesn't allow for very much off-meta stuff at all. Proxy Singed, for example, doesn't do what top-lane tanks are "supposed" to do. Rather it invents a new role.

Support players don't have to buy sightstone either. Most of the time it's a good idea to buy sightstone, but if someone wants to try a super aggro strategy without sightstone, then it's not trolling (even if it doesn't work out) because there is still an intent to win from that player. He's just taking an unusual risk to try to snowball via combat stats.

Oh, and I just read your anecdote. Neither of you were trolling (maybe in chat, but not in game). Yasuo bot isn't that unfounded, and neither is Orianna, but that's not what you were trying to point out. The fact that she played as a carry rather than support doesn't make her a troll either, though. Yasuo bot tends to be highly risky, and if it falls behind, the Yasuo tends to have trouble farming. In that case, it's actually a good strategy to have the "support" be ready to play more like a carry: taking the farm that the Yasuo can't reach, and providing extra all-in power so the lane can snowball easier (not buying sightstone).

Fütanari2 votes

Off meta is trolling. 9/10 times they will suck. Teemo in any position. Mf support or any of that garbage is instant dodge.

TimX24968B1 votes

so playing more than 20% of the roster (the 80% not considered meta) is trolling? i'm confused. if you want a perfect team with people only in places you want them, there's a place for that. its called bot games and custom games.

Fütanari2 votes

{quoted}

so playing more than 20% of the roster (the 80% not considered meta) is trolling? i'm confused. if you want a perfect team with people only in places you want them, there's a place for that. its called bot games and custom games.

Uh what? You can play 100 just play the champs in their roles.

TimX24968B1 votes

but any champ can be played in any role. else, what defines what makes a champ belong in a specific role? since so much in terms of items and abilities can cover the needs.

Fütanari1 votes

{quoted}

but any champ can be played in any role. else, what defines what makes a champ belong in a specific role? since so much in terms of items and abilities can cover the needs.

jg soraka top sona mid vayne support graves adc kassadin

troll. none would work

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