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Morello/Ghostcrawler/Somebody in overarching lead design, answer me about runes, please.

Zaphas·4/29/2014, 9:46:50 PM·2 votes·323 views

I haven't been doing ranked this season, mostly because I enjoy playing with my friends, but I've been firing up the ol' solo queue engine lately, and I've played 3 games of my placements. My first two games, I had players with a scattering of Tier 1 and Tier 2 runes, or a player with 2/3s of the rune page blank.

My 3rd game featured a Katarina mid with literally no runes. The player has never bought a rune or set up a rune page.

Why are these players allowed into ranked games? For that matter, why do runes exist? These players obviously don't want or need them, or really even understand the concepts of putting a rune page together. I don't want to be a toxic player, and my skill level is probably high silver, at least that's what it was last season, but when I get put into a game with people who don't have a rune page, I cannot help but get testy.

Runes are absolutely not healthy for play in the Bronze level brackets. when you have a player who is level 30, and hasn't bought a single rune, that is a failing in the base game. Either that person should not be allowed to queue for ranked to save the sanity of his teammates, or there simply should not be runes, so everyone can be on an even playing field.

If neither of those work, maybe have a few simple 'pre-built' ranked ready rune pages like AD, AP, Tank, Support? Something's gotta give, right?

7 Comments

Only Play Nid4/29/2014, 10:24:52 PM2 votes

Runes are to supplement a champion´s weakness and custom-tailor to your play-style. I.e., AP champs want to do dmg and live but some people prefer to get mana regen over armor. Both are weakness, but you can choose to make one less threatening; conversly, you can choose to just go pure AP nuke. It´s really up to you.

As for the ranked thing, you plausibly could carry someone with bad or no runes, but yea it might be a good idea to let them know that you should have tier 3 runes before ranked... lol.

Zaphas4/29/2014, 11:34:44 PM1 votes

To add to my additional post, games wherein I am matched against a 3 runes (yes, 3 runes) katarina mid with my asskicking Velkoz , it isn't fair to the enemy team as well. I just roflstomped the poor person. That can't have felt good.

the Anarchit3cht4/30/2014, 3:41:45 AM1 votes

The benefits provided by runes are minimal enough to the point where they can be outclassed by better play. That enemy mid laner packing some extra AP? Well if you're playing right, you won't get tagged by their skills too much and it becomes essentially useless.

Or even, imagine it in this scenario. They are packing AP runes and you aren't packing MR runes. Your runes aren't going to do anything about their AP runes and if you're packing AP runes they aren't going to help you at all if you aren't landing your skills. Runes are a supplement to cover your weaknesses, not a requirement.

That being said, when you get into higher ELO play, I doubt you will notice players without Runes.

ShadowNinetails5/9/2014, 3:26:27 AM1 votes

I had a ranked game where I derped during champ select and wound up using my AP runes and AP Support masteries as jungle Shyv. I went 10/1/16 and my only death was diving the fountain to help our Vayne get a penta before the nexus blew.

Runes and masteries are somewhat important just like item builds are somewhat important just like summoner spells are somewhat important just like champion picks are somewhat important. Through all of this, though, the most important thing is YOU and how you play the cards you're dealt. I can pick Garen into almost anybody. I don't know how many times I've crushed Jayce Teemo Vladimir and had them /all cry about how they're supposed to hard counter me. Playstyle counters playstyle. That's what sets this game apart from others like DotA.