Silver support looking for some coaching.

TheeBull·May 23, 2016·1 votes·450 views

I main support and I'm looking to get some help moving on to the next level. I feel like my support play is pretty solid (if not a little aggressive) but it seems like I can't solo carry a team enough to bump my winrate up. Any play I make needs follow up from my team mates, and that isn't always there. I would love some tips from some veteran supports to make it higher in the ranks without playing support annie and going 20/0. How do I move up playing traditional supports when it feels like my team isn't on the same page as my plays?

13 Comments

OldwisepotatoMay 23, 20162 votes

My main only gold 5 but got gold this season and last season pretty much only playing support. I think you first have to identify what support style you prefer and figure out what supports your best at. For me, I feel most comfortable playing mages so my main support is Morgana but I also play Sona Nami . I play Thresh once in awhile but realize I am not too good at him so try to keep it to a minimum. Below are a few things I think is really important in playing support and will help you carry the game for your teams.

Warding. Make sure you have 2/3 or 3/3 wards on map as much as possible. The key to warding is having your wards in spots that will help your team. I will admit I am bad at this and have actively been working on it. Always have a pink ward on the map.
Objectives. Pay attention to when drag or baron are spawning and key wards in that area for when they are.
Clearing wards. Use a scanner to remove enemy wards, preferably around objectives (baron, dragon).
Pay attention to minimap. Since you are not csing you have more time to pay attention to minimap. Ping missing enemies or warnings for enemy ganks coming down river, etc.
Peel for your carriers.
Know your strength: I play a lot of . I know a snare in many cases = kill for the team or great peel for an ally. Playing ? A pull could win you the game if you catch an enemy carry late in the game but could also lose you the game if you grab a tank such as . Similar thing with . If your are you using your ult to engage or disengage a fight? When you going to use that ult? Flash 5 man ult to start a fight? Or you already have an engage and you following up with ult?
Don't get caught out. It is important to ward but don't die doing it. Getting caught out late game can lose your team the game.

Supports can carry games. If you watch Apromoo you will see some crazy sick support plays. But when he is not making amazing grabs you will see him calling out objectives, clearing wards, pinging enemies, etc. At lower elos I truly believe just doing as much as you can each game will increase your chances of winning. If you are really good at grabbing enemies with thresh or blitz then getting your teams a lot of kills will probably win you a lot of games. However, this is not the only way to win. Peeling for your team, getting items such as item 3190 and using it at the right time, warding well and clearing wards, can all help you win games.

Hope this helps.

TheeBullMay 23, 20161 votes

{quoted}

My main only gold 5 but got gold this season and last season pretty much only playing support. I think you first have to identify what support style you prefer and figure out what supports your best at. For me, I feel most comfortable playing mages so my main support is but I also play . I play once in awhile but realize I am not too good at him so try to keep it to a minimum. Below are a few things I think is really important in playing support and will help you carry the game for your teams.

Warding. Make sure you have 2/3 or 3/3 wards on map as much as possible. The key to warding is having your wards in spots that will help your team. I will admit I am bad at this and have actively been working on it. Always have a pink ward on the map.

Objectives. Pay attention to when drag or baron are spawning and key wards in that area for when they are.

Clearing wards. Use a scanner to remove enemy wards, preferably around objectives (baron, dragon).

Pay attention to minimap. Since you are not csing you have more time to pay attention to minimap. Ping missing enemies or warnings for enemy ganks coming down river, etc.

Peel for your carriers.

Know your strength: I play a lot of . I know a snare in many cases = kill for the team or great peel for an ally. Playing ? A pull could win you the game if you catch an enemy carry late in the game but could also lose you the game if you grab a tank such as . Similar thing with . If your are you using your ult to engage or disengage a fight? When you going to use that ult? Flash 5 man ult to start a fight? Or you already have an engage and you following up with ult?

Don't get caught out. It is important to ward but don't die doing it. Getting caught out late game can lose your team the game.

Supports can carry games. If you watch Apromoo you will see some crazy sick support plays. But when he is not making amazing grabs you will see him calling out objectives, clearing wards, pinging enemies, etc. At lower elos I truly believe just doing as much as you can each game will increase your chances of winning. If you are really good at grabbing enemies with thresh or blitz then getting your teams a lot of kills will probably win you a lot of games. However, this is not the only way to win. Peeling for your team, getting items such as and using it at the right time, warding well and clearing wards, can all help you win games.

Hope this helps.

This is awesome advise, I can go right through that list and see exactly what im good at and what im bad at. I tend to favor aggressive, in your face supports like Ali, Leona, Thresh, Bard, and Sona. I love being the aggressor and keeping them on their back foot. But alot of times that leaves my carries without peel and leaves me in a jungle alone warding deep without support. Aphroo is one of my favorite supports and i love watching him. I learned alot of my bard from watching him. One of the huge things im bad at isn't warding, but clearing their wards. I think it comes from a mentality of not caring if you see me, because im already coming for you!

OldwisepotatoMay 23, 20161 votes

I think the aggressive style can really work if you have a good adc to follow up with. I know one of my buddies is a pretty good Thresh player and he would duo (this like 2 seasons ago now) with our other buddy who was a decent adc. They both really like playing aggressive and would duo and play that way. They duoed to gold pretty quickly before the adc stopped playing.

It can still work I just noticed that the lower you are in silver or in bronze the harder it is to rely on your adc. Sometimes they will be ok other times they will be terrible. If your in like silver 1-2 or gold or higher adcs are generally ok and will be more consistent. I guess its just all about reading the situation.

Been duoing with my cousin on this account trying to get gold playing mostly mid, adc, jung. I have really poor adc mechanics and csing skills so been working on that. Im always afraid to disappoint my supports with my lack of skills but so far my supports haven't really seemed to know wtf they doing either so guess we just disappoint each other. My blitz 2 games ago build straight ap. We were losing and bitching at him for running off farming lanes and not warding. Then like 35-40 mins into the game he hit 2 huge pulls on carriers and since he was straight ap he insta killed them. Although I was salty I had to smile at the "victory" on screen when I thought about how happy I was when he alone grabbed Ahri and killed her before the final team fight. I guess as long as you and your team keep trying there is always a chance to win.

TheeBullMay 23, 20161 votes

{quoted}

I think the aggressive style can really work if you have a good adc to follow up with. I know one of my buddies is a pretty good Thresh player and he would duo (this like 2 seasons ago now) with our other buddy who was a decent adc. They both really like playing aggressive and would duo and play that way. They duoed to gold pretty quickly before the adc stopped playing.

It can still work I just noticed that the lower you are in silver or in bronze the harder it is to rely on your adc. Sometimes they will be ok other times they will be terrible. If your in like silver 1-2 or gold or higher adcs are generally ok and will be more consistent. I guess its just all about reading the situation.

Been duoing with my cousin on this account trying to get gold playing mostly mid, adc, jung. I have really poor adc mechanics and csing skills so been working on that. Im always afraid to disappoint my supports with my lack of skills but so far my supports haven't really seemed to know wtf they doing either so guess we just disappoint each other. My blitz 2 games ago build straight ap. We were losing and bitching at him for running off farming lanes and not warding. Then like 35-40 mins into the game he hit 2 huge pulls on carriers and since he was straight ap he insta killed them. Although I was salty I had to smile at the "victory" on screen when I thought about how happy I was when he alone grabbed and killed her before the final team fight. I guess as long as you and your team keep trying there is always a chance to win.

And thats why i like support i think.That opportunity to make big plays despite how the game has gone. A solid enage, ace, baron, push can win an unwinnable game. Just watch CLG's game against RNG in MSI. 17k gold down and still won. Favorite game ever.

BuddsMay 23, 20162 votes

play janna and just peel instead of engage.. dont need team to follow up on shit.. plat 3 janna last seaosn.. focus on yourself.. big time..

BuddsMay 23, 20162 votes

also try some braum hes good at peeling / keeping adc alive verse heavy ranged teams

TheeBullMay 23, 20161 votes

{quoted}

also try some braum hes good at peeling / keeping adc alive verse heavy ranged teams

I do need to force myself into some of those more passive, peel oriented supports. I play crazy aggressive and I think it would be a good step back to focus on map awareness and peeling. Even Alistar was a big change for me because he's kind of a one trick pony and isn't as good at sustained aggression like a Bard.

Absoluti0n ZeroMay 23, 20162 votes

{quoted}

I do need to force myself into some of those more passive, peel oriented supports. I play crazy aggressive and I think it would be a good step back to focus on map awareness and peeling. Even Alistar was a big change for me because he's kind of a one trick pony and isn't as good at sustained aggression like a Bard.

barum is a 2 way street he can be a very strong aggressive support in lane but generally when you group your goal is to peel for carries and use ult for interruption.

honestly the only way you carry on a non-mage style support is the influence other lanes. if your adc wins lane that is good but if you're not using your champion to its fullest (since you like aggro style ones) you won't get much done. communicate with your ad that you wanna roam and look to invade with your jungler or if you have someone with decent cc depending on enemy lanes go for a gank on top or mid. you will rarely carry as a support and playing super aggro with wrong comps can back fire.

every game i would suggest to record it and watch your play, see where you could have roamed and such.

support is similar to the jungling minus the farm. you have power to influence lanes other then bot and you can also go mess with the enemy jungler.

and also pick you support in according to the enemy team and your team. don't take leona or something because you like to go forward if your team ahs tons of engage and/or pick take something like karma or janna to peel for your team.

sorry its so split out xD but in general pick what your team would need, your #1 duty is to protect your carries not start fights and learn to use your champion outside of lane during laning phase. that is pretty much how supports can carry games, we've all seen that caitlyn decimate the enemy(or your own) team because her janna or braum or something peeled for her.

DelphiniumMay 23, 20162 votes

Diamond 4 support main and Janna main. Add me if you want ^

Swiftstrike4May 23, 20162 votes

I am not a support main, but I am Gold V and support often with Sona and Morgana . Support is becoming my 2nd role (after being my 3rd) since the mage changes.

First, I try to figure out if my adc is going to respond or follow up with any of my landed skill shots or attacks. If they aren't and just a "farmer" then I stop playing aggressive and focus on making sure they are protected, while also trying to auto attack the opposing ADC or support. If they follow up, I continue early harass but try to manage my mana in case the jungler comes.

I try to place a "ward line" and I move it up or back depending on how the team is doing. Essentially, the line is the entrance to our jungle at the start of the game by dragon and then it moves further back or forward depending on the state of the game. The ward line moves to the north side of the map as baron becomes more important. The ward line is critical for enemy positioning and protecting our jungle. In games, once your jungle is overrun by the enemy it will lead to tower dives and lost towers.

It is harder to carry a game as support. Most support mains are much better than their divisional placement. The problem is that their rank is largely determined by surrounding help. They can make it easier for their teammates to win the game, but they can't make them decide when to take important objectives or secure kills. If your adc is bad at making decisions misplays will happen a lot, and more misplays lead to greater likelihood of a loss.

I try to guide my teammates the best I can and make things "easy" for them. That is my job. Also, avoid dying. Low elo supports will sometimes die too often in fights to secure kills when it is unnecessary. What is interesting is that by playing Sona I learned how to reduce my deaths. If you get touched you die, this champion helped me a lot with positioning.

I will say though, I feel like support is a very unrewarding position. The items aren't great, they are always levels behind, and they get very little glory if there is a win. The ADCs often insult supports if they mess up or when a mistake happens. I really think these are the main reasons why the position sees less play. The expectation is to play perfectly and enable your teammates to win, which doesn't always happen. I don't mind support, but once my ADC starts flinging insults at me I leave them.

TheeBullMay 23, 20161 votes

I played a lot of Sona support when i first started to get into support (love my pentakill skin!). she definitely teaches you positioning the hard way

TheeBullMay 23, 20161 votes

I really appreciate all these well though out suggestions. Some times all you see of the league community is the raging toxic people in game, so it's awesome to see such helpful people.

TheeBullMay 24, 20161 votes

One thing i always wondered about: if i have 1 ward available, is it more important to ward river to counter gank or to keep control of your own brush in lane?