I feel like im handicapping myself by losing more games. im not saying that playing these champs=a free win but honestly i feel like im putting myself at a disadvantage by not playing these champs.
I am a non-meta player usually, and I find that very few people expect/play well against non-meta champs. But unfortunately, I find the greatest handicap is to team morale. Nobody (and I mean NOBODY) wants to see an Anivia, for instance, in the game, and it will often impair communication. However, as a strategist, I have to say that the advantages of breaking the meta can far outweigh the negatives if you can play them right!!!
On the other hand, playing off meta champs means fewer people know how to play against them
I've never had trouble with a Maokai....Fizz and Leona are the REAL problems here....they are just too overbearing and powerful, they definitely need nerfs. I do try to play non-meta champions because I don't want to be hated on and I want to have some originality. But of course, every once in awhile I say, lol nope and I instalock Akali.
I play a lot of less popular champions. As a jungle main, I play a lot of Nocturne, Hecarim, Fiddlesticks, Nautilus, Udyr, etc, and I feel that I do very well with these champions. I think playing champions that are strong in the meta is important (no more gangplank jungles please), but I think what is far more important is playing champions that you're comfortable with, and fit well into your team comp.
Actually, playing non-meta champs actually can give you an advantage over playing a meta champ for several reasons:
-learning to play a non-meta champ means that there is less of a chance that your champ gets banned
-your opponents will likely not know how to play the matchup against your lesser-played champion, while you will likely get a lot of experience in playing against your opponent's fotm champions
-other players will likely play FotM champs because they are strong, and not learn their deeper mechanics, giving you a skill advantage with the non-meta champions you play as, especially if you main that champion almost exclusively
Does that mean always playing non-meta champions is always good? Not always, but there are some advantages to picking one that don't normally happen when you play a meta champion.
You are at a disadvantage if you play the wrong champions.
Not to say you can't overcome that disadvantage, but it exists regardless.
This is especially true with counter-matchups.
Next time your opponent takes zed mid, pick nunu and destroy him. :)
Please, being meta-bound is a hock of shit under diamond. If you know what you're doing in game and with your champ, you'll climb. Don't pull the meta card until everyone you're playing with is amazing.
Eh...you'll find differing opinions on that. If you're good enough at the game to quickly pick up new champs, then maybe you'll have success following the FOTM river. Most of the time, though, mastery of a champion will trump any FOTM.
Source: I'm a solo lane Quinn main in low-mid Plat.
I play Karma. I don't need to say anything else.
The thing is, everyone knows how to play the meta champs, and against them as well. Pick an Anivia, or Swain, or Poppy, and you'll find a lot of people don't know how they work. Thats a pretty strong advantage there.
It's funny because you games like Smash Brothers that never get balance patches, and somehow that allows people to eventually learn how to deal with characters that seem 'op'.
If you're trying to top out in Ranked... maybe? Still, up to a pretty high rank player skill and team comp is WAY more important than specific champion picks.
If you can steamroll games on Fizz you can probably do it on Akali or Kat or Kass or Yasuo too. If your team needs a tank/initiator, Leona/Maokai are marginally stronger than, I dunno, Malphite or Alistar or Shen? But I've been stomped into the ground by Malphites too. In close, high-skill matchups those small differences matter a lot more.
skill>pick, sorry buddy, get better
