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4/0/8 or 21/12/5 (Advice from more experienced players appreciated)?

KoT 284·5/17/2015, 10:01:41 PM·1 votes·749 views

So, for context, I've been seeing a lot of threads about more kills/deaths vs less kills/deaths on the boards lately. So, I've been shaping my general play style as a mid later around the general consensus that less is better, in this case. However, I'd appreciate guidance on whether or not I've taken that too far from a more experienced, higher elo player (For less exposition, skip to the 4th paragraph).

This conflict arose my last game as Diana mid (built like an assassin, like most). I was leaning against Leblanc , so I played more defensively- picked up crystalline flask and focused more on cs than on poke. I ended up getting an early landing kill, and later roamed our struggling bot, picking up a few kills and assists there. By that time, I was probably ~2/0/1 and our adc Ashe was ~1/3/1.

From that point on, I picked up a couple kills during the transition to mid game and helped secure a couple dragons. Our ashe was picking herself up, but was overly aggressive against the enemy Jinx and usually traded 1/1 before dying. By that time, mid was pushed to its base turret and I was focusing on protecting bot's surviving one. Under turrets I'd stick to engages, but I was careful otherwise as per the enemy jungler, Fiddlesticks .

The real problem was in endgame team fighting, which consisted of me, our support nautilus and ashe patrolling the mid nexus turret, running away when the enemy engaged, and then turning to fight once a safe distance away from the turret (as most low elo teamfights do, I'd imagine). Anyway, I was very defensive, retreating from most conflicts in order to potentially guard our untouched mid turret, however naut and ashe decided to fight in what was usually a 4v2. Sometimes they'd win (Ashe got a triple and quad kill from this stage), and sometimes they'd lose. When they'd lose, the Ashe would tell me I should have engaged in that fight, and that we would have won.

But here's the kicker for me- I did engage twice, and both times I was assaulted by an ulting fiddlesticks, who chunked me for 3/4 of my hp. I was saved both times by my Zhonyas and flash.

So here's my problem-should have I engaged, maybe swinging a losing teamfight in our favor and maybe getting killed by the fidd and further feeding him with shutdown gold, or was I right in avoiding a potentially deadly and outmatched fight in favor of defending the mid turret? By the end of the game, I was 4/0/8 and ashe was 21/12/5. I'm fairly new to the game, so I really don't know. I'm not afraid to engage and if I was wrong I was wrong, honesty is appreciated.

5 Comments

T RexHasTinyArms5/17/2015, 10:26:05 PM2 votes

I have terrible mechanics so lower Elo but decent understanding of theory and teaching so might be useful might not, but the answer, like most things in life is it depends.

If there is something significant to be gained and you believe your death is key to doing that you may need to, if not then don't. For instance if you have no vision (increasing risk of fiddle turning the fight) And no lanes are pushed with baron and dragon down then don't fight bc there is nothing to gain. However if baron is up and your team hits a good engage where you know you can drop their adc and the fiddle before you die then do it bc if you die but team cleans up the other carry you don't get they might be able to take baron w/ the jungle and both carries down and your team up 4v2 or even 4v1. Then you can push with the advantage. Trading even though isn't worth it usually if you're behind, but if an even trade gets you an objective it is worth it bc you shouldn't be getting objectives and advantages if you're behind so it is usually worth it.

Live2LetDie5/17/2015, 11:10:51 PM1 votes

K/D ratio, this is a thing in league that is not as important as your cs. Think about it like this. A kill is roughly 10 cs, which you will get in a min, but if your like your ashe who dies during the trade you lose a little more gold than you would earn AND you would lose exp that you could not get back.

When to engage: all situational, if your team is behind and you have been losing teamfights through out the past 5 mins then dont fight unless your under tower. Those inhib turrets are op strong and really help against a tanky fight.

If you been going even and see an opertunity to take out one of their main carries then ping your doing it and go in. RISKY, if you die without getting the kill most likley your team will share the same fate.

If your way ahead then you have a little more play room and dive safely.

Last thing is to make sure you have objectives in mind before you engage. Drag is up in 20 ? dont team fight unless you know you will win.

In your case the fidd was killing you and your team. This sounds like your a vision problem since you, as diana, should of easily been able to get to fid during his channel and cc his ult. There is no point to go in if a fid can freely ult +glass.

YkQr7AXCLr5/18/2015, 4:29:32 PM1 votes

4\0\8 is better than going 21\12\5 kd doesnt matter but if your getting atleast 2 kills or more before you die then for the most part your good. Not to say that cs doesnt matyer because it does 4\3 graves 120 cs at 27 min while your 220 cs at 27 while 2\0 is wayyyyy better