One Trick Pony

KryptedNightmare·6/8/2015, 10:40:14 PM·3 votes·2,696 views

So I've been told by two of my gold friends that i should be playing one champ only to climb the solo queue ladder. I am currently Silver 4 0 lp (just got promoted today :D) But some streamers say that being a "jack of all trades" meaning knowing how to play multiple champs is better than being a one trick pony (given these streamers are higher elo than my 2 friends.) I just wanted some thoughts on what I should do, do I follow what my friends are saying or follow what the streamers are saying? Let me know your thought please!

10 Comments

rockdalian6/8/2015, 10:49:05 PM3 votes

I'd assume knowing more champs and more roles will benefit you more, you won't always be able to play your one champion or you could bring it into a bad match up although I haven't fully attempted ranked play yet either. Also even if I don't like a champion learning to play them helps me play against them easier and understand better when I can win trades and duels. Just my opinion though hope you figure it out and let me know.

Poptart Evelynn6/8/2015, 10:51:57 PM2 votes

I'm a jack of all trades. It's make a difference. Sometimes you get people who just can't play ADC or Top or something along those lines. When a player sucks at a role it's not that hard to carry. However, when you have someone who just can't play a certain role and they get it. You will not be able to carry them.

Aim for core roles, but be able to fill when need be. Your main role should have wide pool of champs while your fill roles should be having a max of 4 champs. You wont play fill roles as much so you need to be more experienced with a smaller pool.

Sure I aim for Kat mid most the time but I can fill when I need to.

GundayMonday6/9/2015, 6:03:27 PM2 votes

The fastest way to climb is to play one champion insanely well, that isn't banned every game, that can fill multiple roles. Knowledge of other roles helps, but having 1000 games on one champion will let you climb higher than having 100 games on 10 champions.

ZergReap6/9/2015, 1:44:56 AM1 votes

Yes being a one trick pony is great, but just because you have a few special champs doesn't mean you can't jungle or support if you have too. My champs for climbing were Irelia Kalista Vayne . I love the champs and know em inside and out. My prefs are adc > top > support and it would be perfect to play Vayne Kalista every game with an occasional Irelia , but that doesn't mean I can't Udyr jungle or Viktor mid and play at a high level. Most good players have a few go to champions that they will in general win the most games on.

For me it was about finding which champs I love playing, not just what can I main to rank up.

Shroom Junkie6/9/2015, 3:08:12 AM1 votes

I personally think you should know at least 3 DIFFERENT types of champs for each lane. Example: For top, I have Rumble, Tryndamere, and Garen. Rumble is AP and harrass, so against, say, a Pantheon, I wouldn't give a crap about his passive and could actually poke with success. Plus he has no sustain so its pretty good. Against a Teemo I think Rumble would be harassed too much, and Tryndamere would plain out be destroyed because of harass and Teemo's Q. So I'd pick Garen, who I can hide in a bush, run in, Q on him and just counter harass the hell out of him. Against someone who needs majorly harassed, like Nasus, I might take Tryndamere. He can outsustain, outlive, and outdamage him, all while farming and keeping Nasus from his farm, as well as freezing lane.

Then you just sort of follow that. Pick champs your good at though; if you suck at one you might as well not play them.

BluePolarizer6/9/2015, 5:37:51 PM1 votes

You should be a 5 trick pony.

Either one for each lane, or a few roles that have heavy overlap (mid/top, jungle/top, top/support, jungle/support, autoattacking bruisers, poke mages, CC tanks, etc) and master the champs for those roles.

sbsp136686/9/2015, 6:53:43 PM1 votes

Honestly, just do what you think is fun. It's a game, so you should have fun playing it. Also, you'll climb better if you're enjoying yourself while trying to climb (reducing tilt).

For me, I can't main a single champion because I find it boring. But, other people love maining a champion because they feel like they are learning all that the champion has to offer and they enjoy all the mechanical details of the champion. (I've heard it mentioned by either gbay99 or boxbox that they enjoy maining a champion in the same way that they enjoy playing Super Smash Bros, learning all the cool combos that non-mains would not have a full grasp on).

Jiberamu6/8/2015, 10:57:20 PM1 votes

best way is to have 3 champions you can play for each role

ChaosThief6/8/2015, 11:45:39 PM1 votes

"One trick ponies" as you call them, will be less versatile than the jacks of all trades. However, they learn how to deal with bad matchups, bad situations and basically learn how to function better in every game as that character (you have more general experience.)

Jack of all trades can try to pick something to both support his team and defeat his enemies. However, the "one trick ponies" may easily defeat them, even if it's a "bad matchup" for the one tricks.

Summary: One trick ponies are generally jacks of all trades(good at everything) when it comes to the situation at hand, and sometimes can surprise opponents. Jacks of all trades can try to give themselves an advantage early on for their team or themselves, but may not always do this.

... At least, that's what I think.