Esports
Are you stuck at bronze or silver in League of Legends? Do you want to increase your rank and break out of the rut? Then take a look at our tips.
League of Legends is undoubtedly a difficult game when it comes to mastery. Even after years of practise, many players end up stuck at bronze or silver. Gold status remains an unattainable target in the distance, but getting there isn't as hard as it seems.
Ultimately, nothing is as bad as it appears: if you've reached Silver 2, you're already better than the half of all LoL players who are sat at Silver 3. However, as with any other complex game, the path to perfection can only be achieved through practise. Putting together the perfect training program is easier said than done. Finding the right attitude at the same time? Unfortunately, fun and training don't always go hand in hand. But whatever the case, with our top tips you'll hopefully get the most out of the challenge!
01
Choose a role and stick to it
The first thing a good LoL player should master is being able to play a certain role well. League of Legends is a difficult game and it's better to be good at one role than mediocre at all five roles on the Rift. If you're struggling to commit to a specific role, experiment in normal play mode until you find one that suits you. Then you can play Ranked without any pressure. Check out top-level streamers for your position and see what's possible.
02
Cultivate a small pool of champions
With a small pool of champions, it's easier to keep track of the numbers. The exchange of blows, interactions and match-ups are different for each champion. The better you know and can control your champion, the more valuable you are to your team.
Take support, for example: a good champion pool would consist of Alistar, Janna and Braum. Although they have different abilities, they will always be able to support the team. Mastering a single champion will also give your team more wins. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt, as champions who stand out in the meta are often banned, so it's good to have options.
03
Always be one step ahead
Every patch can have extreme effects and shake up the meta from the ground up. Even if you read patch notes regularly, it can be difficult to keep track of all the changes. To adapt faster than your opponents, it's important to visit stats sites like u.gg and probuilds.net a few days after the patch. The former collects information on all games and provides the most successful builds at a glance.
There are also special League of Legend apps to help you get better at the game. Use these if you don't want to spend too much time on patch notes and stats.
04
Use the practice tool
Have you seen a new move online? Then try it out in Riot's practice tool. This way you can learn new combos and improve your CSing without jeopardising your rank.
Plus, it doesn't take a minute to create a game in the practice tool - and you can finish it at any time. As soon as you've unlocked a new champion, it makes sense to get to know them in the practice tool. This way you will quickly find out the strengths and weaknesses of the different characters.
05
Don't get angry
We've all been there: you're annoyed with the game and yet you keep playing. In this state of negative tension, it's hard to improve, let alone have fun. As soon as you realise how annoyed you are, it's advisable to take a break and reflect on what you have played. As a rule of thumb, taking a break after losing two games in a row would be a good idea. Go out or do something else, this way you will reach a calmer state again and thus increase your chances of winning.
06
Take a look at your replays
The community has been asking for replays since the beginning of LOL and at some point Riot integrated them as a feature. This way you can analyse your mistakes and pay attention to them next time. Simply rewind to the "right" place in the video, watch it at your leisure - and think about alternative options.
Alternatively, you can install lowkey.gg. This program records all your games as you see them. Mistakes that would otherwise be difficult to spot, such as poor camera and mouse movements, will then quickly become visible. As soon as you're no longer making the same mistake twice, you've improved - regardless of your rank.
07
Don't die
The most difficult challenge in LOL is not to die unnecessarily. Imagine this: you see a Riven with low health on the top lane and want to defeat him single-handedly. Suddenly, the enemy jungler crashes down on you from the river and you die. A familiar scenario?
Many people think that defeating the opponent in the same lane is mandatory. But there are several options: a top laner can put pressure on the enemy jungler or simply farm more, while a mid laner can put pressure on the towers on the top and bot lanes. Find a strategy that always offers you several options.
08
No pain, no gain
To climb up the ranks, you have to play a lot of games. Mechanics are learned, while the ELO system does the rest. Playing 10-15 games a week is a good guideline to see progress soon. Rotate your three chosen champions each week so you get enough practice with each one. Be friendly to your team-mates and keep a positive mood while playing by taking breaks. This will definitely help you get better at L0L.
09
Hunt and protect bounties
With S10, Riot started to introduce bounties in LoL. It works like this: a player who has accumulated a lot of gold and is on the winning team receives a bounty. The amount of the bounty is relative to his gold advantage over everyone in the game. It is extremely important to go for kills on these players, because a 300 gold bounty on a player means that you get twice as much gold as for a normal kill. The same applies to your own team. If you're in a very good position, you have to be careful not to give your opponent a chance to get back into the game by giving away a big bounty.
In S11, Riot extended the system to targets such as the dragon or towers. Both teams can see on the map which structures give gold and the total bounty is displayed on the scoreboard. If you find yourself in a gold deficit, it's important to collect as many of the bounties as possible.
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