Climbing the ranked ladder in League of Legends is hard work. Everyone wants to reach Challenger, but only a tiny portion of League players ever make it past Platinum (less than 3%). Those who want to be among the best of the best must give it their all.
To succeed, it's not enough to just be good at the game. Players also need to have the right mindset and be willing to cooperate with four random strangers. Things can get very complicated with the added stress of promotional games and the risk of dropping tiers and divisions. Those players that are stuck in low Elo season after season are doing something wrong.
10 They're Struggling With The Basics
Not understanding basic principles about the game is a big problem. It's hard to climb when building the wrong items or when messing up rune pages. There are hundreds of websites out there that can help players pick the right champions, items, and rune pages for their preferred roles. For example, instalocking Soraka Jungle and going full AD is a recipe for disaster.
Instead of trolling their teammates, players should do some research and find picks and items that work. Keeping up with the meta is crucial. Just because a champion looks strong, it doesn't mean they actually are.
9 They Lack Focus
League of Legends is a complex game with plenty of things going on at any one time. To avoid mistakes and perform better under pressure, it's important that players learn how to remain focused throughout the match.
It's easy to get distracted, especially if players get frustrated over stuff that their teammates do. They should stop thinking about plays that went wrong and carefully plan their next move.
8 They Tilt Too Easily
Like all games, there's an element of luck in League of Legends too. Maybe they played a team fight perfectly but still got one shot somehow. Perhaps they had 90% crit but lost a 1v1 because they didn't crit once. What about that lucky Baron steal that put the enemy team back into the game?
Players shouldn't let misplays and mishaps be a source of frustration. If they can keep their cool even when things go south, they will win more games and climb faster. Players who tilt easily often underperform in subsequent games as well.
7 They Don't Dodge Often Enough
Everyone has heard the old adage that every game is winnable. While that's certainly true, players shouldn't force themselves to play matches they know are going to be extremely hard to win. There are many reasons why one would want to dodge a game, but surprisingly, most players don't.
Did Jungle pick Yuumi? Is the ADC running ghost and ignite? Has someone explicitly stated that they're going to troll and feed? Exiting champion select may be the right choice. Picking the immortal Tahm Kench and tanking everything with style is another option.
6 They Throw Leads Way Too Often
A common issue that plagues low Elo has to do with players not knowing how to take advantage of an early lead. It's okay to throw a game or two every once in a while. Think of a mid laner who wins their lane but loses the game a bit too often.
In that case, the players are not doing everything they can to secure the win and earn those sweet, sweet League Points. Perhaps it's the case that they don't ward enough, or maybe they just stay in the mid lane longer than they should after a kill.
5 They Spend A Lot Of Time Typing
League of Legends is a fast-paced game in which every second counts. While the chat function can prove a useful tool for communicating with teammates and planning things out, it's often also used by enraged players to throw insults and disparage teammates who may be struggling.
Players with a chat addiction are advised to disable the chat function altogether. There is plenty of time for fights and arguments in the post-game lobby.
4 They Play Too Many Roles/Champions
This one might come as a surprise. Surely, players must be comfortable with all roles and have a wide champion pool in order to climb, right? Well, not really. If someone has ever watched pro players playing solo queue, they will have noticed that most of them stick to one role and only really play a couple of champions during their climb.
It's easier to win games by mastering one or two champions, knowing them inside out as a result (and even end up winning losing matchups too). Both support and top lane are good for beginners. For those more into guns and long-ranged combat, Miss Fortune will serve them well. Obviously, some champions are better for beginners than others.
3 They Fight Too Much
Action is great, but gold from champion kills is not the best source of income in League of Legends. One champion kill is worth approximately 15 minion kills. That's just three waves. Farming minions will provide champions with much more gold than a couple of kills.
Instead of initiating random fights, players should only take those fights they are confident they will win. In lane, that means engaging when the enemy has just wasted a significant cooldown, is low on health, or out of mana. In mid/late game, this translates to fights where one team has superior positioning or numbers advantage. A powerful champion such as Fiddlesticks can help players dominate late-game team fights.
2 Their Macro Play Is Terrible
Mastering champions and learning more about League of Legends' most overpowered items is one thing. Knowing exactly what to do and where to be at any one time is a whole different story.
Getting the macro play right is arguably one of the most challenging aspects of any MOBA. What does macro play entail? A high Elo player with macro play knows precisely when to group, when to siege, when to split push, and when to go for Dragon or Baron Nashor. They can take a look at the minimap and instantly know what needs to be done.
1 They Play Only To Win
Playing just for the win is the way to go for those who want to be hard stuck in silver for the next ten years. Instead, players should be playing to learn and improve. They should not worry so much about winning. If they win more than they lose, they will eventually climb as they play.
With season 11, Riot is introducing a new system to reduce LP losses for players who consistently perform well. To get better at the game, players can set tangible goals and track their progress (e.g. 100 minions by min 15, fewer than 5 deaths, 20+ vision score). They should also focus on their own gameplay and always have the chat muted.