Pro League Tips: How to stop hating Teemo

Is it a Swain? Is it a Red Baron? No, unfortunately it's just him.

He's here and he's not going away, so you might as well get used to it. Some may consider that a tip in itself - quietly accepting the champion known as Teemo in League of Legends. The community is split - do we hate the rodent or do we love him? For those of you who fall on the former, here are some legitimate facts and figures that may help you stay focused on your gameplay and not the recurring nightmare of falling into a Shroom ambush.

Pro Tip 1: Riot knows it made a mistake, but there are positives.

Take a deep breath. The people down at Riot know what they've done. But according to Brandon Beck himself:

"Yordles emerged as a result of Teemo and became a bucket for champs not originally conceived as such, like Amumu. You could say Teemo made that all possible."`

There you have it. Perhaps your favorite champion is a Yordle. Personally, I love Lulu. But maybe she wouldn't be around if the spawn of Satan hadn't been conceived first.

Pro Tip 2: He won't ruin your ranked games

Teemo's pick rate when it comes to ranked (A.K.A. non-troll) matches is a whopping 5 - 6% in solo 5v5s, and that percent drops to 2% if you're playing in a premade game. If you're more of a Twisted Treeline player, don't worry, because it's still only 3%.

So while you still may have to put up with him in normals (which is more in the 20% range), rest assured knowing if someone picks up the Teemo on the enemy team, they may not be taking the game seriously. Keep your head cool.

Pro Tip 3: He's a cash cow that helps Riot function

Some people buy Teemo skins because they're cute. Some buy them ironically to troll. Some buy the hats because they need to show their League of Legends pride. But whatever the reason may be, Teemo has a lot of skins and merchandise and a lot of people who are willing to buy them.

So know deep down in your heart, that even though life can throw rotten lemons at you, you can sell them back in lemonade form with the neighborhood none the wiser. Teemo plays a role in helping Riot Games continue to churn out good stuff. Like stuff that isn't Teemo.

Pro Tip 4: He brings in new players

From the hats to the outrageous fully fur-suit cosplays, Teemo puts truth behind the saying, "Any publicity is good publicity." For Riot, that is. Some people may hop on the Teemo hate bandwagon for the sake of it, but it's just adding fuel to the already engulfing hellfire that is League of Legends. What you should be worried about is not how the new players get here, but if they stay and whether they decide to use Teemo or not. And a lot probably won't.

Pro Tip 5: If you go in-game with a negative attitude, you've already lost

If you think that sounds like a joke, it isn't. Players with positive attitudes have higher win-rates. Players who don't BM tend to have an easier time. And most importantly, you don't want to start a game with a negative attitude because that's exactly what Teemo wants.

If we help destroy the notion that people should be aggressive towards Teemo players, overall, matches will be less toxic. People will be less inclined to intentionally troll because there will be less reaction. Know what that means? Less Teemo.

Pro Tip 6: He's only 1 out of 126 champions, and the changes aren't that bad

While very annoying, Teemo doesn't help much in team fights. He's easily counterable, pink wards are a thing, and red trinkets can be upgraded for cheap. The ability to "throw" Shrooms will definitely make him slightly more irritating, but just remember that soon, summoners will get used to throw paths and patterns, like all other new abilities.

Nothing can fix Teemo. But you can camp his lane, buy a Banshees, upgrade your red trinket, and ruin his day. And let's be honest here. The Darius changes are much more terrifying.

If you liked this article, you're going to hate the Fizz one.