The Final End of Season Push: Shut Up, Learn Up, Rank Up.

I constantly hear people ask, “What is the best way to improve my rank in League of Legends?” While many people often give or receive the same answers, ‘don’t rage’ or ‘buy wards’, I’m going to provide you with what I believe are the most beneficial tips for grinding out ladder games and moving up the ranks.

1. Disable /All Chat

   There is no benefit to having /all chat enabled. Communicating with the other team while in the game serves no purpose in the ultimate goal of destroying the enemy nexus. 

2. Take A Break Between Games

   Win or lose get up and walk around for 5 minutes. Grab a glass of water, stretch, open a window, go to the washroom, anything. Breaking the cycle of the “Play Again” button will allow you to improve your concentration when you start up again. Focusing on a computer screen for hours at a time is not only detrimental to you wellness but can also decrease your attentiveness over a prolonged gaming session.

3. Set Ego Aside, Emulate The Pros

   
   They didn’t get to become the best at the game for no reason. Look up guides, runes/masteries and build orders for your most popular champions. “I have a setup to match my playstyle,” while that may be true it’s also possible that your playstyle in sub-optimal and could be improved!

4.  Comfort Pick > Counterpick
   
   Especially in lower ranked games I used to see people talk about how X champion was Y champion’s hardest counter because they read it on a website somewhere. That may be true, but it doesn’t account for the amount of experience each player has playing their champion. Picking Fizz against Twisted Fate is well and good in theory, but if you have never played Fizz before you are in for a world of hurt.

5. Be Annoying With Smart Pings

   
   I don’t care how annoying your top laner thinks you are. If you look at the minimap and see a jungler coming to gank him, you better start spamming those retreat pings because there is a 99% chance he isn’t looking at the minimap. Let people know where you are going every time you leave lane! Ask for help with a ping instead of typing it and missing out on last hits. The notification sound is the biggest part of team communication and will cause your teammates to look at the minimap for information.

6. Narrow Your Champion Pool

   The only time you were ever able to play every champion with the same caliber was before you ever set foot on the Rift. You will never be able to perform as well on 80-100 champions as you could if you only played 8-10. Find your favourites in each role and stick to them. Practice, Practice, Practice!

7. It Is Okay To Queue Dodge
   
   Losing 3 LP and 5 minutes is much better than losing 15 LP and 45 minutes. If your team is being extremely uncooperative or on tilt from a previous game it is often a very good time to take your 5 minute break. While I often discourage dodges based on champion picks, if your team is missing any of the 5 key roles in the team it is also a good time to dodge.

8. Warm Up IN and OUT of Game

   
   There is a reason that the pros have hand warmers on stage with them. Believe it or not you will have a significantly slower reaction time if your hands are cold. In a game where literally fractions of a second can make a difference between winning and losing games it can’t hurt to give yourself every advantage possible.

   Play a warm up game. It doesn’t always have to be League of Legends. Play playing something that tests you accuracy, reaction time and gets your fingers moving. Things like OSU or Typeracer are good for this.

9. Listen To Music

   Listening to music can have the advantage of improving cognitive function. Music that lacks vocals is best for this as to not introduce external stimulus or detract from the in-game sound effects that can negatively impact performance.

10. Stop Playing The Game

    

    If you have lost several games in a row just stop playing the game. Whether you think you are or not the truth is that you are tilting. It’s an emotional response that we have little control over as humans. You will play much worse after 3-4 losses than you will after 3-4 wins.

If you follow all these tips and take them seriously, along with not raging and buying wards, you should see an improvement in your overall ranking in time for the ladder season to close up in a few weeks.

Featured Image from devilxkat