With the addition of Clash to League of Legends, the vast player base can now participate in competitive play. With such an incredible change to the game, why not take a break from scouting and get your team ready with these quick tips:
Teamwork.
League of Legends has changed drastically in the last few seasons. While it is still possible to have a 1 vs. 9 scenario (Challengers and Diamonds buying league of legends smurfs to carry the whole game) the framework of the game has changed to allow players who work together an easier path to victory. Solo lanes are still a big aspect of momentum, but it’s much harder for a mechanical god to carry four other players.
With Clash in mind, assuming you have a five-man, it’s of vital importance you figure out who is going to be the shot caller on your team. Macro, even at Silver tier, can win you a game where your Bot, Mid, or Top totally screwed the pooch (no, I’m not a Jungle main…)
In solo queue, a trick I find that honestly helps is /fullmute. That might seem counterproductive; you’ve just lost the ability to communicate effectively, how is that teamwork? Sometimes, the best thing you can do for a teammate flaming and tilting is to ignore them. It also helps if you’re the shot caller because the rest of your team can still see your pings.
Objectives.
It’s not always a case of ‘the better Jungler wins’ but neutral objectives, and towers, should always be a primary concern for your team. When you have a winning lane, sometimes it’s not about getting in a good back, sometimes, you need to help keep vision so your Jungler can safely solo sneak an Infernal Drake, or the Herald.
With the meta of the game where it is, the pressure you exert for your team impacts far more than where you happen to be; take advantage of map awareness and respond with the plays that don’t just get you ahead.
Vision.
A topic that comes up with fellow junglers is, ‘Would you rather deny enemy vision (take sweeper), or have more vision for the team (keep warding trinket)?’
The answer always depends on whether you’re talking about a five man or a solo queue game. In the first case, you should be able to rely on your solo-laners and Support to secure vision; while you, and the Support again, clear enemy vision. In the second, a good friend and I always argue about whether your team HAVING vision is better than the enemy team NOT having vision.
It comes down to personal preference I’d say, but the thrust of this tip is that vision control is a key component of victory. If your whole team splits up, and the enemy is a five-man death squad, you should have known that and changed plans accordingly.
If the enemy team sneaks an objective, someone on your team made a mistake.
Play for vision as if it were its own neutral objective.
Mindset.
Every tip list on the internet will talk about how attitude affects games, but regardless of how many times you think you’ve heeded this advice, I promise you, you haven’t.
We all tilt.
Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.
Recognizing that it’s time to take a break, relax, watch a replay, or just YouTube a silly cat video, is what makes you better than everyone else who tilts. Toxicity and anger, even if you wound up winning the game, can affect your play the next time you queue up.
Even with competitive hitting the scene, League is a game, a pastime.
It is meant to be enjoyed. Take a breather, and make sure to have some fun.
Adapt.
Play the game that you’re in, not the one you wish you were in. Everyone and their dog wishes they could have the optimal build. But guess what, that Irelia you should counter is currently kicking your butt to Albuquerque. So stop trying to build Trinity Force and rush Frozen Mallet.
Adapting to the state of the game you find yourself in is crucial, and it starts by knowing match-ups.
Whether you’re scouting the enemy for Clash, or your just looking at their lineup in Champ Select, don’t just think about bans, but think about how you can take advantage from what they’ve picked.
League of Legends has come a long way in a few short years. Teamwork and strategy are as much a part of winning as having mechanical skills. So try to keep these tips in mind. Don’t just read them and say ‘makes sense’ commit to trying to improve.
And if worse comes to worst, and you’re not having fun; play Shaco support, it always cheers me right up.
