Skill Shots and You!

Skill shots are easily some of the most rewarding things to pull off during a match. If you can confidently land Xerath's stun combo then it often pays big in returns and makes you feel like a king among wizards. Landing big skill shot-based ultimates is also great for the team and your ego.

However, there is a very ugly side to skill shots: the misses.  How many times have you pulled a minion instead of a champion with Darius or 'Crank? How many times have you cast your shadow as Zed and missed every shuriken and felt like a bit of a fool? I'd venture to say its a number of times higher than you'd like to admit. Personally, I've missed more Draven ults than I would care to admit and its really a horrible experience watching your axes travel two lengths of the map and kill about 3 minions.

Do not be disheartened though, there are many things you can use to improve and here is my list of things To Do and Not To Do.

Do:

- Treat skill shots like Space Invaders if the enemy is mobile. Shoot where they're going to be, not where they currently are.

- Look out for minions. The last thing you want is to waste your early game mana on a skill shot that shoots a minion instead of your desired target.

- Intimidate and harass the enemy until you feel you can get a better shot. Be patient and corner your enemy!

- Ask your lane partner for help (if you have one) if they have a stun it will make your life easier.

- Practice. Even if you're confident in your abilities, we all miss sometimes. No one is above practice!

 

Do Not:

- Throw out skill shots wildly and expect them to hit. 

- Get too excited. Its easy to get carried away when ganking and miss all of your abilities.

- Get cocky in your abilities. If you're caught over-extending because you thought you could hit your skill shot and didn't then its your own fault.

- Blame your mouse. Nine times out of ten you simply missed. And that's okay! But if your mouse did implode then that's okay too!

- Shout at others for missing skill shots. Your negative attitude is not going to turn on assisted aiming for your team.

 

Remember that League of Legends is a team game and your skill shots are important to your success and the success of your team. It never hurts to keep trying until you're good at them. Don't be down on yourself because you're not pulling people through walls or shooting enemies from across the map while blindfolded. Even the professionals miss and honestly sometimes its hilarious to watch an easy skill shot miss and flop off into the distance like an excitable puppy.

If all else fails you could always take a leaf out fo Garen's book and spin wildly whilst shouting. It's good for your blood pressure.