The Climb: Be Prepared - Tips to Climb Out of 'Elo Hell'

Approximately 90-95% of LoL’s player base is stuck in the lower divisions of Bronze and Silver in ranked matches. Some call this “Elo Hell”, full of afkers, feeders, trolls, and worst of all ragers. It can be difficult to climb out from these depths but it is not impossible, with a little bit of luck and improved play, you should be out of it in no time.

What many players fail to realize about ranked, is that a good portion of the outcome of a game is decided before the match is even played and even before champion select. Some of the most critical aspects to success start with early preparation.

1. Have the right mental state

You cannot be afraid to go into battle. I know the first couple of ranked games I played I was terrified. I thought everyone was going to outplay me and they would be god-like. I played scared as a result and didn’t perform too well. Half of the battle is being confident before you even go into champion select. Be ready to play any role and play it to the best of your ability. Don’t worry about your teammates and what they might do, focus on your self and make sure you are prepared. You have to have the mindset that you are the best; you are a cold-blooded killer who will win your lane and then win the game. Be confident in your abilities and trust your gut instincts.

Also, do not play ranked when you are angry, depressed or, god forbid, on tilt. Playing on tilt is a term poker players use to describe when a player loses, and then starts to play irrationally, doing things that make no sense. This applies to LoL as well. I promise you, you will not play well if you are angry, you will make careless mistakes and your opponent will capitalize on them, thus making you even more angry and more on tilt, so you try to overcompensate, and from here on out it is a vicious repeating cycle. If you lose a couple or aren’t playing well, take a break, ranked will always be there when you come back.

2. Have the right runes and masteries

You wouldn’t go into battle wielding a spatula and a wearing an apron would you? You would get torn apart! Then why would you go into a ranked game without the proper runes and masteries in place? Failure to have these basic elements at your disposal puts you at a severe disadvantage early game where runes and masteries are the most influential. This could lead to your opponent snowballing early and become unstoppable late game and making you more of a burden to your team, unfortunately.

If you don’t have the right runes, which can be rather expensive, don’t be afraid to just grind IP (Influence Points) by playing normal Summoner’s Rift, Crystal Scar, Twisted Treeline, or Aram matches. Just because you are a level 30 does not mean every game you play has to be ranked. Having the right equipment is the most important aspect for any job; make sure you are well equipped when you enter the Fields of Justice.

3. Have a good variety of champions

This is a very important part of the game that I feel a lot of people skimp over. Having the correct champions for the right situation could be vital for your team’s success. You do not want to be that guy that has only ADC’s for possible champions, or have no champion that is capable of being a decent Jungler. Having 3-4 champions for every position not only helps you, but it gives you flexibility in both play style and being able to trade with your team. You can counter pick your opponent more easily and give your self a better lane matchup and thus a better chance of winning. You can pick a high priority champion, which maybe you don’t want to play but someone else does, so now you can trade and get a better overall team comp.

One important thing to realize with having this many champions is that just because you own them, doesn’t necessarily mean you can play them well. Practice learning their abilities and get a feel for them. Know what to buy, what to do in certain situations, how to CS well, all of the basic mechanics that have a very far reaching old on the game. You should be able to play them well or at least decent enough so that you can be a useful instrument used toward furthering your teams chances of victory.

 

By just making sure that you are prepared and have done all of the work before hand, you can greatly increase your odds of winning, help you get out of “Elo Hell”. By just making sure you are in the right state of mind, having correct runes and masteries, and a nice sized champion pool you can be miles ahead of the competition and be prepared for anything that crosses your path.