Mastering League of Legends: Essential Tips for Rank Climbing in LoL

Scores of League of Legends players worldwide strive to achieve ranking success as they play one of the most popular massively multiplayer online games of all time. Some of them reach their goals while others face disappointment. Competing against players who seem to make the game look easy often meets with a struggle to keep the momentum going, especially when you’re trying to rank up in this highly competitive game.

Whenever Riot Games makes changes in the preseason, the hope among players the new one will be their year sparks them to get back into the race and try again. They also know a strong start to a new season is essential to climb the ranks. They’ll also need to avoid making the same mistakes that previously hindered their progress.

Explaining How LoL’s Ranking System Works

LoL’s ranking system has changed a few times since its official launch by Riot Games on October 27, 2009. Many factors determine where a player gets ranked according to the League’s setup. The lowest rank is Iron, which Riot later introduced as a lower tier than Bronze.

Riot continues to use an Elo system to calculate a player’s skill level. This system was named after Arpad Elo as a ranking system to determine the ranks of chess players. Since then, Elo has become a popular ranking system among many games, including League of Legends.

Since 2011, LoL has allowed players to compete in placement matches for their rank. They’re listed according to tier and division. Tiers are the overall segments where players are placed between Iron and Challenger. Inside each tier level are divisions. They further break down a player’s placement class level.

The current system still operates on a hidden matchmaking rating (MMR) assigned to each player. It mainly factors in your lifetime win/loss ratio, KDA (kills-deaths-assists). It also uses League Points, promotional segments, and point decay to keep players competing to achieve the highest possible tiers and divisions.

From the lowest tiers and divisions to the highest, they are;

• Iron
  • Iron IV
  • Iron III + Split 1
  • Iron II + Split 2
  • Iron I + Split 3
• Bronze
  • Bronze IV
  • Bronze III + Split 1
  • Bronze II + Split 2
  • Bronze I + Split 3
• Silver
  • Silver IV
  • Silver III + Split 1
  • Silver II + Split 2
  • Silver I + Split 3
• Gold
  • Gold IV
  • Gold III + Split 1
  • Gold II + Split 2
  • Gold I + Split 3
• Platinum
  • Platinum IV
  • Platinum III + Split 1
  • Platinum II + Split 2
  • Platinum I + Split 3
• Diamond
  • Diamond IV
  • Diamond III + Split 1
  • Diamond II + Split 2
  • Diamond I + Split 3
• Master
  • Master IV
  • Master III + Split 1
  • Master II + Split 2
  • Master I + Split 3
• Grandmaster
  • Grandmaster
  • Grandmaster + Split 1
  • Grandmaster + Split 2
  • Grandmaster + Split 3
• Challenger
  • Challenger
  • Challenger + Split 1
  • Challenger + Split 2
  • Challenger + Split 3

LoL’s ranking system works with single queue, duo queue, and ranked flex games. A single queue game allows you to play any position as you’re placed with random players around the same rank and MMR as your own. Duo queue games let you play with a partner. This pairing often duo in the League’s Bottom Lane as AD and Support champions. As for ranked flex games, players from all tiers and ranks pair up with other tiers and ranks and experience the full benefit of five-person teams when playing a match.

Current LoL Rank Statistics

Iron-ranked players sum up about four percent of the League of Legends player base. These aren’t necessarily the worst players in the league as newcomers have to start somewhere. The Iron Ranks are also known to find trolls and smurfs within its four divisions. However, legitimate players looking to climb the ranks don’t stay in Iron for long.

They also don’t stay in Bronze for long, either. Less than twelve percent of LoL’s player base sits here. Many LoL players prefer to remain unranked than find themselves placed in Bronze. However, newer and previously unranked players will get placed in Bronze, even after winning all ten placement matches. The game’s algorithm simply figures you’ll climb your way up sooner or later.

Before Riot Games updated its ranking system, many LoL players were ranked Bronze. Now, almost forty-seven percent of the players are ranked Silver. A player must win six out of ten placement matches to become ranked here. However, receiving all of LoL’s end-of-season rewards needs a player to be ranked at least Gold. About thirty percent of the game’s player base will be found here. To get here, you need to win at least seven placement matches.

The upper-tier players achieving Platinum often express this is where the real Elo challenges begin. Approximately nine percent of LoL’s players work their way to this rank. It’s even more difficult to achieve Diamond as it requires watching and playing many LoL matches, learning the champions, and luck. Just over two percent of LoL’s player base make it to Diamond. To stay ranked as Diamond (or higher) you need to keep up with current meta changes, item updates, champion buffs and debuffs, and any game-related reworks. You also have to play and win lots to prevent point decay.

Between Master and Challenger, less than one percent of LoL’s player base is found here. Master was introduced to ease the rank up from Diamond to Challenger. Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger is where you see the difference between casual gamers and the pros. Most casual gamers are happy to reach Diamond. Pro gamers won’t settle for anything less than Master. The Challenger tier usually features League of Legends players who professionally play the game for a living.

Explaining LoL’s League Points

League Points (LP) is what a player earns each time they win a ranked match. They can also lose points when they lose matches. MMR still plays a major role in how a player can earn LP.

Players with a higher MMR will earn more points per win while losing fewer points per loss. It does tend to favor already successful players so it may feel like the odds are stacked against newcomers and players struggling to rank up. However, Diamond (and higher) tiers require players to engage in ranked matches regularly to maintain their position. This is necessary to avoid point decay. However, it won’t affect a player’s overall MMR.

It doesn’t mean the lower ranks won’t get affected when players fail to maintain a winning strategy in LoL. Lose too many League Points and you’ll get bumped down to the next tier level. You’ll then have to work your way back up to at least win back what you lost.

Promotional & Seasonal Ranking System Explained

Players must win a “best of five” matches in a row to achieve the needed LP to rank up within a Promotion Series. If you don’t, you’ll lose points related to how much you gained during the promotional period. You also have to keep in mind the following factors;

• Promotion Series disables Autofill
• Diamond and Platinum players are required to complete the series in five days
• Server issues causing losses won’t affect your LP or series
• You’ll earn one free win should you reach a Promotion Series after the first failed attempt. After this, you earn two free wins if you try again.

Each new LoL season brings its own set of rewards for players who reach certain tier levels. If you want all the seasonal rewards and benefits, you need at least Gold. Some reward types include special skin versions of champions, icons, banner trims, and Eternal Series unlocks based on the Victorious Skin champion. After unlocking specific tier levels, players earn access to certain LoL merchandise.

Effectively Climbing LoL’s Ranks

There are over eight million players who play League of Legends daily. If you’re striving to climb the ranks to at least achieve Gold then you’re in for a challenge. Achieving the necessary League Points to rise above the ranks of mediocrity requires enough dedication to understand how the mechanics of the game work.

Understanding Champions

First, you need to learn as much as you can about LoL’s champions. As of 2020, there are 150 of them and it's to your advantage to know their abilities as you counter your opponent’s picks. If you’re unable to name all five abilities of the champions you favor then you’ll have a tough time getting into ranked matches and making them count. You also have to brace Riot Game to push out new champions. It also tweaks some current champions players usually reference them as buffs and smurfs.

Once you’ve learned as much as you can about the champions and their abilities, you need to pick a favorite. Stick with that champion in a particular role as this will help you climb the LoL ladder quickly. Learning your champion’s mechanics will help you work with your team to achieve victories. However, this comes with practice so you’ll need to exercise patience.

It’s the lack of patience too many players in games like League of Legends go wrong. This also applies to real-life encounters and situations. Too often, instead of learning from their mistakes impatient people get frustrated and give up. It’s an unhealthy pattern that leads them from one disappointment to another as they refuse to slow down, exercise some patience, and learn from their mistakes.

Champions refuse to give up. Champions learn from their mistakes, including the lesson of patience. If you’re a determined player opting for a winning strategy instead of a losing one you need to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. This means watching other League of Legends players to see what they’re doing.

Most of LoL’s best players admitted they learned by watching someone highly ranked play their favorite champions. They also watched their own gameplay to learn from their mistakes. They’d also take notes from other players who exercised winning strategies that worked for them. These are the same methods world-class athletes and highly successful people use when striving to reach their goals.

Finding Focus

The best League of Legends players do more than focus on League Points. They also focus on their gameplay performance. LP should be the least of your worries as you should focus on turning your favorite champion into an unstoppable hero. It’s also about teamwork since LoL’s platform is a team-based effort that expects the players to work together as they take on their opponents.

After each match, watch the gameplay. Even if you feel the team you played with didn’t meet your expectations, don’t blame them. You need to focus on what you can do to become a better player. Getting frustrated won’t help you. Blaming others won’t help you, either. Ideally, you want to see how your performance measures up. Did you play like a champion or more like a chump?

Take a break if you feel you’re losing patience with LoL. Focus on what you need to do with a cool head. Frustration is your biggest crutch as you won’t enjoy yourself. Once you calm down and realize LoL is just a game, you can focus on its entertainment value and how you can improve your performance as a player.

Should you play a game and there are complaining teammates who get on your nerves, mute them. Although team communication is key to succeeding against your opponent, it won’t do any good to get into arguments that cause you to lose focus. Complainers are notorious for dragging an entire team down and they’re not worth your time and energy. Don’t argue back as this shifts your focus away from your playing performance. It will also take away your enjoyment of the game.

Game Management

Beating the Wave

When playing League of Legends, the minion waves play a big role. There are three tactics you can use against them. You can slow push, fast push, or freeze the wave.

Slow push means you leave up to three minions alive. This buys your ally minions time to gain in number and take them on. Fast push means you’re aggressively taking out as many minions as fast as possible. You can also freeze the wave using an approach so the wave doesn’t advance or retreat. When the enemy takes a siege minion out, you do the same.

Which pushing mechanic you use should depend on the stage of the game and the situation at hand. You can use the freezing wave tactic to make farming easier. Slow pushing is ideal for setting up roams around the map. Hard pushing can take an opposing champion out and shift the fight in your favor.

Practice Makes Perfect

LoL has a practice tool and offers an ideal opportunity to improve your game as a player. Exercise practicing champion combos here, along with flashes, tricky warding spots, and farming minions. This is how you learn to work with your champion to develop a winning strategy.

Reaping Resources

While playing LoL, get greedy when accessing the game’s resources. You can still let your support players have some but you take as many camps as possible. You also need to farm as much as possible and as many resources as your team can give. When you’re playing solo, it’s all about what you can do for yourself. There is no partner as your teammates are likely putting themselves first too.

When going after those resources, don’t take jungle camps at the beginning of the game. It’s better to wait until mid or late-game. Furthermore, avoid your Jungler’s red buff as that belongs to them.

Although you want to access as many resources as you can, don’t take a farm from a teammate when you know they’re about to complete an item. Let them finish as this tactic often works to your advantage. This is even more effective when you’re a support player or tank. Let the carries get some of the farm. Let a Master Yi get his Guardian Angel or Caitlyn get a third item faster. This works to your benefit and it won’t hurt your role as a champion.

Always Think Ahead

The best LoL players always seem to have their thinking caps on. This is essential to stay at least one step ahead of the competition. The toughest competitors usually have more than one strategy in place, making it easier to adapt their gameplay should the need arise.

Climbing the LoL ranked ladder isn’t easy, especially if aiming for Gold or higher. Patience through practice and learning from your mistakes is the most effective way to do it. You’ll climb faster than the average player who merely goes in circles.

LoL Fast Climb: How It’s Done

The fastest and most effective way to climb the ranks in League of Legends is to leverage the right strategies. This includes playing daily and investing in experience boosts. The boosts available in the game’s store double your XP gains. You can also invest in a professional boosting service like Eloboost24. EB24 also offers a coaching service to help you with your gameplay. The goal here is to continuously improve your gameplay strategies by learning what works and maintaining consistency.

Also, teaming up with friends in co-op mode vs. AI games helps earn consistent XP. Overall, you need to focus on completing in-game objectives as this will yield a high XP count upon completion.

Frequently participating in ARAM (All Random All Mid) games is fun and gives you considerable XP. This will help speed up your ranking progress. Investing in XP boosts with top-rated boosting services like Eloboost24 is also your ticket to quickly climbing LoL’s higher levels. Although ARAM’s XP doesn’t yield as high as Summoner’s Rift, it is a favorite among players looking to have fun climbing the ranks as fast as possible.

Conclusion

Consistency is key to climbing LoL’s ranks as quickly as possible. Playing daily helps as the steady XP accumulation sends you to the higher tier levels. You also need to focus on mastering and achieving in-game objectives. It’s easier once you know how to work with your favorite champion to your advantage. ARAM also helps as this gives lots of XP so you can climb faster.

Team coordination is also essential but you also have to put yourself first. If you have a great team to work with, take it as a blessing. Should you encounter unpleasant teammates, mute them so you can maintain your focus on what’s more important. This helps you and the rest of your teammates as they want to play a game, not hear arguments.

There are several factors to consider when playing a League of Legends game. These include game modes, the outcome, and the length of the match. Summoner’s Rift typically grants higher XP compared to ARAM and Twisted Treeline.

Ideally, you want to focus on enhancing your skills to secure victories. You also want to invest in XP boosts from the Riot store and sources like EB24. It’s also wise to stay in touch with the latest game updates and community forums to learn the best LoL strategies.