Summary
Highlights
The speaker, Zach, a high-rated WoW player, recounts his struggle in League of Legends, being stuck in Silver. He was challenged by Skill Cap to reach Diamond in 90 days as an ADC, which he achieved despite his doubts. He then faced a tougher challenge: reaching Diamond in 60 days as a Jungler, playing high-skill champions like Lee Sin, which he also accomplished. He attributes his rapid climb to fundamental lessons applicable across roles, which he shares in this video. Full documentation of these challenges, including lessons and VOD reviews, is available on Skillcap.com, along with a personal fast-track course.
Initially, the speaker found common League advice, such as 'push side lanes as ADC' or 'full clear as Jungler,' ineffective. He realized the missing component was 'speed.' Many guides assume a level of efficiency that lower ELO players lack. Minor delays in shopping, decision-making, or wave-clearing accumulate, leading to missed opportunities and team disadvantages. An exercise with a Gold ELO jungler revealed they wasted over four minutes in a 20-minute game due to inefficiencies. Top players execute actions so quickly that they don't have to choose between farming or ganking; they do both.
To improve speed, players should focus on min-maxing their wave clear for laners and optimizing jungle clear for junglers. Even small inefficiencies (e.g., 10 seconds per wave) add up significantly. Observing professional players like Viper demonstrates precise and calculated damage to waves. For junglers, every second saved on camps and traversing the jungle quickly accumulates. Emphasizing the practice of a champion's first clear is crucial, as it can save around 20 seconds per clear, allowing for earlier impact on the map.
Low ELO players often exhibit an unhealthy obsession with objectives, leading to poor decisions like attempting to solo Drake at low levels or contesting when at a disadvantage. The key advice is to tackle objectives only when it makes strategic sense: when in the area, not contested, after a won team fight, or with a clear advantage. Crucially, players must learn when an objective is lost and be prepared to let it go. Instead of spectating, cross-map with other actions like taking grubs, invading, pushing lanes, or pressuring turrets.
League can be frustrating due to unfavorable matchups or early disadvantages. The important lesson is to get better at handling these situations in the moment. Frustration often leads to emotional, high-risk plays that worsen the situation. Players are not against perfectly coordinated pro teams; opponents in your ELO will make mistakes, and comeback opportunities will arise due to game mechanics that favor the losing team. Similarly, having a lead can prompt aggressive, unnecessary plays that throw the advantage. The best mentality is to stay calm, focus on your game, and trust that opportunities will emerge.
Traditional League strategy guides often present theoretical 'best' plays that are unrealistic in the unpredictable environment of low ELO. Such advice fails to account for the dynamic nature of games, where pausing to evaluate every variable is impossible. Instead, decisions should be based on 'probability and value.' For example, securing a guaranteed 100% chance of clearing a wave for 105 gold, plus potential turret gold, is often more valuable and probable than a low-percentage dragon fight that might yield a kill but carries high risk. Players should prioritize safer, less 'coin-flippy' plays, even if they seem 'greedy' to teammates. The goal is to maximize personal advantage for climbing, sometimes at the expense of feeling obligated to every team fight.
A crucial, often overlooked skill is understanding teammates' perspectives. Just because a team has priority doesn't mean they will or should follow through on a jungle invade or objective attempt. Teammates might be looking to base, pressure their lane, or set up a kill. Effective coordination means being slightly more aligned than the enemy team. Lastly, blindly copying runes and item builds is a common mistake. Players should adapt their build and runes based on the specific matchup and game state. For instance, swapping to Bone Plating against an assassin or using Press the Attack on Renekton against a ranged top provides significant advantages. Tailoring keystones and minor runes to align with game-specific needs, such as early game strength versus late-game scaling or brusier builds against tanky teams, is vital for maximizing impact.