League of Legends - How To Get Out Of Elo Hell (Low Elo)
Tips & Tricks To Get Out Of Elo Hell
Stuck in Elo Hell? Addicted to League of Legends and looking to get out of Elo Hell (low Elo)? This page details some simple tips, tricks and strategies that you can use to get out of Elo Hell.
I have personally escaped what is considered 'Elo Hell' in every League of Legends season that I have participated in. I created this page in the hope that it will help others to escape Elo Hell.
As of Season 3 League of Legends ELO is now hidden and has been renamed to your MMR (Matchmaking Raking), as such this guide will help you advance through the League of Legends tiers and divisions.
Want more champions? Get your Free Riot Points for League of Legends now! Visit www.free-riot-points.com for more information on how to claim your free RP codes to spend in the Riot Store.
The League of Legends Tier System
In Season 3 League of Legends introduced a new tier system. This tier system changes the way that ranked game rankings work. Instead of an ELO rating players now have a hidden ELO rating (known as a matchmaking ranking (MMR)).
These changes have been generally well received by the community and improved the quality of the ranked experience.
The word ELO is still used within this guide but all these tips and tricks apply to increasing your League of Legends tier rank.
What Is Your Elo Rating? - 5v5 Solo Queue
What Is Your Current Elo Rating?
The New League of Legends Tier System - Introduced In Season 3
The Real League of Legends Trailer
Play Ranked Games Often
A Simple Tip To Get Out Of Elo Hell
The first step to escaping Elo Hell is to play ranked games as often as possible, this is important for two reasons.
The first reason is that you slowly get better at League of Legends and get vital practice at its key game mechanics (last hitting, counter picking, banning etc). You can also play Normal Draft Mode to practice these skills without risk to your Elo. The second and quite possibly the most important reason to play many ranked games is variance.
By playing a large number of ranked games you increase your overall sample size of games, allowing you to reduce the impact that variance plays on your Elo rating. Everybody will go through losing streaks and games with feeders and leavers, but mathematically over time if you are a better player and deserve a higher Elo you will achieve it over time.
Know Your Mechanics
Know The Game To Get Out Of Elo Hell
Some simple adjustments to your own game can also go along way to escaping low Elo. By making sure you've got all the basic mechanics of League of Legends under your belt you can ensure that your gameplay is up to scratch.
Last-hitting: One of the most basic game mechanics, learning how to last hit a large majority of minions, while also harassing your lane opponent takes practice. If you can constantly out farm your direct lane opponent it is a great start to winning the game.
Positioning: Your positioning is always important to consider, especially in a team fight scenario. If you are playing the AD carry and are unable to position yourself safely so that you don't die at the start of the fight your team will lack significant damage output. Similarly if you are playing an AP champion and do not position yourself correctly to burst down the enemies priority targets your team may lose the team fight.
Map Awareness: Another simple but vital League of Legends game mechanic. You should always be aware of the positions of other champions on the map (both allies and enemies). The most obvious example of map awareness is noticing that there are no enemy champions on the mini-map, they may be doing Dragon or Baron Nashor, so its definitely not the time to push that middle tower. Warding is also an important part of map awareness, Wards provide great map vision and are great at protecting you from ganks and protecting important objectives (Dragon and Baron).
Knowing your mechanics also includes building effective rune and mastery pages, if you are unsure about the best rune and mastery combinations check out these two links:
Rune Pages Guide - A Video Guide To Rune Page Basics
League of Legends!
Know Your Role (And Everyone Elses)
Know What To Expect To Get Out Of Elo Hell
You have to be a flexible player in 5v5 Solo Queue, it is important that you understand every role (AD, AP, Support, Jungler, Tank, Solo Top), it is useless to be only good at playing AP mid, you may not always get to play this role and when you don't your basically guaranteeing a loss for your team. By also understanding the different champion roles you will be able to make sense of your ally (and enemy) decisions.
If you feel that you are deserving of a higher Elo (as you are a better player) then you should aim to play either AP mid or a Jungler every game. This is because these two roles have the ability to have a global influence on the game and support the other lanes due to their ability to be more mobile.
Win Your Lane
Imrpove Your Chances Of Getting Out Of Elo Hell
This one should come as no surprise, but it definitely needs to be included on this page.
Winning your lane can go a long way to winning your team the game. Not only does it give you a lead over the enemy team it may also lead to the enemy getting angry at each other, reducing their teamwork and communication. The most important part of winning your lane comes during and after the laning phase, when you use the advantage you have gained to help your team mates. You should be looking to gank other lanes, especially lanes where your allies are doing poorly.
Counter picking can go a long way to helping you win your lane. Counter picking involves picking a champion that does well against your opponents pick. For example the enemy may have picked Kassadin, you wanted to play Annie but know that you can't beat Kassadin, so instead you can counterpick Kassadin with Morgana. Giving you an edge in the laning phase. To learn more about counter picking see these two websites: LoL Counters and LoL Counter-Picks.
If you are looking to escape 'Elo Hell' winning your lane is a great place to start, by winning your lane your chances of winning instantly skyrocket.
Champions To Get Out Of Elo Hell
While there are many viable champions in League of Legends there are a few stand out choices that perform particularly well in Elo Hell.
Champions that perform well in Elo Hell and Solo Queue in particular all have some sort of strong crowd control, especially area of effect crowd control (Annie, Amumu or Galio). Good Elo Hell champions also have the ability to carry a team with their damage output (Vayne, Tyrndamere or Gangplank).
If you are interested in finding out which champions will help you escape Elo Hell, definitely check out Reign of Gaming, which includes:
League of Legends Profile
Communicate and Lead Your Team
Communication Helps You Escape Elo Hell
League of Legends is a team game and as such communication is a key aspect. It is extremely important that you always communicate with your team. Not only during the game but also in champion select. Ask your team mates who they want to play, while also discussing what the team needs and what possible counter picks your team can pick against the enemy team.
During the game it is important to use pings to co-ordinate your team and let them know when to retreat, there is no need to ping excessively though, one or two will do.
Leadership is another aspect of communication that is needed in League of Legends. If you believe you are a better player than the Elo you are in, you need to use your knowledge and better game judgement to lead your team to victory. Direct your team when to go for important objectives such as Dragon, Baron Nashor or when to push an enemy tower. Encourage your team when your doing well or direct them as to what isn't being done correctly (such as targeting the correct enemy).
Hitler Parody - League of Legends Elo Hell
Keep The Rage To A Minimum
Rage Does Not Help You Get Out Of Elo Hell
Rage has cost me many League of Legend games and it was only when I got it under control did I quickly jump up the Elo ratings. Rage makes you play worse and reduces your teams communication, lowering your chances of winning.
The best method I found to combat rage was simply to stop playing League of Legends after losing a ranked game and take a 30minute break. Also taking small breaks in between queuing can help you focus and avoid queuing with the same people.
Duo Queue
Friends Can Help You Get Out Of Elo Hell
Duo queuing is another great method to escape Elo Hell. By duo queuing you add another reliable player to your team, reducing the chances of having a bad player that feeds or leaves (or both).
Your best option is to duo queue with a real-life friend who has similar League of Legends abilities or you can add people after you play ranked games with them (if they were a good player).
As a general rule you should avoid duo queuing with people who are higher or lower than your Elo by 100 as this creates some matchmaking hiccups.
