Art of Horse

3/12/2016
Horse Doctor

Overview:
1. Introduction
2. Projects released with this guide
3. Recovered work
4. Work not Recovered
5. Not pertaining to League directly
6. Core Concepts
7. Before the Game
8. During the Game
9. After the Game
10. Replay Review
11. More on goal setting
12. Practice partners
13. Dealing with Loss/Tilt
14. Notes on Laddering
15. Gameplay advice
16. Specific advice for each role
17. Streams/Youtubers
18. Pro play
19. Survey Report

20. Other/Opinion section

21. Complaints about League as a game
22. An overview + Suggested goals
23. Resources/Links
24. Goodbye :)

1. Introduction
a. Questions (http://goo.gl/forms/dMctwRIEJv)
b. This is a live Doc. I may update it as needed. I may not.
2. Recovered work
a. Guide to drastic Improvement
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hbHNleTVFMGZ
mTDQ/view?usp=sharing)
b. Understanding the Ladder System
i. Video
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hdWt0czdv
U004M1E/view?usp=sharing)
ii. Slideshow
(https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XWzWY0t5lGGMfT1u
U1apMIgRqAYygjAeGPOqZHH7ZO4)
c. Fiddlesticks lesson
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hRXZHbTFlZm
MtTk0/view?usp=sharing)
d. Rage method Slideshow Link
(https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MWMKzxt7CzyRJqoM07ss
xSlxCHQHsIGY8Uh3JU2-xjU)
e. Trinity Force Podcast Episodes 282-297

i.

My Favorite Episode (Kindred Interview)

f.

Bronze Boot Camp w/ Tforce

g. Battle Arena w/ Tforce
h. Hearth of the Cards Episode 2, and 3.
i.
On episodes 1-5. Find HOTC on Itunes/Twitter (@HearthOTC)
i. Four Wards Episode on Viability
j. Jungle VOD Review and Twisted Fate Gameplay Review

3. Work not Recovered

a. Last hitting Guide
b. Timers Guide
c. Random Lessons/BA.

4. Not pertaining to League directly

a. Health
b. What do you want out of the game
c. Goals and transferable skills

5. Core Concepts
a. Gold + Snowball
i.
Useful league formulas
ii.
Starting items comparison
iii.
Item Optimizer
iv.
Sources of Gold (Kills, Objectives, Ambient, Creeps)
b. Timers
i.
Jungle Camps
1. Small. 1:40 Initial + Spawn
2. Big. 1:40 Initial + 5:00 Spawn
3. Rift Herald. 4:00 Initial + 5:00 Spawn
4. Dragon. 2:30/6:00
5. Baron. 20:00/7:00
6. Scuttler. 2:30/3:00
ii.
Summoners
1. http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/Spells
2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hRUt6ajZ0TjUtV
VU/view?usp=sharing
3. Its important to understand how summoners relate to each other,
and what they mean. Timing is a good introductory step, but it
doesnt mean anything if you dont know what to do with it.
4. TP: Abusing TP advantage, and ganking lanes with/without TP.
5. Flash:
a. Jungling tricks
b. Abusing flash in melee vs. Range

c. Understanding what lack of flash means

d. Respecting flash
6. Exhaust:
a. Similar to ignite, decent way to remember in teamfights.
b. What it means, how to play around it.
c. Summoner advantage bot.
d. Exhausting cooldowns, and Dps low.
e. Not the best slow. Avoid wasting
7. Ignite:
a. Good to time, most players look for their ignite when going
for kills.
b. Ganking and ignite lanes
8. Barrier/Heal
a. Very important to acknowledge loading into the game
b. Avoid being baited
c. Turrets
i.
Trading turret aggro
ii.
Playing around dead turrets in each role
1. Top. Freezing and how TP influences this
2. Jungle. Vision control and compartmentalizing the map.
3. AD. Freezing and objectives
4. Support. Warding changes, and roam chances.
5. Mid. All of the above, very variable.
d. Minions
i.
Even + Odd Minion rule
ii.
Minion Math
iii.
Ideal ZZ'rot placement
e. Elo + 5/9ths Rule (Adjustments for dynamic)
i.
Sample Size (Good interview with Riot Lyte)
ii.
Carry potential (Risk vs. Reward)
1. CC vs Damage (Scaling vs. Flat)
2. Skillshots vs. Targeted
f. Last Hitting practice
i.
90% alone
ii.
90% auto spacing
iii.
90% Freezing + Pushing
iv.
Dota Drill without CS
v.
90% Dota Drill (Skillshots and CS, how does this work.)
vi.
Do everything against bots
vii.
Once completed. Keep spreadsheet to track CS.
1. CS/((Minutes + Seconds/60) - 2)
a. Examples: 300 CS/(30 Minutes + 30 Seconds/60) - 2)
b. 300/((30.5) -2) = 300/28.5 = 10.52 CS per live minute

2. Gold gained = (New CS live - Old CS live) * (Gold per CS * Live

minutes)
a. (10-8) * (20 * 30) = 2 * 600 = 1200 gold
b. 1200 gold by improving CS by 2 per minutes (1 per wave)
in a 32 minute game.
c. 600 gold at the halfway mark. (17 minutes) Pretty big
difference in midgame power.

g. Mechanics
i.
Muscle memory
ii.
Learning correctly
1. Streams/Op.gg Replays (Skill usage, AA resets, Etc.)
2. League Wiki champion page (Nasus)
iii.
Keybinds
1. (Link to changing attack move)
2. Explanation
3. F-Keys
4. Differences between league defaults and other
MOBA/Competitive
iv.
Mouse/Keyboard Article
v.
Clicking a lot. Lessons from SC2
vi.
Dont play Garen
h. Author note: This section is largely based on an academic Learn and Apply
theory. Similar to an academic class, you dont begin lab work without
background. If you want to play league (Or any game) at a high level, I beleive it
is very similar. Although unlike an academic environment, almost all of your time
should be spent playing. That being said, your time is largely being wasted if you
dont know what you should be doing/practicing. I come from a wrestling
background as well, and its very similar. You learn the technique then practice x
Infinity. I believe that almost every competitive discipline follows this format.
i. Author note II: Last hitting and laning are very important, and you shouldnt
expect to climb without mastery of these skills. Lets take a step back and
compare league to other games. In league when you win, you are given more
tools to win as a reward. (Snowball) This isnt true in many other games, and
early game is integral to success at a high level. This is by far the fastest way to
improve at League if you are serious about laddering. Improving game
knowledge takes a long time with considerably less payout, and if you have a BF
sword on your opponent it probably doesnt matter how smart he is.
j. Author note III: Ive been asked 100 different versions of mechanics vs.
knowledge for league of legends. I think we often dont think about the
intermediates. Pattern recognition, intuition, foreknowledge, and perception
i.
Comparing HS to League, and my initial struggle.
ii.
You cant memorize every situation. Knowledge is only so valuable.

iii.

iv.

In high elo games people are on the same page because of pattern
recognition. Not having played that same scenario before, its almost
statistically impossible.
League isnt about knowing everything. Its about knowing the
things you need to know, practicing them, and being able to do them
very well.

6. Before the Game

a. Picking your champion
i.
Win Rates
1. Risk vs. Reward (Reward champions = Games played)
2. Issues w/ Champion.gg
ii.
Picking your champion/pool
1. How many champions?
2. Counterpicking
3. Covering weaknesses w/ champions
iii.
Loading Screen
1. Win conditions + Specific interactions
a. Laning/Teamfights/Globals
2. Notes on jungling + loading screen
a. Gank assist
b. Likely lane position
c. Assessing 2v2s and other junglers likely route
d. More in jungle section

7. During the Game

a. Incremental goal setting
i.
Win conditions in loading screen.(Build, Teamfighting, Likely Power
Spikes)
1. Adjust throughout the game. Tab is your best friend.
2. Understand where you want to direct gold flow if possible. (Leesin)
ii.
Laning phase goals. (Adjusted on every recall)
1. Can you kill, and if so when? (Lvl, Gank, Summoners)
2. What do you want to do with the wave?
3. Where is the enemy jungler, have you seen him lately?
4. Determine your best case scenario. (Smart Goals) (Yasuo/irelia)
5. How are other lanes doing. Tab is your best friend.
iii.
Teamfighting goals
1. Hit tab to check for items and determine relative power.
2. Try to remember important summoner spells. (Time them, dont
be lazy.)
3. Think about reactive play and possible interactions.
a. When should I use my active
b. When should I be ready to spell shield

iv.

v.

vi.

c. If they use X ability, what should I be ready to do. (Ezreal E

forward.)
d. How will the teamfight go. (Peeling, trading backline, Big
ultimates)
e. Plenty of other stuff to think about. Ultimately you should
use all of the information you have to set smart goals.
i.
Most of their damage is on 6 item ezreal and I am
playing Fizz. I hit tab and notice he only have 30
MR and a BT. His flash is down for 2 minutes. My
goal is to flank him and use shark when I see him
use E. (This could be incorrect I dont play Fizz, but
you get the point.)
Objective goals
1. One of the few things you can pick up watching LCS
2. When/where should you ward. Why? (Warding without purpose is
just as bad as not warding)
3. Preemptive play
Author Note: This is probably one of the biggest difference I see
coaching players from 1700 MMR and below, as opposed to those 2k+.
True reactive play requires you to come up with the correct play instantly,
proactive play allows much more time to prepare yourself. (True reactive
not to be confused with proactive defensive play.) I also realize that some
of this seems extreme, but most upper level players do these things
whether they notice it or not. (Internalized) If its not something you are
doing now, diligent practice is your best bet to improve.
Author Note II: I guess the big takeaway is that its very important to be
asking yourself open ended questions when you play, and answering
them with the information that you have. Autopilot is dangerous. What do
I want to be doing now?

b. Timers
i.
Does every challenger player time summoners. No
ii.
Is it necessary to do this. No
iii.
Why do I think this is important?
1. I dont see how it will make you worse. Just time them all game
and dont be somebody who only times them to passive
aggressively ask for ganks.
2. I think it helps you understand gameplay interactions and game
flow
a. Timing summoners
b. Timing Jungle camps
3. You will get to a point where you wont time everything. If you
dont understand game flow I think timers are a very useful tool to
get you headed in the right direction. When stuff is up/down it
dictates the pace of the game at most points.

c. Keybinds and potential improvements

i.
Some touched on earlier
ii.
Nameplates
iii.
Mouse pointer precision
iv.
Shadows
v.
Graphics/Fps
vi.
Sound
vii.
Muting teammates
viii.
Minimap size
ix.
Smartcast vs. Self cast
x.
A-clicking
xi.
Buffering abilities
xii.
Direct input
d. Author Note: If you are serious about laddering I believe most of this will help
you. With that being said, if you cant CS above 90/95% you will hit a wall at
some point. Its best to take care of that as soon as possible as its the easiest
and most dramatic fix to your gameplay, and rank. It also allows you to focus on
the game more during laning phase, and last hitting becomes internalized.
e. Author Note II: Speak on internalization, memory, and cognitive ability.
i.
Mastery of basics
ii.
Champion mastery
iii.
Level of investment

8.

After the Game

a. Game Review Doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MbHkp0Cmwlixpn3MGRpmnsayKwqskQ9no42w5cawJE/edit?usp=sharing (More specifics in
replay review section)
b. Note taking covered in goals section
c. Reading/Videos on tilt (Dealing with loss):
i.
Chris + Weldon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rht_-cRlr7w
ii.
Chris:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ-Q8RJstV4
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMG5yrpNVAM
iii.
Weldon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IzrpnZqZHk
iv.
HS article: http://hearthlytics.com/articles/news/gaming/18/overcomingtilt-and-ladder-anxiety
v.
Old Sc2 article: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/sc2-strategy/285471mindset-and-self-improvement
vi.
Old WoW article: http://www.arenajunkies.com/topic/227117-coachingyourself-in-competitive-playguide/page__hl__%2Bcommunication+%2Bguide
vii.
Good Discussion on Tforce: https://youtu.be/bmkXrefgsH4?t=42m46s

viii.
Relevent Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lu2e-q8ntM
d. Author note: I am not a psychologist. I can only speak on what works for me,
and that does not work for everybody. Personally I think its important to make
sure you are eating/drinking enough and putting reasonable fuel into your body.
When I have a few bad games I find that exercise helps after a few bad games,
as it gives me a chance to cool down and think about things. Especially running.
e. Author note II: Level of investment has been shown to improve how quickly and
thoroughly you learn a subject. If you are upset, youre probably invested.
i.
What is making you upset. (Playing to win/improve)
ii.
What is your reaction when upset. (Practice vs. Rage)
iii.
My take on psychological corrections

9. Review and notes on Replay Review

a. Read before you continue this section:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15eCn_MBLjZLqwN5-6hdX4LsBOMUqZFP-OrEVG5xfaE/edit
i.
Honestly. Read this.
b. Core skills for review
i.
Visualization + Chunking
1. Attempt to build pattern recognition
ii.
Calculation
iii.
Evaluation
1. Static
2. Dynamic
iv.
Pruning (What do you actually need to study?)
v.
Prophylaxis
c. What to look for?
i.
How did you play level 2? (And other level breakpoints)
ii.
Did you play correctly given information you had regarding enemy
jungler? (F-Keys in replay system)
iii.
Did you correctly identify your team's win conditions in loading screen?
How did they play out? (Focus on yourself/knowledge)
iv.
Wave management
1. Did I push when I needed to?
2. Did I freeze? Etc.
v.
Killing lane.
1. Summoners + Relative power. (Can I actually kill them, and
when.)
a. Fizz gets TF flash at 3. Both recall at 4. Correct play isnt
all in him at 4 likely.
b. Look for trade, freeze near tower so you dont have to dive
and shark at 6 when card is down.
vi.
Teamfights
1. Summoners
2. Role

3. Positioning
4. Did you identify the correct play in the game? What pattern did
you miss and how will you identify it next time.
vii.
Macro play
1. Wards
2. Objectives
3. Buys (Correct, Extra gold, trinkets)
viii.
Mechanical play
1. Spacing autos
2. Missing CS
3. Ability to use (AA resets, skillshots, etc)
4. Clipping spells
ix.
Learning to use fog of war
1. F-keys
2. Common mistakes
d. Feynman technique: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrNqSLPaZLc)
e. Author note: You cant memorize everything. Look for patterns. Pattern
recognition is very important in league. Also do not focus on macro play too
much. Micro play is very important in League, when of the biggest mistakes I see
when working with players during lessons is overanalyzing very specific macro
plays. Look for patterns, choices, and mechanics. What should I be doing
now? Did I identify this?
f. Author note II: Read the first article. Always be asking yourself open ended
questions, specifically why? Understanding fault/success analysis is very
important for long term growth.

10.

More on goal setting

a.
b.
c.
d.

To have a plan is better than no plan at all.

Goal or aspiration
Trickling goals. Create a roadmap
Reducing stress + Anxiety when setting goals
i.
Process oriented approach vs. goal oriented approach (Lbs/Lp)
ii.
Keeping goals personal.
iii.
Accountability and process. (How to go about this.)
e. Set general goals. (Level of importance, big goals vs general notes.)
f. Evaluate goals after game. (Put X next to goals you failed.)
g. Set new goals when needed. (Maintain level of importance, dont overload.)
h. Playing to win/improve
i.
I speak on this (https://youtu.be/nW5zOoyaCHM?t=11m24s)
ii.
Learning from wins and losses
iii.
Why playing to win is not a great mindset (Anxiety, No direction, Etc.)
iv.
Winning should still influence your direction and choices.
i. When setting a goal:
i.
Specific
ii.
Realistic

j.

11.

iii.
Reduce anxiety
iv.
Can I break this down into more pieces??
Author Note: To improve you must get better. You can win/lose and go on
streaks due to variance. To improve, and continue to improve you must continue
to improve as a player.

Practice partners
a. Good discussion on intrinsic/extrinsic learning styles:
(https://youtu.be/KUjQM_zaSt0?t=1m37s)
b. Surround yourself with people better than you
i.
Advocating for yourself
ii.
Are higher elo players smarter???
c. Rounded MMR and issues with normals
d. Taking the game seriously, and tryharding.
e. Communities and who you will meet online
i.
Be realistic
ii.
Dealing with the bad, and when this can be good
iii.
Communities
1. https://www.reddit.com/r/summonerschool/
2. https://www.reddit.com/r/tforcenetwork (In game = Tforce)
3. Platinum vs Silver (In game)
4. (Add more if you find them)
f. Leading by example, and holding yourself accountable
i.
Remember. These are strangers online. Mostly introverted white males
too.
g. Voice communication
i.
Clear communication
ii.
Good video by Vanguards (WoW):
http://www.arenajunkies.com/strategy/3v3/2-communication-and-dealingwith-losses/ (Really amazing communication. Clear/Compact/Etc.)
h. Replay review with a partner
i. Author note: I think replay review with a partner is by far the most underutilized
free tool in the league community.

12.

Notes on Laddering
a. (Link to Ladder Video)
b. Focus on improving. Dont harp on winning/losing.
c. Your champion pool should stay as small as possible while still being effective.
i.
You also should stick with it. Play stuff you like so this happens.
ii.
People hit Masters with pretty much everything. Dont worry about picks
so much. (Not Garen though)
iii.
One tricks are famous. There are 100 lee mains in masters :)
d. You have to play ranked to improve
e. Find a cycle of sets/review that works for you
i.
What is a set.
ii.
I found that 3-5 games followed by exercise works well for me.

f.

13.

Winning/Losing does not make you better/worse.

Gameplay advice
a. Learning champions
i.
http://leagueoflegends.wikia.com/wiki/League_of_Legends_Wiki
ii.
http://na.op.gg/ranking/champions/
1. Builds/Replays/Runes
iii.
http://champion.gg/
1. Building understanding. (Not winrate)
iv.
Learn to CS (Mechanics guide from earlier in guide)
v.
Practice abilities/combos.
1. Clipping spells (Brand)
2. Auto cancels
3. Etc.
vi.
1v1s (Lane phase is the most important part of league, 1v1s with
somebody who can give you feedback are one of the fastest way to
improve.)
vii.
Focus on mechanical/technical improvements when analyzing ranked
games until you can play the champion at a high level technically.
b. League is not an RPG
i.
Buys + Backs
1. The Pickaxe lesson (Forgiven w/ powerspikes)
2. Extra gold in inventory
ii.
The Nasus lesson
c. Matchups (Touched on elsewhere in guide as well)
i.
Planning ( Interactive skills and how will you trade)
ii.
What levels are you stronger, what do you want to do with the wave?
iii.
How do junglers impact this matchup, and lane control? When do you
ward?
d. Eye for error
i.
Human vs. Human games
ii.
Important to plan moves and think
iii.
Also important to be aware of opponents errors, and how to capitalize on
them so that you can when given the chance.
e. Planning around the jungler
i.
Where did they leash. When should you expect jungler?
ii.
When jungle leaves fog of war, when can they gank you again?
iii.
Playing around your summoners. (Freeze near tower w/o escape, etc)
iv.
Camp theory
v.
Think about what skill/when you need to flash on a gank. Panic flashing
and dying is an easy way to lose games.
f. What should I be doing now?
g. Champion experience and internalization (Again. This is important)
h. Author Note: Focus on tight gameplay and mechanics while learning. Its
important to establish muscle memory and good habits in any game that you

play. Macro knowledge has a very low payout per time spent learning. You will
also naturally pick up macro knowledge as your rank improves. Most people
consider me very knowledgeable when it comes to macro gameplay and I picked
everything playing at D1+ for 3+ seasons. I dont want watch LCS, and I dont
think LCS is very applicable to solo Q at any level.

14.

Specific advice for each role

a. Jungle
i.
Routes
1. S/B/oB/Sc/+, S/S/B/Sc (Triangle), S/S/oB/Sc, Etc.
2. 2v2, Gank, Invade (Ward)
3. Think about matchup and strengths, weakness. Pick appropriate
route.
4. Use loading screen to determine lanes you will want to be near
after first clear. Be prepared to adapt.
5. Internalization
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJsBC93ZR5w&feature=youtu
.be)
ii.
Economy
1. Camp theory
2. Uptime/Power Spikes w/ Gold sitting
3. Looking for ganks. (Red/6/Etc.)
4. Devourer gameplay objectives. (Adjacent lane gameplay)
5. Understanding how important economy is to your champion (Ex)
a. Lee (Kills until warrior, assists) Farm less important after 6
b. Nidalee (Kills until AP item, then either or) Farm important
c. Tank (Either until cinder, then assist) Farm variable
iii.
Ganking
1. Inverse of 13/E/V. Plan your ganks
2. Always better than farming if the ganks or lucrative
3. When to use flash
4. Playing around flashes/lack
a. Getting flash before 6 (Jarven example)
b. Holding abilities for flash (Nidalee example)
iv.
Buffs
1. Why timing can help build understanding.
2. 220/815-30 Theory (Warding out)
v.
Wards/Vision
1. Oddone example
2. Wraiths
3. Smiting wraiths
4. Sweeper and ult/2v2s
5. Speak on fog of war

vi.

vii.

viii.

b. Top
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

c. Mid
i.
ii.
iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

Art of Jungle:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6qHEuB6ZUo&index=8&list=PL5qi
MA6E5ZR8X3GuyhB4YoinuQydNKWvP)
Author Note: Know your champion and look at lanes that can be ganked,
and lanes that have assist. Have a plan for your first clear, and a general
plan for the game. If your plan becomes unrealistic due to gameplay,
adapt and think about what you need to be doing to win the game. Jungle
requires you to be flexible. Having a plan is always better than having no
plan.
Author Note: There are many playstyle for jungle. Its best to find
champions that fit yours, and play it to the best of your ability. There are
greedy/economy junglers (XJ9, Meteos, NB3) aggressive/impact junglers
(Rush/Me), Toxic junglers (Trick2g, Nidhogg) and controlled junglers
(Oddone, Nk Inc, Hai, Etc.) They all work (Except toxic). People have got
top 10 on ladder with all of them as well. Nobody plays a controlled lee, or
an economy jarven though.
Teleport (My experience in Soloq)
Level thresholds
Playing around jungle, and wave management.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IraqH1-VwYw)
Art of Top:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzgCh7iDGlQ&index=24&list=PL5qiM
A6E5ZR8X3GuyhB4YoinuQydNKWvP)
Level thresholds
Lane control
Staying strong
1. Primary source of AP
2. Dont roam for the sake of roaming. Keep income high unless its
smart to roam.
3. Understanding important level thresholds. (6/11/16, level 9 vlad,
Etc.)
4. Understand general 2v2 strength
Roaming
1. Roaming with jungler/TP
2. When to roam
Vision control
1. Pushing and hiding
2. Using wards to sniff out enemy jungler
3. Asking jungler to ward one side
4. Sweeper for roam/pressure
Champion picks
1. Counters. Counters to counters

vii.

viii.
d. AD
i.

2. Have safe champions to first pick. Lulu/Ahri/Etc.

Teamfighting
1. Assassins
2. Control mages and kiting backwards w/ carries
3. Note of Hourglass and GA usage
Thanks to Whaie for help with this section

Gameplay review
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot0LMD7U6KE&list=PL7IOPlaG6caF
S-c7jdIYWRuspGtZubFay)
ii.
Maximizing damage
iii.
Pros and Cons of peel
iv.
Position with support, keeping an even line with them
1. Poke more. (AS quints)
v.
Understanding win conditions and outplay potential. (Super Saiyan)
vi.
Same as most lanes, mostly champion mastery, knowledge, and fast
twitch mechanics.
e. Support
i.
Position so that your threat zone (Your zone of influence with autos/skills)
overlaps with your adc's so that you're both able to poke and retaliate if
one of you goes all in or is attacked.
ii.
Do krugs/Gromp if possible
1. Dont push until you know if they did monsters. They will freeze
2. If enemy shows up without monster, go for 2 first.
iii.
Rush sightstone when possible
iv.
Avoid warding alone midgame. You are usually weakest
v.
Eat skillshots for ADCs during skirmishes (ezreal/etc)
vi.
If their support is melee often best to focus on pokes, but not all In.
vii.
Understand that most champions can only hit one target at a time. If your
ADC is being attacked use autos/skills to retaliate and/or alleviate
pressure.
viii.
Use bush to reset minion aggro, and check for wards.
ix.
Use attack move to avoid missing wards when walking.
x.
When clearing wards be ambiguous in your movement to dodge
skillshots. When the ward is one hit from dying you dont need to
telegraph your movement.
xi.
Abuse level thresholds. 2,3 and understanding 6 wave.
xii.
When you push to level first, you will push the wave. Understand how to
reset the wave and freeze (More ADC). Especially when playing
aggressive junglers.
xiii.
Understanding summoner advantage and how it impacts your matchup
1. Melee vs. Range
xiv.
Auto attacking, and Dota drill for landing autos/skills.
xv.
When to roam

xvi.
xvii.
xviii.

xix.
xx.

15.

1. Understanding summoners in roam situation

Self casting keybind is good to have
Patented Horse Doctor Build (Guaranteed Masters or money back)
Art of support
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX6BFThEc_U&index=25&list=PL5qi
MA6E5ZR8X3GuyhB4YoinuQydNKWvP)
Soraka Gameplay Guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHR5CUqPQlU&feature=youtu.be
Thanks to daysuntold and slamx for help with this section

Streams/Youtubers
a. How to learn from streams
i.
Advantages of educational streams
ii.
Disadvantages
iii.
Nitpicking differences in play. Dont autopilot
iv.
Find small streams. You are much more likely to get feedback. There are
a lot of masters+ streamers without many viewers.
b. Youtubers
i.
Hard to pinpoint anybody I respect as an effective teacher in the league
community.
ii.
Some very knowledgeable players. Respect that most players are
relatively uneducated and young. I think its best to take a gameplay only
approach from league content.
iii.
Author Note: Most of what I know about league was not learned from
league. Note taking, goal setting, etc. These came from established
disciplines with much better teachers, and its much more useful for me to
draw parallels. A famous teacher/professor/coach can teach me much
more about review, goal setting, etc than NB3 or Foxdrop. I just relate it to
league myself, which isnt exceptionally difficult. That is what Ive done,
and thats why I seem somewhat knowledgeable.
1. TLDR: Seek out knowledgeable teachers in similar fields. (Chess,
Poker, Academia) There are no knowledgeable teachers in league
outside of gameplay as far as Im concerned. I do not consider
myself knowledgeable, and the community does. That only further
proves my point.

16.

Other/Opinion section
a. Playstyles
i.
My biggest regret as a teacher/mentor in league
ii.
Embracing your playstyle
iii.
My play style
iv.
Not using your playstyle as an excuse
b. Elo Hell
i.
Entitled millennials.
c. BM
i.
Use broken english to avoid chat filter

ii.
Be creative, not toxic
iii.
If you dont Bm do you really play league of legends?
d. Learning outside of the game
i.
http://trinityforcenetwork.com/#/
ii.
Skype/Slack groups
iii.
Reddit
e. Elo/How good are you really. (https://awwapp.com/draw.html)
f. Patch notes
i.
Garen problem
ii.
Riven problem
iii.
Base vs. Scaling

17.

Complaints about League as a game

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

18.

Jungling + Pulls (Improving diversity with a 1:40 spawn)

Ambiguity between roles. (Throwback to s2 junglers, and Dota supports)
Removing less viable items (Leviathan, Etc.)
Winters summoner's rift
Elo and transparency
Lack of support for alternative modes
Keystones
5s having the same ladder system as SoloQ
Identity crisis of league as a competitive game
Author Note: Every game has competitive issues. You just have to decide what
you are willing to deal with at the end of the day. There is a reason I played
league over other games, and there is a reason I played it for as long as I did
with other options. Its still a good game.

Survey Report
a. Logistics
i.
2000 responses. Not all usable for each response.
ii.
Rough estimate (100-200 twitter/retweets, 1000-1200 summoner school,
200-300 tforce, rest unaccounted for.)
iii.
May 2015
iv.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hd3BOc2Roa1ZQS0U/view
?usp=sharing (My secret nudes collection)
v.
Thanks to daysuntold and haberdashing
vi.
Author note: Higher elo usually means D5+ (Explanation)
b. Are You Involved in Any League Related Activities? If so Specify.
i.
Mostly in image link. Not much to analyze
ii.
Large communities near the mean
iii.
In person communities (LAN, College groups, etc.) show higher rank and
growth.
c. How Long Have You Been Playing League of Legends?
i.
Not the best sample of league community.
ii.
Good sample for learning communities. Tforce/Summoner school.
iii.
Good reflection of new players and what I assume to be the two big

d.

e.

f.
g.

h.

booms to league player base. (S2/S3)

iv.
Speak on expected gain throughout years and my issue with placements
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hSXJOdFZieDlrM1E/view?
usp=sharing)
1. I think placements should represent more games
2. If player is placed too high, anxiety and loss of rank.
3. 20 games, and place artificially lower so that players are less likely
to drop. (Argument of hitting a wall at some point. Personally think
that you shouldnt hit a wall when you start ranked. Not a great
experience.)
What is Your Starting Rank, Highest Rank, and Current Rank?
i.
Speak on expected gain, and periods of largest growth. (Years 1-2 <0-1<
2-3)
ii.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hd3BOc2Roa1ZQS0U/view
?usp=sharing
What is the Biggest Difference Between Yourself and a Player 10+ Divisions
Higher? (Or 400+ Points for Diamond 1+) Higher?
i.
Lower Elo player tend to identify non-specific differences.
(Mechanics/Etc.) Seem to struggle to pinpoint the actual differences.
ii.
Mechanics as a response has a negative correlation with rank in every
question.
iii.
Higher elo players very concrete, or complain about the ladder system
D1+
How Many Ranked Wins Do You Have? (Total for all Seasons)
i.
Too much work and too dynamic.
What is the Biggest Change You Made to Reach Your Current Rank From
Your Starting Rank?
i.
High frequency of high diam+ state wave control, wave manipulation, and
other similar techniques.
ii.
The higher the elo, the less likely you are to see mechanics mentioned.
iii.
Higher elo players often state concrete changes, or mentality.
iv.
Lower elo players continue to struggle to identify improvements. Often
mechanics, knowledge, etc. Broad.
What Do You Think The Biggest Difference Between Divisions (BronzeDiamond) is?
i.
Most players think bronze is baseline, little/no mechanics or knowledge.
ii.
People rarely say mechanics are an issue Gold+
iii.
High frequency of diamond players state vision control as biggest
difference.
iv.
Bronze/Silver likely to state time played.
v.
Platinum/Diamond often talk about level of investment and mindset.
vi.
Players in B-P often say Bronze-Gold mechanics, rest knowledge.
Responses in diam+ tend to be much more ambiguous. (Spectrum based
understanding)

vii.
viii.

Believing a positive outcome = Good play

Higher elo think that lower elo dont know how to improve, or dont want
to.
ix.
Ability to close out games, teamfighting. (RPG)
x.
Mentions of low Elo playing all mid.
xi.
Diam+ unhealthy mindset gone or compensated by skill.
xii.
Low Elo players often mention meta picks. High Elo has no mention of
meta picks, but a lot of mentions of champion mastery and one tricks.
xiii.
Not giving up.
xiv.
Higher elo punish mistakes harder.
xv.
Ability to improvise in tough situations
xvi.
Author note: Say high frequency of players say that objective play is
developed in plat, or not observed until plat. Sample size was a little low,
but interesting observation nonetheless.
i. If you were offered 1 Million Dollars If you Could Hit Diamond 1 What Would
You Work to Improve First? (Top 100 Challenger for D1+)
i.
Mentions of Re-do my placements from low elo players.
ii.
Masters top laners state teleport usage constantly.
iii.
5 D1+ players say sleep schedule. Interesting response
iv.
Playing a lot of soloq
v.
No high elo player said switch roles, low elo players often do.
vi.
Only 1 high elo player said switch champions, 50+ low elo did. Especially
carry champions. (Feedback loop from smurfing/streamers and what
actually happens.)
vii.
Playing with people who are better.
viii.
Author note: People seem unable to identify specific things they would
work on at low elo. Its often just play more, switch champions, etc. Its a
given you have to play more to improve. I think high elo players seem
much more likely to set objective goals that they can work on while
spamming games. Going in with a plan.
j. What Elo Are Most of The People That You Regularly Talk to and Play
With?
k. If you were offered 1 Million Dollars to Help a New Player Hit Gold 5 What
Three Things Would You Work to Improve First? (Top 100 Challenger for
D1+)
i.
How to recover from being verbally abused
ii.
A lot of high elo players say focus on 1 role and/or 1 champion
iii.
Disable chat
iv.
Never give up
v.
High elo players keep calling bronze ARAM. (All random all map too)
vi.
No high elo players say Play easy champions. They do say, play less
champions.
vii.
A lot of high elo players say Tryndamere
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6Z1FHcqBq5hMlRURmRwQzdVMmc/vi

ew?usp=sharing)
viii.
Author note: Not much uniformity in responses, difficult to observe
trends. What I did observe is low elo players seem to give a lot of advice
to new players that would suggest that they are above things such as last
hitting, champion pool, etc.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect)
l. In Order, What Three Things are Holding you Back From Improving 5+
Divisions. (200+ Lp for D1+)
m. Takeaways
i.
Spectrum based approach
ii.
Nothing is absolute. Every trait increases with elo, in frequency in
amplitude. With that being said, frequency is never 0% or 100% for any
observed skill.
iii.
Higher elo players tend to identify concrete differences
iv.
Mechanics overstated in lower elo

19.

Suggested goals/Final notes

a. Your goals should be your own. I did my best to provide you with resources, but if
I provide an outline I am only teaching you to follow orders. I want you to work
through whatever seems applicable to you, while avoiding confirmation bias.
b. Pick people's brains. Challenge your own ideas, and always beware of
confirmation bias. Its good to pick somebody's brain, but a parrot will live on
crackers for the rest of his/her life.
c. Understand fundamentals and internalization. Use these to guide your goals.
With that being said, dont ever consider yourself above any aspect of the game.
Highlight reel plays can be dissected into many simple mechanics, and every
aspect of the game improves from bronze to challenger. Kobe still shoots free
throws, and Jordan still practiced layups. You are not above any skill unless you
are perfect. (Even CS)
d. You will likely never get paid to play this game. Will laddering/improving is a
valiant goal, please do not neglect the important things in life. Hobbies are
supposed to be fun, and if you can learn something along the way Ive done my
job.
e. Find people better than you, and talk less so that you can listen more. When you
talk you can only learn what you already know. (Unless you are verbally working
through a problem) When you listen you can learn a lot. Even if you already know
what they are saying, maybe think about why they are saying it. Maybe their
reasoning is different, or perspective. Always be thinking

f.

If you want better content, support those who are attempting to creative
innovative/educational content. I was asked by a friend in Low plat where to go
for educational content, and I didnt have many places to send them. The League
community has an issue with clickbait and putting out the bare minimum needed
for views, the general population has this issue as well. (Aspartame example) If
you want change, educate yourself and those with the capacity to produce
exceptional work.
g. Diet coke will make you better at league of legends.

20.

Resources/Links
a.

b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

21.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B6Z1FHcqBq5hRXU1Zi1TdklfVWc&usp
=sharing (Reading folder. Will update with stuff I am reading and can legally
share if people are interested. If not I will just leave articles relevant to this
subject.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/2zte89/champion_experien
ce_and_win_rate_correlation/
https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/2090oi/elyndars_guide_to_
cs_like_a_challenger_graphic/
http://trinityforcenetwork.com/#/
http://leagueoflegendsmath.com/
https://www.reddit.com/r/summonerschool/comments/3a2g92/lots_of_links_to_he
lp_you_climb/
https://www.youtube.com/user/unswlolsoc/videos

Goodbye :)
a. @Horsedoctorlol
b. @whale_calls