User blog:TheTobarMethod/Challenging The Meta: How To

§   A note before reading this, this isnt a complete guide. Instead, it is a simple introduction to what many players should understand better, use properly, and muchmuchmuch more often.

What is "Meta"? Meta, as the Greek meaning states, is "post", "beyond", "after" etc. In game development things go in this buid order. Alpha, Beta, then Meta. Meta in LoL terms, is the way the game is played and used AFTER dev stages. and this decides what is and isnt "Viable". Usually, the most reliable Meta at the time is often used by people who understand or comprehend the game well. Alot of these people play in teams and some are known by the names you know well, like Froggen, Doublelift, Rainman, and VoyBoy.

To challenge the meta you have to know what "Viable" means. Viability is the property a thing has in the game that makes it usable under a scenario. (E.X. you would buy Frozen Heart on Ryze because he benefits from high mana, CDR, and Armor.) Knowing this you can apply it to champions. The Meta hot right now is this:

§   Solo Top

§   Jungler

§   APC Mid

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:2.25pt0in2.25pt30pt;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:15pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings">§   <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">ADC Bot

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:2.25pt0in2.25pt30pt;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:15pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings">§   <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Support Bot

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Now this is only ONE way to play this game. Awhile ago, it was common to see all 10 players using champions that now, would only be seen top. Another meta used was Tanks only, also APC's only. Things have changed from the days of Beta, and Pre-Season 1. Things have evolved into the most efficient way to play as of now. But as stated before, that is only ONE way to play. I typically do not play the meta, because knowing the counters of lanes and countering the lane, is better than playing their own lane type against them, see? Its tough for late game champions to compete against early game stompers is a easier way of putting it. (E.X. Xin Zhao versus Ezreal at level 2) <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:22.5pt0in2.4pt;line-height:15.75pt;border-style:none;padding:0in;">'''<span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"TimesNewRoman"">How to Challenge the Meta(Properly) ''' <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:2.25pt0in2.25pt30pt;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:15pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings">§   <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Know your counters

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:2.25pt0in2.25pt30pt;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:15pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings">§   <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Know how to last hit and lane right

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:2.25pt0in2.25pt30pt;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:15pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings">§   <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Know how to freeze your lane

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:2.25pt0in2.25pt30pt;text-indent:-0.25in;line-height:15pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings">§   <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Know how to play your champion

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">If you can do these, then you are ready to challenge the Meta. Always take into account what the enemy is going to build so you can counter-build them during the laning phase, this is especially true for top lane.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">In Bottom lane you need to be prepared for not just the ADC/Support, but WHAT ADC/Support combo youll be facing. If its someone like Sona supporting, be as aggressive as you can to drive her off the lane. Iv supported as Kayle enough to know that its actually surpisingly easy to out-aggress Sona support. Mainly because Kayle is a much stronger support in that sense than Sona since she has all offense capable abilities. ADC is probably the easiest to deal with out of all the lane matchups since they are naturally slow, weak, and squishy early on. If you pick someone who is the opposite early game like Xin Zhao, or Teemo, then you should be able to dominate lane fairly quickly if you know what you’re doing.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">In mid, there is a new meta developing to challenge the current APC mid idea. AD fighters and AD Casters like Pantheon, Yorick, and Wukong. This meta is actually very reliable if correctly executed. You could also send builds like AP Tristana, and AP Evelynn mid as well. Mid there isnt much that can be done that hasn’t already been done so I would try dual mid if you cant think of anything else. It will mainly disrupt other lanes and might cause the jungler to come mid if things get too bad. This helps you since he most likely took Jungle runes, masteries, smite, and early jungle items like Hunters Machete. It sets the enemy team back and throws everything off by disrupting their meta. This can easily win you the game. Setting the enemy back is a lot easier than forcing them back if you understand what I mean.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Top, there also isn’t much to be said here either. You can play certain champions like Gangplank here as always but instead of solo, using a pusher like Garen and or Heimerdinger can easily win you lane and get fed early. Primarily countering tough fighters like Darius, Wukong, Rammus, Malphite, Lee Sin, etc is what your goal should be. You could also attempt sending high mobility champions like Katarina and kennen top. ADC’s have a god chance under the right circumstances at top. I have myself seen AP Ezreal and Ashe murder top because of their strong lane presence and bullying mechanics. The downside to playing squishies top is the low sustain, and easy CC window they have. Most if not all commonly played Tops have both of these covered well, and ADC/APC’ aren’t the best when you have high sustain champs like Fiora and Warwick(still remember him?) against you. Try to stay safe when countering top. I have found high harass mids like Orianna work well if built correctly Top.(I tried this back when I mained her and it worked as long as I rushed Archangels Staff, yes flame me for that item but it works.)

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Now that you know the lanes, you need to know how to use them to your advantage. The goal isn’t to completely change the meta, its simply to experiment with it, and it’s about time for it to change anyway, new season, new Meta.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">When you gain an advantage against the enemy ADC while you’re playing say, Wukong and Jayce bot, do not, I repeat do NOT abuse your lead. Continue to do what you’ve been doing since the match started. Don’t focus the Support for easy kills. Yes this will set the lane behind but the inherent risk of losing your lead isn’t worth it. Instead, when you have a lane behind, keep them behind by denying farm and denying harassment by dodging skillshots or staying just out of range. The reason, is common sense will tell you that once a lane begins to dominate, the enemy will take notice. They will attempt to focus that lane more. Usually by sending their entire fucking team to that lane to shut you down. Don’t make it obvious that your winning, just lay low and allow THEM to make mistakes. Let the kills come to you and exploit the windows that open for harassment. Or take advantage of them when they are low mana. Because just like I mentioned earlier, since your disrupting their play, you need to keep that lead as strongly and as for as long as possible to continually drop their use later in the match. Its very possible for a underleveled, underfarmed, and underfed Graves to come back and faceroll your team if ignored or left to himself for the majority of late game. So just because you thought you shut him down by winning lane, denying him farm and countering him doesn’t mean he can’t comeback.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Most rules for laning against the Meta are universal for all Lanes. Jungling is something that doesn’t have ties to the Meta considering the same junglers are almost always viable, and you don’t really AP Jungle too much even though it works with the right runes and masteries + a hard leash.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">Im not done with this, if there’s anything you guys need to know ask and leave a comment. If there are any suggestions as to what I should do next, let me know. thnx

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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:4.8pt0in6pt;line-height:15.75pt;">'<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">DO NOT LEAVE TROLLING COMMENTS OR NEGATIVE FEED-BACK, IT WILL BE IGNORED AND OR DELETED. I AM NOT TOLERATING YOUR IGNORANCE NOR AM I GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR IDIOCY, THIS IS A POST GEARED TOWARDS BETTERING THE GAME AND ENLIGHTENING PEOPLE TO THE FACT OF INOVATING THEIR PLAYING. ATTACKING THE POST DOES NOTHING BUT DEGRADE IT. '<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "TimesNewRoman"">