So you’ve finally made it out of the pit that is Bronze, and begun crawling into the ranks of Silver. After years of trying, you are now finally going to get a border at the end of the season; there is no limit what you can accomplish now. At this rate, you can make it into Gold, getting yourself whatever sweet Victorious skin Riot cooks up.
You start playing games in Silver 5, expecting your teammates to use logic and play much better than the scrubs in Bronze. After five games, you realize that not much has changed. Players still rage for no reason, they still AFK and, worst of all, they still blame you for their terrible mistakes. Silver players tend to build better items and chase (slightly) less than Bronze players, but everything else is the same. Everything I wrote in my Bronze guide still applies , as well as my guide to stop titling.
Most League of Legends players are Silver and below, so don’t feel bad about your current rank. Climbing ranks is the most stressful and difficult thing one person can put themselves through. In order to play ranked in League of Legends , you must be a masochist. Normal people don’t want to spend an hour arguing with someone far away about whether or not Teemo Jungle is viable. Normal people don’t stay up all night trying to get that 15 LP to get into promotions. Normal people don’t queue up after losing five games in a row thinking “this game’s going to be a different.”
Improving at League of Legends can often feel impossible. I have friends pick up the game, and within months hit Diamond. I’ve also had friends that have been playing since Beta and are still in Silver. Your journey is your own, don’t compare it to others. When you get frustrated, take a break from the game. If you keep grinding, all you are going to do is lose more games. My rule is: if I lose two games in a row, I have to stop playing. I have to get up from the computer and do anything else. Do some writing, eat some food and maybe even - gasp! - go outside.
If you have followed all the steps in my Bronze guide, you should be at least Gold. Basic mechanical and play making skills should carry you that far. If not, something else is holding you back, whether its tilt, anxiety, or something completely different. Always remember that League of Legends is a game that you play for fun, not a piece of homework that your mom is forcing you to do.
I do have one piece of game advice. At level nine, upgrade your sweeper. In most games in Silver players forget to upgrade it. It’s free, so upgrade your sweeper and save a life.
