I usually support in League.It’s my preferred role. A long, long time ago when I started playing in Season 2 it was not as common to see support mains as it was to see jungle, mid, top or the all super self-important adcs.
Well that’s changed. And with it I find myself going back to other champions. As I find myself starting over in Bronze 2 (surprise, surprise considering I felt my placement matches went) I find myself in other roles with other champions. Some... not so much.
So let’s see. Swain first. While I am still absolute trash last hitting with Swain I have learned his poke combos and how to play him comfortably enough that I can hold my own in the top lane. What I’m struggling with is transitioning that stronger lane for me into a stronger game for my team. It’s nice if I’m holding Nunu hostage top lane and otherwise making his life a living hell forcing back after back. It means nothing though when Cho gath is having Kentucky-fried Azir mid lane and bot isn’t fairing much better once Azir and Cait start a bickering war because both are saltier than the red sea. While there was a lot of approval for their Nunu I did ave the pleasure of seeing their Cho’Gath admit that he never wanted to go against me top-lane. That was the game my team lost and I went 3/3/6. On the happier side of Swain the game I went 13/2/12 showcased what happens when the team is playing well and doesn’t really need me. Xin Zhao left me alone after I double-killed him and Rumble during a bad gank. I was ahead. I was staying ahead. Blessedly so were Ziggs in mid and Vayne bot lane. I don’t think our Lee Sin ganked for me even once but it was definitely a stomping grounds. So - until I can transition Swain from being a nightmare in one lane into a nightmare for all lanes and get better at CSing (totals of 137 and 113 minions slain in either game) I may have to take him back to the practice games normals and computer games.
Next up - Mid. I love and hate this role. I have two favorite champions for it: Viktor and Malzahar. Viktor is enjoyable, Is pretty solid and can be an ablsolute nightmare for the enemy team but I’m out of practice with CSing. This can and will be fixed. The issue then is Malzahar. I struggle with the same classic issue - transitioning a strong mid game if I have one into a strong game for everyone. I know this is supposedly the jungler’s job but maybe I need to do what Sky Williams has suggested in his videos and look for that one player that is suspect and likely to rage if I begin camping and go to town on them any chance I get. Time, practice and more game will tell.
And finally Jungle. A long time ago I was decent with Vi. I feel most comfortable on her as jungler with Sej sitting in more or less perma-ban status. Do I own others such as Rek’sai? Yes. Shaco? Certainly. Practice on these ridiculously strong jungle champions? Piddling.
So with these being the main roles I pick up now I’ve got two major roles to overhaul my ability to play in and one which needs just a touch more. Will my abilities as a support suffer? Probably. My being away and coming back certainly does enough damage as is. Will I improve? Well I hope that other summoners will be willing to observe, criticize and guide me so I can do what my long win streak last season failed to do: break out of bronze and see how far I can go as a weekend warrior.
To all of you - I bid you a great time on the rift.