Can You Achieve an ‘S’ Rank in League of Legends After a Loss? The Truth Revealed
Yes, you absolutely can get an S rank even if your team loses the game in League of Legends. Individual performance is assessed separately from the overall team outcome. While a win can indirectly improve your chances due to a potentially better team environment and more opportunities to excel, it’s not a prerequisite for an S rank. Focus on optimizing your personal performance, and the ‘S’ will be within your reach, win or lose.
Unveiling the Secrets of ‘S’ Ranks in League of Legends
Earning an ‘S’ rank in League of Legends is a badge of honor, a testament to exceptional individual performance that goes beyond simply securing a win. It signifies mastery of your chosen champion and role. Let’s delve into the key elements that contribute to achieving this coveted grade. It’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s about how you perform!
The Core Components of an ‘S’ Ranking
The League of Legends grading system evaluates your performance based on a multitude of factors, comparing your statistics to the average performance of other players using the same champion in the same role. Key metrics include:
- KDA (Kills, Deaths, Assists): A high KDA is crucial. Aim for a KDA of 2.0 or higher to significantly boost your chances of an ‘S’ rank. The fewer deaths, the better.
- CS (Creep Score): Efficient farming is paramount. As an ADC, aim for approximately 7 CS per minute, while Top and Mid laners should target around 8 CS per minute. This indicates strong lane management and resource acquisition.
- Vision Score: Providing adequate vision for your team is essential. This includes placing and destroying wards effectively. A high vision score demonstrates your awareness and strategic contribution.
- Damage Dealt to Champions: Consistently dealing high damage to enemy champions is a major indicator of impactful play.
- Objective Participation: Actively participating in securing objectives like turrets, dragons, and Baron Nashor demonstrates your contribution to the team’s success.
- Crowd Control Score: Applying crowd control effects like stuns, snares, and slows on enemy champions can heavily influence team fights and objective control.
- Healing/Shielding on Allies: Support champions are often evaluated on their ability to keep their teammates alive through effective healing and shielding.
- Damage Taken: (For Tanks/Bruisers): If you are playing a tank or a bruiser role, how much damage you can take for your allies matters.
Understanding the Grading System: From ‘S-‘ to ‘S+’
The grading system ranges from ‘D-‘ (the lowest) to ‘S+’ (the highest). Each letter grade has three degrees: minus (-), neutral, and plus (+). An ‘S+’ rank indicates a performance that significantly exceeds the average for that champion, demonstrating exceptional skill and impact. Achieving an ‘S-‘ still means you are playing better than the average player but leaving some room for improvement.
How to Achieve an ‘S+’ Ranking: The Pinnacle of Performance
To reach the pinnacle of performance and secure an ‘S+’ ranking, you need to excel in all aspects of the game. This means having a considerably better KDA than the average for your champion, maintaining a very high vision score, and consistently outperforming the average player in categories like damage to champions, farm, crowd control score, healing/shielding, and damage taken (depending on your role). There is no magic formula to achieve an S+, it is simply a measure of how far above the mean you are compared to other players.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about League of Legends Ranking System
1. What qualifies as an ‘S’ in League of Legends?
An ‘S’ ranking signifies that your performance in a game was significantly above average compared to other players using the same champion in the same role. KDA, CS, vision score, damage dealt, and objective participation are all key factors that determine your grade.
2. What does it take to get an ‘S+’ in League?
To achieve an ‘S+’, you need to drastically outperform the average player on your champion. This includes having an exceptional KDA, a very high vision score, and exceeding the average in categories like damage to champions, farm, crowd control score, healing/shielding, or damage taken.
3. Do you need ‘S+’ for Mastery 7?
Yes, you need ‘S’ or ‘S+’ games to earn Mastery 7 tokens. Combine three Mastery 7 tokens with a champion’s Hextech shard, permanent, or 2950 Blue Essence to unlock Mastery Level 7.
4. What is a good KDA in League of Legends?
A KDA where 2(Kills + Assists) > Deaths is generally considered solid. A KDA ratio of 2.0 or higher is a good indicator that you are outperforming your lane and contributing effectively to your team.
5. How important are placement matches in League of Legends?
Placement matches are crucial as they determine your initial rank for the season. Your performance in these matches, combined with your previous season’s MMR (Matchmaking Rating), dictates where you’ll be placed in the ranked ladder.
6. What happens if you lose all 5 placement games?
Losing all your placement games will result in a lower starting MMR and, consequently, a lower initial rank. However, it’s not the end of the world! You can still climb the ranks by improving your gameplay and winning subsequent games.
7. Can you demote ranks in League?
Yes, you can demote between divisions within a tier (e.g., Silver III to Silver IV) if you lose at 0 LP (League Points). Demotion between tiers (e.g., Gold to Silver) requires a significant drop in MMR.
8. Can you get demoted from Gold to Silver in League of Legends 2023?
Yes, you can be demoted from Gold to Silver, but it’s unlikely without a significantly low MMR. You’d need to consistently lose games and be matched with players in lower Silver divisions for this to happen.
9. Can I demote from Silver 4?
Yes, you can demote from Silver IV to Bronze I if you continue to lose games with a low MMR. The game will provide warning signs (yellow or red icons) to indicate your proximity to demotion.
10. What happens if you win all 10 placement matches in League of Legends?
Winning all 10 placement matches will place you at a higher initial rank, potentially Gold I or Platinum V. However, your starting rank also depends on your previous season’s MMR and the ELO of your opponents during placements.
11. What does ‘SS’ mean in League of Legends?
In League of Legends, “SS” is commonly used as shorthand for “missing” or “enemy missing.” It serves as a warning to teammates that an enemy champion is not currently visible in their lane or a specific area.
12. Can you get demoted for dodging at 0 LP?
While dodging does incur an LP penalty, it doesn’t directly cause demotion. You can continue dodging even at below 0 LP, but it will increase your LP deficit. Demotion only occurs after losing a game at 0 LP.
13. Do you still get the Victorious skin if you demote from Gold?
Yes, once you’ve unlocked the Victorious skin for the split by earning enough split points while being at least gold rank, you’ll keep it even if you are later demoted.
14. Can you drop from Silver to Bronze?
Yes, you can demote down to Bronze from Silver 4.
15. Is Silver Harder Than Gold in League of Legends?
Some players find it harder to climb out of Silver than to climb into Platinum once they reach Gold. Silver is the tier that most players find themselves in, which makes climbing out of it difficult.
League of Legends: More Than Just Winning
League of Legends is a multifaceted game that rewards skill, strategy, and adaptability. While winning is the ultimate goal, individual performance plays a significant role in your progression. Achieving an ‘S’ rank, even in a losing game, is a testament to your mastery of the game and your ability to excel even under pressure. So, focus on improving your individual gameplay, honing your skills, and contributing effectively to your team, regardless of the outcome. By optimizing your performance, you’ll not only increase your chances of earning ‘S’ ranks but also elevate your overall gameplay and climb the ranks to new heights. For more insights into game-based learning and the educational aspects of gaming, visit the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. The GamesLearningSociety.org studies how games can be used for education.