For sure,

Bump.

What do you think separates a 1400 player from an 1800 player? Currently, I play around the 13-1400 level player and I absolutely am certain that there are nuances of the game that I'm missing, but I just don't know them.

I ward and pay attention to the map, I know strategy and team composition. I have pretty good technical skill (I spell shield like a boss). I guess my split second decisions aren't the best, and I don't think too hard about counter picking yet. Could that 4-500 Elo difference be chalked up to having inferior "game sense" and a less extensive knowledge of counter-picking?

*Quote is too long so I take most of them off

The differences between 1400-1800...hmm..I will say it is mostly timing and the execution of small details.

For example, a 1400 Ryze will know that he can harass with his Overload (q), but a 1600 Ryze will proceed to increase his damage output by chaining his Rune Prison and another Overload afterward, while the 1800 will use Overload, Auto-attack, Rune Prison, Auto-attack to increase the damage output by another 100.

Do not underestimate these small details, every single time you can execute one more auto-attack, it allows you to push the enemy closer to using his hp pot or close to the 100-200hp gateway to recall, once the enemy recall, you have the upper hand in lane because you can reset the minions, then recall to gain more experience and gold advantage.

Of course, the executions are not limited to lane interaction, but also many other aspects.

For example, when you are playing a Shaco and being chase by the whole enemy team, there are many different "states" a Shaco player can exist in.

1. *Newbie* Using Deceive straight toward his escape path (easily predictable)
2. *Start using map element* Deceive over a wall or into a bush.
3. *Calculating enemy move* Change depend on situation, sometime, even jump behind the enemy.

I am dare to say that I am in the 3rd state, because when I am playing Shaco, I either deceive into area that enemy can never thought of, or I will jump to the back of the enemy team and kill that support/ squishy (<--here is where calculation kick in when you try to escape alive afterward), and if that is impossible, I will try to escape.

You see the differences? Even though everyone know the use of the same skill kit, the execution can create a huge gap between winning and losing.

What are the most important aspects to the game, and can you practice them?

For example, is it CS, map awareness, dragon/baron control, things like that? Are there any things that can be deliberately practiced to make yourself a better lol player?

Learning most if not all the heroes first had to get a better feel for strength and weaknesses. Cool downs, combos, secondary effects on abilities and range of spells. Etc how long trynde's ult lasts so you know when to ignite and how far he can move with his blink spell.

I will say it is map control (it is control, not just awareness) > CS = Team communication > dragon/baron control

Map control is too good to be ignored in the first place, if your whole team is pushing bottom, you know the enemy only have 3 choices,
1. Defend the lane you are pushing
2. Push some other lanes.
3. Take baron/dragon for exchange.

If you have the map control, you can FORCE the enemy where YOU WANT THEM TO BE.
And that means, you are in favor of controlling to start or escape from a team fight!

bump

After playing a premade ranked game with a couple of my buddies a bit ago, I was actually looking for a thread like this.

After doing well early game, taking fb, taking a tower/dragon, how do you effectively snowball the game further in your favor? Would you push in general and hope they make a mistake/initiate, or farm/get a couple of more dragons? Stay in lanes or proceed to roam around early on?

Also, which roles would be more worthy of firstpick? How would you also counter 2-3 tanky dps?

Quite a few questions, I know, but no harm in asking

Once you got fb and dragon, you should regroup and force the enemy to fight with you.

The easiest way to do this is usually putting 4 people on one lane, not only you force the enemy to group up as well, they also lose their control to the map as you guys are in huge advantage.

Forcing the enemies into one lane is also a way to stop enemy from farming, although you also stop your farming, but due to the advantage that you already have, the enemy will come out to be even further behind than you do.

First pick is really depend on your team comp.
You can take a tanky dps as first pick, or ap mid, just make sure that you don't pick something that can be counterpicked easily, such as first picking tryndamere who can easily be countered by teemo.

Heres a question to you higher elo irelia players. Im currently 1275, was 1400, team brought me down by sending me bottom as ire with teemo... the hell? from there just a losing streak. I consider my self a good player with well over 2.3k games played wins/losses. For her my build is wriggles, mercs, (if ap) wits end, (if not ap heavy) I grab a giants belt, then glacial-frozen, then finish frozen mallet, grab a bloodthirster by selling wriggles, and triforce. I farm like a boss, and once i have wriggles and boots, I can near kill anyone. My question is, is this a good build, should I harass more in lane, I usually only harass at level 3, and passive farm unless I have a huge advantage in lane. How can I carry myself higher if I do well,(not to say i havent done bad), from this elo if players simply dont understand how much a monster Irelia is and cant make a team comp that is actually decent?
Also I would like to know who Irelia counters. So far the only people ive had any trouble with at all is a riven early game, and a rumble early game, never had any other troubles except maybe a tryndamere.