Well, we’re in the thick of it folks! Preseason is underway, players have taken some time to adapt to the item changes, and Riot is throwing out what balances and hot-fixes they can while we ready ourselves for Season 11.

But regardless of balance changes, a question that comes up every preseason is, “Is it worth it to play ranked during the Preseason?” And today, I’m going to answer that question! But first, I want to talk to you about League’s ranking system and how it actually works.

The ELO System - Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold and All the Above

The ELO system is the simplest and easiest system to talk about first. Simply put, ELO can best be understood through the visualization of the Ranked Tiers themselves, Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and so on.

Within each of these tiers there are four ‘sub-tiers’ stacked from four to one, with four being the lowest and one being the highest and closest to reaching the next rank entirely. So, the lower you are the farther you have to climb to rank up.

And progression in this system is just as easily tracked as it is visualized. To progress to the next rank, you simply need to win games. (A lot easier said than done sometimes…) And winning games, you gain League Points (LP), and can push yourself up the ladder and towards your next tier or rank entirely.

Previously, to move between the tiers within each rank, you had to play a promotional series. But, with Preseason 11, Riot has seen to the removal of the inter-divisional Best-of-Three series and has instead elected to have promotional series only take place if you’re moving between ranks entirely. So, once you reach over 100 LP within Gold 4, you’ll promote immediately to Gold 3 and will be afforded a small cushion of LP should you suffer a few losses.

But, when you reach 100 LP within, say, Gold 1. Once you reach at or over that cap, you’ll enter into the Promotional Series where you’ll have to win your way through a Best-of-Five gauntlet to prove you deserve your way into the next Rank. Should you fail, you’ll start back at within your inter-tier 1 with around 75 LP (sometimes more or less) and will have to win your way back in. But, should you be successful in your series, you’ll naturally rank up and promote to the ranked tier that is currently above you with a demotion shield blocking you from falling out should you hit a loss streak.

The MMR/Hidden Ranking System

But, while the ELO system is pretty clear and easy to understand, the MMR system is not. And between the two systems, MMR is FAR more important to understand and master the manipulation of.

So, what is the MMR system? Well, to put it as simply as possible, the MMR system is a system of ranking that is hidden away from view of players and primarily concerns the matchmaking process itself. Though ELO is a good representation of skill, MMR is the most accurate representation of it.

The MMR system is what is referenced to gauge the formation of lobbies and is also what affects the over-and-under of LP gains. Simply, you want to have a great MMR rating so that climbing is easier. With high MMR, you’ll net better teammates (usually) and gain more LP for each victory you earn and lose less for each loss you suffer.

But how do you track this rating? Well, you can’t really. As said, it’s hidden from player view, but through LP gains and losses you can get an idea of where the system is gauging you at. Typically, if you’re winning more LP than you're losing, you’re likely within the ‘good graces’ of the MMR system and can likely climb easily and fall softly.

If your LP gains start to stagnate or you even begin to lose more than you gain, then you can start to get the idea that the MMR system has you ‘figured out’. Meaning, since the MMR system governs the entire matchmaking process, if you begin to stagnate in your climb, the system probably gauged where your skill is at and has put you in the position of needing to grind to move from your current point.

Stagnation typically means you’re going to need to ‘get good’ as the Soul-like series like to put it. This means winning far more games than you lose, and not only win them, but handedly. You have to perform above your station and get the system to recognize, “Hey. Maybe he doesn’t belong here,” so that your LP gains can start netting far more than they typically do.

But don’t worry. Hard grinding isn’t the only way to affect the system. And we’ll get into that with our next topic…

Dodging the Bad, Playing the Good

Dodging is a hot-topic amongst the League community. Some players bemoan it, while others are in full support of its existence since it allows them to escape situations where they feel they have no control. But, when it comes to manipulating your MMR and easily climbing up the ELO ladder, Dodging is an invaluable asset that anyone dedicated to climbing must utilize well.

So, how do you dodge effectively and what are the signs of a ‘dodge-able’ lobby? Well, thats in the eye of the beholder. I’ll give you my typical signs of a dodge though to give you a basis to work off of.

1. There’s clearly a troll in the lobby. If the Heal-Smite Jungle Janna gets locked in, it’s time to dodge. It’s not worth wasting your time and spending your energy on a game where a player is clearly trolling with something that isn’t even considered off-meta. Don’t buy their attempts to claim they can carry you. Just save yourself the trouble and exhaustion.

2. If there are players being argumentative or demanding in chat. Everyone has their own idea about how the game should be played. But the moment your team starts trying to walk over each other with picks or bans in lobby, is the moment when you should stop being in that lobby.

3. You get that ‘off’ feeling. This happens to me, a lot, I get into lobby and the team comp looks great and I genuinely think, “Hey, we can smash this,” but then something strikes me that puts me ‘off’. That off feeling is usually your subconscious mind telling you that you’re not about to play well and be a total liability in-game. Again, save yourself the time and trouble

4. If the enemy team comp is EXTREMELY terrifying. Especially if you’re in a carry position like Mid or Bot. If you’ve essentially been hard countered by an enemy composition, and you’re going to have to play your Champion suboptimally to compensate, it’s best to just chalk it up as a dodge and go to the next lobby. (This means you Katarina/Jhin mains that play into comps that include 5 sources of crowd-control and dive.)

So, with that said, there are plenty of positions where you don’t dodge. Like if you’ve landed the counter-pick in draft order for your lane, your team comp synergizes well and can execute despite whatever the enemy puts down (plenty of wombo-combo), or if you’re in a series, of course.

Dodging in a series is a loss for the game you’re on at the time. So, you want to avoid dodging within a series if you can. It might be taxing to play out a game with a bunch of toxic flamers, but unless you’re being held down by Smite-Heal-Jungle-Janna, it’s best to just try and play it out in hopes of the team just ‘clicking’ for a series win.

Back to the Main Question

So, is it worth it to climb during the Preseason?

Yes. Yes it is. Despite the fact that ranks are reset at the beginning of each and every season, taking the time to climb up the ladder during the Preseason can prep you for an easier time once the reset hits. Mainly due to the fact that MMR is never truly reset. Only ELO is. MMR goes through a 'soft-reset' which allows everyone a little early advantage to climbing at the beginning of the season, but it never truly moves you away from your previously acquired position unless you hard-grind it and dodge smartly.

By aggressively shifting and managing your MMR, you ready yourself by being in a position where, once the reset hits, you will be projected far and above wherever you are initially placed. And once you claim that first victory of the season, you’ll skyrocket in terms of your LP gains since the system will be reading your MMR and will believe you truly belong far above wherever you place. And if you adjust your MMR to read prior to the season that you deserve a higher ranking, you’re likely to be placed closer to the ranking than you are to be placed lower.

So, ultimately, take the Preseason as serious as you would the regular season. It’s just as vital as the regular season is, and can certainly set the stage for what the rest of your season will be like.

Closing Out

With all that said, I hope you guys have found this piece to be informative and inspiring for you to truly tackle the Preseason with some serious gusto!

I hope you get yourself into prime position for the regular season once it rolls up, and I hope you’ve already adjusted to all the swings and misses of the Preseason patch thus far! Good luck on the Rift, Summoners!