Peridotlol, a Mid main, is a current Challenger in League of Legends. He is also a part of The Ohio State University collegiate team. I spoke with Peridotlol about his collegiate team, the new rune system, the differences in Ranked divisions, and how to improve as a player.

During your grind to Challenger, how many games/hours did you play a day and how did it affect your performance?

Peridotlol: It's hard to estimate, since some weeks I might play a game a day while others I might spam during my free time. When I'm looking to climb, I might go up to 6-10 games a day. This would amount to around 4-6 hours a day. An excess of games will definitely wear me off after a while. The best thing to deal with that while climbing is to just know your limits. I'll often push mine but respect it at the same time.

What's it like to play for the Ohio State University collegiate team?

Peridotlol: I joined my Freshman year. It's definitely made me a better player and I met a lot of friends through the team. It was my first time playing in a real competitive environment. Between scrims and tournaments, we end up playing around 2-3 times a week. We don't really have a gaming house so we don't actually meet up in person all the time. Shoutouts to OSU Athletics if you could give us a gaming house. That would be great!


Do you guys have a Coach? What's that like?

Peridotlol: Our Coach helps us out by providing an outside voice to keep us in the game and thinking. Coming out of a game regardless of win or loss, it's really hard to think about the game. In the cases when you lose, your mentality might be shaken, and sometimes you don't have the clearest of mind to think about stuff. That's where the Coach comes in, because he can talk about things objectively. It helps that he is unbiased and doesn't single people out when mistakes happen.

What are your thoughts on Season 8 and the new rune system?

Peridotlol: Riot has found something that's a lot different and, as a result of that, I think it's been really fun. Nothing is too overpowered or ridiculous although I think that there are some Keystones that are way better than the others. For example, in the Precision tree, Press the Attack is by far the best Keystone. Some Champions that don't even need the Attack Speed given from the Precision tree will still choose Press the Attack because it's just that good. I would like to see more balance amongst the Keystones.

I would also like to see more flexibility and freedom when it comes to the stats given when choosing your Path. For example, some Champions will choose the Resolve Path for Aftershock because they want better initiation. But, what if I don't want the extra +130 HP that is inherently given in the Resolve Path and I want Attack Speed instead? This lack of flexibility in choosing what stats we want will define the new meta by favoring some Champions and leaving others out.

What are some characteristics of players in the different Ranked Divisions? Start with Bronze to Diamond.

Peridotlol: Starting with Bronze, I think players are still developing a feel of the game. You can begin to start playing Ranked, but there are still some fundamentals that haven't been truly grasped. Mechanics such as last hitting, proper communication, and using skills in succession.

Starting in Silver, most players begin to have a better understanding of the mechanics, but struggle to execute on them. I think the main issue with Bronze and Silver players is that they still view the game casually and not competitively. They have the idea of "I'm here to have fun" or "I don't want to push myself too hard and stress".

Starting in Gold, players begin to respect the game in the sense that they put time into the game and try to understand what goes on behind the scenes. Situational awareness regarding itemization comes into play around this level. This includes different starting items and adapting item builds based on the situation.

In Platinum, most players have exceptional mechanical play and can start executing the plays that they want. Champion specific matchups really start to come into play and knowing the intricacies of the matchups. Macro wise, objective play is a huge part of the game. For example, towers are really important because they give map control.


What about from Diamond to Challenger? Is the skill gap still drastically different the higher you climb?

Peridotlol: I used to not think so, but as I've climbed the ladder myself, I've found that there is still in fact a huge skill difference.

Diamond players should have all the core fundamentals down. This includes solid mechanics, game sense, map sense, objective play, team play, and communication. As you continue to climb higher, there might be some players that are insanely good in one area, but lack in another. You will commonly see players with insane mechanical skills but lack communication skills or objective play. In addition to fundamentals, mentality is also a huge component. You have to have the mentality to work with your team, and be a decent teammate. You have to want to play for the win, and that might include some sacrifice.

The big thing with Master and Challenger players is just being consistent. This means playing consistently at a high level. This includes minimizing your mistakes, not tilting and throwing away the game, and knowing when to carry and when to be carried. In addition to just being consistent, playing the meta is a must.

How do I improve as a player?

Peridotlol: The first area is fundamentals. You should always look to keep improving your fundamentals. This just simply comes from playing the game more. The other big thing is mentality. As I mentioned before, you have to play with the mentality to win. This means not intentionally throwing, and really caring about the game. Lastly, I would say consistency. Don't crack under pressure and let your fundamentals and mentality go out the window.

What's one piece of advice you would say to aspiring Mid-laners out there?

Peridotlol: Play the map. In addition to just playing your lane, do you know how to control the map? Inherently, Mid-laners have the most impact on the map because they are in the MIDDLE of the map. You have the flexibility to go Top or Bottom. Other ways to control the map include good vision, knowing where the enemy Jungler is, helping out your own Jungler, and making roams.


If Mid-laners are tasked with Map Control, are most Mid-laners shot callers?

Peridotlol: I actually think that a lot of Mid-laners are NOT shot callers. As a Mid-laner you have to concentrate on a lot of stuff, but playing the lane comes first and foremost. Not only is the map accesible to you, you are also accessible by the map. Top can come down to gank you, enemy Support can come up to gank you. On top of all that, Mid-laners are often the playmakers of the team, so it requires them to focus a lot to perform mechanically.


Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Any last shoutouts?

Peridotlol: Shoutouts to my collegiate team. You guys are dope. Shoutouts to my TCS team, I learned alot from you guys. Good run! Follow me on www.twitch.tv/Peridotlol. You can catch me playing Mid. I'm currently doing an unranked to Challenger run with Ekko only!

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