League of Legends has 154 champions in total since the release of Rell, The Iron Maiden. With so many champions in the pool, it can be very tempting to play different champions each day so that you won’t get bored at playing the game over and over. However, there are different benefits that you can enjoy when you learn one champion inside and out. It might not be the most enticing prospect, but many professional players out there have at least one champion that they consider their signature and for good reason.
Why You Should Learn One Champion?
Mastering one champ doesn’t mean you’re going to play one champion for the rest of your life. There’s no single person out there that would/can do that for the rest of their life. Mastering one champ means that you play this champion so often that you’ve understood the entirety of what this champion is capable of. Once you learn one champion inside and out, it doesn’t just mean that you will be able to play this champion on an advanced level but you’ll also pick up some things that you’ll learn to use on other situations as well.
Learning one champion can be done by hands-on application as well as some theoretical analysis such as reading League of Legends Guides and some highlights from other players who have already mastered playing this champion. The most difficult part about when you learn one champion isn’t sticking with your choice but the act of choosing a champion to master. You can make your choice by playing different champions until you find the one that you think really matches your playstyle or one that makes you enjoy playing the game most.
Benefits of Learning One Champion
There are 5 major benefits when you learn one champion. These benefits will greatly improve your performance in the game or just offer some simple points of pride in your League of Legends career. Regardless of what you choose to do with the knowledge you earn from mastering one champ, there will be a time when it will come in handy. Here are some of the reasons why you should learn one champion inside and out:
1. The Pocket Pick
The Pocket Pick is a term that players use to refer to a champion they play when the going gets tough. When you’re on a losing streak or generally some unwanted stuff is happening to you in the game, you can go back to playing this champion to refresh your mind. Your pocket pick is like your identity, a champion that represents your entire career in League of Legends. In professional League of Legends, a pocket pick can turn the entire flow of a series in their favor.
One example of a pocket pick is Bjergsen’s Zilean which was famous for being undefeated during the LCS 2020 Summer Playoff and boosted them to the championship. Enemy teams were forced to ban Zilean even though he wasn’t a Meta Pick during that time. Just like Bjergsen, having a pocket pick will make you a threat of a player and allow you to have more freedom on the champions you choose. You’ll eventually reach the point where you’re so good at your pocket pick that you’ll get bored of winning with it.
2. Mastery Points
Mastery Points is just for the sake of having vanity features like a Mastery Flair or Border. Playing one champion religiously will definitely help you earn a ton of Master Points and help you achieve Mastery 7 easily since you’ll be spending a lot of time earning points. You can read more about how to easily get Mastery Points with our Mastery Guide. Having a high mastery level proves that you’ve been working hard on your career.
There’s also a good reason to earn Mastery Points. Attaining a Master Level 7 isn’t exactly a walk in the park since you need to master some game fundamentals that require a lot of skill. When other players start using the champion you mastered, you can compare the amount of mastery points you’ve accumulated vs theirs and so that you can determine how good they are at using the champion. Your Pocket Pick should have the highest Master Points since it proves that you’ve spend a lot of time playing it.
3. Game Mechanics Familiarization
Game mechanics are learned by playing the game but playing different champions require different ways to apply these fundamentals. Playing one champion to learn these game mechanics will help you get a deeper understanding of how they work because you’ll have a uniform experience of achieving objectives in the game. Once you’ve played enough games, these game mechanics will stop being an idea in your head and will start having a deeper connection to your gameplay.
There are game mechanics that are more effective when you try it on different champs but by mastering basic concepts, it becomes easier to apply it to all the other champions you play. The idea behind familiarizing yourself with the game’s mechanics using one champion helps you have a solid idea of what you need to do in the game. When you apply it on different champs simultaneously, that game’s mechanics become a mash-up of various things you learn over time.
4. Teach Other Players
Once you’ve mastered a champion, you’ll earn the right to teach other players on how to use this champion just like you. Teaching other players how to use a champion can be some sort of rite of passage since it proves that you’ve mastered the game’s fundamentals. Not everyone can really teach you how you play the game (yet, they still do it anyway). While you might not think you have what it takes to teach yet, having a Mastery 7 on a champ might tell you otherwise.
Teaching other players how to use a champion isn’t just a hobby. Some people also make money out of writing guides online or making YouTube videos about helpful tips and tricks. Some people might also just simply make highlight reels of their own gameplay and compile all of the most insane moments. As long as you record all your games, you’ll definitely be able to capture enough clips to make a “Best Moments” video like the ones you see online.
5. Counterpicking
The perks of learning a champion inside and out is that you can use that knowledge against another player. When you’re matched up against a player that’s using your champion, you can easily find a way to counter them by counterpicking them and using the most effective strategy to beat them when playing that champion. This will offer your team the highest chances of winning and essentially rendering one member of the enemy team useless for the rest of the game.
Not familiar with how to counterpick champions? When playing a champion, you’ll notice that there are certain champions that you fight against that you have difficulty facing off. For example, a ranged matchup in the top lane usually ends up with the melee getting trashed so if you would pick another ranged champion to fight against it then the odds will be more favored. Just try to remember what those players were doing during your matchup and try to imitate those moves in your game and it will most likely end up successful.
How To Master One Champion At A Time
Mastering the right champion isn’t an easy task. It takes a lot of experimentation to achieve and sometimes guides just don’t help with the process at all. When you’re playing to learn one champion, try to observe all the things you’re doing and if it works, continue doing it and if it doesn’t, change it up. The most important thing you need to do is to not be afraid to mix things up during a match. Try different runes, builds, or max different skills until you feel like a change is starting to give you the advantage during the fight.
You’ll know that you’ve mastered one champion when you can do combos that nobody else can do. Having a high level of mastery over one champion can take weeks or even months to achieve. The key to achieving this is that you need to have dedication and the right mindset to get you going. Most players quit after days thinking that they’ve already learned everything there is to know only to watch other people do something they can’t. Push yourself to the limit so that you can take your skills to the next level.
Should I learn one champion at a time?
Yes. Learning one champion at a time is one of the most important things to do as a beginner. While it’s important to familiarize yourself with all of the roles and champions in the game, you need to master at least one champion.