Difference Between Diamond, Master, Challenger Tier Players - How to Win Ranked

After the re-introduction of solo queue, players are back on the grind to gain more LP than ever before. Meanwhile, in my own grind, I've hit a roadblock these past few years, unable to make much of a dent in the climb above Diamond. That's why, over this weekend, I did some self-reflection and came up with the following:

Introduction

After the re-introduction of solo queue, players are back on the grind to gain more LP than ever before. Meanwhile, in my own grind, I've hit a roadblock these past few years, unable to make much of a dent in the climb above Diamond.

That's why, over this weekend, I did some self-reflection and came up with the following:

Q: How do you climb the ladder faster?
A: Play and win.

That's it. If you don't play you can't gain LP, and if you don't win, you can't gain LP.

But since that wasn't terribly helpful, let's see if we can break it down a little further...

What do Challenger Players Say?

There's a variety of different opinions around the web, and include the following:

• Higher level players punish mistakes more;
• Higher level players are more focused on objectives and winning; and
• Higher level players are just better (consistently) in every category.

Challenger players often describe the difference between Challenger and low Diamond players to be the same as the difference between Bronze/Silver and Diamond players.

While this might sound trollish, this actually ends up being VERY helpful. Instead of a mystical fix, we can approach it from a Bronze to Diamond type of analysis. How do people rise from Bronze to Diamond? Let's brainstorm:

Brainstorm Session

Higher level players win more games because they're...

1. Naturally gifted at/practice more...
• Last-hitting
• Mechanics
• Skillshots
• Dodging
2. Lucky
• Better teammates
• Less disconnects
• Less feeders/trolls/afk's/DCs
3. More knowledgeable
• When to take objectives
• When to be aggressive vs passive
• What champions counter other champions
• Low-counterplay strategies
4. More flexible
• Roles
• Champions
• Adaptable

How to Actively Achieve the Above

1. Naturally gifted at/practice more
• Last-hitting - Practice in bot games
• Mechanics - Use sandbox mode
• Skillshots - Play URF mode or ARAMs, or play no skillshot champions
• Dodging - Play URF mode or ARAMs
2. Lucky
• Better teammates - Duo with someone (who's good)
• Less disconnects - Get better internet connections
• Less feeders/trolls/afk's/DCs - Don't feed/afk and don't make other people troll/afk
3. More knowledgeable - Play more, watch replays
• When to take objectives
• When to be aggressive vs passive
• What champions counter other champions
• Low-counterplay strategies - Play Quinn
4. More flexible
• Roles - Play more
• Champions - Play more
• Adaptable - Play more

Conclusions

After reading around the web for a mystical strategy, spending hours into brainstorming, and digging deep into the statistics, it appears I came to the most reasonable, but the least popular conclusion.

Once your computer and internet connection are stable and you're not suffering from any physical disorders, it really just comes down to play time and not being toxic.

There are certain focused practice sessions you can do such as practicing specific skills like last-hitting and dodging skill shots, but in the end it's really about practicing the game. 

When the game first started you used to hear about players that rarely played but were super good. Nowadays, these players are essentially non-existent, and to play at the highest caliber professionals spend their daily lives completely immersed in the game.

What are your thoughts on improving? Comment below!