Feeling stuck on the ranked ladder is a tale as old as League of Legends itself. You play game after game, you might even feel like you’re playing well, but your LP seems to be on a permanent vacation. It’s a frustrating experience, but the good news is that climbing isn’t about some secret, magical trick. It’s about building better habits and focusing on the right things.
This guide is designed to help you do just that. We’re going to move beyond generic advice and look at the practical, actionable strategies that separate hardstuck players from those who consistently climb. Whether you’re in Iron or knocking on the door of Diamond, these ten tips will help you tighten up your gameplay and start seeing real progress in your ranked journey.
Master Your Mindset Before Your Mechanics
It might sound cliché, but your mental state is your most powerful weapon—or your biggest liability. Tilt is the number one rank killer. The moment you start blaming your team, the matchmaking, or a bad play, you’ve already lost the next game. Instead, adopt a growth mindset. Every single game, win or lose, is an opportunity to learn something. Did you die to an early gank? Note the timing and think about how you could have warded differently. Lost a teamfight? Think about your positioning. When you focus on your own play, you always have something to gain.
Become a Mainsail, Not a Drifter
While it can be fun to play every champion in the game, climbing efficiently requires specialization. Pick one or two main roles and a very small pool of champions for each—ideally, two or three you are deeply comfortable with. This allows you to stop thinking so much about what your champion does and start focusing on the game itself: macro decisions, map awareness, and objective control. You’ll learn all the nuanced matchups for your mains, knowing exactly when you can fight and when you should farm. Depth beats breadth every time on the ranked ladder.
The Unseen Power of the Minimap
If there’s one free skill that will instantly make you a better player, it’s improving your map awareness. You should be glancing at the minimap every 3-5 seconds, almost like a nervous tick. It’s not just about spotting the jungler; it’s about tracking lane states, seeing where your allies are, and identifying roaming enemies. A good trick is to associate every last-hitting minion kill with a quick look at the map. This constant flow of information will save you from countless deaths and open up opportunities for you to help your team.
Win the Game by Winning Your Farm
Kills are exciting, but CS is consistent income. Many players in lower elos drastically underestimate the value of high creep score. A wave of minions is often worth more than a kill, and it’s far less risky. Missing last-hits under your own tower or failing to catch side waves in the mid-game is like throwing free gold in the trash. Make it your goal to consistently hit 7-8 CS per minute in your games. This alone will give you a significant gold advantage over your opponent, allowing you to hit your item power spikes faster and carry fights more effectively.
Warding is a Weapon, Not a Chore
Don’t just place your trinket ward randomly when you remember to. Think of vision as a strategic tool. Are you playing a pushing lane? Ward deep in the river or enemy jungle to spot the jungler’s pathing. Is the objective coming up? Control wards in the pixel brush or over the wall can win you the fight before it even starts. And it’s not just about placing wards—it’s about using the ones your team places. That little red dot on the minimap is the enemy jungler. That information is priceless.
Play the Clock: Objective Timers are Everything
The game of League is governed by a clock. Dragon spawns every 5 minutes after it dies. Baron Nashor spawns at 20 minutes. Herald disappears at 19:45. Start playing with these timers in mind. About a minute before a major objective spawns, you should be setting up vision, shoving out your side waves, and ensuring your team is in a position to contest. So many games are thrown because a team wins a fight but has no waves to push with, or because they are scattered when an objective is about to come up. Be the player who pings the upcoming Dragon timer and gets the team organized.
Die Less, Climb More
This is perhaps the simplest and most effective tip. Dying is the worst thing you can do in League of Legends. It gives the enemy gold and experience, takes you off the map, and gives them opportunities to take objectives. Before you go for a risky play, ask yourself: “What do I gain if this works, and what do I lose if it fails?” Often, the risk is not worth the reward. Staying alive means you can farm, gain experience, and be present for crucial fights. A player with a 2/0/5 score is almost always more valuable than one with a 10/8/5 score.
Communicate with Purpose, Not with Passion
Chat can be a trap. Typing long paragraphs about a teammate’s mistake is a complete waste of time and energy. It tilts your team and distracts you from playing. Use pings effectively instead. A simple “On My Way” ping can set up a successful gank. A “Danger” ping can save a teammate from walking into a dark jungle. If you must type, keep it short and positive. “gj” or “we can do this” can work wonders for team morale. Your focus should be on the game, not on the keyboard.
Review Your Own Games Like a Coach
You don’t need a professional coach to identify your mistakes. After a particularly tough loss—or even a messy win—take five minutes to watch the replay. Skip to every time you died and ask yourself: “Why did that happen? Could I have positioned better? Did I miss a ward? Was that a fight I should never have taken?” Watching yourself play from a detached perspective makes your errors glaringly obvious and helps you internalize what not to do next time.
Consistency Trumps Heroics
You don’t need to be the hero every single game. The goal is not to 1v9 and make highlight reel plays; the goal is to be a consistently positive force for your team, game after game. This means sometimes you will be the carry, and sometimes you will enable the player on your team who is popping off. Playing consistently well, minimizing your mistakes, and making solid macro decisions will win you far more games in the long run than trying to force a risky play that only works one out of ten times.
Climbing in League of Legends is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires patience, self-reflection, and a commitment to improving one step at a time. By focusing on these core principles—your mindset, your fundamentals, and your macro decisions—you’ll build a much stronger foundation for your gameplay. Forget about the individual wins and losses for a moment, and focus on becoming a better player. The LP will follow. Now, get out there, implement these tips, and start your climb.