Welcome! Are you tired of grinding League of Legends only to feel stuck in low ELO? Do you watch your LP vanish into thin air, wondering what invisible mistakes are holding you back? You’re not alone. After playing an absurd number of games and witnessing countless misplays, I’ve uncovered the invisible mistakes that low ELO players make—mistakes so subtle you might not even realize they’re costing you games.
This isn’t another generic guide telling you to “farm better” or “ward more.” We’re diving deep into the unseen errors that separate hardstuck players from those who climb effortlessly. By the end of this guide, you’ll have the tools to identify and fix these mistakes, turning your losses into wins. Let’s jump in this amazing LoL Boost Guide!
Mistake #1: Wasting the Threat of Your Abilities
One of the most exploitable mistakes in low ELO is failing to use the threat of your abilities. Most players focus solely on landing their spells, but the real power lies in how your opponent reacts to the possibility of you using them.
For example, imagine facing a Malphite with his ultimate up. The mere threat of his engage forces you to play cautiously, saving Flash and positioning carefully. This mental pressure is called overloading your opponent’s mental stack.
How to Fix It:
- Hold your key abilities: Don’t throw spells mindlessly. Use their threat to control enemy movement.
- Force mispositions: If your opponent is juking to avoid your skill shot, you’re already winning—they’re wasting time and movement.
- Capitalize on cooldowns: Once the enemy burns their defensive spell, that’s your window to strike.
In a real-game scenario, a Zyra who holds her root (E) forces the enemy ADC to zigzag, delaying their advance. But if she throws it immediately and misses, the enemy can all-in without fear. The threat is often stronger than the spell itself.
Mistake #2: ADHD Laning (The Wave State Killer)
Proper laning fundamentals are boring, but they win games. Low ELO players often throw away advantages by mindlessly auto-attacking or using abilities on minions at the wrong time. I call this ADHD laning—players get impatient and sabotage their own wave states.
The Cost of Impatience:
- Ruined freezes: A single auto-attack can break a perfect freeze, giving your opponent a free lane.
- Lost slow pushes: Killing minions too fast denies you the chance to build a massive wave for dives or recalls.
- Unnecessary risks: Boredom leads to forced trades or roams, often at the worst possible time.
How to Fix It:
- Last-hit with purpose: Only kill minions when necessary to maintain your desired wave state.
- Use normal cast for precision: Angle abilities to avoid unintended splash damage on the wave.
- Stay disciplined: Even if the lane feels stagnant, patience pays off.
In one game, an enemy Yone had a perfect freeze setup but ruined it by auto-attacking minions randomly. His impatience turned a winning lane into a lost one—without me doing anything.
Mistake #3: Playing for Others (Early Game)
Low ELO players love to help teammates, even when it’s a terrible idea. Early-game lane states are everything, yet players throw leads to contest Grubs, Dragons, or doomed invades.
Why Lane State Trumps Everything Early:
- Level spikes matter more: The difference between level 3 and 4 is huge; level 9 vs. 10 is negligible.
- Recovery is harder: Falling behind early means you can’t just shove and roam—you’re stuck.
- Teammates will misplay: Don’t gamble your lane to save a jungler making a bad invade.
How to Fix It:
- Ignore early skirmishes: Unless it’s free, stay in lane and focus on your CS and XP.
- Recall on crashes: If you crash a wave, reset instead of greeding for a pointless roam.
- Mute flamers: Your 0/2 jungler’s opinion doesn’t matter. Play for your lead.
In one game, an Aatrox threw his lead by roaming to Grubs after crashing a wave. He could’ve recalled, bought items, and dominated—but he greeded and gave me a free kill.
Mistake #4: Ignoring Mental Stack Overload
High-ELO players win by overwhelming opponents with decisions. Low ELO players, however, don’t exploit this. They play predictably, making it easy for enemies to dodge or counter them.
How to Exploit Mental Stack:
- Layer threats: Combine ability threats with wave pressure or jungle proximity.
- Force panic reactions: If the enemy is juggling your spell threat, minion aggro, and a gank, they’ll make mistakes.
- Bait cooldowns: Use movement or fake engages to force out key abilities.
For example, a Gragas running from a fight will juke endlessly if you hold your Charm (Ahri). This lets you auto-attack freely until he’s in kill range.
Final Tip: Learn from Real Low ELO Games
Most educational content is made by Challengers who don’t understand low ELO struggles. They’ll teach wave syncs or perfect rotations—things that don’t happen in your games. This disconnect can be frustrating for players who are trying to improve their skills. Instead of focusing on advanced techniques that may not apply to their situation, it would be more beneficial for educational content creators to address the fundamental aspects of gameplay that resonate with lower ELO players.
Topics such as basic strategy, effective communication with teammates, and understanding the importance of map awareness can provide much more value to those still learning the ropes. By tailoring their content to the needs of varying skill levels, they can help foster growth and improvement within the community.
What You Should Do Instead:
- Watch Smurf commentaries: Focus on guides that highlight your ELO’s mistakes.
- Fix one mistake at a time: Trying to master everything at once is overwhelming.
- Be selfish early: Climbing starts with you. Don’t let teammates dictate your game.
Conclusion
These invisible mistakes are why you’re stuck. But now, you see them. You know how to fix them. The climb starts today with this best LoL Boost Guide.
Stop wasting your abilities. Stop autopiloting in lane. Stop dying for doomed plays. And most importantly—stop playing for anyone but yourself in the early game. Now go out there and punish those mistakes. Your LP is waiting.