Star Power

My main role in “League of Legends” is support. Now, simply put, the support role entails a lot of obscure things in the game compared to the other roles such as ranged carry, mage, jungler or top laner, particularly because it requires the player of this role to be SELFLESS. A selfish support is a bad support. End of story.

The mindset needed to play support properly is something certain people do not seem to get, apparently. This is a role that is taken for granted every game because the whole team expects you to back them up when they charge into the fray, buy all the wards and purposefully gimp yourself by not farming the minions for gold, and all for the purpose of winning in the long run. It is just considered the standard way of being a “good” support.

Rightfully so, it is just in the job description. It may not be the glamorous character role that gets all the glory, but it is still a necessary component for victory. I just think the role requires the player to bring a certain attitude to the table, otherwise a given game can quickly go awry. The way I see it, a standard/good support should blend in, but a bad support sticks out like a sore thumb.

For instance, I am a firm believer that how you play a game reflects your real-life personality. In the case of supports, an ideal personality is one that is willing to help others. This is perhaps a baseline for doing regular duties as a support. You must be attentive of your surroundings, paying careful attention of your allies who suddenly become the most important people in the world when it is showtime.

Whether this means you heal them when they get booboos from an encounter with the bad guys or you augment their power when they execute an attack, the key is you are there when they need you. Your very presence is trust in action.

And to those who do not play supports, you may ask, “What’s the big deal?”

Well, when your carry is running for his/her life because you were too lazy to ward the bushes to make sure no creepy jungler is lurking nearby, whose eyes are dead set on pouncing on your carry (or even you for that matter), then it becomes a big deal.

When you neglect healing/protecting your allies in a team fight because you cannot react fast enough, which draws ire from your allies and then they hate your guts for being sloppy, then it becomes a big deal.

The point is, there are many situations a support player can take part in with their team. Like pieces of a puzzle, the support role is just one section of a larger, more elaborate picture. Everyone has to pull their respective weights to nab a “W,” and I do take pride in knowing that I have played my role respectably to make each win possible.

I am used to being behind the scenes so to speak, where the limelight may rarely shine over me after the dust clears. But I find joy in contributing toward my team’s success. I actually get a bit upset when an ally dies on my watch, and it often becomes a constant challenge of pushing myself to support as hard as I can.

The life of a support player is tricky in this regard. When your teammates are competent, you can often just squeak by and go along for the ride. But if your team is not up to par, then your supporting skills may be rendered ineffective. Nonetheless, support will always be my favorite role in LoL. It is a niche role for sure, but it is a cool niche in my book.

I think the great support players out there do find star power when they find allies who can appreciate all that they do in a given game. I like to think I am a strong, capable support player who has a lot of room to grow. It is just a warm, fuzzy feeling when your teammates are thankful for your supporting efforts. >^..^<
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My last two ranked games with Soraka, the epitome of a support champion in LoL.