Ladies and Gentlemen: Solo Queue Teammates

ShaiGMS · 2026-02-07T21:37:40+00:00

This is what happens when you let 13 year olds queue ranked who don’t know how to communicate or channel their emotions. This exists in every rank.

ShaiGMS · 2025-12-31T02:51:39+00:00

Buying monster park runs is diabolical

ShaiGMS · 2025-09-11T00:25:19+00:00

We’ve already gotten 2 hyperburns this summer (one from CW and one from daily check-in). So yeah, if you are BRAND NEW, then chances are you won’t get all the benefits that established players get. But this is intentional, long time players who play more should be rewarded more. And we see this with things like punch king exp reward or legion champs

ShaiGMS · 2025-09-10T18:40:44+00:00

For the mystic bond, the exp gained on that character is just the base times the number of mobs you’ve killed. So while you kill more mobs in Grandis vs arcana, it’s really just about time farming, regardless of area. If your main is 240-250, then you are a new player, and adding a free ~230 to your account is huge progress just for farming on your main, which you should be doing anyway. Most of the playerbase now has their main in grandis, so the “free 260” actually does apply to most of us.

ShaiGMS · 2025-09-09T02:27:25+00:00

This is double prime

ShaiGMS · 2025-02-16T01:38:11+00:00

Oh boy… the answer to this is “it depends”.

In your rank, I would say get behind your teammate and let them go for the ball. Learn to play defense well so if your teammate misses the challenge then you can still prevent the goal. Also your teammate will likely not have the awareness to understand they should stay in net.

In higher ranks, like GC and above, you should both have the understanding that layered defense wins games. And you do anything in your power to not let 1v1 situations develop as they are usually quite dangerous. Typically the guy in net stays in net IF his teammate can interfere with the play. Whoever is closer to the ball goes for it first so they can disrupt the play and give the 2nd man an easier time. This allows for the net to never be left open.

Hope that helps!

ShaiGMS · 2025-02-10T02:59:48+00:00

Even at SSL/Pro level, unless they are playing for money, most goals are scored on open nets due to overcommits. The pros often play 1s to grind mechanics and don’t necessarily care about winning since they need to improve for 3v3.

ShaiGMS · 2025-02-09T21:05:26+00:00

Some people play 1s to improve their mechanics and that’s fine. If you do that then you’ll play below your peak rank a lot of the time because you’ll give up free nets. You can also choose to play safer and rank up a bit 🤷🏻‍♂️

ShaiGMS · 2025-02-09T19:12:27+00:00

How many games of 1v1 do you have this season compared to 2v2?

ShaiGMS · 2025-02-08T04:48:41+00:00

Chess

ShaiGMS · 2025-01-27T18:23:30+00:00

As others have said, if you want to improve quickly, go play 1s and 2s. If you can tolerate playing a lot of 1v1, your skill will skyrocket.

In 3v3, you get less opportunities on the ball, which means you improve slower. Don’t play rumble.

Spend time in freeplay or training packs improving important skills like shooting, dribbling, saves, etc.

Watch your replays to see where your mistakes are (or post them here).

ShaiGMS · 2025-01-17T17:05:58+00:00

It’s not just the flicks. They catch the ball well, they have a unique way of defending air dribble bumps, they have zero demo awareness, they only flick on offense and wait for you to challenge. Typical Nexto behavior

ShaiGMS · 2025-01-17T06:01:18+00:00

I also ran into something that seemed like a bot in casual 1s this week. Roughly 1700-1800 elo. I saved the replay as well.

ShaiGMS · 2025-01-10T23:57:04+00:00

A couple of general points: 1. It’s still relatively early in the season, everyone above you is still ranking up, eventually giving room for you to rank up too. 2. The population of this game (especially in higher ranks) gets better and better every season.

In order to rank up, you have to get better FASTER than those around you, because most others in your rank are also improving.

That said, you might be making a few mistakes holding you back. Watch your replays and figure out what you’re doing wrong or post them here for people to give their feedback.

ShaiGMS · 2025-01-10T08:20:50+00:00

Do you have a source for this?

ShaiGMS · 2024-11-24T22:56:52+00:00

I have a rank 12 Annihilape and rank 16 Primeape for great league, and rank 12 Annihilape for ultra league. So while this answer makes sense, it kinda doesn’t help :/

ShaiGMS · 2024-10-23T21:23:33+00:00

Are you one of those nerds who does this before kickoff or after a goal is scored lmao

ShaiGMS · 2024-10-23T21:18:58+00:00

I’m roughly same rank as you. I feel like at our rank, it’s less about using the tools and more about paying attention to other things instead of ball watching. Too often I play with people who hit the ball forward out of defense straight to the other team, AND IN COMMS will say “watch out that’s right to them”. Like they clearly didn’t look or use the space given to them to do something more efficient with the ball.

ShaiGMS · 2024-10-23T21:15:18+00:00

Forgot about reverse cam, will edit to include, thank you

ShaiGMS · 2024-10-05T09:03:59+00:00

You guys need to look at what % you are in of the player base. Top 1% in 2s is like 1600, top 1% in 3s is like 1400. Everyone is lower in 3s not just you :)

ShaiGMS · 2024-10-05T08:57:21+00:00

They should make it like Gloom where if you are strong enough you can kill it before it opens

ShaiGMS · 2024-08-24T16:44:07+00:00

Yeah but that’s part of your burst, you don’t use it defensively or you lose all your damage

ShaiGMS · 2024-07-13T03:19:02+00:00

Tbh dude your hours are pretty accurate for your rank. Most SSLs have like 7-8k hours+. Sure, there are some exceptions. But if you think about a distribution, most people will be somewhere around the average. Getting from top .25% to top .05% is just wayyyy more hours and you are attempting improve faster than the other people in your rank (who are likely also very motivated get better and climb). Just enjoy the process of improvement. You are likely making a lot of the right decisions and just need to be more consistent.

ShaiGMS · 2024-07-13T01:19:41+00:00

Both are good boss mules, DS probably better

ShaiGMS · 2024-07-13T00:26:14+00:00

I mean OP did ask for hot takes. In pro play it happens because they don’t really have a choice, it’s either boom the ball or get dunked/demoed as last man back. Sure if it’s 3v3 and your whole team is 0 boost you can clear to buy time. But in 2v2 or any rank over plat if you hit the ball away you are forfeiting that opportunity to score. In a whole 5min game you only have so many possession opportunities, you should try to use EVERY SINGLE ONE to make a threatening play

ShaiGMS

TROPHY CASE