Anyone got any tips for players that wish to do fairly well in Hero League? [edit] Links to a video or popular streamer I need to follow?
I've been around since "release" but I might not be aware of some advanced strategies. For example, our team lost last night because we tried to take the Boss objective on the enemy's side. A teammate was saying thats a big no-no.
Also- any tips for good team compositions?
Assume I'm familiar with basic concepts for beginners as discussed on this
page. What I'm looking for is a guide describing the current "meta" (LoL players know what I mean there- whereas a good team comp is 1 jungler, 1 top lane (usually tank), 1 mid (usually mage), 2 bottom lane (1 support, 1 Carry).
Hero League:
this guide from Team Liquid is a good primer that people often link to.
I don't what we can give you for tips without specific scenarios however. I mean, you seem to already have the basics down: you need to be competent or better with at least 2 tanks, 2 healers, and probably 3-4 assassins.
The most successful people seem to approach HL in one of two ways: filling the role the team needs OR is the strongest on that specific map (such as Sylvanas on Mines or Jo/Leo on Infernal Shrines before the changes)...or, narrowing your pool down to 3 or 4 heroes that you are very good at and only pick those heroes unless the draft order requires you to pick something different.
I've had success with both, but more success filling than narrowing the pool as for whatever reason I regularly get last pick or second to last.
As to the meta, I feel it's kind of formless and shifting in HOTS whether I'm watching pro level streamers or playing at my level when it comes to Hero League. It only seems hard and fast in actual pro games. I don't play at the top end in HL (~3k MMR), but there it seems people go for whatever is strongest on a tier list/power standpoint versus whatever actually makes the most sense. For example. there's still a hardcore adherence to the "mage meta" where you'll see one team take Jaina/KT/another ranged and then get bodied by Sonya and co. You will regularly see a team chock full of CC face a team with little to none (often the mage team) and it goes just like you'd expect.
You pretty much have to focus on you in there because you have very little input into how the comp forms. You can merely send it in a direction if you are first pick, or adapt to whatever is picked if you aren't.
The #1 golden rule for Hero League, though: if a new hero just released, avoid HL for a few days cause people will shit up your games trying to learn how to play it at the cost of your rank. Also goes without saying that it's not even worth questioning someone's play in chat, as 8/10 times it's gonna result in them going on tilt and getting even worse, hurting the team even more.
As for the boss thing, in general when you take one boss on Cursed Hollow you can easily go get the other or force a fight at it because the enemy has to either (A) go defend the boss that's definitely going to kill their fort/keep therefore conceding you the second boss or (B) stay and fight and hope they get this second boss...but your first boss already killed their fort/keep. It's a win-win for you unless you manage to get yourself wiped.
Taking their boss first is more risky, naturally, but like Familie said you need to know that they have 3 people top lane, or two people dead and rezzing in 10 secs, or what have you. Just general map awareness.
