Clash is a relatively new game mode in the famous multiplayer online battle arena game- League of Legends. Clash was briefly brought into action back in 2018, but due to many malfunctions, it was closed off right away. Restarted in 2020, this game mode is a tournament-based, group made game mode that follows a championship strategy.
For those who are acquainted with League of Legends, this is a long-desired game mode. Especially the option to play as a team allows you to play this game with your friends. Although the game is only open for ranked players, it has created hype throughout the LOL gaming community. Let’s dip into the intricacies of League of Legends Clash.
Creating a Team
Clash is all about team play. The team making system is somewhat more complicated than the ranked team making system. You will need to take into account various factors while creating a team.
- Initial stage – Before you create a team, you will have to choose a unique game tag and a name for your team. Then you choose a team logo from the limited pool given by the game-makers. You can expand this as you earn rewards from Clash.
- The team – The mode requires you to create a team of five players. You should choose players from your friends, with whom you will enjoy the experience. If you are a career gamer, you could look for higher matchmaking ranking(MMR) players.
- Tier system – There’s a catch while creating your team- the tier system of the game. The combined skill level of your team players will put you into a tier from four through one, one being the highest matchmaking ranking (MMR), which is also known as elo and four being the lowest. If you have a diamond-ranked player playing for you, while the rest of the team is bronze, you may face tough opponents, as the diamond player will skew your team elo. Try to have an even ranking, most importantly, even elo team, with good understanding among the team players.
- Entry system – The entry in the game is determined by a ticket system. There are two types of tickets. If you want to use the basic ticket, you can do so by buying one, using your blue essence. Basic tickets will grant you normal rewards. If you are confident with your team, you can buy premium tickets using Riot points, which will grant you better rewards.
The Smurfing
If you are confident about playing higher elo or simply want to play lower rank just to accompany your friend, you can simply buy LOL accounts to match their rank and create an even elo team to receive accurate MMR. But, be careful, as Riot will not allow smurfing in Clash to give the players a fair gaming environment. If you are caught, you will be banned from future tournaments and may lose all the rewards from any ongoing tournaments.
Lock-in and Scouting
After you have created your team, you are going to have to lock in within the given time, or you will be disqualified from the tournament. Pick a better time to be AFK! After locking in, you will face a unique scouting window. This is a completely new feature in LOL, where you can scout all the other teams before even the games begin. You will get to see your opponents most played champions in ranked mode, highest mastery point champion, and their clash history. These stats will help you in the next phase of the game.
Picking Champion
The champion picking system is somewhat different from the ranked system. It is now done in two banning and selecting phases. In the first ban, the team captains ban 3 of the opponent team player’s champions, and the first champion select phase allows 3 players from each team to choose champions. The second phase repeats the banning and selecting process for the remaining 2 players. The prior knowledge about enemy champion choices from the scouting period comes in handy in this case. During the ban, you can choose to ban the specific champions your opponent players are comfortable with. In the same way, the opponent team could ban the champions you frequently play with.
The Game
After picking the champion, you proceed to the loading window and then to the game. It follows the procedure and gameplay similar to the ranked system. You will be playing the map Summoner’s Rift with its usual NPCs.
The tournament will be played in three rounds. Each round will be played in an elimination method. The first phase will have 8 teams, four of which will move onto the next round, upon winning their respective games. In the next round, two more teams will be eliminated. The final round will see the two best teams in the tournament facing off.
If your team is eliminated in the first round, you will go into the consolation bracket, where you will face other runner-up teams to win some rewards.
The Rewards
The rewards will be the most exciting part of the game. Of course, the entry ticket will vary your rewards. The round you end your game in will also be important for runner-up rewards.
Winning a game in the tournament grants you victory points. Much like reward points in ranked, this unveils various out of the Clash rewards like new logos and banners.
You will get loots, depending on your tickets and your tournament progress. Receive the loot at the end of the tournament. Loots include blue essence, champion skin shard, and many more items.
The trophies are the most prestigious award that will lit up your lane in the summoner rift for a few days after the tournament. They are only reserved for the champions of the tournament.
Our discussion above pretty much covers the whole Clash mode of League of Legends. In-game experiences will, of course, vary from player to player. The mode is a manifestation of your teamwork and the bond between the players. This is the reason why picking your team is the most crucial for this game mode. After all, the slogan of the mode says- ‘fight as five, win as one.’
