At the beginning of the season I didn't plan to try to hit legend at all and tried to focus on arena. Doing that a while with quite some success, last weekend I got a few 2 wins runs in a row, got bored and decided to go for some ladder play after all. My goal was to reach rank 5 so that I could get a golden epic at the end of the season.
Having tried to grind with control priest last seasons, I always needed quite a while to hit rank 5 and it didn't feel easy, but this time I tried laddering with Zoolock and got to rank 5 in 2 days with a win rate of about 70%. Not having expected that, I decided to maybe go for the grind to legend this season after all to finally get the card back. From that point I played about 100 games and now I am at the same point where I started, rank 5 with one star (=> my win rate after reaching rank 5 was 50%).
Are you having experiences like that as well and do you think it is because of a really big skill gap at this magic line or are you seeing another reason, like being tilted more because of the lack of win streak bonus, so that losing feels much worse?
I also tried switching back to Control Priest without much success. I'll try again later this season and see if it gets easier by the end of it, but probably I'll just give it up being frustrated of the ladder and switch to playing arena again...
I don't know, in your case, but I was able to move past rank 5 after I started studying all the decks, classes, and plays. I also watched some streamers, and thought about what they did.
I know about all decks and classes (Unfortunately I couldn'd play all of them so far because of missing cards) and I'm watching streamers like Kolento or Lifecoach regularly.
I still have to commit that I sometimes make misplays I should try to avoid even more carefully in the future.
Rank 5 can be said to be 'the wall'. Any deck that isn't completely a failure and/or any person who knows how to work their decks and can handle some tilt can get to Rank 5. Not saying the rank is useless: most people don't reach that high, but Rank 5 is where the real show begins.
Rank 5 is when the mistakes yo umake, including ones you don't see, get exaggerated. Meanwhile fast grind decks lose a lot of their muster, wihch is why many swap to stronger decks at that point. It's also where the true grind sets in. Rank 5 is also known as the half way to point: it takes as long to get to legend from 5 as it does to go from 25 to 5.
So it's pretty normal to get stuck around rank 5-4. Once you can get to 3, you...mostly can be sure it's all about just grinding from ther to get to Legend.
Its a combination of factors: Rng (to some extent), skill level of opponents going up as you climb, the deck you are playing, the meta at lower ranks changing compared to higher, no more win streaks at rank 5, etc.
Win rate from rank 20-5 is not too big a deal because win streak bonuses make up for a mediocre deck/player. You can climb well with a 50-55% win rate. But once you get to rank 5, its on. No more win streaks, so your deck and skill now get tested for realz. A deck that climbs well through the chaff at higher ranks is often not the best deck to get you over the hump to legend. If you are only at a 50% win rate over the past 100 games, that would count out random rng and point to the deck or the pilot (or both) as the deciding factor.
If you just want legend bad and have no self respect, switch to secret paladin. A monkey can pilot that deck to a 55% plus win rate. Slightly less scummy, but almost as effective would be mid-range combo druid and reno-lock. But giving deck advice is tough because some players are better at different deck archetypes.
Since you are playing zoolock, consider changing to a more mid-rangy demon-zoo? Add void callers, malganis, and jaraxus, and a few board clears like hellfire? Mix it up a bit....
Rank 5 to legend takes more skill and time than it takes to go from rank 25 to rank 5. Typically I have an 80+% winrate getting to rank 5 and then it drops to 60-70% going from rank 5 to legend.
Also, a lot of people (like myself) get to rank 5 for the reward then don't have time to grind for legend, so then play more for fun with different decks. So the skill/competitiveness fluctuates greatly from ranks 12-5 whereas anyone at 5 or above is legitimately trying to go for legend and can't mess around (especially with no win streaks available)
When you reach rank 5, you need to start collecting data on your matchups and slightly tweaking /teching your deck to improve your worst matchups without sacrificing your win rate against your better matchups.
Every misplay matters so strive to bring those down to zero. When you have all the factors within your control then all that's left from Rank 5 to legend is the grind.
The first season I decided to go for legend (s19) I had like 70% from 25 to 5. I then had near 80% from 5 to Legend. Total wins required was around a hundred.
I think the big factor in this was that first of all I was learning to play constructed in the earlier matches. While I had the game since closed beta, I also spent nearly all my hearthstone time in the arena. Lets face it, arena rewards are simply far superior. So upon trying constructed, the early ranks were spent learning to play my deck, and learning about what decks exist in the meta. By rank 5, I at least knew how to play my deck (Mech Warrior), and what helped me further was the meta seemed to become like 50% secret paladin. So my wins at rank 5 and better was actually higher that season because of the smaller variety in opponents.
The past few seasons the only games I bothered with in ranked was the rank 5 chest, which usually involves 1 night of play (probably like 5-7 hours of time), and hoovering around the 70-90% win rate each season. This season I had 90%+ from rank 17 (starting rank) to 6, but fell under to get to rank 5.
I don't think the skill changes much as you progress ranks to 5. There's still mistakes everywhere. However, the decks generally become "better", or at least the number of crap decks decreases. However, this can end up being better or worse for you depending on how your deck performs against the more concentrated meta.
Hello everyone,
At the beginning of the season I didn't plan to try to hit legend at all and tried to focus on arena. Doing that a while with quite some success, last weekend I got a few 2 wins runs in a row, got bored and decided to go for some ladder play after all. My goal was to reach rank 5 so that I could get a golden epic at the end of the season.
Having tried to grind with control priest last seasons, I always needed quite a while to hit rank 5 and it didn't feel easy, but this time I tried laddering with Zoolock and got to rank 5 in 2 days with a win rate of about 70%. Not having expected that, I decided to maybe go for the grind to legend this season after all to finally get the card back. From that point I played about 100 games and now I am at the same point where I started, rank 5 with one star (=> my win rate after reaching rank 5 was 50%).
Are you having experiences like that as well and do you think it is because of a really big skill gap at this magic line or are you seeing another reason, like being tilted more because of the lack of win streak bonus, so that losing feels much worse?
I also tried switching back to Control Priest without much success. I'll try again later this season and see if it gets easier by the end of it, but probably I'll just give it up being frustrated of the ladder and switch to playing arena again...
I don't know, in your case, but I was able to move past rank 5 after I started studying all the decks, classes, and plays. I also watched some streamers, and thought about what they did.
Then, I went legend.
Motavation and adjusting to ranks and decks are a big thing on ladder (and a bit of RNG SOMETIMES)
I know about all decks and classes (Unfortunately I couldn'd play all of them so far because of missing cards) and I'm watching streamers like Kolento or Lifecoach regularly.
I still have to commit that I sometimes make misplays I should try to avoid even more carefully in the future.
Rank 5 can be said to be 'the wall'. Any deck that isn't completely a failure and/or any person who knows how to work their decks and can handle some tilt can get to Rank 5. Not saying the rank is useless: most people don't reach that high, but Rank 5 is where the real show begins.
Rank 5 is when the mistakes yo umake, including ones you don't see, get exaggerated. Meanwhile fast grind decks lose a lot of their muster, wihch is why many swap to stronger decks at that point. It's also where the true grind sets in. Rank 5 is also known as the half way to point: it takes as long to get to legend from 5 as it does to go from 25 to 5.
So it's pretty normal to get stuck around rank 5-4. Once you can get to 3, you...mostly can be sure it's all about just grinding from ther to get to Legend.
But yeah, the struggle gets real.
One does not simply walk into Mordor,
unless they want to be the best they can be.
Its a combination of factors: Rng (to some extent), skill level of opponents going up as you climb, the deck you are playing, the meta at lower ranks changing compared to higher, no more win streaks at rank 5, etc.
Win rate from rank 20-5 is not too big a deal because win streak bonuses make up for a mediocre deck/player. You can climb well with a 50-55% win rate. But once you get to rank 5, its on. No more win streaks, so your deck and skill now get tested for realz. A deck that climbs well through the chaff at higher ranks is often not the best deck to get you over the hump to legend. If you are only at a 50% win rate over the past 100 games, that would count out random rng and point to the deck or the pilot (or both) as the deciding factor.
If you just want legend bad and have no self respect, switch to secret paladin. A monkey can pilot that deck to a 55% plus win rate. Slightly less scummy, but almost as effective would be mid-range combo druid and reno-lock. But giving deck advice is tough because some players are better at different deck archetypes.
Since you are playing zoolock, consider changing to a more mid-rangy demon-zoo? Add void callers, malganis, and jaraxus, and a few board clears like hellfire? Mix it up a bit....
Skill.... EleGiggle
Rank 5 to legend takes more skill and time than it takes to go from rank 25 to rank 5. Typically I have an 80+% winrate getting to rank 5 and then it drops to 60-70% going from rank 5 to legend.
Have you considered the fact that not being awarded bonus win streak stars after Rank 5 had something to do with it?
The real ladder starts after Rank 5.
"Put your face in the light!" - Tirion Fordring
I don't see bonus stars being the reason for it, of course they make ladder harder and taking longer but how can they be influencing the win rate?
Also, a lot of people (like myself) get to rank 5 for the reward then don't have time to grind for legend, so then play more for fun with different decks. So the skill/competitiveness fluctuates greatly from ranks 12-5 whereas anyone at 5 or above is legitimately trying to go for legend and can't mess around (especially with no win streaks available)
Yes, but I had a 70% win rate before reaching rank 5
When you reach rank 5, you need to start collecting data on your matchups and slightly tweaking /teching your deck to improve your worst matchups without sacrificing your win rate against your better matchups.
Every misplay matters so strive to bring those down to zero. When you have all the factors within your control then all that's left from Rank 5 to legend is the grind.
Bad players whine.
Good players adapt.
Skills + Matchup (X class vs Y class) + some luck + dedication is what gets you to legend.
The first season I decided to go for legend (s19) I had like 70% from 25 to 5. I then had near 80% from 5 to Legend. Total wins required was around a hundred.
I think the big factor in this was that first of all I was learning to play constructed in the earlier matches. While I had the game since closed beta, I also spent nearly all my hearthstone time in the arena. Lets face it, arena rewards are simply far superior. So upon trying constructed, the early ranks were spent learning to play my deck, and learning about what decks exist in the meta. By rank 5, I at least knew how to play my deck (Mech Warrior), and what helped me further was the meta seemed to become like 50% secret paladin. So my wins at rank 5 and better was actually higher that season because of the smaller variety in opponents.
The past few seasons the only games I bothered with in ranked was the rank 5 chest, which usually involves 1 night of play (probably like 5-7 hours of time), and hoovering around the 70-90% win rate each season. This season I had 90%+ from rank 17 (starting rank) to 6, but fell under to get to rank 5.
I don't think the skill changes much as you progress ranks to 5. There's still mistakes everywhere. However, the decks generally become "better", or at least the number of crap decks decreases. However, this can end up being better or worse for you depending on how your deck performs against the more concentrated meta.
Don't put hellfire in zoo...