Just looking for some general tips from Flex players at, above or below (if your making a climb) the plat level. Especially your opinions on the nature of flexing. Things like heros you know what they want/should be doing game sense wise but mechanically are lacking on despite a need for them in a given situation.
Been stuck for a few seasons now and I’ve changed my mindset and switch to being more critical of my mistakes but I cant seem to make that push into Diamond and beyond after peaking 3146 in Season 4.
I normally prefer to play Sombra, Pharah, Mei, Moira and a bit of Rein as my comfort picks. However off tank/heals are problematic for me to play at a consistent level where I am.
Im able to ult track decently well and time/coordinate engagements when I have communication although my aiming is very spastic at times.
When you come to flexing I’m guessing you’ve only recently started, as a flex player of course you need to be ready to choose the last hero in all situations rarely dps but be ready for it.
As you may be new, you will probably not be very good at all heroes some maybe even very bad but overtime if you watch your mistakes and see how you can fix them and punish the enemy using it, it can give you a huge boost (for example when I first flexed as rein I used to be right in front of the payload which made it easy for a charge into me from the enemy rein if I didn’t counter charge, now I kill enemy reins who make this mistake)
Also an obvious though perhaps not the most important is aim, you need to have good aim no matter who you flex to for example if you flex to ana you might as well be throwing if you can’t aim.
To be a very good flex player you need to be able to have amazing game sense on all heroes such as where to be what to do how not to die how to punish etc
For example for me I’ve been flexing for a long time and now I feel like I can eat gravs with dva then as soon as I need to ana for example I know where someone is coming from to sleep them (I don’t want to be cocky but I feel like my gamesense has become good enough to do very well on all heroes)
There is only 1 problem with flexing and that is climbing is super slooooooow you gradually become better at all heroes rather than learning few heroes very well (and I’ve come to prefer this because of the games unavoidable problems such as dps instalock etc)
I’m actually a season one veteran but at the time I mostly played Zarya and Lucio despite them not being the picks ult wanted to play. I ended up around the diamond rank, which is still my peak, at season 4 but wasnt really enjoying one tricking those two heros. So I flexed from there onward.
Now I’m hard stuck around mid plat to high gold on occasion. I feel like game sense is definitely a lot better having flexed for so long but in that same token I’ve been hard stuck so long I think something I’m doing may need to change.
Basically, don’t do it. You will never really improve your skill set and while you may feel noble, it will do you no good and only encourage strict one-tricking by other players, notably Genji, Hanzo and Widow mains (yes, I said it).
Pick one DPS, one tank, and one healer, focus on them and pick a couple others to off-play with. The game really doesn’t work as reward system for team wins until Diamond or higher, until then it’s every man for himself. Over-flexing just means you are making life easier for everyone else and hurting your own prospects over time.
As a flex main (i have a few main heroes in every category), i recommend letting your team pick first and then filling. I prefer to look at the players’ stats and pick based on what they’re most likely to play. Of course, if someone isn’t doing all that great, well, you’re flex so you can take over if their willing.
I recommend building communication skills. Try and clearly make call outs, and help any teammate looking for it. Also, learn the ins and outs of a particular few heroes; memorise everything you can, about positioning, timing, stats, everything. Basically, be respectful and get good at a select few heroes with a wide range of abilities and niches, and you should be fine.
It’s great to see another flex main out there !
Don’t pick just to fill a role. Meaning just because you are missing a second tank does not mean the best choice is a second tank.
As a flex player your goal is not to “carry” but more about enabling your teammates.
If you can’t find something that fits the ENTIRE comp or even the majority choose based on what would enable ONE of your teammates. Have a hanzo? Choose a Zarya and TELL them you are doing this for them. Have a Lucio on your team? Choose Rein and ASK (don’t tell them) if they are willing to speed boost you into the enemy team and etc.
Don’t choose based on counter picks unless you are confident that you CAN counter them. Being a McCree against Pharah is not good enough if you are not able to consistently suppress her. Better to choose something that mitigates the enemy over full on killing them (like a D.va in pharah’s case) if you can’t aim well.
Don’t wait to switch. So many flex players make the mistake of stalling their switch because they “almost have ult”. If your current pick is not working or your team needs something else to be productive your ult is not likely to be the turner of the tide. Better to start accruing an ult on another switch then waste another 2 minutes at 100% trying to do something with a hero you are not getting anything out of.
Don’t switch to much. Switching mid match can be a good thing but don’t switch so much that you destroy your ult economy.
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