Why am I stuck in silver?

Competitive Discussion
1

Hello Blizzard and Overwatch players! I am a big fan of the game Overwatch. I have been working hard to get better at the game, watching videos, learning hero positions, and ability combinations as well as most of the tricks. But one thing that has been disappointing to me to a large extent is the competitive game mode.

I have been getting placed and can not get out of silver. I have tried climbing out of the silver ranks horrid clutches, but mostly due to teammates either leaving mid game, or not playing the right compositions I cannot get out.

Now before I make myself out to sound like the “my teammates are so bad, I’m the only good guy on the team” kind of guy. I did all 10 placement matches with a friend. Getting equal or better than stats compared to him, with the same amount of wins and losses, he was placed at bottom gold. While I was placed at bottom silver.

I have pretty good stats in all modes, and if you have ever 1v1 me I’m am positive I surprised you being a silver.

I am consistently communicating with my teammates, and doing my best to fill and do my role or better. But no matter how much work I do, how much communicating I do it makes no difference.

I have a huge respect for everyone that works for Blizzard because of how great the game is. I just hope we can get the ranking system optimized.
Thank you.

2 Likes
2

Might want to edit into paragraphs…

Placements don’t mean much sadly. If you finished last season silver then you start the season silver.

Your stats are great. Your Lucio appears to be top notch.
https://www.omnicmeta.com/stats/player.html?username=Mclovin-13113&platform=pc

But you lost both games. Why? Leavers? Sucky team mates? I’m genuinely curious as your Lucio stats are far better than mine, but I managed a 67% win rate last season.
https://www.omnicmeta.com/stats/hero.html?username=Pie_Eater_Gaz&platform=psn&hero=lucio&mode=comp

Any chance of posting a video of a Lucio game? Am curious how you’re losing with such rock star stats on him.

That said, down at 1700 I was getting 22-0 and 15-0 kd with him in some games, so please bear in mind 2500 a lot trickier than 1500…

Hopefully 2 games is just a small sample size. Keep on doing what you’re doing on him and you should climb…

2 Likes
3

I appreciate the advice on paragraphing my messages, as well as the comments on my Lucio stats. I did think that was a possibility of how the ranking system worked. Seeing how I have been in silver even getting better at the game.

When it comes down to losing matches usually I’ll do all I can as a healer. But you get those charging reins, or people who try to solo fight the whole team. I ask over and over to regroup or fall back, try to come up with plans and strategize against the enemy but it’s just me making suggestions… to no response in most cases.

One thing I know I could improve on with my Lucio is my aim. I am great at crowd control and healing. But when it comes down to hitting smaller mobile targets I struggle.

1 Like
4

Yup. You don’t start to see decent teamwork until high gold. Even staying behind a Rein shield is advanced tech for a lot of players in gold or lower.

The secret at low Elo is not to expect the team to help you or work with you, but to work with the team, or the largest number of players that just happen to be vaguely in one place.

Overwatch isn’t a 6v6 game. It’s 1v11. You need to assess which of your team mates are idiots/ useless vs which ones are smurfs/ carrying you. Identify the good ones and do your best to support them. Support everybody if you can, but don’t go to extreme risks to help a team mate that’s wildly over extended.

Again, would be great to see a Lucio vod from you. Here’s my one from where I just hit plat.

If nothing else, try watching over a game and noting areas to fix, like I’ve done under my video.

Best way to improve aim and other mechanics is death match. Team death match, or free for all if you’re really brave…

5 Likes
5

Just for the record, Lucio can heal but Lucio is not a healer. His value comes from speed boost, not his healing aura.

Make custom games with bots and enable headshot only.

1 Like
6

I’ll try to get you a video, or at least could probably post some highlights. I’ve been having some problems with my screen recording software.

When it comes to aim I’m pretty good with most of all the hero’s. Lucios’ slow projectiles are something I struggle with, I find it difficult to compute the hit box while trying to remain 3 moves ahead of everyone. Looking or teammates needing healing, openings for environmentals or an entrance to an advantage on the point, my health, what enemies are low on health and then have to shoot at them whilst they run around like crazy.

1 Like
7

I’m definitely stealing this.

4 Likes
8

Your point about assessing your own team cannot be stated enough. Especially as a support player you want to know which teammates are getting all the kills and doing their job and which ones are useless. If your rein has been charging into a 1v6 then don’t worry about putting yourself out of position to heal him. If your mcree is walking past your tanks into spam damage don’t pocket him while the players trying their best and securing kills are dying. Finding mini teamwork opportunities is key and might be the reason I found duo queueing with other roles most helpful. If you like playing tank, queue with a good support. Vice versa for support. If you like dps either find a tank to make you some space/peel or find a support to keep you up. Sometimes it’s 6v6, sometimes it’s 1v11, and sometimes it’s 1v1 and you have to beat your old skills/habits.
Personally I had a lot of fun improving just for myself. Still a toxic community at times and plenty of bad games. But, working on how you impact a game and seeing it pay off is nice.

3 Likes
9

Great post I couldn’t agree more. I feel like these are the reasons I’ve been able to hang around low diamond for the last few seasons despite my gold level mechanical skills.

1 Like
10

So similar stats to your friend, is not only pretty vague, it’s pretty irrelevant.

Performance based SR gains and losses is what you will have for anybody below diamond.

This to my knowledge, is basically the game comparing your stats to all other people that play the same hero(s) as you every game.

Say for example the average widowmaker player has 49% accuracy. This doesn’t just count for silver, this will be all leagues, because obviously as you climb up the ranks, the targets would get harder to hit.

Obviously a GM widow would have much higher stats in silver because silver people do not position themselves anywhere near as difficult as GM players would.

Now for a real boost of SR, you need to be hitting above average stats for your hero, to climb. Going back to my Widowmaker example if you have the average 49% accuracy in silver, then the matchmaking isn’t going to give you a bunch of SR, because as far as it’s concerned, you’re in the right league.

This isn’t specifically on a game by game basis either, you have to increase your averages over time otherwise if your performance fluctuates you will have dicey games.

Here’s your main mistake (apart from comparing your stats to others)

but mostly due to teammates either leaving mid game, or not playing the right compositions I cannot get out.

This definitely isn’t mostly. I’ve been in silver, I got out… I’ve been in gold, I got out… I’ve been in platinum… I got out.

I put in the grind, and not by playing carrying heroes, I played a variety of different heroes, including some unorthodox ones such as Orisa for a whole season.

What I have learned is if you really want to climb you have to do 1 of the following.

Stick to just one hero, at least for a season. Don’t switch, don’t flex, just learn the one hero. This will not only allow you to consistently increase your average stats (presuming you get better over time) but it will allow you to actually focus on getting better when your knowledge of your hero improves.

The second idea is to stick to one role, that is not to switch between DPS, Tank and Healer just because you want to fill or believe that 2/2/2 “god comp” is going to get you the free win.

It’s hard for me to tell from your profile but it looks like you try to flex too much. You said you did 10 placement games and almost everyone of them is with a different hero, so i’m not sure how you could of compared your stats to your friends…

And with a 25% win rate for healers, though only 4 games, and a 50% win rate for tanks, I’d be inclined to suggest you’re better at tanks, and potentially better at Rein, and so this should maybe be your focus for season 16.

1 Like
11

Climbing is extremly hard imo. i have tried to get to plat in several accounts but always like 50-100 SR from it.
Some top 500players say that in low elo like silver gold plat, 30% of matches is automatic lose and 30% automatic win depending on your team-mates, and there is not much you can do about it.
That leaves 40% where it actualy matters what you do in the game. you say you in silver and i feel the same in gold.
I have watched dusin of videos , tips for multiple heroes and so on. i always use com and try to do my best with the team. Still its extremly hard to win alot more matches than you loose in order to actualy climb the ladder.
Avoid list seems to small but on the other hand there is so much jerks in this game that even with 100 avoidspots in would be full constant.

12

I can’t see your updated stats on Overbuff, but I’m just looking on your profile, and it looks like you die too much to be honest.

Just seeing you’ve played a lot of Ana, 270 elims to 208 deaths… sure Ana isn’t a damage dealer as such, but i’d hope to see maybe closer to a 2k/d ratio, i’d say anywhere in the 350-400 range for 208 deaths.

Ultimately that comes down to your positioning, and maybe being too aggressive.

I’d also say your scoped accuracy looks a little low, i’d hope for it to be 60%+ for a competent Ana.

I won’t say that there isn’t unwinnable games, because they do exist. But you’re not making the most of the games you could / should be winning, and so you’re not gaining the SR to really climb.

13

When you get good enough you can’t actually tell the difference between silver and gold and you can’t keep yourself in either rank either.

14

I appreciate the advice, I do flex often. The reason being I try to fill the best I can. Make sure I’m playing the hero the team needs, to make the odds of winning higher.

The reason for most of all the deaths on Ana is simply not being mobile enough to escape a dive or another hero… and once that sleep dart is on cool down I’m screwed. Unless I hit that dart and get teammates for assistance. I can be the only support on the team get jumped by an enemy so I’ll ask for some assistance. In most cases I get ignored.

Also specifically with Ana I don’t shoot at enemies as I try my best to focus on keeping my teammates alive and closer to the objective.

15

I dont think your stuck. I think you boundless potential to climb with, and haven’t tapped into your “zone”.

16

some good advise here man

1 Like
17

short answer is no one uses comms.

18

Before last season I was playing on a crappy laptop that stuttered and had many issues. Ended up in Silver. Last season I started playing on a new computer with a new monitor. Climbed from 1900 to 2600 just last season. If you’re better than silver you’ll get out easily.

19

The Matchmaker works too hard to force an even match.

If you’re doing very well, you get canceled out. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be even at that SR at that moment.

20

Disagree with the comment about you start where you finish. I finished last season at 2390, and placed this season at 2630.

Edit- comment directed to Gazzor. It didn’t quote him for some reason.

Edit 2. Not this account, realised I am logged into my alt

2 Likes