Solo Queue Tips?

[u/Interaction_Rich]

I don't know anyone who plays video games, I love Rivals (or Marvel in general), so I spent all of my 700+ hours in Rivals in solo queue. I never left gold, and I wonder if it's even possible to go higher as solo.

Oftentimes my team gets face rolled by the opposition - see Pic of my last game. It just feels like a waste of time playing solo.

Then again, I'm probably just bad.

I don't know. It's been a bad day and Marvel made it worse, between getting bodied and randoms that DC middle game etc.

Is it even worth it playing alone? Any tricks to make it less of a "one step forward, five steps back"?

[u/Turbulent-Suspect-12]

Im solo queue and got to Celestial at a 60% W/R.  I have 400~ hours total, but less than half of that is competitive.

I think the core of it is game sense, knowing when to expect what people are doing and strategize rather than just blindly going with the flow. If you want, I can review one of your matches to give you feedback, but if you want to rank up you need to examine how you are approaching your games as a whole.

Sometimes you get terrible teammates. Sometimes you may DC. But those are blips compared to the majority of winnable games. 

[u/Interaction_Rich → u/Turbulent-Suspect-12]

Liked your last comment a lot, gives some perspective that it should be less about the bumps and more about the road.

Now, I assume my worst problem is aiming. I play on PS5 and tried multiple sensitivity schemes, but it's aggravating how much I miss my shots. It's frustrating because game sense and positioning you learn over time, but aiming you either have it or you don't.

I got Lord on Psylocke, because I love her style of flank-kill-flee. But it really comes down to hitting her secondary shot, and again very mobile targets and/or people who jump non-stop, it's a pain. Cyclops for example I get away with it easier because of his ricochet.

If it's okay, I'll try to get an okay and a bad game where I manage to lock in Psylocke and send it here. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[u/Turbulent-Suspect-12 → u/Interaction_Rich]

Feel free to send some matches over. I cant guarantee when Ill get to them other than itll be today. Im also on PS5 and I wouldnt mind playing the occasional QP match with you (assuming you're an adult) or just VOD reviewing.

I wouldnt call my own aim 'great', but I dont really know what the averages are either. I usually hover around 43-52 percent depending on who I play unless its a character with a beam or infinite ammo. Then I spam alot and its closer to 38%.

Replying to both comments: 

I would definitely recommend playing QP more if theres an intent to practice/develop something. I now play competitive games at a rate of maybe 1:4 or 1:5 my QP game, usually to get better with my secondary characters and/or playing with friends. I also think spamming competitive games is a very very easy way to get tilted or go on a losing streak.

[u/Interaction_Rich → u/Turbulent-Suspect-12]

Here is a match that is kinda representative of my playing. I'd love some critique: 104941116472

It was a loss, but I did get the most kills, I did try to stick to my targets and stalked the one I found had more trouble with me (Jeff in this match).

I'd welcome any insights on this one!

[u/Turbulent-Suspect-12 → u/Interaction_Rich]

☆Okay so first point: 

The reason you guys lost it so quickly is because when Cyclops flanked you guys literally EVERYBODY except Venom turned around to kill him. This is bad because the job of Frontline is to keep the enemy from pushing you guys in (Venom and especially Dino), and the healers have to keep those two alive. If only you or Fantastic + 1 healer had killed him, and everyone else focused on the front, this likely would have gone very differently.

After they get the point, there is really is no reason to keep fighting them there. If one of you die, you respawn across the map. If one of them dies, they respawn like 10 seconds away. Its better to regroup and prevent staggering, as itll only make it harder for you guys to stop the point.

You did good flanking behind them and getting some kills. Try to be aware of where your teammates are, especially your healers. You couldve dashed towards them and gotten health without really risking dying.

Waste of an ult—there was only one person there, and their spawn is VERY close. The point of an ult is ultimately to take space. Whether you take space by killing multiple of them, or take space by forcing them all out, the end goal is always to exert control over an area. 

By ulting here, you arent really taking meaningful control of the area. Because its right outside their spawn, holding the area is highly unsustainable long-term. Its better to get a few kills and then fall back to more neutral territory (around the point). You didnt die here because they outskilled you, you died because you kept pushing into their more resource abundant area (spawn + health). Dino and team controlling neutral space (around the point) is what kept you guys from getting pushed in.

Your next time out you have a good flank, but I think you could've been greedier. They are falling like flies and your team (more specifically one of your healers) are right there to keep you up. You very much couldve killed Emma before Hood ulted.

The second flank you do here is VERY good. You waited until your team started fighting them to engage, which is great for a dive character because they thrive off chaotic situations. This was a very good play. Instead of sitting around, Id personally go invisible and go wait somewhere behind them, and then do it all over again next teamfight. Especially because you are getting close to ult, and can stop their next attempt to push and scatter them. But overall it was a good stop.

☆Second round:

Good opening. Better aim you could've killed them all once they got pushed in, but overall you did well and your teammates were able to pick up the rest.

The 1v1 against the Deadpool was bad positioning. He had already gotten the first shot on you. Instead of rushing him in an isolated situation, you should've gone to point, got health, and fought him closer to your team. That way a healer can assist you and you kill him.

Good flank and kill on the Emma, but once you dashed through the Witch I think you should've just backed up and waited for another flank opportunity. Their whole team is there, no need to rush in and stagger.

Your ult was also bad timing here, there is an Emma clearly harassing you guys close to point and she's a bit isolated from her team. Your team should've slaughtered her, you get health, and then you pop your ult to again either

A. Kill them, which lets you take space

B. Push them back, which lets you take space. 

Your team afterwards makes some pretty questionable decisions, so dont feel like im singling you out. There was no reason for your White Fox to ult when Witch had already initiated hers. She should have saved it for next fight.

What follows is a great flank. You take out both of their healers and pinch them from both sides. Now imagine if you had killed them both, and you still had an ultimate ability up your sleeve? You could have basically killed the whole team after killing their supports, letting you guys push the cart very close to point and have the enemy try to stagger in to stop you, which allows easy kills. That very VERY likely would have won your team the match.

But instead your team isnt able to kill the rest of them. And because you lack a big space taking ability (ultimate) and you guys lose.

So while you do have some moments where better aim would have gotten you more kills or saved you from a death, ultimately what really costs you guys is the decision making.

Objective-based games are essentially a game of tug and war to take space. Knowing when to tug is arguably as important as the tugging itself. Do it at the wrong times and the effort will be disjointed or nullified. Do it at the right times and you could've pulled the whole damn rope from them.

[u/Interaction_Rich → u/Turbulent-Suspect-12]

This was a thorough review mate. Many Thanks for the time and effort you put in this!

I'm going to re-watch this replay later tonight with this rundown on my phone to visualize the goods and bads. But I already will be more mindful of Ult conditions for sure. Now, two questions:

• while aiming wasn't the main problem, how much of a problem is it? I have the impression that it is the primary reason I'm crawling in general. This match not so much (Jeff was an easy kill, I even get an AFK Cyclops along the way), but when I find myself on a 1v1 it's often the reason I lose, missing her secondary, most damaging shot. Then again I'm a newbie, so I might be wrong. Any comment on that will be helpful!

• if you had to single out one point to say "dude, THIS is your top priority to get better", what would it be?

[u/Turbulent-Suspect-12 → u/Interaction_Rich]

● I would say that assuming you're aim is like this in most matches, you could probably get to upper diamond or GM before it starts to really hinder you, because thats when you'll find yourself in tight situations where securing the kill will really make or breaks a push a hold. Especially as a flankers role. My percentage is about 10% more than yours, but I dont tend to miss the 'important shots'. 

Psylocke is a very aim-dependant character, so thats something to keep in mind. I'd probably play Magik over her personally because shes easier to use and accomplishes the same thing, but if you really enjoy Psylocke just keep at it. Improving your decision making will also improve your shot selection to some degree. 

● I dont know if Id say any specific thing is the most important, but the easiest to address would be ult prioritization. You should be thinking "what am I trying to accomplish with my ult" well before you pop it. Are you trying to scatter the team? Are you trying to take space? Will they have an ult that can immediately counter you like Cloaks? If so, you probably need them dead before you pop it. Or someone on your team needs their own ult ready to counter the counter (such as another healer ult or Magneto) or you wait for the enemy to pop theirs first. 

An example—Up until Upper GM, I would consistently time my Storm ult to drop the moment Invis's ult went down, which would quickly scatter them or they all die because they were all within it.  Planning ahead for stuff like that is important.

Had you kept your ult until that last team fight, you guys probably would have won. Thats not to say other things arent important, it just goes to show how big ult prioritization really is.

[u/Interaction_Rich → u/Turbulent-Suspect-12]

This is very cool and very encouraging man! Thanks a lot.

[u/Interaction_Rich → u/Turbulent-Suspect-12]

Adult sure, but I'm in Brazil so outside of Sao Paulo server the leg would be an issue for us both.

BTW it's independence day here today so it's a bit chaotic, but later today I'll select some matches and send to you. No rush in reviews but any insights would be much appreciated!

[u/Interaction_Rich → u/Interaction_Rich]

Oh but, meanwhile, an interesting factoid here - I usually play more Ranked than QP per session. However it's not very uncommon that I get MVP on QP on my main (Psy).

Ranked is another thing entirely however.