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Last year’s champion on what to expect from Red Bull Solo Q
If you plan to test your skills in the Red Bull Solo Q arena, some sage advice from the last 1v1 winner will help.
In a game such as League of Legends, mechanical skill will always be obvious, but when it comes to the very top levels of play things become more about teamwork and strategy than how well you can click the minions and hit your skillshots. Even the most mechanically skilled player in the world has no chance at winning Worlds if they don’t have an equally amazing team around them and some impressive tactics. There is, after all, no 'I' in team.
But if having to share all the glory with four others isn’t your thing, and you’re convinced you’re the most mechanically skilled player in the world then do we have the competition for you? Red Bull Solo Q is a 1vs1 tournament coming later this year that will allow you to prove undoubtedly that you're more mechanically skilled than others. Oh and there’s a trip to Brazil and a pretty nice prize pool on offer as well.
In last year’s iteration of the competition it was Tristan 'Jumong' Cote-Lalumiere, a player with LCS experience with FlyQuest and Echo Fox, who came out on top. He entered the competition for a bit of fun, but managed to go all the way and prove that his decision to quit pro League of Legends might have been a little premature.
“I think it was in May of 2019 that I was informed that there would be a 1v1 tournament in Montreal, so I guess that's when I started playing that mode,” says Cote-Lalumiere. “I went to the Canadian qualifier which was held in Montreal with some friends. It was a pretty chilled tournament, I think I only dropped one game where I was up about 40cs and died randomly, the rest of the tournament was pretty easy. I mostly played Varus and Lucian from what I remember. I was mostly attending the tournament because of the prize pool, as I didn't really feel like competing again at the time.”
Choosing to play in the competition now seems like an inspired decision, as he walked away with a trip to Brazil to play the finals, a trip to Riot Games’s All Star event and a good chunk of change in his pocket. But perhaps the most important thing was the bragging rights that came with the title. Jumong has had a lot of incredible experiences during his League of Legends career, but this was up there with the best of them for him.
“It was cool to see São Paulo, I enjoyed the food there,” says Cote-Lalumiere. “I was surprised there was such a big audience, though I've already played on stage a few times, so I wasn't nervous or anything.”
As the reigning champion Jumong is the ideal person to quiz on how to best play the intense 1v1 game mode that makes even the most calm players tense, as they know one tiny mistake could end the game in an instant. Without having other players to bail you out should you get in trouble, playing close to perfectly is the only way to win and that all starts before you even make your first move, as the mind games of champion picks can make or break your match.
It’s just you against another in Solo Q
© Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
“I think Syndra, Irelia, Heimerdinger and Pantheon were some of the good non-ADC picks [last year],” says Cote-Lalumiere. “Other than that I think ADCs were pretty strong, it was just a matter of banning what goes good into the champions you want to play. I pretty much just picked four or five champions that play in a similar way and banned the picks I considered good versus that play style.”
The version of League of Legends that was used in last year’s competition is pretty different to what we're playing on now, but with the 1v1 game mode not all that much has changed. That’s not to say that you can copy exactly what Jumong did last year and be guaranteed the Red Bull Solo Q championship, but taking a look at how he and others played in the competition, as well as the type of champions they used will stand you in good stead to kick off your championship run.
“I haven't played any 1v1 since the finals happened, but I'd guess the meta is probably similar to what it was last year, with the addition of Aphelios, which might be a strong pick,” says Cote-Lalumiere. “There aren't that many champions that are good, which I think is healthy for 1v1 play, since it's blind pick, therefore the less variance there is to the draft the better it is.
“I'd say champions with good waveclear [are strong], if you're able to shove the wave it's pretty much impossible for the opponent to trade favourably with you. Champions like Heimerdinger and Caitlyn are pretty strong for that reason. Just practice what you're good at and watch some VoDs from the previous tournaments to get a general idea of what games are like.”
While Jumong managed to take the title as he was seemingly coming towards the later stages of his career, Red Bull Solo Q offers a great opportunity to finally get noticed by the pro scene for up-and-coming players, as well as those who have been close to the very top but not made it. Of course it also offers the chance for anyone out there to prove they are the next big thing in LoL, even if you have no competitive experience.
However, if you do decide to take up the Red Bull Solo Q challenge you better be prepared to play against the best-of-the-best right from the very start of the competition – especially if you’re in Canada.
“I'll probably play in the Canadian qualifier again this year,” says Cote-Lalumiere, laying down the challenge for someone to come and take his 1v1 crown.
Find out how to register for Red Bull Solo Q now.
