Dear DrmDestryr,
How do you feel about your rank?
-Aldui
Dear Alduin,
I feel pretty darn good considering I lost well over half of my placement matches. All said and done, I only won 5 of them, totalling out to 15 losses. That's 75% of my matches being utter defeats. However, I think it speaks leagues about personal ability considering I ended up at rank 23. Instead of being shot down to the bottom 25% like the win rate suggests, I've placed in the top half of all players. This is verifiable proof that win rate has very little to do with MMR.
In fact, after much thought, it has led me to believe that MMR is more often based on XP contribution in Siege, Hero and Overall mixed with the number of deaths and Hero kills. This is also the reason why I think they added specialty XP pools for tanks and healers – to more accurately judge Heroes that aren't supposed to be topping the other three.
So how do you increase your MMR?
The simple answer is to focus on improving these numbers across the board. The higher you can get these, the better your MMR will become. It doesn't matter if you're with a sh*tty team. It doesn't matter if you're with a great team in a terrible circumstance. All that matters is that you're there driving up those numbers as high as you can. Placing first or second amongst your team as far as contributions go means you're clearly above the others in your team and need a positive MMR adjustment. Score along the bottom, and you'll be adjusted negatively.
This further goes on to emphasize the importance of bettering your own play as opposed to yelling at your teammates. While you may lose some ranks, the better you get, the better your teams will get, resulting in a net gain.
-DrmDestryr
Dear DrmDestryr,
Who should I work on this week for free rotation?
-JohnnyC
Dear JohnnyC,
This week, you've got yourself 2 supports, 2 warriors, 2 assassins and 1 specialist. I'm only a tad biased toward Sylvanas, but she isn't exactly a new player's best choice while you're still learning mechanics of the game. Here's a breakdown of who you should try based on how good you feel your skills are.
Novice
Diablo – He's an incredibly basic Hero, and your teammates might grief you for picking him. While he isn't exactly meta at the moment, he nonetheless is a solid tank that can take hits and reposition enemies. He'll teach you to be aware of when to leave when you don't have an escape as well as which targets are the best ones to grab.
Valla – A solid assassin through and through, Valla comes equipped with a skill shot, an area of effect (aoe) and an escape. As an assassin, these are the three things you will need to master to be of any use damage-wise to the team.
Intermediate
Stitches – This lumbering putresence isn't easy but nor is he hard. Arguably more tank-y than Diablo, the key to this Hero is his Hook. It's a skill shot that can win you many kills from unsuspecting enemies. Expect to miss a lot in the beginning until you start to adapt to predicting enemy movement patterns.
Malfurion – You have to be intermediate to be good with him, but you have to be an expert to be great with him. The most solid support the entire game has to offer, Malfurion can build to heighten his abilities or to transcend into a jack of all trades. The secret is knowing when to do which.
Brightwing – Before this beautiful monarch got nerfed, she was the pick of the litter, namely when up against Illidan. Though she's fallen in popularity, her heal, interrupt and buff are ideal so long as you know when and where to use them. Beyond this, though, her teleport introduces you to the incredibly pivotal task of staying aware of your minimap.
Expert
Sylvanas – With little health, limited damage abilities and a silence that requires a strong grasp of Heroes, their abilities and timing, Sylvanas is an amazing specialist for those that know how to play her. Though she's become a personal favorite for those that make her out to be an assassin, her talent to lockdown towers is crucial for team pushes.
Zeratul – Zeratul introduces the stealth mechanic. As such, he is also as tough as wet paper, dying almost immediately if he gets locked down. Knowing how much damage you do, when to ambush, following the minimap and otherwise being creative with his blink compose a great Zeratul player.
-DrmDestryr
Ask DrmDestryr is your weekly Q&A/advice column for Heroes of the Storm. Have a question for DrmDestryr? E-mail her your mental musings at drmdestryr@gmail.com or send happy twoughts her way @DrmDestryr.
Want to hang out? Check out the ITN PreShow with DrmDestryr! streamed weekly starting at 3 PM Pacific on Thursdays. If that's still not enough, come hang out for Monday Morning Murder where she tackles all forms of video game horror starting at 11 AM Pacific each Monday.
Looking to get ripped for an upcoming convention? Check out her new exercise-made-easy blog: Ripped for Blizzcon.