Why You Suck at Ranked
I've seen a lot of guides on YouTube made by pros, and I'm sure you guys have seen plenty of them too. These guides mainly transfer the thought processes pros use in scrims and competitive matches into ranked play. However, ranked is nothing like esports. You don't draft together, you don't have comms, and your teammates aren't professionals either. Because of that, I made this guide specifically for ranked play. I won't be focusing on meta analysis, but rather on general tips that might be keeping you from reaching a higher rank but none of the pros mentioned.
Tip #1: Pick your comfort picks, but avoid NPC picks
It's better to have around 6–8 brawlers that you're personally good at and comfortable playing across different game modes. Having a wider brawler pool is useful because it allows you to occasionally make niche counterpicks against specific brawlers. However, most of the time, the easiest way to win is simply by playing your best and most versatile brawlers.
But there's a catch: a comfort pick shouldn't be an NPC pick.
What is an NPC pick? It's a brawler that doesn't really serve a purpose in draft. Some notable examples are Bo, Spike, Jessie, etc. They don't counter anything specifically, nor do they particularly excel at anything. They don't have much control over the flow of the game, and on top of that, they're often countered by assassins and throwers, which makes them terrible first picks.
Tip #2: Check bushes and use Vision Gear
If you're playing on a map with grassy lanes, check bushes until you've confirmed where all of your opponents are. At the same time, pay attention to kills made by your teammates so you don't waste time checking bushes unnecessarily and miss opportunities to push up after enemies die. This is especially important in ranked because, unlike esports, you don't have comms.
Lastly, use vision gear on ranged brawlers when playing on bushy Brawl Ball maps and most Gem Grab maps. It can also be extremely useful on Knockout, Bounty, or Hot Zone maps where bush control matters (such as Out in the Open or Ring of Fire). It's basically a cheat code against aggro brawlers because it allows you to safely pressure them back. It also helps your teammates land shots more easily, so it benefits the entire team, not just yourself.
Tip #3: Suggest the last pick to your teammate and switch with them
The last pick is the most impactful pick in the match, and you want to abuse that advantage as much as possible. It's often the pick that determines how the game will play out, so ideally, you should be the one playing it.
You don't want your teammates wasting the last pick on something like Bo or Spike, so you should suggest strong last-pick options for them. Since last picks are often aggro brawlers, you also shouldn't blindly trust your teammates to play them effectively. After suggesting the pick, switch with them so you can play it yourself.
Tip #4: Positioning is more important than kills
If you win your lane by pushing the opponent back or securing a kill, maintaining your position and staying alive is far more important than chasing additional kills, especially if securing another kill means dying in return.
This is especially true in Hot Zone and Gem Grab. Why? Because outside of Knockout and Bounty, the objective isn't kills. If you die, you lose all the positioning you worked for, which allows the opponents to push back up. A lot of the time, after winning a lane, it's better to sit in a bush, heal up, and stop attacking altogether. You'll often see opponents panic and waste time checking bushes while your mid collects gems or your team gains zone control.
Ultimately, your goal is to spawn-trap the opponents and prevent them from regaining map control. You can't do so if you're constantly overextending for kills and dying.
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These are the tips I could think of on top of my head, let me know what you guys think.