Image: Tencent
The climb never ends, but don't make it hard for yourself.
Climbing to Grandmaster in Honor of Kings can be a challenging one, as it is the highest tier of rank in the game. Previously, reaching the Grandmaster tier rewarded players with a ton of free stuff on its own, but in Season 8, the introduction of Dragon's Hoard allowed players exchange their points into skins, exclusive cosmetics items, currencies, and more.
Furthermore, reaching the Legend title in the Grandmaster tier allows players to unlock the exclusive Heavenly Oracle skin for Luna in Dragon's Hoard. However, to do that, you need 20,000 Dragon Essence, which can be obtained by exchanging Dragon Coin in Dragon's Hoard, and the best way to get the coin is by climbing the rank in Season 8.
After discussing the reward, we will share some tips for you to rank quickly in Honor of Kings.
1. Focus on learning two roles at maximum.
In Honor of Kings' rank mode, players can choose the two roles they want to play. The first role you choose will be your primary, and the next will be your secondary. The primary role will always take priority over the secondary one unless a noticeable lack of players is acknowledged by the matchmaking system.
While a professional player needs to at least learn every role before focusing on one, a rank-climber can save time by just learning and focusing on two roles, which would be your primary and secondary. Learn at least three heroes in those two roles to prevent your heroes from getting banned.
2. Practice ‘last hitting’ and maximise your net worth gain
In Honor of Kings, while you will always get gold if an enemy minion dies when you are near them, a good player knows that ‘last hitting’ a minion nets a bigger gold to them. A good 50% increase of gold received is gained when you ‘last hit’ a minion; an exception is made if you have a roamer item in your inventory.
However, even a roamer needs to practice last hitting, too, as the enemy will try to harass the roamer's lane mate so they can't last hit. When a roamer gets a last hit, the gold will be transferred to any other ally player nearest them in a large radius. So it's worthwhile to practice last hitting to win your net worth race against the enemy.
3. Learn about item timing and power spike
What is item timing? In short, this refers to the timing with which players buy specific equipment to gain an advantage over their opponents. For example, if you play against Cai Yan or Kaizer with a heavy health recovery mechanism, you need to complete an anti-heal item as soon as possible.
But suppose you played against a Lady Sun who had completed her Starbreaker for physical pierce. In that case, buying Overlord's Platemail, which boosts your health significantly, is wiser than a Spikemail, which gives a ton of Physical Defense.
Meanwhile, a power spike is when a hero gets a massive boost of strength and threat. It can be after a hero gets a certain item or reaches a certain level. Most heroes get a power spike when they get their ultimate. Be sure to learn these timings and avoid fighting an enemy that gets a massive power boost before you have the necessary item or power spike.
4. Read patch notes
One of the most apparent actions players can take to improve their gaming experienceand win rate is to read the patch notes. Honor of Kings frequently releases balancing updates that might affect your chosen playstyle. Players can find these patch notes in the top left of the game's heroes tab.
Every item change and hero adjustment is written inside these patch notes. Understanding the patch earlier than others might give you an advantage.
5. Reserve your ban on which heroes are strong against you
This point is still in conjunction with the previous one. When you reach the Master tier, ranked games will become a ban-pick draft match. If you have the task of banning a hero, you need to know which one to exclude from the game. The common reasoning behind your ban should be who the strongest hero in the game is right now, and you should dismiss them if you don't get the first pick.
The second rationale for your ban should be that the hero counters yours. If both are secured, your ranked experience and win rate will improve drastically.
Use these tips to climb the Grandmaster tier easily. While partying together with your mates makes for a good time, climbing the ranks solo is more effective sometimes.
