Blood for Noxus! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWiTcGEVjUU)

For Demacia! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ifo0qqCt54)


Behold the might of the Shadow Isles! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgkaeJt8Z7E)


(Scroll down to RULES for the official Champion rosters.)
(See the NEXT POST for FAQs.)

Wait, what’s a “faction match”? Go home, Cupcake, you’re drunk!
A faction match game mode would be awesome. By “faction match”, I mean a game mode where you get placed on a team of Summoners from your declared faction and matched against a team from a different faction. The core of it would be the fun of playing thematically-charged matches with constrained rosters. Constrained rosters have two main virtues, in my mind: first, even non-pros can learn the synergies and dynamics of small rosters, and second, necessity is the mother of invention — small rosters force players to think creatively about how they’re going to play up their strengths and cover their weaknesses. I think Riot should implement this sort of system. As a proof of concept, let's try doing it ourselves!

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• Declare for a faction here: FACTION DECLARATION (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11dRgTksAkQWyP7MIgfO0ZrlfKr56PJU9oJRCuFDQJLI/viewform)
• "Factions": Primary chat room used for putting games together. To join, click the "speech bubble" icon and type in "Factions", then press enter:
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• See the Summoner list here: SUMMONERS BY FACTION (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ar7CfqUIXzDhdHgySU9kS3NxdVNDUjNLVmxZWTNRQ2c&usp=sharing)I suggest friending people, especially from your own faction, so you can see who's on for a game at a glance. Example (it was 9 AM so nobody was on, but):
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• I also suggest that you set your status to "Faction: ______" (e.g. Faction: Noxus) to help people add you to the appropriate buddy folder.
• I encourage you to use faction chat rooms (e.g. "Demacia", "Ionia"; same procedure as joining the main "Factions" chat) and the strategy threads to collaborate with teammates on addressing the gaps in your lineup and exploiting its strengths.

  
  Demacia Strategy Thread (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3216862) (Chat: "Demacia&quot
  Freljord Strategy Thread (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?p=36543192) (Chat: "Freljord&quot
  Ionia Strategy Thread (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3218733) (Chat: "Ionia&quot
  Piltover Strategy Thread (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3222347) (Chat: "Piltover&quot
  

Also, see the next post for some FAQs.


There are three options if you want to do faction stuff:

• Go to custom games, hit "show private games", and search for the name of your faction. (game password: "factions&quot Join in!
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• Start a game yourself! Create a match, set password "factions", and advertise in the "factions" chat room. Use a name of the form ~Factions~ Ionia-Noxus with a password of "factions".
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  To gather players, try the faction chat, or invite from your buddy list. (This is where faction folders come in handy!) You may have more luck if you message them first to let them know a faction invite is on its way, so they know it's not just a random game.
• Grab 4 people from your faction and queue up for Normals together. (Doesn't grant points, but it's fun and helps you learn champs / comps.)

MATCH CREATION

Matches can be on any map.

• SR: 5 points
• TT: 3 points
• Dominion: 2 points
• Proving Grounds: 1 point (must be at least 3v3)

Can be Blind or Draft. If Draft, you must burn all bans (ban champs who aren't on either team's roster):
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A fun custom is to take your rage out on a faction that's not actually competing in this match. e.g., in this Ionia-Piltover game, they banned Noxians.

THE MATCH ITSELF

Summoners are limited to their faction rosters (which may be adjusted as we go):

Current Rosters
DEMACIA
Fiora, Galio, Garen, Jarvan IV, Lux, Poppy, Quinn and Valor, Shyvana, Sona, Vayne, Xin Zhao (11)

THE FRELJORD
Anivia, Ashe, Gragas, Lissandra, Nunu, Olaf, Sejuani, Trundle, Tryndamere, Udyr, Volibear (11)

IONIA
Ahri, Akali, Irelia, Karma, Kennen, Lee Sin, Master Yi, Shen, Soraka, Varus, Wukong (11)

PILTOVER
Blitzcrank, Caitlyn, Corki, Ezreal, Heimerdinger, Janna, Jayce, Orianna, Vi, Ziggs (11)

Ideally, you should try to have at least 5 of the champs from your roster, to ensure you'll have someone to pick no matter what.

You’re encouraged to engage in some light-hearted banter. Full-on roleplay is not advised … in my experience, it just doesn’t work. But this is a good occasion to yell “LOOK OUT MY PRINCE” instead of “care jarvan”. I also strongly encourage yelling DEMACIAAAAAAAAA with as many As as you want, and BLOOD FOR NOXUS, and all that sort of thing.

This is meant to be fun, and a break from insane Elo-grinding. Have fun, joke around, and enjoy coming up with strategies that take advantage of your roster or exploit weaknesses in your opponent faction's roster.

AFTER THE MATCH

Someone should take a screenshot and submit it here:
MATCH REPORT FORM (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1pAs_6M13qpvOM9L23oEUP7HIQTi3y9f3pYXtisz0Eok/viewform)


I will update Faction point totals based on matches.

I've recorded rough skill tiers (e.g. Bronze is "2", Silver is "3&quot, and will use that to adjust points. I'll average the skill level of each team, and for each .5 points of average discrepancy, I'll scale the point value of the match by 20%. So if you're a low-level team against a bunch of pros, you'll have a soft landing if you lose and will score mega-points if you win. I also adjust points based on faction standings: if the underdog faction beats the dominant faction, for instance, the point value of the match will be amplified to reflect the significance of this upset victory.


SCOREBOARD
Each match has a base point value (won by winners, lost by losers) determined by map type. There is an adjustment for faction strength (e.g., if a faction with a very high score is toppled by a faction with a very low score, match value is increased to reflect this amazing upset victory.) There is also an adjustment for relative skill level. (Skill level is based on approximate rating. e.g., Bronze is 2 points, Silver is 3 points.)

"Live" Standings: FACTION STANDINGS (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ar7CfqUIXzDhdGRnZ2ZneTVEdjE2Y0dBNEpRem5rdEE&usp=sharing)

Props to Mysterio731 and Sparkly for their help in keeping the scoreboard updated. They're also both really positive, enthusiastic participants in general.

STORY

Yes, there is some story for this.

FIRST ARC: MIRRORWATER
Mirrorwater (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?p=35576367)
An opening vignette that explains why these four factions are fighting each other.

Piltover Rallies? (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3225196)
The first update, which illustrates how player activity shapes the plot. I saw that (1) Piltover was getting wrecked (2) the Piltoverian Summoners were doing a lot of strategy work building toward a poke comp. So, I decided to write a quick story update that incorporated this. I also figured they needed a bit of help (at the time, they were DRAMATICALLY behind all other factions), and so I used this story update to introduce a new ally, Janna, who would synergize with their poke comp plans.

Noxian Reinforcements (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?p=35900604)
Noxus has one of the most constrained rosters. I think it's time to add in a couple Champions who are great thematic fits for Noxus and also open up a few new avenues of play.

Udyr (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3335395)
Udyr began by fighting for Ionia. The Freljord was added just a bit before the lore change hit the PBE. With the introduction of the Freljord, Udyr would have a difficult decision to make: would he stand by Ionia for the remainder of Mirrorwater, or would he switch over to the Freljord? This story contains his decision.

The True Noxus (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3342205)
Noxian Summoners face a difficult choice not only about their Champion roster but about Noxus itself.



SECOND ARC: CERULEANA
Ceruleana (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3421077)
The opening for the second arc. A mystical island is discovered in the ocean between the Freljord and the Shadow Isles.

Update 1: Voices Wake Us And We Drown (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=3484559)
The forces of the Shadow Isles plot to invade the Freljord with an undead army, using Ceruleana as a conduit. And someone arrives looking for friends …

RAIDCALL INFO
This is apparently a combination messaging and voicechat system that a lot of people are starting to use. It can be helpful in arranging matches. Sometimes people like to spectate matches-in-progress with this, as well.

• http://www.twitch.tv/themadmanofzaun
• http://www.twitch.tv/rammasaur
• http://www.twitch.tv/cupcaketraplol
• http://www.twitch.tv/elyks

Disclaimer: The idea of having faction matches dates back at least to Riot's Noxus v Ionia games. It has subsequently been discussed and proposed in a variety of forms for literally years. This implementation is mine, but the basic idea belongs to Riot and the community.

Signup thread: http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?p=35833042

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQ — How do I sign up?
Click here: FACTION DECLARATION (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1U0qc96mQ5c5v3KnrgMZhLoOm5rsg9D6nR1fgI8RjApA/viewform)
and thank you! <3 I hope you have fun.


FAQ — Will we ever be able to switch factions?
Yes. Whenever new factions are added, everyone will be given a chance to switch around.


FAQ — Cupcake, are you like a steel Yordle-catching trap or something?
This is a strangely common misconception. The answer is no. I am a delicious, wholesome cupcake.
Come closer Teemo, and reach out your teensy little paw. Cloooooser.
I SAID @$#!ING COME CLOSER.
haha I mean I'm delicious! <3
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FAQ — Where is Zaun? Where is the SHADOW ISLES? Where is …
One day, while procrastinating, I just ran through the entire champ list alphabetically and made factions wherever I could cram at least 5 champs together. Zaun and the Shadow Isles were definitely on this list. (I ran some Demacia versus Zaun (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=1865635) games way back when, in an earlier iteration of this project.)

I held a community-wide poll, and the four highest-scoring factions were Demacia, Ionia, Noxus, and Piltover. So I've started with just these four. I limited it to four because I didn't want to spread people out too much. My personal vote was for Bandle City, because I just love little yordles! <3

However! This scenario ("Mirrorwater&quot ends up May 1. At that time, I'll have another poll to select a 5th faction. Then, the Summoners belonging to the victorious Mirrorwater faction will get a private poll to select a 6th faction. All Summoners will then be given a chance to switch factions if they so desire.

There is one other option: the primary thing holding me back from unlocking more factions is a desire to avoid spreading people out too much. But if we get more Summoners, we can handle it. Right now, we're at about 1300 Summoners. If we can get up to 2000 Summoners substantially in advance of May 1, I'll hold a poll to add a 5th faction right on the spot.

TL;DR: New factions added May 1. You WILL have a chance to switch over. So if you're a diehard Zaunite, you can fight for (say) Noxus now and then switch when Zaun is added.


FAQ — Why is Rumble fighting for Piltover? He hates Piltover! And why isn't Syndra fighting for Ionia? And …
I consider two primary factors when making rosters:

Theme: This is not just written lore, but also how the champ visually comes across, and how they "feel" in-game. Rumble is a hamster piloting a clanking steam-driven mech battlesuit. That's very, very Piltover. Now, there are some lore issues with Rumble and Piltover. It seems that Rumble despises Piltover, for some bizarre reason
and views Yordles who study at Piltover's steampunk academies as sellouts. So why would he fight for Piltover? Well, here's what I came up with: this "mirrorwater" could really boost the magical (or magitech) might of whichever faction gets it. Rumble wants to see Bandle City catch up to and surpass Piltover. If Piltover got the mirrorwater, it would launch Piltover totally beyond Bandle City's reach. Rumble, I decided, started by trying to get Bandle City in the competition itself, but when that failed, he had to grit his teeth and make a deal with Piltover: he'd fight for them provided that, if they win, they give Bandle City equal access to the mirrorwater. He doesn't like it, but it's better than the alternative.

Gameplay: I want rosters that prompt interesting strategic questions. So I ask what would happen to the roster with or without the champion. I've seen some people argue for roster changes in terms of "because ______ faction is weak on jungle/support/mid/whatever", but in my mind that can really cut either way. Part of the fun of this is that each roster is limited and incomplete, forcing players to try novel solutions. The "meta" dominates in standard games because it's plainly optimal with a full champ set. But for a faction with a limited lineup, the "meta" may no longer be optimal, or a champ not normally played in a given role may be an effective or even dominant choice for that role. For instance, both thematically and gameplay-wise, I kind of love that Noxus has no standard "Support". Wards? USE THE BROKEN BODIES OF OUR ENEMIES FOR WARDS! Stuns? HOW ABOUT AN AXE TO THE FACE?

In Rumble's case, Piltover was extremely weak to start with, and had by far the smallest roster, and I wanted to help give them some more options. I want the rosters to have gaps and weaknesses as well as strengths, but if the gaps are too great they might just fall apart. Even more problematic is when a roster is so small that many players don't have enough champs unlocked to join them. So when Piltover had only like 7 champs, I wanted to pad it out to make sure it was (literally) playable.


FAQ — I can't find a match!
Fortunately, we've had such an incredible response that this isn't actually a very frequently-asked question. (And, I mean, it's also not an express question.) But if you are having trouble getting a match going, try queuing up with 4 factionmates and hitting Normals. Use your faction's roster and practice various champs and teamcomps. It's good practice, and it's a lot of fun.


FAQ — What changes are coming up to rosters, rules, events, things like that?
I have a ton of ideas for lineup changes and other quirks. I want this to be vibrant and dynamic, especially in terms of responding to player activity (see: the Piltover update). However, I've decided that I need to step back and stop meddling for a bit, so that things can play out as they are and people can get familiar with a baseline. I don't want to give a hard date, but as a rough indication, I probably won't make any roster or rule changes until at least Sunday March 24th.

Let the games begin, and may the odds be EVER in your favor.

About to start an Ionia-Piltover game!

FIRST BLOOD!

Udyr takes down Vi!

... is GuardsmanBob in this game?

We also have Ezreal vs. Irelia top lane ... let's see how that goes!

Reminder: The whole point is that anyone can run these. Follow the instructions above. You are encouraged to make your own game! Use the Summoner List and build friend folders based on factions.

Shadow Isles?

That's actually a pretty sick idea.

i voted for everything

OH MAN.

Udyr just very aggressively asserted Ionia's ownership of bot-lane outer tower.

So by the way — these two teams have the same rough average rating. So it's "even" in that sense.

Was the skill "polarity" very large though? Because apparently Udyr is Plat, and I'm Bronze. So I wonder if we was far and away above everyone else, and I was dragging down the statistical average?