t-SNE Representation by Ensemble Model Clusters

Abstract

The aim of this study was to use unsupervised machine learning techniques to confirm the existence of League of Legends Champions classes, proposed by Riot in 2016 and 2017 on this two blogs ( blog1, blog2 ).

The data used for the study were the base stats at level 18 and game client ratings of each Champion

To the left, you can see an interactive 3D t-SNE representation of our data colored by seven Clusters created with an Ensemble Model. These clusters group all the 141 champions available in patch 8.19

You can navigate through the top menu labels to see the Summary of each cluster and the Results of the study.

Also, on the top right corner, you can find links to the web page and GitHub repository of the complete study.

Cluster’s Champions

Strengths, Weaknesses, Style and Damage Type

Level 18 Base Stats Averages

Ratings Averages

Analysis

Cluster 1 has the close similarity to the Slayers class with a high amount of damage and mobility, but also it shows a similarity with the Fighter subclass Divers.

The problem is that there is a grey area between the Divers, that trade defense for some mobility (from the subclass description: “… are the more mobile portion of the Fighter class… Divers are not as durable as the tanks or juggernauts of the world…”) and the Slayers subclass Skirmishers, that trade damage and mobility for some defense (from the subclass description: “… Because Skirmishers lack high-end burst damage or reliable ways of closing in on high-priority targets, they are instead armed with situationally powerful defensive tools to survive…”“). So, Divers and Skirmishers end up being almost the same.

Divers (at least from the approximation of our study) have more similarity with Slayers that with Fighters, making a considerable amount champions of that subclass being classified in cluster 1, and also moving the cluster average toughness to an area that does not make it a weakness for this cluster. This creates a dissimilarity with the Slayer class, which have as a proposed characteristic a low toughness of its members.

So we end with a considerable number of champions that on average have high damage and mobility but also a decent amount of toughness and level 18 base armor, leaving them with no clear weakness.

Cluster’s Champions

Strengths, Weaknesses, Style and Damage Type

Level 18 Base Stats Averages

Ratings Averages

Analysis

Cluster 2 has the close similarity to the Mage class. The class description tells us that the champions in this class have high damage, and from the subclasses descriptions we know that they also excel at controlling their opponents. These characteristics are present in the averages of cluster 2.

Also, we can see that the Cluster 2 summary tell us that the champions in it, on average have low resistances, mobility, and toughness. Although the description of the Mage class does not mention these weaknesses, these are well known by the game players.

Cluster’s Champions

Strengths, Weaknesses, Style and Damage Type

Level 18 Base Stats Averages

Ratings Averages

Analysis

Cluster 3 is practically identical to the characteristic of the Tank class. With high resistances, toughness, and control, and low damage champions in cluster 3 totally validate the existence of the tank class.

If you are familiar with the game, you should be asking why is in this cluster? We also think she should not be there, but the thing is that her scores for toughness and base level 18 resistances are too high to be classified in the Cluster 1 (where we thought she would be classified), but not so low to be discarded as part of Cluster 3.

Cluster’s Champions

Strengths, Weaknesses, Style and Damage Type

Level 18 Base Stats Averages

Ratings Averages

Analysis

Cluster 4 has all the elements present in the Marksmen class description, high damage, and range, and low toughness and resistances, this makes this cluster a clear representation of the class.

At first glance, the low average base lv18 Attack Damage seems like a contradiction to the Marksmen class characteristics, but as their description says “… they… are extremely reliant on powerful item purchases to become true damage threats…”, so this characteristic is fulfilled by a low base level 18 Attack Damage.

Cluster’s Champions

Strengths, Weaknesses, Style and Damage Type

Level 18 Base Stats Averages

Ratings Averages

Analysis

Cluster 5 has the closest similarity to the Controllers class with a high amount of control and utility, and low resistance, damage, and health.

Although they have on average, a high base armor at level 18 we do not consider that this affects in a high degree they overall toughness. So this cluster can validate the existence of the controller class.

Cluster’s Champions

Strengths, Weaknesses, Style and Damage Type

Level 18 Base Stats Averages

Ratings Averages

Analysis

Cluster 6 has the closest similarity to the fighter class with decent damage, high resistances, and toughness. However, as we saw in the cluster 1 analysis, the fighter subclass Divers has more things in common with that other cluster.

As for the other fighter subclass Juggernaut, it seems more similar to Cluster 6, though its description tells us that Juggernauts “… have a tough time closing in on targets due to their low range and extremely limited mobility…”, but we see that the champions on Cluster 6 have on average a good base level 18 Move Speed, so not all the Juggernauts suffer of “extremely limited mobility”. Also, the cluster 6 champions have on average a high amount of Control which makes them have more strengths than weaknesses.

Cluster’s Champions

Since Cluster 7 represented the “Unique Style” Champions, we will not make a summary of them as a group.

You can click on the image of each of the champions in this cluster to go to their respective LoL Wikia page to see their base stats and game client ratings.

Analysis

As we seen, on the t-SNE representation, Cluster 7 is the one with the most disperse champions, This suggest that these champions do not have strong points in common between them.

That’s why we compare Cluster 7 to the Unique Style class proposed by Riot to group those champions that don’t fit well in the default classes, but that also are not similar with each other int their playstyle.

People familiarized with the game will know that Kayle, Nidalee, and Teemo are somehow unique champions that are difficult to compare to others (in fact they are classified by Riot in the Unique Playstyles class). Jhin and Kaisa despite being close to the Marksmen class have a playstyle that differs from the standard of that class. Orianna and Thresh have similarities with the Controller and Mage classes, but with an attack speed and health at level 18 high enough to not be classified in neither of those classes.

We know that this is likely to only exists because we conducted the study with a fixed number of seven clusters, however; we consider that the similarities with the Unique Style class are strong enough to maintain this cluster as part of the study.

Results

The objective of this study was to validate the existence of the League of Legends Champion classes as they were proposed in two blogs by Riot in 2016 and 2017, using unsupervised machine learning techniques. These are our results.

We could validate the existence of the classes Mage, Tank, Controller, and Marksmen since we find four clusters that share the characteristics described by Riot for those classes.

As well, we could validate the existence of Unique Style champions, that don’t fit well in any cluster and don’t have strong similarities between them.

We could not validate the existence of the Fighter class as it was described in blogs, instead we find a group of champions with common characteristics, that in a way resembles the Juggernaut subclass, but with high amounts of Control and that despite of having a low mobility rating, have in average a decent amount of base move speed, contrary to the “extremely limited mobility” described for this subclass in the blogs.

We neither could validate the existence of the Slayers class, as it was proposed by Riot, instead we find a considerable number of champions that shares, in average, high amounts of damage and mobility (as the proposed Slayers class) but without the disadvantage of a low toughness or base resistances (which are, on average, of a medium level).

This last two result worries us since we find that approximately 36.17% of the current champions have on average more strengths than weaknesses, which can affect significantly the balance of the game.

Final Notes

• Due limitations we do not consider the champions abilities for the study, so please take with caution our results. We hope that in future studies, the abilities and many other variables could be added to the cluster analysis to get better results.

• This was a preliminary study and I know it can be improved, for suggestions and corrections, you can contact me at normalitychop@gmail.com

• This document was made using , , , , and