Thank you for being thoughtful in your response. I will likewise try to do the same. By your admission, you’re on the lower end of the skill spectrum in crucible. I’m above average (though I wouldn’t use the term “high skill” for myself). What has been happening consistently for me in Iron Banner is I will start playing, and my first 2 matches I will be one of the highest skilled players in the lobby. Typically I will win both matches and have an efficiency of 2.0 or greater. Like clockwork, the 3rd match will put me on a team of solo queue players (like myself), while the opposing team will have a stack of at least 3, and the entire other team will have a higher level of skill. Usually this means they will all be relatively competent, but because my numbers were high for two previous matches, all of the lower skill players in the lobby will be on my team. This will happen for several matches, because I will still play well enough to get a 2.0 or higher efficiency, even though the teams I am on all lose. The matches will get tougher and tougher until I get mercies/stomped repeatedly. After 10 or so matches I will get matched up in a lobby where I am the higher end of the skill bracket, sort of like a consolation match to make up for getting my teeth kicked in, and then the cycle starts all over. If you have difficulty maintaining a 1.0 efficiency, the game will treat you with kid gloves and give you matches that you feel are fair. If you’re like me and an average match is a 2.0 efficiency, the game starts actively working against you to bring that efficiency closer to 1.0. It is extremely frustrating to constantly be put in matches that not only do I have no chance of winning, but where the game is actively trying to drag down my kd/a because it thinks it’s too high.