There seems to be a lot of confusion on the forums about what and how ranking and matchmaking works. Let me explain.
Ranking: Attempts to put a number on your skill relative to your opponents. Can be used to roughly gauge persons ability. Heavily dependent on playlist. In team based playlists, rank does not only indicate personal skill, but that of how well you play on a team. Rank will be very inaccurate if playing alone, more accurate playing with similar skill level team mates. Rank most accurate playing in a non-team based playlist.
Matchmaking: Attempts to find people and match them based on rank.
There is nothing wrong with the Ranking system. Just because you are stuck at a certain bracket, always getting great K/D but losing because you’re entering games alone, doesn’t mean the Ranking system is broken. You are handicapping yourself by choice. You know that pre-made teams are allowed, and you are willingly taking a risk by entering alone. If you want to rank up consistently, find a team. It doesn’t take very long to find a group of people to play with, just post a thread on the waypoint forums and people will join up. I do this very often, and know it works.
Matchmaking on the other hand, is in fact broken. Ranks have nothing to do with the fact that the game decided to team you up with people who are brand new at the game while you’re looking at your 200th game. This is something that definitely needs to be fixed. The only way to get around this is to find a team, so even more reason to make that thread.