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Underpowered Defense: The Takeover of Top Lane by Assassins

Sinister Mars·11/26/2014, 10:29:01 PM·3 votes·923 views

To start things, I am a Top lane player. I have played League for over two years, and I've always found Top lane to be the most rewarding place for me. The meta of a big bruiser fighting an equally big hulk is a cool theme, so that's where I ended up. Since the change of the new jungle I've been seeing a lot of new champions in Top lane, and the game as is leaves very little in "generalized defense" when laning against assassins and marksmen.

A few Champions (Akali MasterYi ) are so absolutely punishing in their damage--even without items--that it seems that the entire designation of Fighter Champions becomes obsolete. The same qualities that allow them to be effective in Mid lane against Mages (high mobility, harass, and most importantly 100->0 killing potential) is seemingly too much for most traditional top laners to deal with. Some of my unlucky choices include Wukong, Garen, Aatrox, Darius, etc.

The competitive balance has brutally shifted in favor of offensive Champs, and I even understand why. Flashy Assassins with full hp -> dead in 3 second attacks make for great Youtube videos. People like to see big numbers in rapid succession. I'm one of those people too, but in the effort to adjust the game to a more Korean pace, Riot has counteracted all of their goals in recent years. Remember when they tried to lessen the effects of snowballing? Tell me that's worked now that stat balances have left the Nuke-power Champs stronger than ever at level 1.

So if others want to play those unbalanced Champs, why not give the rest of us a way to counteract that. Make defensive items do something. It feels as though one has to spend 2-3 times as much gold to get useful defensive itemization compared to offensive. The Akali I was talking about? By the time you spend the 500g for +25 MR from a Null-Magic Mantle, you're already further behind than you can hope to make up. Why? Because defensive items are not effective enough to stop high damage Champions from attacking you with impunity. Especially when there is a little bit of sustain involved.

I get this might not be an issue in higher leagues, but "You counter these Champs with Teamwork" is a bullshit way to balance the game. Show some love to solo-Q. Nerf damage or give us defensive items that do something.

Thank you for reading, looking forward to hearing your non-troll comments.

11 Comments

Colonel J11/26/2014, 10:31:51 PM5 votes

Stop complaining about other champions and get good.

crush1x11/26/2014, 10:46:04 PM3 votes

Akali is more of a fighter than an assassin

Unless you're absurdly fed, most of her damage is sustained through consistent procs of her Q, in contrast to traditional pure assassins like Talon who is meant to 100-0 a target and get out

She's not going to 100-0 an actual bruiser in the top lane (Garen, Shyvanna, Renekton etc) unless jungle interference or she just severely outplayed you

I'm assuming the "bruisers" most people speak of are being confused with the fighter class, such as Irelia, Jax and Riven. Keep in mind that Akali also falls in this category.

Akali can kill other fighter classes, just as easily as they can kill her

Akali has difficulties killing ACTUAL bruisers

SmokingPuffin11/27/2014, 1:44:58 AM2 votes

A few Champions (Akali MasterYi ) are so absolutely punishing in their damage--even without items--that it seems that the entire designation of Fighter Champions becomes obsolete. The same qualities that allow them to be effective in Mid lane against Mages (high mobility, harass, and most importantly 100->0 killing potential) is seemingly too much for most traditional top laners to deal with. Some of my unlucky choices include Wukong, Garen, Aatrox, Darius, etc.

Fighters are generally the best solution to assassins. I don't know why you're losing to Master Yi with any of those guys. Akali can snowball, but she also starts the lane behind and most of these picks have a significant advantage.

Remember when they tried to lessen the effects of snowballing? Tell me that's worked now that stat balances have left the Nuke-power Champs stronger than ever at level 1.

This seems to have largely happened. Season 4 was considerably less snowbally than season 2 or 3. Preseason so far, dragon seems quite snowbally, but lane snowballs seem less big.

So if others want to play those unbalanced Champs, why not give the rest of us a way to counteract that. Make defensive items do something. It feels as though one has to spend 2-3 times as much gold to get useful defensive itemization compared to offensive. The Akali I was talking about? By the time you spend the 500g for +25 MR from a Null-Magic Mantle, you're already further behind than you can hope to make up. Why? Because defensive items are not effective enough to stop high damage Champions from attacking you with impunity. Especially when there is a little bit of sustain involved.

Very hard to beat Akali with resistances because mixed damage. Buy a item 1011.

I get this might not be an issue in higher leagues, but "You counter these Champs with Teamwork" is a bullshit way to balance the game. Show some love to solo-Q. Nerf damage or give us defensive items that do something.

It is a team game. Can't balance only for 1v1.

Defensive item buffs are possible but I'm not sure they're necessary. Tanky champs currently feel pretty tanky.

OneSlickPhony11/26/2014, 10:37:35 PM1 votes

"Just CC him!"

Haha, I have too much fun trying to sound smart.

redniwediS11/26/2014, 11:47:13 PM1 votes

I love facing an Akali in top lane! If you survive her power spike at level 6-7 Garen can take an absolutely massive dump on her. Yi is a little harder to deal with, but if you know how to trade with an enemy who has superior damage early on you can stay even with him until your defensive items outscale his offense.

Sounds like you need a bit more practice with Garen, honestly. Every time the meta shifts in a way that sends Akali up top Garen is there to shut her down, and Yi is only great against the unknowledgable, or a CCless team who can't focus their damage.

EndlessSorcerer11/26/2014, 11:49:35 PM1 votes

I thought assassins began going top lane because people started taking squishy ranged champions top lane.