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Suggesting changes for Azir - balance him without destroying his identity

Glory97··4 votes·481 views

I'm a former azir main, and still play him occasionally (without much success). He is the champion I had most fun with, but I admit his kit is unhealthy. The probleme about reworking him, is to make his kit healthy without destroying his playstyle/ identity.

I suggest the following:

  • R: Emperor's divide New effect: Curse of the Desert: Azir cannot cast Emperor's divide, if he has taken damage from enemy champions in the last 1.5 seconds (edited) CD: 140/120/100 --> 120/95/70

  • E: Shifting Sands New effect: While casting shifting sands and 0.5 seconds after, "Curse of the Desert" is disabled

  • W: Revert the neckbreaking damage nerfs from patch 6.14

My thoughts: The probleme about azir's kit is that it has no weakness, when played perfectly. That's why he was so popular in competitive play. The newly added effect "Curse of the Desert" serverly restricts his options to use the ultimate defensively and makes him vulnerable to assassins and bruisers. At the same time, the Shurima Shuffle, which is the core combo in his kit and his tool to make highlight plays, is not destroyed. He still has his dash to escape from sticky situations, but it needs time to be set up (spawn a soldier behind you, and having your q ready) and can be counterplayed by flashing between azir and his soldier.

Azir's skill floor will be raised by another level (getting used to the new effects of the ultimate), but azir players love getting invested into difficult mechanics in the first place, so that shouldn't be too much of a probleme.

I kindly ask for feedback from all azir-players Azir Azir Azir

17 Comments

King of Mongoose2 votes

i don't like the changes, it pressures azir to use his mobility more agressively when it really should be used for defensive positioning or outright removed

the ult is designed to be used defensively against assassins and brusiers. The shurima shuffle was not an intented combo when he was designed.

Glory971 votes

But i think the defensive option of his ultimate is the unhealthy one. We have a hyper, carry with the option to create an impassible wall and a long range dash, making it almost impossible to kill a good azir in teamfight. Using the Shurima Shuffle you are dashing into the enemy team. You have only flash to reposition and if the enemy team is not dumb you're dead 0.1 seconds after. You're paying a heavy sacrifice for using the engage, that's why i think it's ok.

King of Mongoose1 votes

or we can remove shurima shuffle and keep his ult as intended, a impassable defensive ability

Glory971 votes

Well but then you're taking away azir's play making potential, and leave him in a state where his kit feels cluncky and purposeless.

King of Mongoose1 votes

if we remove azir's potential playmaking power in shurima shuffle, then we can restore power to his other spells

Glory971 votes

But I think, with the above suggested changes, removing his option to use the ultimate defensivly, we can restore his power on the other spells, without removing his playmaking potential in shurima shuffle. And we still have a healthy champion at the end.

King of Mongoose1 votes

if he can't use his ult defensively it really should not be in his kit

he's supposed to be a squishy control mage not a diver

Glory971 votes

True. A hypercarry shouldn't have an impassible wall that denies any attempt to assassinate him. But now it's made conditional, so it's healthy for the game after being made conditional. I intend to keep his playstyle of a squishy backline mage though, but to even make him actually "squishy", even when played perfectly.

warpenguin5552 votes

I dont really like the curse tbh. I don't like the thought of not being able to use his wall defensively

Glory971 votes

Well but that's my intention. Azir needs to be vulnerable to assassins and bruisers

MistroTTC1 votes

I don't think this will fix him, but it might help a little.

Glory971 votes

Do you think azir would be too strong after the suggested changes or too weak?

MistroTTC1 votes

I don't know, but it wont fix his problems like having a great late game with a great early game, that and having a higher skill ceiling isn't was Azir needs, he needs a lower one so he can be OK in solo que without breaking LCS. That being said, it will make him much weaker against divers and assassins so it succeeds in giving him a weakness that matters once your good at him.

Glory971 votes

The skill ceiling is not what makes him so popular in lcs. It's the fact that he has no weakness when played perfectly. And the suggested changes give him a major weakness that enemies can play arround, but it also gives back azir's damage. Yes he will not be a very popular pick in soloq afterwards, but that's not my intention. It's ok to have very difficult champions that needs a lot of time to understand isn't it?

Chimp Joker1 votes

I wouldnt mind them going for a full scale rework on him.

Eedat1 votes

The Shurma Shuffle wasnt the one thing breaking Azir. Azir needs actual changes to his kit. He does evverything. He has high DPS, burst, zoning, peel, engage, and mobility. He is a massive lane bully if you don't far outrange him. He has an extremely strong 2 item powerspike for mid game and scales into a hypercarry in the late game. There is no weak point in his kit.

Changing the Shurima shuffle around a bit then adding damage back to his W is a horrible idea. It will make one aspect of his strength a little more difficult while making everything else much worse. The champ just needs a rework.

Glory971 votes

And I never claimed that the Shurima Shuffle is breaking his kit. In the suggested changes I did not remove the Shurima Shuffle, but his option to use the ultimate defensively. I remove the insane self-peel that breaks his kit and is not allowed to be on a hypercarry.

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