Aatrox after thousands of ranked matches---thoughts, builds and ideas

I'm not the best Aatrox. I haven't touched this account all year until last month. I will easily run it up to Gold and maybe Platinum by the end of next month. I am going to explain what I currently do and my thoughts on his upcoming rework.

I struggled with Aatrox for a long time. I just wanted to see what was possible with him even though I knew he was weak. I know you see some guys who play him who are running him at platinum or diamond, but not only is that very rare, but also, these people don't actually run Aatrox at top against ANY champion, regardless of whether or not someone "counters" him. I DO AND CAN DO SO UP TILL PLATINUM.

What is really amazing is that for the one of the least popular champions there sure seems to be a lot of conventional wisdom regarding him--and everyone has an opinion, almost always on no or very little personal experience, on how to build him, how to lane with him, how to play him.

Aatrox is a champion that pulled in a few directions. When buys he gains benefit in that his passive scales off of health and his W passive and bonus damage scales off of Armor. Even gives him 100% of that AP for his amazing ult, and more armor which of course, is increased by 35%.

Do you understand? His kit syncs well with items that are available. This is true for many champions--Riven gets a shield that scales off of AD, so she can safely build damage while increasing her shield, which scales off of 100% AD.

Aatrox is different. He needs attack speed to proc his healing faster, but the healing and the bonus damage scale off of bonus AD at 100%. However he is quite squishy and has long cool downs, which makes his utility for escaping not always available when needed.

With a traditional build of he lacks not only any real cool down, but also he can't stick to anyone unless his active on BOTRK is ready.

This build here is much better

That is my core build for nearly every match. I also run Intelligence and Thunderlords. After you build you will enjoy 15% CDR. This is VERY useful. Additionally the damage reduction bleed over time helps Aatrox a lot in 1v1 duels. After I get and with a towards you now get to enjoy 45% CDR. You will feel like you are flying--you will proc spellblade more often, stick to enemies because of being able to poke every 4.4 seconds to slow them, plus the 5% movement speed PLUS the Rage movement. And if you think the build needs more attack speed, it doesn't. You will be casting your ult every 45 seconds at the 2nd level of R and 38 seconds at the 3rd level.

I I also run Ghost and Ignite. They are up, with the insight mastery, every 150 some and 180 seconds. Great stick, you don't lose the enemy in the bush and extra damage. Its also a much better escape than flash. Aatrox can already dive, but many champions can still out pace him even after he's flashed and dove.

The last 2 items are usually or or depending, possibly a or a

Don't worry about armor pen--your job is to dive the squishes carries and burst them down. Which you will EASILY do with this build, and not only that you will out sustain any tank late game anyways, even if you can't kill them quickly.

As far as the rework that meddler mentioned...I am a little concerned. Aatrox is not really in that bad of a state----its just that everyone thinks they know how to build him, and he actually takes a lot of practice to get good with. Not the mechanics--the marginal judgement calls, switching between blood thirst and blood price multiple times in one team fight etc. The other factor is a knee jerk reaction by other players that "Aatrox sucks" so there is no point in ganking his lane if he needs help (which I almost never need), nor do they know how to make the most of his abilities.

I personally find him to be very oppressive in lane. Great tower diver and great engaging and great split pushing. I get rift herald 90 percent of my matches because at the very least, I can just solo it.

I will be very upset if the rework fundamentally changes him. No matter what they do, these things need to remain with him:

1)A dive--he has wings 2)Sustain 3)His blades have power 4)He is auto attack based

Now his passive and ult can be completely redone for all I care.

However If I had control and could tell Riot what to do with Aatrox it would be this:

Stats: Increase base attack range from 150 to 175. Why should Darius have a longer attack range than a duelist with a huge sword?

Movement Speed: Increase from 345 to 350.

Passive--instead of his blood well draining 2% every second after not being in combat for 5 seconds, it should drain at 1.5% every second after 10 seconds. Additionally, during stasis when reviving, you can hit R to revive him mid stasis---not gaining the full health benefit, but also not losing the entire blood well. So if you want to bring him back at 1 second, he will have 1/3 of the health he would have recovered from 36.75 - 304.5 (based on level) health and a 1/3 of the health stored in his blood well, but still have 2/3 of his blood well full upon reviving. This is just to give the player more control to have that option when institutionally coming back faster might be better than waiting the full 3 seconds. I can see this coming in handy.

Dark Flight--Immune to CC with full blood well.

Blood Price/Blood Thirst---unchanged.

Blades of Torment--Gain vision on targets for 2, 3 and 4 seconds after being hit when blood well is full.

Massacre--Everything the same but adding these 2 things: when aatrox ults and draws in enemies blood to fill his blood well, he does so with such force that enemy champions are pulled towards Aatrox (think Diana). The other thing: AOE damage from Massacre effects ALL enemies, including minions and monsters.

I really hope Meddler reads this. If anyone knows him, make sure you get him to read this.