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You know, Zoe's given me an idea... (READ FULL POST BEFORE COMMENTING)

DuskDaUmbreon··26 votes·1,233 views

...About Sona's Q. Giving the mechanics of Zoe's Q to Sona's Q would allow Sona to feel a bit more fair, while allowing her to actually be useful.

No, not the Nidalee Q mechanic. Fuck that. I mean the redirect.

Imagine this: Sona's Q goes out to wherever she clicks. Straight line, stops where she aims it (or on first target hit), dealing a small AoE damage. She can redirect it from there to hit something else (does not deal damage to targets already hit by Q1).

So...Kinda like Zoe's Q in the way it's executed. But with the following exceptions:

  1. Does not break upon hitting a target. It stops on hitting the first target, but does not break apart. This allows for her to keep the same potential fantasy of poking down both enemy botlaners over time.
  2. Damage does not change with range. That's not what this is for. It's for dealing poke damage, not meant to be a full-kit nuke.

Why these changes?

  • It'd give Sona more room for skill expression. She'd have something to aim besides her R. Making it feel less crappy to play against Sona when she's strong, and adding a bit more satisfaction to playing her well.
  • The above would also allow Sona to receive a few minor buffs, because she'd be less...braindead, and she'd allow for more counterplay. Meaning that she could be strong and not be a miserable experience for her opponent.

For compensation buffs, I'd suggest a base defense buff (Health, armor, and MR), since those are pathetically low; a small Q range buff, and possibly a small Q mana cost reduction (possibly accompanied by nerfing Q CD (and possibly buffing damage slightly) to balance it).

Just an idea. Could be a good one, could be a bad one. Could just be mediocre. Could end up tripling Mordekaiser's bugs somehow. I dunno.

Thoughts?

20 Comments

Sonasaurous10 votes

I don't see how that expresses her use of music though. Sona's skills tend to be very "flowy" or ripple-effect, like sound waves, I guess. Thematically, I don't see how a redirecting Q would fit.

I mean, I'm all for a skillshot Q on Sona, but I don't think that's the way to go.

Edit: Hell yeah, downvoted cuz I disagreed, lmao. [sona-playing]

DuskDaUmbreon3 votes

I suppose it depends on how you envision it, and your past...expectations? Viewings? Understanding of bard-like characters in games? (Fun fact: Sona is more of a typical bard than Bard is).

I see it as she's manipulating magic with the notes, rather than the notes themselves being magic. Meaning by striking certain notes, you can manipulate the world.

Sonasaurous4 votes

I've been playing Sona since season 3, so when I think of her using music as an ability, I imagine how the sound waves rippled from her etwahl to create auras. I mean, she's been changed since then, but that general effect is still there.

I would imagine, if Riot would rework her Q to a skillshot, it would continue to resemble a rippling sound wave like the rest of her kit. Maybe not necessarily going out in an AoE cone-shape like her old auras, something more along the lines of her auto attack and ult, both of which are pretty linear. I guess if she were to attack with literal sound (which is what her ult is), then her Q could be a skillshot along the lines of Lulu's Q, where it damages the first enemy hit for 100% damage, then continues through them in a line and deals reduced damage to any additional targets. All with her pretty ripple-y sound wave effects.

eslayx2 votes

I agree I like the idea of sona having a skillshot but idk if the redirect thing will match her theme (unless you forced a delay on the redirect to make it more rhythmic, instead of letting her chose when to redirect it like zoe

The Yetii Rider4 votes

First of all, no. Janna, Soraka, Taric, and Alistar have all been reworked and their skill floors have been raised. We need SOME easy champions in the game for new players or players who get autofilled (especially in support, the primary auto fill role). There is a tangible benefit to Sona being easy to play, even if it means she has to be kept weak.

Second of all, the reason that Sona feels oppressive is her range. If you give her even more range to compensate for this ability turning into a skill shot, her lower base MS and squishiness won't even be a factor in punishing her for her lane now. She can just fire from further back, get the same damage off, and stack her Spellthief that way safely out of harm's range.

Thirdly, Sona isn't about lane, Sona is about team fighting. I wish Riot would just remove the damage from Sona's Q altogether and destroy whatever identity players attach to her as a 'poke support' so that they can realize the real power of her kit is her five ally buffs. Making Sona's Q more difficult to cast won't give us more room to buff her. She's already ridiculously powerful, especially after level 16 with four allies in tow. Sona is the queen of late game supports now, she isn't the same lane bully she used to be. Stop trying to help that aspect of her kit, the aspect no one likes. Keep her damage weak, keep her kit simple, and focus on her identity as an ally amplifier.

Sonasaurous1 votes

[{quoted}](name=The Yetii Rider,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=2npfUlzy,comment-id=0006,timestamp=2018-02-07T23:26:50.147+0000)

Thirdly, Sona isn't about lane, Sona is about team fighting. I wish Riot would just remove the damage from Sona's Q altogether and destroy whatever identity players attach to her as a 'poke support' so that they can realize the real power of her kit is her five ally buffs. Making Sona's Q more difficult to cast won't give us more room to buff her. She's already ridiculously powerful, especially after level 16 with four allies in tow. Sona is the queen of late game supports now, she isn't the same lane bully she used to be. Stop trying to help that aspect of her kit, the aspect no one likes. Keep her damage weak, keep her kit simple, and focus on her identity as an ally amplifier.

But actually this, though, lol.

HalcyonDweller3 votes

This sounds really cool, I'd be onboard with it if Riot decides to do this :) +1

Salson3 votes

This is actually a great idea.

Does not break upon hitting a target. It stops on hitting the first target, but does not break apart. This allows for her to keep the same potential fantasy of poking down both enemy botlaners over time.

Can you explain this though? Is it AOE or something, cause if so it should do only 33% damage to minions as to not fuck up her allies farming.

DuskDaUmbreon4 votes

I want it to not break because otherwise she won't get to continue the fantasy of hitting both champions.

Basically, if it hits something, it just stops there. It doesn't move any further, it doesn't disappear. It just sits there.

It'd be directable, so I don't think it doing reduced damage will be necessary to prevent them from screwing up farm accidentally.

Salson2 votes

That makes sense. Guess I just have PTSD from a Bronze friend who plays Zilean

DuskDaUmbreon2 votes

Oof. Man, that sucks.

Yeah, I don't mean huge AoE like that. I mean small AoE, essentially the same as Zoe's Q's AoE. About the size of a Jhin trap, or smaller.

ClutchCrux3 votes

As a Sona main I don't think it fits thematicly and it wouldn't express the skill of the player much. Not every champion needs to be a complex playmaker. Sona, Garen, Annie these are champions that don't require much mechanical play but those that want to focus on working their macro play would improve on.

DuskDaUmbreon6 votes

They don't require much mechanical play. But Sona's kit is...well...it requires next to no mechanical play. QWEAAQWEAAQWEAA (or EWQAAEWQAAEWQAA, WEQAAWEQAA, etc.) is the only basic combo needed. Hell, you don't even need Klepto and Lich bane. You don't need to aim anything besides her ult...It's just...There. Old Yorick levels, almost.

Granted, my idea might not be the best thematic fit (there's probably a way better way to implement this), but it's definitely better than what we have.

TonyTonyMordecai2 votes

Looking at what other people are saying, an idea I had was have a double cast Q, where the first cast did the aura and there would be a time limit to cast Q again, and it would be a skillshot that damages in a small aoe (to help with solo/group clearing), since her Q launches two bolts, and to keep it simple.

xelaker2 votes

Sona isn't about the lane stuffs man, she's about rolling buffs around during a fight to best fit the situation. There's tons of champs who fit in one or the other and are just fine.

And nothing should be modeled after Zoe...at all. Ever.

Hong Kong Annie2 votes

I want Sona to actually play like a musician again. I miss her playing songs that gave constant buffs and being able to mix 2 of them together. Right now she just feels so generic

Athenes Lulu1 votes

As someone who hates dealing with Sona but also plays her as main backup as well, that sounds like fun.

With how Riot is gonna keep her as "baby's first support" and bard-like mechanics, there might be too much skillfloor in that sense. Gonna find ways to clear that up?

DuskDaUmbreon1 votes

Hmm. I still feel like it'd be a straightforward spell. Even keeping the aura. Although there is almost certainly room for improvement upon my idea. A way to make it easier, without compromising the new skill ceiling we've created.

It's not the best implementation, but it's definitely better than what we have on live.

I'd say the "first support" isn't likely to be Sona, though. More likely Soraka, Janna, or Leona. They seem to be the most straightforward of them, in my personal opinion.

RedCyclone1 votes

I'd honestly take any skill expression at this point to get out of the "she's easy and should be bad" that the majority of the community seems to think

DuskDaUmbreon1 votes

Agreed. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.

At least this gets her to be a bit better before her eventual rework.

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