Xerath should probably get a new passive

FantasySniper·Jun 24, 2017·3 votes·857 views

I'm not going to be that guy that calls it "boring", but the only reason he even needs it is because his [Q] has a massive mana cost. Quickly comparing it to Ziggs' [Q]: it needs 70% more mana when it already has less of an average damage output. And Ziggs has more base mana than Xerath does.

Ziggs has continuously overshadowed Xerath, so he really needs a change. Open to suggestions and analysis on his kit, because it's debatable which direction a new passive could/should take him.

13 Comments

Pierce The VealJun 24, 20173 votes

Really wish Xerath would go back to being the massive magic pen mage.

AmetDeCryptJun 24, 20172 votes

yea xerath needs some love and perhaps a rework. thing is his q is way easier to hit than ziggs' and nobody likes playing against him so he's nerfed down every time he becomes relevant.

SniperkajJun 24, 20171 votes

Please no! I love the champ as he is, has good winrate, and i generally healthy in the game. He can't clear minions all day anymore, and not at all if u have Baron. We are actually a few mains who really enjoy him, and i wouldn't see that gone.

AmetDeCryptJun 24, 20171 votes

would you object to giving his q a charge up in damage so he can't battle it out quite easily at close range and making it thinner or slower so it's not totally undodgeable for anyone under 400 movespeed if he sticks it right on you? I mean vel'koz or perhaps rek'sai levels of rework rather than sion or poopy.

DrCyanideJun 24, 20172 votes

It's more interesting if you have a reason to skip a Mana Regen item. At that point, it becomes a bit of a quest to find safe things to Auto Attack to keep you Mana up while you build into more offensive options.

However, with Morellonomicon being so prevalent, it's hard to make the trade off. You can rush NLR into Luden's, getting a damage spike sooner than your opponent and catching them off guard (I do this a lot), but it can be hard to justify when the other guy finishes Morellonomicon and has almost the same damage with Mana and CDR as well.

Xerath could probably use something a little bit more interesting in his kit, but I feel like the problem with the passive is less the ability and more items.

SniperkajJun 24, 20172 votes

I play both champions, Ziggs is safer with more spammable damage. Xerath is the king of poke, higher pick potential and better in mage-matchups. So they are picked in different situations. Xeraths passive balances him vs mid-range champions, so he can't stay in Q-range (1400 units) all day. I dont think he should get a new passive - but if he were to get one, plz give him %magic pen back :)

EbonyBladeJ88Jun 24, 20172 votes

While I can't say I understand how you feel (As I am a Top-lane main, with the occasional JG and Supp game here and there) perhaps, now this is only conjecture, mind you, that Xerath is in line for a VGU, as he (If memory serves) is one of the oldest Shuriman champions, not counting Nasus, Renekton or Sivir. Were such a thing to take place, I would think this would be resolved.

Stacking mana ala Ryze is basically his only option till he gets some love, either with what I mentioned above, or some buffs in the coming patches. [zombie-nunu-bummed]

Shrek LuigiJun 24, 20171 votes

The reason it does less damage/costs more is because their kits are very different. Even though they are both artillery mages, Xerath's skills are less telegraphed and easier to single out specific targets with--especially in a full rotation. To add on that, Ziggs does not overshadow Xerath--he is generally picked under different circumstances and is way less of a lane-bully than a Xerath of equivalent talent.

As far as his passive goes--maybe it's not the most creative one in existence but it would be nonsensical to give him a damage-centric one given how loaded his kit is already in terms of poking, and he needs mana so it could he a hell of a lot worse.

FantasySniperJun 25, 20171 votes

I'd say Xerath's skills are more telegraphed... Every one but his [E] indicates where it'll land and his [Q] needs to be channeled. Comparing at least their ults; Ziggs has a decent AoE to make up for the travel time, Xerath finds it difficult to land a hit on smarter targets unless they're CC'd.

I'd like you to elaborate more on the difference when picking between them.

AkeneroJun 24, 20171 votes

His passive is a way to get him to leave his comfort zone of so far back. A few options to make it feel better are: Let it get reduced by CDR Or just lower cooldown for it as he levels Or potentially give it magic damage on that auto, granting mana if he kills something wit

FantasySniperJun 25, 20171 votes

Except his "comfort zone" is just another name for his "safe range", so his passive becomes irrelevant past laning phase as there's never a good enough reason to risk suicide.

Stars ShaperJun 24, 20171 votes

He needs a double passive as many others champions have and needs something on the offensive department.

DrDubbNov 7, 20181 votes

I'm a Xerath main, and I agree. Almost every passive in the game works alongside a champions kit, whereas this passive it completely COUNTER-INTUITIVE to his kit. Most passives are a added benefit to a champions whole kit, with Xerath this is not the case: With Xerath, he has HIGH mana cost and his passive counteracts that. This is not a bonus, he could just as easily have normal mana costs and NO passive and it would be the same thing; so he basically doesn't have a passive. In fact, he has a passive that puts him in danger and counteracts his kit. He'd be better off with NO passive and normal mana costs.