Soraka; Another Gameplay Update
Having a hardcore dedicated healer is pretty difficult to get right in a healthy spot (also dedicated mobile champion), so champions like Soraka and Kassadin (and Ryze) are all difficult to balance due to their unique roles for their game and very hard to balance roles too. So these champions receive constant changes in an attempt to fixes their unhealthy gameplay patterns.
Soraka Riot wanted to try to fix the super safe and passive (and frankly dull and boring) play style that she has and give her more risk to her (which is why they added the health cost to her heal). Unfortunately, players picked up ways to essentially exploit Soraka and none of her previous issues got fixed and all of her problems still remain.
I will post a concept kit of changes to Soraka (will post numbers, but do take with a grain of salt, numbers are to give a better idea of what I am going for), with keeping in mind as Soraka being the league's primary healer champion. I do need to add, I have played many games with every single iteration of Soraka starting in season 1; before anyone comes in here screaming like a banshee of me getting owned by a Soraka or something like that in solo queue, which, by the way, I do not remember the last time I played against a Soraka (been awhile).
Health: 600 - 2000 [increase, levels 1-18 value] Health Regen: 0+0 [decrease, obviously, you will see why, this is for balancing]
Basic Attack Range: 525 units [decrease from 550 units, see why in a bit]
Salvation: Soraka gains 70% bonus movement speed when moving towards allied champions below 40% of their maximum health.
Soraka ignores all grievous wounds on herself and all her healing abilities remove grievous wounds on her allies before the heal applies. Negatively Soraka does not get any health regen and she cannot heal from any sources, including from ally champions, other than from her Star Blessings, Wish, and fountain regeneration.
Starcall (Q): Cooldown: 5/4/3/2/1 second; Cost: 40/45/50/55/60 Mana; Range: 1200 units Passive: Soraka's basic attacks and Starcall grant Soraka a Star Blessing against enemy champions to heal her for 20/30/40/50/60(+20%AP) health per enemy champion struck.
Active: Soraka summons a star shard to fall down from her location to the target location that initially moves extremely fast but rapidly decays in speed as it travels to deal 60/80/100/120/140(+35%AP) magic damage to all enemies struck and apply a star mark for 4 seconds. Upon reaching 3 star marks on the same enemy will stun the enemy in place for 1.75 seconds and consume the marks on the enemy. Soraka's basic attacks will refresh the mark duration, but do not apply new marks.
Astral Infusion (W): Cooldown: 5/4/3/2/1 second; Cost: 20/25/30/35/40 Mana; Range: 550 units Passive: Star Blessing's heal is increased by 0.5/1/1.5/2/2.5% per 1% health Soraka is missing.
Active: Soraka sacrifices either 160/190/220/250/280 health or 20% of her current health depending on which value is greater to heal an ally champion only for 160/190/220/250/280(+60%AP) health. Astral Infusion cannot be cast if Soraka's current health is less than the flat health requirement.
Equinox (E): Cooldown: 24/22/20/18/16 seconds; Cost: 100 Mana; Range: 925 units Soraka creates a zone at a target location for 1.5 seconds, dealing 70/110/150/190/230(+50%AP) magic damage to all enemy champions standing inside as it is cast. All enemy champions inside the zone are silenced as long as they remain on it.
At the end of the zone's duration, all enemy champions inside take the same magic damage and are rooted for 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2 seconds.
Wish (R): Cooldown: 160/145/130 seconds; Cost: 100 Mana; Range: Global Soraka heals all allied champions, including herself and untargetable allied champions, for 150/250/350(+60%AP) health.
Allied champions below 40% health have the heal increased by 50%.
