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Vel'Koz: Why So Underplayed?

EkkoFroffles··2 votes·1,678 views

According to this site (http://loldb.gameguyz.com/statistics) his play rate is 92/125, and according to Champion.GG he's 135 (mid) and 142 (support) out of 186. Couldn't even seem to find an up-to-date, solid mid-lane guide for him to try it out, which I find odd considering I see Vel'Koz mid slightly more than I see him support. Not that I see either often at all. But I tried him last time he was free, and again today, and the guy's just fun. His Q'll take me a little time to get accustomed to, but it doesn't lessen the fun factor.

People like to talk about how some champions' kits seem cobbled together due to the abilities not really synergizing with one another, or with the champion's identity; Vel'Koz, however, seems to me like one of Riot's most well thought out champions and, as many have said before, one of their most balanced. He reminds me a tad of Malzahar, who I love, only I don't feel quite as vulnerable thanks to his knockup, the slow on his Q, and his ult being multi-target.

Speaking of that ult, I think it might be the most satisfying in the game for me. Honorable mentions go to the following: Amumu Darius Galio Lux Malzahar Morgana Nautilus Sejuani Vi .

Now, if only I'd played him more than once last free week and realized he should've been my next purchase, rather than whoever else I got. Then I could add him to my rotation for real, not just for this week. Not owning him makes me a sad panda.

27 Comments

Trídent7 votes

Because he's the most balanced

DrCyanide4 votes

Bingo. Everyone wants to play against a balanced champion, but no one wants to play the balanced champion.

ShuffledPancake1 votes

I like playing singed,galio and sometimes trundle (Blind pick so i get fucked alot as singed like vsing gnar and vlad, kek)

Trídent4 votes

Yeah, people like you are the ones that make up the small amount of people who play him c:

Most people just want to play strong champions

ShuffledPancake1 votes

It kinda sucks cause when i proxy as singed the top laner just sits there camping where i proxy, though he loses a lot of cs i don't get as much since laning is rough vs alot of picks, trundle is a weird pick for me but i do enjoy it sometimes :D Galio is my fav mid laner atm.

EkkoFroffles1 votes

Many of my favorites are either balanced or see less play compared to others. For example, my favorite jungler is Amumu, who's up there with the pick/ban tank junglers as far as what he can do, yet isn't nearly as contested. Favorite (or at least most played) top laner? Garen. Support? Braum is tied with Nautilus. Mid? I love Ekko, as you can tell, but Malzahar is the safer, more consistent pick for me. ADC? Graves and Varus.

I feel kind of dirty playing the pick/ban champions, which is why I'm actually glad Ekko got nerfed down to a healthier state. There's a greater likelihood I'll get to play him, and I'll see less QQing about him. Same with Sejuani. I tried her out prior to the recent nerfs, wanting a backup plan if I couldn't get Amumu , since they're similar in many ways, and I'm glad she got nerfed down a little so I won't feel so much like I'm cheating whenever I get around to putting the time in to _properly _ learn her.

I'll try those pick/ban champs, and perhaps even play a good bit of them, but it always feels a tad cheap to me and I never have the same level of affection for them that I do for others. Nautilus (support) is the only "OP" champ I've really taken to, and I honestly wasn't trying to be an LCS bandwagoner. I saw him so infrequently that I just knew him as that huge guy who looks like Big Daddy, and his rise to prominence in the LCS just got me curious enough to try him. I took him into the jungle first, not wanting to be a follower, but felt most at home in the support role and haven't played him in the jungle since. The LCS only reminded me that he existed and clued me into how strong he can possibly be. I would never pick a champion looking solely for "freelo."

OverpoweredSoap2 votes

He requires effort tho.

That and he's balanced, a lot of people don't usually go for the balanced champions in the game.

With that being said, he is really really fun to play, and one of the few I enjoy actually.

Mob Psycho 1002 votes

He's just overshadowed. He's never been crazy OP or Underpowered so he's just sitting there. He's pretty strong though, and called the most balanced champion in the game.

My friend played only Vel'koz to get to Plat from Bronze this season.

UdoIkOSc4u1 votes

after this patch he is gonna be pick ban after sheep watched him in the lcs

EkkoFroffles1 votes

I don't follow every LCS match, so would you so kind as to point out when he saw play in the LCS?

X8ViEhkPS01 votes

{quoted}

I don't follow every LCS match, so would you so kind as to point out when he saw play in the LCS?

He got played once against SKT and lost recently. Other than that the only time I ever remember him ever getting played in the pro scene was support. Which he lost.

EkkoFroffles1 votes

In other words, sounds like the LCS is liable to make people want to play him less rather than more, unless him simply being used at all is enough to make people jump on the bandwagon (which it sometimes is).

X8ViEhkPS01 votes

Well in my opinion it says that he isn't consistent enough. Vel'Koz prefers the lower end AP builds (which will end up netting higher AP in the new patch maybe) since he likes to stack high amounts of penetration for his high base damages and low scalings. Maximizing his damage output means he needs to always be landing his abilities. Then couple that with low amounts of safety (he might never get a good ultimate as long as alistar exists). It might be awhile before he becomes contested.

7ha7guy7771 votes

[{quoted}](name=Glitter Gem,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=6ziOYzEE,comment-id=00000000000000000000,timestamp=2015-07-08T15:25:17.375+0000)

as long as alistar exists

It's a good thing Vel can delete alistar... while ali is ulting

X8ViEhkPS01 votes

{quoted}

It's a good thing Vel can delete alistar... while ali is ulting

Well think about the scenario that is going to happen between the two. If Alistar is the only engage on the enemy side, Vel is happy just biding his time (On the topic of immobile mages vs one engage teams I think Malz is better at the job anyways). Say there happens to be a Maokai or some heavy dive jungler like Jarvan in addition to Alistar. It can make Vel's life pretty difficult about when to ult.

Outside of the team fight scenario he will probably just use it to finish someone off.

ShuffledPancake1 votes

I just use my ult to clear waves before i back or poke the enemy before i back, when its not on cd ofc.

ShuffledPancake1 votes

he has 0 mobility and that is massive in the assassin meta and tank meta

EkkoFroffles2 votes

Annie Brand Cassiopeia Chogath Heimerdinger Karthus Lux Viktor Xerath Ziggs

They all say hi, as they're all varying levels of immobile and still see more play than Vel'Koz, with some even seeing play in the LCS.

Plus, your post is somewhat of an oxymoron, since you seem to be suggesting it's the tank and assassin meta right now. It's all about tanks and tank killers. Assassins are not tank killers. ADCs can be, as can other types of champions, but that's not what assassins are there for.

It's tougher for immobile champions with the mobility creep. _That _is true. But that doesn't stop most of them from seeing play. Anivia and Galio are just about the only immobile mid laners that see less play than Vel'Koz.

ShuffledPancake1 votes

brand isn't played mid alot, i have seen more brand supports then mid. Viktor has more burst, ziggs has better damage and range, lux has more range and more utility, cass has stacks and a beautiful ult that is better then vel'koz's , heim is safer and is somewhat better, cho'gath has his feast and high burst. They ATLEAST make up for their lack of mobility, Vel'koz was only Viable when there were no ekko,kalista,bard, some others. Why would you choose Vel'koz? you would choose them if they had magically had about 15 bans each team. (I didnt say it IS the assassin and tank meta i said he is bad IN those specific times)

EkkoFroffles1 votes

I really think you're underselling Vel'Koz. Despite seeing next to no play, he has a 50+% win rate in plat+ as both a mid laner and support according to Champion.GG. He's also seen a tiny bit of play in the LCS recently, meaning even they see some value in him in the current meta, even if the end results of them choosing him weren't spectacular. I think you're mistaking underplayed for underpowered.

ShuffledPancake1 votes

Oh i realise he WAS the most balanced champion basically on release (except for some vu bugs) but that doesnt change that he is worse then alot of mids atm.I care not for if a champ is underplayed but if they are to weak to play for fun. Vel'koz is somewhat fun if the enemy isnt kat ahri or leblanc basically (and ekko) OR if the enemy does have a jgler like rengar, kha'zix, cho'gath, ww, ekko ,rammus or hecarim, then maybe i would pick him

Trump Cruz 20201 votes

i main him on my smurf as support

lvl 6 land ur knock upthere fcked

Laraso1 votes

People don't know how to aim skillshots and can't avoid feeding without five dashes built into their kit.

EkkoFroffles1 votes

As I pointed out in my response to ShuffledPancake, "immobile" champions definitely still see play. With regards to the "people don't know how to aim skillshots" point, I could easily do the same and list off skill-shot reliant champs that see a decent amount of play. For example, Ezreal. Yes, he has a blink, but he's built around skillshots, and I saw him a good deal even before Runeglaive.

If you want to say it's a combination of him being immobile, skillshot-based and "balanced," then _that _ would be a reasonable explanation.

Laraso1 votes

I was being facetious.

Slamurai Jack1 votes

Because there's been this myth going around since his release that he doesn't scale. Vel'koz's damage is still over 80% magic, and while his AP ratios aren't exactly Annie tier, you still get quite a bit out of damage building lots of AP on him, especially on his poke. He was actually my most successful champion in season 4, with a 103-62 (62.4%) record and a 8.5/3.2/9 KDA. If you don't mind a shameless plug, I've written a guide for him on lolking. http://www.lolking.net/guides/308143

Silents4291 votes

He is balance, and relies heavily on landing skillshots, something not very easy to do for most people on the east coast in general, nor in state where a lot of mid laners can burst him down or dodge everything with ease.

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