Fulfilling Fantasies

Get your minds out of the gutter kids. Ignoring the misleading title and the fact that the new smut movie is coming out soon, I was thinking about fulfilling fantasies in the scope of champion balance in league, particularly with the new Veigar and Mordekaiser changes (Which I'm not here to whine about, but may critique one way or another).

So, what does it mean to 'fulfill' a fantasy? For those of you with the mind of a Mundo and don't already know, it means you feel like the champion you play as. When I play Rengar (My favorite champion), I feel like a hunter, stalking his prey through the wilderness before leaping upon them and slaying them in the ambush. When you play Katarina, you want to feel like a swift, blade dancing assassin. When you play Lee Sin, you want to feel like a martial arts master, barreling around the battlefield with flips and kicks and punches. You get the idea.

This is an element in every game out there, and if it isn't, it's not a very good game. Do you guys think Riot does a good job of giving us fantasies to fulfill in our champions, and if not, what would you change?

In the context of Mordekaiser and Veigar, you need to think of their characters, and their abilities. We'll start with Mordekaiser. He's an undead specter in a suit of metal armor who thrives off of pain and suffering. What fantasies are there to fulfill? One, you're in a giant suit of armor, so you want to feel tanky, like nothing can put a dent in you. Two, you thrive off pain. This is counter to Mordekaiser's old playstyle of a burst mage - There isn't much pain in an instant death. A slow, agonizing death is more appropriate. Three, that pain gives you strength. That means, as enemies take damage, you get more powerful. This is translated through the shield mechanic, where as Mordekaiser deals damage, he gains a shield to prevent incoming damage, and also through taking his victim's soul as a slave and gaining strength from that.

Do the new changes make that fantasy any more real? Perhaps. Now how about game balance - How well Mordekaiser's kit stacks against others.

There's a few different kinds of fighters (Mordekaiser is a fighter). Some fighters are high damage, low durability (Think Fiora). Some are high durability and low damage, but with more CC (Think Sion). And some are high damage, high durability, but that damage is spread out over time (Think Volibear - Building up damage with auto attacks and Sunfire procs before executing with a bite). Mordekaiser is this kind. He builds up damage, and that high damage over time translates to tankiness. But unlike Volibear, Skarner, Olaf, Udyr, and other fighters like this, he has no CC or mobility. So what does Mordekaiser need to both make him balanced and fulfill his fantasy?

Well, it doesn't make much sense for him to sprint at an enemy like Volibear or Udyr. He's a big suit of armor, so he probably isn't that fast. You know what else isn't that fast, but is tanky with high damage? Death Knights, in WoW. I know they're two different games, but philosophies transcend games and make sense in different environments. So, what do DK's have to make up for their lack of mobility? They have ways to bring their target to them and keep them there. That's something we can give Mordekaiser.

So, what part of Mordekaiser's kit can be moved around or changed. I think Siphon of Destriction. It's an AoE burst skill that makes metal maces pop out of the ground. Does that make much sense? Where do the maces come from? Why are they always under his target? Questions that cannot be answered. We'll replace it with a new ability - Malice and Chains (Still fits with the theme of his abilities being named after Heavy Metal stuff). He shoots a spiked chain from his hand at the target that deals damage, and shackles them.

"BUT WAIT!", you say. "Thresh throws a chain at a target to catch and torment them!"

And I say, smack, SILENCE! That's why we make them different.

His chain grab will be unlike Thresh or Blitzcrank grabs. Mordekaiser delights in pain and suffering. When he shoots the chain at someone, it'll impale them, making them bleed and dealing damage over time (Not much, but it empowers his shield), and keeps them locked to Mordekaiser. While the chain holds, they can't leave a certain radius - it would be as if they hit a wall in a circle around the master of metal, and can't escape. While the chain holds, their movement speed will be reduced and they will take increased damage from damage over time effects - Creeping Death and Children of the Grave, as well as any others his allies may inflict (Makes Ignite a great summoner for Mordekaiser). The trapped champion has two options - run and try to stay away from Mordekaiser while the chain is there, out of range of his Mace of Spade, auto attacks, and Creeping Death aura, or fight him - Reducing Mordekaiser's health through his shield beyond a certain amount would break the chain.

What about the Zeds and Lee Sins of the world, dashing and blinking and whatnot. None escape the master of metal. Any who try and blink or dash out of the chain will have the chain broken and the negative effects (The slow and damage amplification) removed, but will also be pulled through the air to Mordekaiser's location.

Such a strong ability! How do we keep it balanced? The answer is fairly simple. Make it a fairly thin (As thin as a chain) skillshot. The range would be reasonable, around the range of Rengar's Bola Strike, and that same range will be the radius around Mordekaiser that the target cannot leave.

That's my idea. I won't comment on Veigar, because I don't have experience with him and because this post is long winded enough. Anyway, this isn't just about Mordekaiser. What champions do you think fulfill their fantasy and remain balanced? What would you change?