Zyra plant nerf has killed her mid-lane

Hoosakiwi·Feb 9, 2017·8 votes·2,072 views

I'm a zyra main. I play her mid and support and have nearly 800k mastery points with her. I've dealt with the changes to her kit that came with the mage update and with the nerfs over the course of the past year. This one is the one that has had the most impact and it's a little hard to swallow given Riot's promises not to force her into the support role and to keep her relevant in midlane (see the mage update threads for more on that).

Yet this most recent nerf to zyra's plant targeting has destroyed her power in mid lane. It's a good idea for zyra support, but in mid lane, her ability to trade and punish enemies who get too close is greatly diminished.

Zyra is an immobile mage and she's already a tough champ to play mid lane and win. But with the plant targeting nerf, she's lost her lvl 1-5 lane presence and even post 6, she still struggles to have the ap carry potential that she did pre-patch.

20 Comments

ZerglinglolFeb 9, 20174 votes

I don't think it was ever intended for plants to auto-target champions when you don't even land your skill shots. The entire point of a "skill shot" is that you have to hit it, which is all the change does. If you land your Q or E the plants will still target the champion.

KarhtelFeb 9, 20173 votes

This^^^^^ it was dumb when you could just miss all your abilities and still half health someone cuz you spawned 6 plants that all agro to the champ. This was a much needed change. Good job riot

ZerglinglolFeb 9, 20172 votes

{quoted}

This^^^^^ it was dumb when you could just miss all your abilities and still half health someone cuz you spawned 6 plants that all agro to the champ. This was a much needed change. Good job riot

God forbid OP has to actually hit his skillshots to do damage lol

Dominick DestineFeb 9, 20175 votes

{quoted}

I don't think it was ever intended for plants to auto-target champions when you don't even land your skill shots.

The plant AI was supposed to target champions regardless of whether or not snare or Q landed.

The plants are meant to be her "guaranteed damage" that nearly every mage has (Brand Q, Syndra R, etc.). Zyra's only non skillshot was her plants and now that's fucked, gg. Instead of nerfing Lee and Yasuo, they gut Zyra, what a terrible job.

TyrekGoldenspearFeb 9, 20172 votes

Um, Brand's Q isn't garunteed damage. Unlike Zyra's plants it is a skillshot that can miss.

I think you mean his E. That at least can't miss.

Dominick DestineFeb 9, 20171 votes

{quoted}

Um, Brand's Q isn't garunteed damage.

I think you mean his E.

Yeah my mistake, I got sear and conflagration mixed up.

PopCorn Chick3nFeb 9, 20171 votes

{quoted}

I don't think it was ever intended for plants to auto-target champions when you don't even land your skill shots. The entire point of a "skill shot" is that you have to hit it, which is all the change does. If you land your Q or E the plants will still target the champion.

Then revert the old Q back then or increase the range of her Q by 50-100 units? if they want her to land skill shot, especially in mid lane where other mages have longer range compared to her Q. For example, Brand's W, Syndra's Q, Ziggs Q, and so on.

HoosakiwiFeb 9, 20172 votes

Or reduce her cooldowns. You can't give her massive cooldowns and nerf the plant ai. I just don't see how she can survive midlane now as an apc.

Ark SorcererFeb 9, 20174 votes

I have to agree with you. I may not have that many experience points but while mid lane Zyra is different, it used to be good. Now, it is really hard playing her much-- aside from support I guess. It is bad enough Rylai's was nerfed but now the plants? Guess Zyra is stuck as a support now.

5050BSFeb 9, 20174 votes

And yet when polled 75% of Zyra players want her as a midlaner not a support

HoosakiwiFeb 9, 20173 votes

Exactly. And Riot promised zyra players during the mage update that they would keep her viable for mid lane and not pigeon-hole her into support. But this nerf does exactly that.

Ark SorcererFeb 9, 20171 votes

I have a question about that: you know Riot has a class and a secondary class for most champions? Well... how can they say that when she is SECONDARY SUPPORT!?!? Like why is she even secondary support? She has no supporting capabilties. Aside from her E, which just a snare that can go through minions, otherwise cc, she is NOT a support.

HoosakiwiFeb 9, 20172 votes

She has plenty of support abilities, her e is the primary one, though her r is also nice in a support role. Her old w was nice too since if stepped on it gave vision, but now you get temp vision when your passive spawns in a bush. All of those are nice support elements.

The problem here is that she was intended for mid, most zyra players enjoy playing her mid, and now with this latest patch, she is no longer viable mid. It's a real kick in the teeth to zyra mains who have stuck with the champ through all her kit changes.

Ark SorcererFeb 9, 20171 votes

She isn't a support support. She is a mage with cc, but no supporting abilities. Say Lux or Morg, they give shields, a support ability. Zyra doesn't have that. She is all cc with her support, no different from Annie or Brand. That's what I meant

TseisonFeb 10, 20172 votes

Hey Everyone! So I will be posting this in other topics as well just to get some feedback as the position Zyra is in right now. Hoping that we can make Zyra more reliable :)

Passive: No change. "But make seeds spawn in close proximity OR have spells be able to reach the same distance as the seeds.

Q: Increase damage OR ap ratio. "NEW" The size of the spell grows twice at levels 8/16. As a controller this definitely helps with reaching far away seeds, dealing big aoe damage and wave clear too!

W: Holds 3 charges now.

E: Slightly longer reach for where the vines travel to. No longer summons lashers now as spitters are more reliable.

R: Ultimate will now slow enemies within by 40% or 60%.

#ZyraMain Zyra