Unpopular opinion: An early cloud or ocean drake is WAY more influential than an early infernal.

Mafia LeBlanc·10/25/2018, 1:42:06 AM·36 votes·12,330 views

Infernal is a %-based boost, so it requires high base numbers to amplify and help snowball a lead. Cloud and Ocean help you roam and stay out longer, resulting in more farm rotations and gold, which is much more of a return than investing in a late game that may or may not happen.

It really bugs me when people just let cloud and ocean go and says "Eh its not infernal who cares" and then we get out-rotated and lose.

31 Comments

TheSymbolÔfPeace10/25/2018, 4:21:42 AM9 votes

I don't think it's unpopular, it's just low elo players hear how infernal is the most important (since it scales into late game) so they assume the rest aren't as good, as ocean and cloud are not the greatest late game (I honestly like cloud late but w.e.). Just the case of players being not knowledgeable about stats, your opinion is right.

DOUBLE TAPPED E10/25/2018, 1:45:44 AM7 votes

And a Mountain at any point in the game trumps them all!

In all seriousness though I agree, people underestimate the power of a %movespeed buff. The base movespeed is already in the hundreds so any percentage increase is going to be a significant boost to mobility.

As far as ocean goes, I see your point in a slower paced lane but I prefer to play all-in champs :S

Quil Evrything10/25/2018, 5:06:53 AM5 votes

[{quoted}](name=Mafia LeBlanc,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=84vFKr7h,comment-id=,timestamp=2018-10-25T01:42:06.922+0000)

It really bugs me when people just let cloud and ocean go and says "Eh its not infernal who cares" and then we get out-rotated and lose.

you dont get "out rotated" because of dragons. You get outrotated because enemy team has a clue about strategy, and yours does not.

Janakin10/25/2018, 9:54:22 AM3 votes

Downvoted for saying "Unpopular opinion"

SanKakU10/25/2018, 1:28:55 PM2 votes

Or you could just play Shyvana and try do get all the dragons to boost your defenses.

Automated Riven10/25/2018, 5:14:32 AM2 votes

So during laning phase ocean is better. End game ocean is worse. Mountain is by far the best.

So early game is mountain>ocean>infernal>cloud

And late is Mountain>infernal>cloud>ocean

Don't get me wrong, cloud is good.... In organized team who make use of it, so not soloque.

D4M2X010/25/2018, 4:30:35 AM2 votes

ocean>infernal>mountain>infernal

i think thats the best sequence

HeärtNeT10/25/2018, 11:55:15 AM2 votes

I think it's pretty popular to think that Ocean drake is the best early drake. It least that is what I hear the most and what I agree with. I guess for cloud drake it must be different.

I would still prefer infernal to cloud drake at any stage just because even if the impact is delayed, at the end it has more chances "in general" to be impact full compared to cloud. But that is situational and it doesn't make cloud drake no worthy.

lunnipls10/25/2018, 6:51:07 PM1 votes

amen

Noor Sakata10/25/2018, 9:40:51 PM1 votes

Meanwhile I got no idea what they all do lmao

Gilgayu10/26/2018, 12:22:33 AM1 votes

to be honest perferred dragons change with team combs.

cloud drake helps roaming (mid game, mostly after lane-phase) ocean drake helps sustain (good throughout whole game, insane laning-phase) mountain drake helps getting objectives (if you have jax or yorick... theres not much I can say lol) and infernal is basicly useless, many people(and pros) think infernal is the best because it scales late game, but for carries, staying alive helps you deal the most damage, and infernal affects the least champs on your team (probably just mid and adc)

so for me its always Cloud = Ocean > Mountain > Infernal since games are much shorter now

Edit : Oh and btw, pros say infernal is the most valuable because they have unrealistic positioning skills, allowing them to dps constantly and multiplying the power of infernal tenfold.

Modl Ryden l10/26/2018, 5:07:47 PM1 votes

Ocean is superb in early stages of the game. Cloud is just as good. It works as proxy for TP, letting oyu get to lane quicker than usual and can forgo boots while in laning phase.

TotalJerk10/25/2018, 4:47:56 AM1 votes

It is not an unpopular opinion that ocean is a better early game dragon than infernal. Cloud is debatable, though.

Linna Excel10/25/2018, 5:09:33 AM1 votes

IMO ocean drake is best if you think your lanes are going to get bullied. If you think your lanes have an advantage hope for a mountain to speed up taking towers.

That said towers > dragons.

Bârd10/25/2018, 5:39:41 AM1 votes

They're all good, but they're pretty situational. People like Infernal because it's the least situational.

Ocean is strong in lane (extended windows of engagement, regen kicks in big time) and in the late game (sieges). It's all but useless in the mid game, because of all the teamfights.

Cloud is powerful if you have a shotcaller on your team who can make decisive plays. If you don't, all that out of combat mobility is useless if you waste it by meandering, so it's only good in multiples for champions like Jax or Darius who need to keep up with people.

Infernal is weak early due to low numbers, but is crazy good in the mid to late game if you have AP/AD heavy champions (Doesn't do much for somebody like Kalista or Shen, but for LB and Jhin it's great).

Mountain is good because it lets you take Baron and Elder crazy fast. That's kinda all its good for, though. The tower damage bonus isn't significant unless you're in a base race.

saltran10/25/2018, 8:39:27 AM1 votes

Yes on the Ocean, disagree with the Clown Drake.

Sharpest glasses10/25/2018, 9:46:49 AM1 votes

Its not an opinion, its a fact.

Oakleaf Ranger10/25/2018, 11:08:34 AM1 votes

Cloud drake actually became good after its last changes so it wasn't just glorified boots of mobility.

Ocean drake is good early game but pretty useless mid to late game. And while it is good early game, it is also the hardest drake to take to take. So either they buff the difficulty of some or all of the other drakes or make ocean easier to take. Some kind change.

Infernal still feels good even in the early game and only gets better as the game goes on.

Ánnîe 10/25/2018, 1:58:46 PM1 votes

personally ocean is my favorite and i feel like its undervalued with the wind drake. The sustain ocean gives you is always useful no matter the champion and especially useful on poke comps and or trying to survive poke comps during a siege. Ocean is also a nightmare on certain tanky champions like maokai garen or mundo.