@Xypherous: Slows in league of legends and their influence on the game.

Here is a list of all the champions in the game that have a slow:

1. [✔]Aatrox,
2. [✔]Akali,
3. [✔]Anivia,
4. [✔]Ashe
5. [✔]Braum,
6. [✔]Caitlyn,
7. [✔]Cassiopeia,
8. [✔]Cho'Gath,
9. [✔]Darius,
10. [✔]Diana,
11. [✔]Draven,
12. [✔]Dr. Mundo,
13. [✔]Ekko,
14. [✔]Evelynn,
15. [✔]Fizz,
16. [✔]Galio,
17. [✔]Gangplank,
18. [✔]Gnar,
19. [✔]Gragas,
20. [✔]Graves
21. [✔]Heimerdinger
22. [✔]Irelia,
23. [✔]Janna,
24. [✔]Jarvan IV,
25. [✔]Jayce,
26. [✔]Jinx,
27. [✔]Karma,
28. [✔]Karthus,
29. [✔]Kassadin,
30. [✔]Kayle,
31. [✔]Kha'Zix,
32. [✔]Kog'Maw,
33. [✔]LeBlanc,
34. [✔]Lee Sin,
35. [✔]Leona,
36. [✔]Lissandra,
37. [✔]Lulu,
38. [✔]Lux,
39. [✔]Malphite,
40. [✔]Maokai,
41. [✔]Miss Fortune,
42. [✔]Morgana,
43. [✔]Nami,
44. [✔]Nasus,
45. [✔]Nautilus,
46. [✔]Nunu,
47. [✔]Olaf,
48. [✔]Orianna,
49. [✔]Quinn,
50. [✔]Rammus,
51. [✔]Reksai,
52. [✔]Rengar,
53. [✔]Rumble,
54. [✔]Sejuani,
55. [✔]Shaco,
56. [✔]Singed,
57. [✔]Skarner,
58. [✔]Sona,
59. [✔]Soraka,
60. [✔]Swain,
61. [✔]Syndra,
62. [✔]Talon,
63. [✔]Teemo,
64. [✔]Thresh,
65. [✔]Tristana,
66. [✔]Trundle,
67. [✔]Tryndamere,
68. [✔]Twisted Fate,
69. [✔]Twitch,
70. [✔]Urgot,
71. [✔]Varus,
72. [✔]Vel'Koz,
73. [✔]Viktor,
74. [✔]Vladimir,
75. [✔]Volibear,
76. [✔]Xerath,
77. [✔]Xin Zhao,
78. [✔]Yorick,
79. [✔]Zac,
80. [✔]Zed,
81. [✔]Ziggs,
82. [✔]Zilean,
83. [✔]Zyra.

So essentially over 2/3rds of the roster have a slow.

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#Questions:

##Are slows the right way?

• Do all these champions need a slow to communicate their identity and unique playstyle?
• Isn't a large number of the slows on the above champions just glue to hold together clunky kits that would otherwise undergo further refinement-- in other words some of the slows are there to make those individual champions "feel better"?
• Isn't the "feel" of a champion rooted in a subjective comparison to the state of other champions, so that if most champions have a slow of some kind then a champion can't feel very "good" without one or without something equally powerful and flexible?
• Why not design more of those "equally powerful and flexible" things specific to individual champions and differentiate different champions in that way rather than clot the space uniformly with slows?
• Isn't the job of making a healthy melee champion that can function in that climate while offering compelling gameplay despite being permaslowed almost impossible?

##Even if slows are the right way, do they have to stack?

These are the current stacking rules for slows:

1. If a champion is affected by multiple slows, the strongest one will be fully applied, while the others are applied sequentially with 65% reduced effectiveness down to 35% of its original strength.

2. Slow effects derived from items with the same name or named item effect do NOT stack, even when coming from different champions. Only the strongest item slow is applied at any moment. The exception to this is the active effect of Randuin's Omen, Hextech Gunblade, Blade of the Ruined King and Bilgewater Cutlass, which stacks with other slowing items normally because they are considered champion abilities for slow stacking purposes.

3. Attacking a champion with the crest of Cinders buff when the target is already affected by that slow will reapply the debuff, resetting its duration. It will NOT increase the slow amount. The same holds true for the Exhaust summoner spell.

• If removing a significant number of the slows is out of the question for logistical reasons, then how about reworking the way slows stack? Instead of having the largest active slow stacking with 35% of the remaining slows multiplicatively (the way it is now) have it so that only the largest active slow is applied.
• Doesn't the fact that slows stack like this mandate that each individual slow be that much weaker, to prevent slow stacking abuse? Obviously slows are so common that the 65% reduced effectiveness multiplier doesn't really prohibit stacking slows on an enemy champion since you will stack slows on them anyway-- because there are so many slows on random skills you can't help but not do that!
• Should slows feel like they cost anything, or should they basically be free? What influence does this free zoning power have on the game, and why is it used so heavily? Aren't there other ways to establish zones of control that are more fair to both players and more interactive? For example, a very large self buff that only activates when the enemy meets a condition, like standing inside moderately large sigil for 3 seconds, is much more interesting than a targeted slow.
• Slows are the only CC in the game that becomes stronger as it overlaps, and it is also the most prevalent cc in the game. The amount of additional stats a melee champion has to have just in order to play the game causes them to be snowbally when they pull ahead, because slowing someone who is fed doesn't stop them from killing you instantly. Do you prefer that melee champions be unilaterally more snowbally? Is that an explicit aspect of their design as a class?