I have a problem with morellonomicon :C

My problem with Morello is its Grievous Wounds, which invalidate a whole set of champions who depend on healing, and whose identiy is strongly based on self-sustain. I speak of Aatrox, Swain and Vlad.

It is a layered problem and it should be tweaked at all its levels.

NOTE: While reading it might start irking you that I'm implying changes to , which might lead you into thinking "WHAT? FCK YASUO" chill, I'll get to drain-glass-cannon-tanks.

First, there is no choice when picking Morello. It is an item bought on most midlaners, regardless, of facing a self-sustain champion or not. Morello will even be bought on lethality games where ADCs are not making use of critical strike, attack speed and life steal.

Look at the two Last Whispers items (and ). Two items that make you think if you want raw damage for the frontline or Grievous Wounds to deal with that pesky Warlords Bloodthirster champion. And it happens quite often that you need both +% dmg vs high HP targets AND Grievous Wounds.

Similarly, I'd like the mage GW to be on a niche item, without being coupled with something a mage would pick either way and therefor hinder indirectly , and

Secondly, even so, buying one item that severely cripples the whole identity of a champion is wrong. -- "Armor pen invalidates armor, and buying tank items invalidate damage, so what?" -- The ADC's identity is sustained damage, which no tank ever invalidates with the correct build. And vice-versa. There is just a constant countering each other up until a final state of an ADC still having the damage to destroy a tank, and the lifesteal to not die to Sunfire and Thornmail, meanwhile needing peel to do it.

But the same can't be said for Aatrox, or Swain, who entire reason of existence can be destroyed with one item that, most likely, wasn't even bought to counter them, but for the cooldown reduction and mana.

And then there's the 3rd problem. Which is that supposed glass cannon champions, mainly (, , )-- supposed backbone damage for the team -- are also fulfilling the self-sustaining tank role better than drain-tanks themselfs. Which is the result of poor balance damage wise. It is a class distortion out of too much damage & lifesteal via items and masteries. And it is this 3rd point which I believe is shying Riot away from making Drain-Tanks viable.

The solution to this latter issue: Reduce accessible LS in glass cannon builds? Or simply cap it. So that lifesteal exists as a counter to 'splatter' damage like Luden's, Thornmail and other AoEs, allowing a steady heal as opposed to a huge chunky one.

For some reason Riot goes easy on drain-tank champions, saying they're hard to balance (or that Aatrox fights are stat checky).

There were a few occasions, and happily there were at all, where I as an Aatrox lived up to the fantasy of not dieing at 20%ish HP against Nasus and other tanks. Some Aatrox's fights are indeed stat checks -- and they are fucking epic you must admit, fellow participants. When you're sitting on your arse hoping your horse wins -- but only because both parties WANT it to be one, not because they have to. Simply move your champion around and it isn't a horse race bet anymore.

Let's have a moment to think how a drain-tank should play out // You have tanks who usually pack lots of soft and hard CC, alongside some DoT which has its toll over their lifespan. Fighters like , and usually win due to survivability outplay tools.

But now think of a drain-tank, and why would it exist in the first place. A drain-tank is supposed to be squishy albeit resillient and 'annoying to kill' through self-healing. So, why would you pick a squishy, quote TANK unquote, if you are to die to 1v1s faster than anyother tank?

The sole purpose of the drain-tank IS to win duels and end up more resillient than normal tanks, GIVEN, you are able to heal yourself. It is not a stat check fight.

Drain-tanks, in comparison to the tank class, occupy the higher end of the "mechanics" and "strategic play" spectrum, which means, their healing is not guaranteed, but something you work for. Lots of attack move, being squishy af. Has to be really close to his enemies, otherwise they simply kite him out of Q danger range and he has got nothing, Vlad must be usually 2 Teemos away in a teamfight for propper use of his ultimate and stickyness. Activates his ultimate and that's it. But that's not the end, he has to walk you through it, hitting his stun.

Doesn't mean these 3 above don't need some extra work on Riots end. What I'm saying is that lots of times you can just walk away from them. If your champion doesn't have mobility or CC, then you're probably playing in which case it is not Vladimirs fault (in before "the russians did it")

My propposed solution for Morello is: Reduce the duration to 1s. Depending on the enemy you might actually CHOOSE to wait out the debuff for your heal.

As a GW caster, it might make you CHOOSE to space out your abilities to really hinder the sustain.

Or simply: Don't put GW alongside another stat mages will be picking up anyway. Make it so they have to give up on something else.

PSA: Besides applying GW it also gives 20% CDR which puts your CC on lower cooldowns. This item screams "f*ck ".