A competitive game without tanks is worthless.

I'm not saying "this is why I quit League". There are too many reasons to number. This was, however, the "final koku", if you will. Riot has long been of the mind that defense is boring. They've been slowly working tanks to the back of the line balance-wise ever since pro play became a thing. By accident, they made tanks EXTREMELY powerful one season... But part of me is wondering if this was an accident at all. If perhaps it was meant to make us so thirsty for tank tuning that we wouldn't notice when the made tanks completely obsolete.

So why, Shingetsu? Why is a game without tanks worthless? Observe the fact that every single contest scenario ever, in which it's man against man, sword against sword, mind against mind, has had a "tank" role.

• MMORPGs all have them, of course.
• In American football, the offense's "tanks" are the offensive line.
• In basketball, the center is the "tank" who controls ground with superior size and immovability.
• (I'm not counting sports like association football and baseball, because they are more strategic than they are tactical.)
• In ancient and feudal warfare, the "tank" role belonged to heavy infantry like hoplites, armored spearmen, and shield infantry. They would hold ground, keep the enemy in place. Allow their more mobile allies to take key positions, and their ranged allies to safely fire on the enemy's rear.
• Battleships traditionally kept enemy fire and startled smaller ships away from key positions the way a tank does in competitive games.
• Even modern warfare has a "tank". Apart from literal tanks, infantry squads have machine gunners whose job is to hold territory, draw the enemy's attention, and bully enemies behind cover while the rest of the squad maneuvers.

The list goes on. Why is this, do you think? I'll tell you. It's because this role is vital to the success of an armed contingent (in tactical, competitive sports and games, teams are "armed" with the ball that can score points and win the game, or in the case of games, the team is literally playing armed warriors). The vast majority of successful armies throughout history have employed some form of "tank" force. Rare exceptions include the steppe warriors like Mongols and Huns, who eventually fell to their own tactics. There's a reason those tactics are no longer employed as the norm.

You need "tanks" to execute the most effective strategies. Most every battle in human history up through WW1, and even many thereafter, employed either a pincer or hammer-and-anvil maneuver to win the day. They were the quintessential military tactics. You could not execute them effectively without a "tank" role. You needed sturdy, heavy infantry to hold the line while the rest of your troops got into position. You need this in League's teamfights as well.

What Riot has done is remove this crucial role from the game, depriving teams of a stalwart force who can hold the line, keep the lane secure, and bully enemies back by sheer force of will. Look at all the tanks who are most viable right now. The vast majority are chosen because of the damage they can inflict. So-called pros aren't even taking tanky champions top anymore. They'd rather play with Akali or Fiora than Ornn or Volibear, because everything in the game is currently geared towards damage. Why play a tank when you know it's not only suboptimal, but your build will be useless against the enemy's damage? Better to bring someone who's better at dealing damage.

Just one of many ways Riot has ruined the game. Tank has always been my favored role. From League to Final Fantasy to games I play professionally, I always play a tank. My brain is now wired to play like a tank. I've tried picking damage champions. I've tried adapting to the new meta, but in my chest beats the heart of a knight. When I throw myself into danger as Qiyana to protect a fleeing teammate, I die. This is not good, yet it is such a reflex that I cannot change it. I cannot bear to see a teammate fall without doing something about it. I shouldn't have to. Every single competitive game should have a viable tank role. If Overwatch, a FPS, can do it... why can't League?

I am done.