@Riot A better way to look at balancing for bursty assassins with little counterplay.
As much as everyone here likes to turn their nose to Dota, it's hard to not look over and take inspiration from one item in particular. Ghost Scepter.
If something similar to this effect was added into the game, it would add a situational defensive option for all champions without completely making them useless, and without warranting reworks for existing champions or mechanics.
The item exchanges the champion's movespeed, ability to attack, and their magic resist to be nullified to right clicks and physical damage for a couple seconds. The counterplay to the item is pretty obvious, and the active by itself isn't innately overpowered.
Ghost Scepter is worth it's weight when the player uses it correctly. Instead of the current alternative to just buying a Zhonya's or stacking health/armor when it's completely out of place in an attempt to survive.
Slot real estate also plays a big role here, it's not (by itself) and overbearingly offensive/defensive item, meaning that just picking it up doesn't mean you'll get max efficiency with 80 armor or an extra 500 health or something silly like that. Maybe something akin to a small 20/ad, 15% lifesteal, something along those lines.
Anyway, I personally think this is the solution a lot of us are looking for.
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