The Warwick Rework - Expectations
The lore for the Warwick update looks good and I'm definitely happy about that. But let's talk about the gameplay and what it should be. Okay, so I will define a few key things that I think make Warwick Warwick (and no, I'm not a serious Warwick player or anything, but I love the character and I've wanted him to be good for so long. No one else is talking about this so it might as well be me).
Key Point 1: Warwick is a Diver.
So the basics should be obvious. The subclass Warwick belongs to is Diver. He gets to the backline, he finds Soraka and he eats her heart. This is really the core gameplay fantasy that Warwick players want. The current Warwick plays more like a juggernaut that has one gap closer (like Shyvana) so hopefully the new kit delivers more on a cohesive, refined kit that really gives Warwick a spot on a team.
Key Point 2: Warwick is a Hunter.
When you play Warwick, the lead up to a gank should feel good and thematic. You should feel like you're stalking your prey and the kill you get is a reward for doing that stalking. The problem here is that Rengar already has this thematic as well (seriously, Riot releasing Rengar before they fixed Warwick fucked everything up. Now they have to differentiate between the two both in thematics and in gameplay).
Currently, Warwick's Blood Scent delivers on this pretty well, particularly in his Hyena skin where he leaps forward on all fours as he runs. I think this is definitely worth expanding. Every Warwick skin should have an all fours run animation, and that animation should be triggered during Blood Scent (which will hopefully be his new passive instead of a toggled ability. Yes, it's useful to turn Blood Scent off for surprise factors but hopefully the reworked Blood Scent will just be good to have on at all times).
Key Point 3: Warwick is Feral.
I did a thread on this already a while back, but it's important to restate here. This is how you really differentiate Warwick from Rengar. Rengar's attacks already feel a bit animalistic, but they are precise. His new skill shot is a lunge that is aimed in a direction, and his use of equipment with his Bola and his Camouflage portray a calculated, sadistic hunter.
Warwick shouldn't feel like that at all. When you play Warwick his attacks should be all over the place. The lunge on his ultimate should be wild and indirect, maybe having Warwick leap halfway toward the target diagonally forward to the right, and then complete the gap closer by leaping diagonally forward to the left (so you move in a straight line by zig zagging).
His auto attacks should be very visible, especially if he's still going to be an on-hit Bloodrazor user (probably not, but if that's the case I expect extra effort put into his auto attack animation). Lots of claws and maybe even some teeth. You could really make Warwick seem much more ferocious than Rengar if he has a bite attack as well as his claws, maybe as a crit?
The Good Stuff - What Should be Kept
Blood Scent is definitely a keeper. Probably not as a full ability. Either the passive of his new E, or his kit's new passive as a whole.
Infinite Duress is what Warwick is best known for, and suppression is really the only CC that makes sense with it. Because it's a channeled effect (Warwick is holding the target in place as he rips them to shreds) it can't just be a normal stun. Then if Warwick gets displaced or CC'd the target would continue to be stunned even though Warwick has seemingly stopped attacking him. Similar to Skarner's Impale, when the animation of the CC is tied to the concentration and movement of the attacker, suppression is the only CC that really works. I don't think all of it should be kept (the on-hit part can probably go, then Challenging Smite can be decent again) but as far as the idea of Warwick just leaping onto his target and rending them asunder, I'm all in.
The Bad Stuff - Toss it in the Trash
Hunter's Call - This buff is just too damn strong. It's ridiculous. If this ability were on an actual support that support would be pick/ban in the LCS, as many pros have admitted Hunter's Call is probably the highest amount of gold any one ability in the game grants. Give Warwick more diver stuff and good riddance.
Hungering Strike/Eternal Thirst - This is the main problem Warwick has with being good: When he's good, he's unkillable. Too much built in sustain in his kit, and it really doesn't need to be there. Riot stated in their latest discussion on Warwick that they like him being the champion that teaches new players how to jungle, and that's fine (Ahem. Nunu is good for that too, but whatever). If sustain in the jungle is fundamentally necessary, good on you. Keep Eternal Thirst's effect for monsters only (shouldn't be too much of a power budget there) and scrap the rest. We already have an unkillable Zaun monstrosity, Warwick should differentiate from Mundo and Singed by being more aggressive and less hardy.
The New Stuff - What to Replace Bad With?
Warwick's identity as a drain tank is a problem, so instead he should be...basically a less bursty, but sturdier Rengar. Like if Rengar was a diver. Obviously when you pick Warwick over Rengar, you do it for the CC (and when you pick Rengar over Warwick, you do it for the Stealth). So there's no problem there. That said, he does need a new passive, Q, W and E. So here's my suggestions:
Passive - Blood Scent
Enemy champions and large monsters within range of Warwick who are below a certain health threshold are revealed, and Warwick gains movement speed when moving towards those enemies. This allows Warwick (and only Warwick) to see Invisible and Camouflaged champions who are below the health threshold.
Warwick deals a small amount of bonus magic damage on hit to monsters, and receives a small amount of health. This stacks up to three times.
Q - Fang Over Fang
Warwick leaps forward aggressively in a line (can go over walls) and bites into the first target that he reaches, dealing physical damage and slowing the first enemy hit.
W - Hunter's Resolve Passive - While moving towards a target marked by Blood Scent, Warwick gains resistance to crowd control and slows based on rank.
Active - Warwick throws a target in melee range to the ground, dealing physical damage and stunning the target for 0.5 seconds. This duration changes to 1-2 seconds based on rank if the target is marked by Blood Scent.
E - Lycan's Rage Warwick becomes empowered, marking all enemy champions within range as targets for Blood Scent. Against any actual targets below the health threshold, the bonus movement speed he gets is increased by half. The next auto attack Warwick makes within a short duration deals % health physical damage to the enemy.
Let me know what you guys think and what your hopes are for the Warwick rework. Happy hunting, summoners.
