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Drain Tanks VS Skirmishers : Who should be the strongest dueliests ?

Annoxis·5/2/2016, 3:39:41 PM·5 votes·2,910 views

A bit of definition before showing my point :

  • Skirmishers : They are High-DPS melee carries with big red safety button in their kits. They are the class that deal the most damage in the game, but are also very squishy. The Skirmishers are the following champs : Tryndamere, Master Yi, Yasuo, Fiora, Riven. Jax can be considered here too, in some way.
  • Drain Tanks : Not a class in itself and historically one of the most difficult thing to balance in the whole world of video game, the Drain Tanks are champions who gain health according to the damage (and not the fact that they are dealing damage. I.E.: Illaoi and Darius are not Drain Tanks) they are dealing to their opponent. In League of Legends, we got four : Olaf, Aatrox, Warwick, Swain. Mordekaiser can be considered as one, and Nasus too.
  • A duel is a situation where both champion are at melee range, sending everything they have to their opponent in order to be the last one standing.

These two types of characters tend to be great duelists, but I want your opinion about which one should be the greatest at dueling, knowing that, from my point of view the Skirmishers should be the ones with the most DPS of the game, and Drain Tanks the ones with more survivability of the game (with maybe the exception of characters designed to build full tank who have innate not-damage-tied survivability, like Zac and Mundo).

If you disagree with one of my axiomes, I don't care. I write this to be able to share meaningful opinions between civilised people, not starting a tournament on who is barking the loudest.

I would hope also to have the opinion of one or more Rioters of the design team. If you happens to be here, please, share your thoughts, I would be interested.

EDIT : You didn't see the " Dueliest " in the title, you read " Duelist ", okay ? ;)

64 Comments

Slythion5/2/2016, 4:22:37 PM3 votes

I can imagine there isn't a clear "winner" in these situations, as league is primarily a situational game. By what I mean is, if we are talking in straight up 1v1 duels than some tanks would beat skirmishers, while skirmishers would beat some tanks.

For instance:

  • A Fiora would have the advantage over Warwick in a late-game 1v1 duel with her parry and qss allowing counterplay over Warwick's ult, while her true damage, lifesteal, and ult heal would allow for an extended battle that I would argue warwick would lose.

  • Meanwhile, a late-game Nasus vs. Yi or Tryndamere would be a clear win, with his attack speed slow, tankiness, damage, steroids, and armour reduction.

  • Some cases have pretty equal matchups as well. Now I'm not too familiar with these matchups, but I would imagine Trynd vs. Olaf would be a semi-even matchup, but I could be wrong.

IMO, neither should have a clear-cut "advantage" over the other in duels, but are designed to be a situational advantage along with giving room for counterpicking and outplays.

Overall, I choose neither. Both have advantages and certain matchups over the other

Nekusen5/3/2016, 12:17:40 AM2 votes

forgot Vladimir

Stars Shaper5/2/2016, 5:13:46 PM2 votes

It depends on the fight needs. Skirmishers are going to be more bursty than Drain Tanks.

The Bíg Ticket5/2/2016, 3:43:15 PM2 votes

Riven is actually bad in duels.

The best duelists should be melee as they have to put themselves at risk to do their damage. And those are the best duelists in the game, so it works as intended with the exception of Vayne.

Best 1v1 champs: Jax, Vayne, Yi, Tryndamere, Nasus and Warwick.

Gunpoint5/2/2016, 10:25:57 PM1 votes

I feel like Swain is a "drain tank."

Titanium705/2/2016, 11:41:28 PM1 votes

Uhm... actually...

I would make a difference between Skirmishers and Duelists.

A Skirmisher is a Champ capeable of dealing high amounts of mostly but not only Singletarget DMG but has a Problem with CDs which why he drains his power from short fights with 3-5 Champs involved. (Zed, Riven, Yasuo)

A Duelist is capeable of winning nearly every 1on1 due to high amounts of sustained DMG and low CDs but if weak to kitting and has problems as soon as another opponent appears. (Fiora, Jax)

Drain Tanks - similar to my main Swain - are usually great in TFs, thats why they should loose against pure duelists but should be stronger than skirmishers when forcing them into a 1v1. [Because being Tanky is the best counter against Skirmishers but is weak against sustained DMG]

And to be honest: Exactly that's how it works right now. (Or mostly.. Zed is... well... #70% Ban Rate)

Bârd5/3/2016, 12:44:24 AM1 votes

Fiddlesticks

EcchiOtakuTM5/3/2016, 1:01:14 AM1 votes

Executioner's calling is a thing, as long as that's a thing your so called "drain tanks" won't be best dueling.

It's a shame it's highly underestimated to a point of stupidity, people complain that a self-healer is so strong on an enemy team but refuse to buy executioner calling EVEN AFTER BEING ASKED TO. Sigh it's a strategy game but people don't want to buy an item to beat an enemy, yes the final product is weak atm but executioner (800g) isn't.

Morel also exist but no "drain tank" should be staying that low and still in combat.

Captain Aishi5/3/2016, 2:20:57 AM1 votes

it's simple, draintanks tend to have a ramp up time during which they can be killed, but if they reach their 'saturation point' for draintanking, they become unkillable by their attackers

so if the skirmishers can burst the draintanks, they should win, if they can'T burst, they 100% should lose, otherwise the draintank isn't properly balanced into the game (since the larger teamfights become the trickier it becomes to actualy draintank through more numerous sources of damage)

MunchCrunchLunch5/3/2016, 2:23:30 AM1 votes

I'd say jax and tryndamere are drain tanks. every time I play jax I eat 20 ultimates. and tryndamere just absorbs so much damage with his ult. xin is a situational drain tank. jax can ult to be tanky. and he forces you to focus him.

ViashinoWizard5/3/2016, 2:25:23 AM1 votes

Jax.

Solidair35/3/2016, 3:20:58 PM1 votes

I think drain tanks should be more powerful in extended trades.

Swain in particular should thrive in a teamfight situation over a duel situation.

Critmaster Garen5/2/2016, 7:48:32 PM1 votes

right now, there is only one real "drain tank" in this game.

Graves

kek.

The Yetii Rider5/2/2016, 10:16:38 PM1 votes

Skirmishers should be stronger, but since drain tanks are harder to kill they should have plenty of chances to win simply by prolonging the duel long enough for summoners to come up, to reposition or get closer to a fellow teammate and turn it around.

jaymc11305/2/2016, 10:17:37 PM1 votes

Educated guess: probably the one that's both. XinZhao