is Youmuu's Ghostblade the actual problem?
Whenever there is discussion or complaint about a specific few champions who are typically assassins, that champion at that time can abuse Youmuu's Ghostblade. When Zed was the most complained about champion, the general build was to rush a Youmuu's. When Rengar was more discussed, players were building a Youmuu's on him. Riven can abuse it. Talon abuses it heavily. Yasuo can but it's generally not recommended. Heck, Lee Sin used to abuse it.
Youmuu's is an item where champions that would generally pick it up became bashed and hated until something happened for people to stop picking Youmuu's, or the discussions simply stopped.
Talon's entire playstyle changes when he picks up a Youmuu's. He becomes safer, more deadly, has a better escape, and worst of all no longer has to wait for a good opportunity to strike! Zed's mechanics can be mostly take away with proper use of Youmuu's! Rengar becomes too fast to notice before and after coming out of stealth. And the range he can travel with his ult increases by 40%!
When Lee abused the item, he became practically a glorified assassin.
The item itself may be way too strong for its won good. While it only fills a small niche, it more than fills it. The numbers it gives seem small, but once put into practice on put on the right champions, its power overflows well beyond its niche.
Talon now has more options than kill or be killed. Zed can chase better. Rengar has a safer escape. Riven now moves incredibly fast without her ability usage.
Another problem is that the item can be used to either escape, chase, dodge a skillshot, take an objective faster, or kill a target faster. Sometimes 3 or more of these at once. The item can be used in a teamfight to stick to a squishy for that last second, then teleport out. In Talon and Rengar's case, move too fast for the enemy to be able to react.
The item can also be used in solo fights to almost guarantee a kill or escape.
There isn't a number for how many times a player has skillfully avoided a Zed and kept their distance perfectly for the Zed to pop a low cooldown to make up that distance, stick on the player, and kill them. The player did everything in their power to keep the Zed in place and in range. There is simply no counterplay to a target moving too fast for someone to dodge, kite, or avoid.
This item REMOVES skill and mechanics on a cooldown. Whereas Zhonya's removes the need to dodge an ability, the user will usually die the moment Zhonya's effect leaves unless the user's team gets involved. Zhonya's compels teamwork. Randuin's Omen compels teamwork. Spooky Ghosts compels teamwork.
Youmuu's Ghostblade compels solo play.
All in all, Youmuu's becomes too effective in the right hands. And even shifts the balance of power a champion has if that champion is usually buying Ghostblade. Ghostblade gives another option to Assassins, but it also removes some-if not most- risk involved in a melee assassin's job.
Should Youmuu's Ghostblade be remade into a new item? Removed completely? Please post your opinions below.
P.S. Some people seem to think that I meant that the champions who use Youmuu's is the problem. The problem is the benefits that the item gives to a few fringe cases. The item itself is an outlier that has gone unchanged for a long while, not the champions. Champions should not be changed for what an item does, as not all players buy the item. I for one, have bought Youmuu's maybe twice when I play these champions. I don't like the playstyle. However, when an Item effects a champion's weakness and lowers the skill floor for making the simple action of pressing one button? Then it is time for the item to change.
