Comprehensive Summary of the Upcoming Assassin Rework (Leblanc, Katarina, Rengar, Talon)
Aqua Dragon here, back again with a comprehensive summary like with the Mage Rework.
Riot has been making threads that help elucidate the way that the assassin update will play out. I've collected those posts here.
Assassination Duration - "Assassin damage needs to not happen literally in the blink of an eye"
Variance - "The outcome of a fight shouldn’t be completely decided before it even starts."
Uniqueness - Each assassin should bring something to the table, rather than being a ball of stats.
Arrival Estimation - Around the Preseason
Item pass being done alongside it, along with an updated stealth system for all champions, that has very few details revealed.
Divers are being considered for a class pass as well, but not yet.
Evelynn has the fantasy of an assassin but plays like a diver, and so is outside the scope of a full pass until much later. Likely to get some QoL changes in the meantime.
Diana is considered more of a diver than an assassin, and like Eve, may only get QoL changes in the meantime.
"An easy kind of Assassin litmus test I use is the following: would it make sense (both mechanically and thematically) for this champion to have a reliable escape / disengage button?"
Akali too big a project even for an assassin pass. Still likely to get QoL changes, similar to champions like Annie during the Mage update.
Fizz was under consideration. May get QoL updates, especially to Seastone Trident (W), which is considered the more problematic aspect of the kit.
Zed is "for sure not going be part of the bigger updates. It is unlikely that he doesn't get some small, non-art changes though"
Kha'zix likely to get some love on the less-enticing evolutions
###Playstyle
"Pentakill dream is very important to Katarina"
More ability to interact with the opponent during the laning phase, instead of passively just throwing Bouncing Blades to get CS from afar.
Shunpo + Sinister Steel combo (or its equivalent, after the new spells) will not be as instantaneous.
"Expect that Katarina will not only get to keep her live passive and also gain access to some other form of partial resetting on part of her kit - most likely Shunpo."
Still going to be resourceless and AOE AP.
###Passive - Voracity
Remaining nearly the same, though perhaps with some number adjustments.
###Q - Bouncing Blades
Getting completely reworked.. Will feel the same, but function completely differently, meaning will likely remain a point-target spell.
###W - Sinister Steel
Getting completely reworked. Will be attached elsewhere onto the kit (think how Malzahar's Null Zone was moved to the Nether Grasp)
###E - Shunpo
Losing the ability to ward hop.. As an aside, Lee Sin and Jax will still retain theirs.
However, Damage reduction will be removed.
###R - Death Lotus
Likely remaining nearly the same. As a speculation, likely going to lose the Grievous Wounds, as has happened on nearly every other rework so far (Tristana, Miss Fortune)
###Playstyle
"Double down on the deception, preserve the mobility. A powerful and versatile deception tool would also have many uses outside teamfights, especially if the deception can occur without LeBlanc’s presence..."
New visuals on all spells, though no model change.
Unlikely to get some variation of Trickster's Glass that was on Black Market Brawlers
Unlikely that any spell will be replaced.
More combo options
###Passive - Mirror Image
More clone mechanics being explored, but little information otherwise. Almost no direct information given about the passive; speculating that it's going to be changed radically.
###Q - Sigil of Malice
Likely getting some secondary component
Possibly will contribute more to waveclear
Unlikely to get a channel-interruption
###W - Distortion
"A Zed-style tiny delay between W dash end and W snapback enabled is pretty likely to show up."
Likely losing some waveclearing power
###E - Ethereal Chains
Range indication added to show how much further to walk to break the tether
###R - Mimic
Will remain similar, but will add a twist of some kind to expand combo options
###Playstyle
Heavy emphasis on increasing roaming power
Significantly less incidental AOE; will have to be deliberate about hitting multiple targets.
###Passive - Mercy
###Q - Noxian Diplomacy
No information given nor specifically noted. As a trend, whenever an ability isn't directly addressed, it tends to be drastically changed, which is likely the case here too.
###W - Rake
Remaining very similar, though likely losing some incidental AOE as noted above.
###E - Cutthroat
Losing the blink, and is not a dash. Will still be the primary mobility spell.
###R - Shadow Assault
Remaining very similar, though likely losing some incidental AOE as noted above.
###Playstyle
Ferocity will be more of an in-fight mechanic rather than prepping it in advance.
More ability to get out after committing to a fight, though not to the degree of other assassins.
"Ideally, his "one-shot" now takes 1-2 seconds in the ahead case (rather than 0.5-1)."
Items of choice will remain roughly similar, though order may differ.
###Passive - Unseen Predator
Bonetooth Necklace will be back to giving stats, but less snowbally ones.
"Ferocity should have to be built within a fight, but Rengar should also be able to reasonably expect that he can get to the first empowered spell quickly and consistently. Expect Ferocity to be a mechanic that you make decisions around within a fight, rather than before it."
"Something like that where it fades when out of combat is probably closer to the end result."
Bounty system attempts have been mixed; may or may not have some influence in the final design.
Better reward from winning The Hunt is On!
Leap remaining nearly identical.. But will likely only be able to cast one spell while in mid-leap.
###Q - Savagery
###W - Battle Roar
Still mechanically the same as a roar, but has more nuance than simple tankiness.
Completely different empowered Battle Roar, likely as some way of escape.
###E - Bola Strike
Will get some QoL changes to feel smoother to cast.
###R - Thrill of the Hunt
"It feels like the game is trying to give you information about what’s going on around you when he’s using Thrill of the Hunt, but the information is so minimal (and so late) that it often leaves you wondering why you got any information at all. Expect Thrill of the Hunt to change in ways that gives opponents more meaningful play against it"
Will likely only be able to cast one spell while in mid-leap.
Will retain the stealth. Incidentally and thankfully, Rengar will not somehow be making allied champions stealthed.
Thanks for reading!
