Do We Need a Better Skarner?

Snoopy Noopers·Jul 21, 2015·5 votes·1,356 views

As you all know, Skarner is really, a useless champ to most people. He has amazing jungle clears, and amazing hide and seek skills. I just feel like Skarner is one of the worst fighters that has a good potential that needs to be reached. I feel as if he needs a new rework, or a major buff on anything. I would like to see more use of his stinger, because, he is a Scorpion. Scorpions rely off of their stingers to catch prey and finalize and secure the kill. His E can be changed into a sting that slows and does damage over time? I don't know, all I know is that we need some reworks or buffs on Skarner. I personally have his mastery at lvl 5, but I was not useful in the games I played. I did no damage, I was shredded and peeled easily, mana was a big problem, and you can only buy so many items at once. I play Skarner as a jungler. I go for Cinderhulk JG item, boots, Iceborn Gauntlet, Frozenheart/Visage, Randuin, and Banshee. This build would only be good if you can achieve it at lvl 11. At full build, I am really not useful at all to my opinion. Can we buff/rework Skarner? I know he isn't underrated, he's just not that good at the moment. Please comment and let me know your opinions, I feel like this would be great for our Skarner.

22 Comments

PredatoratorJul 22, 20153 votes

Sorry for my bad English, but calling Skarner "useless" tho.... however i wouldn't mind to see him buffed a bit I've been continously playing skarner since the first day i bought him (almost two years ago?). And i find him enjoyable. what bugs me the most, is that they literally halved his Q damage....without really any compensation to make him at least tankier. i'd rather duelist/bruiser skarner than tank skarner, and the DoT via his stinger seems pretty nice. It may look like his: his E makes Skarner squirt poison in one direction, from his stinger. the poison slows and deals the DoT. Or it may followup his passive's damage. I think you build truly lacks of damage. here are my two main builds for Skarner. Tank: IBG, Cinderhulk, mercs, randuin, banshee's, cleaver, red elixir. Bruiser: TF, devourer, mercs, randuin, SV, essence reaver. Sorry again for my bad English

Snoopy NoopersJul 21, 20152 votes

I just think he needs to be a bit more tanky, or needs more AD on him, he loses most 1v1's if you're building tank or fighter.

bad manner kidJul 21, 20151 votes

He needs a gap closer and a more fun kit. Tanks shouldn't be too mobile but compared to a similar CC champ (Vi) Skarner's mobility is garbage.

They should do away with the point less tail laser and just give him some form of mobility.

Snoopy NoopersJul 21, 20151 votes

Agreed

Knight SoIaire Jul 21, 20151 votes

or make the tail laser actualy good and pronounce him as an unique champion

Only Play DariusJul 21, 20151 votes

He is trash right now, mostly because he has the worst passive in the game.

Aside from the ult, there is nothing he does that Udyr doesn't do better.

Snoopy NoopersJul 21, 20152 votes

Udyr should change his bear skin to a Skarner skin, lol.

bad manner kidJul 21, 20151 votes

Any champion that is justified as not underpowered because "omg flash+ult on the carry is strong" really needs to be looked at.

Snoopy NoopersJul 21, 20152 votes

Flash ult the carry that is protected by team and turret, you get cc'ed and can't even drag him.

TaredomJul 21, 20152 votes

[{quoted}](name=All Chat Referee,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=Exuef2cE,comment-id=0002,timestamp=2015-07-21T08:03:21.205+0000)

Any champion that is justified as not underpowered because "omg flash+ult on the carry is strong" really needs to be looked at.

Can't flash after using his ult anymore.

The WhamboozlerJul 21, 20151 votes

Skarner used to be a viable, if niche jungle pick. I played a ton of him in S2. Then riot decided to gut him with a rework that no one asked for and they succeeded in doing nothing but making the few dedicated skarner mains out there not want to play him anymore. He's still horribly underpowered and barely played.

Fortunately they learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING from this, going on to gut Cassiopeia in a way no one asked for not long after. They improved their game this time though, because instead of the three skarner mains out there being quietly depressed they had a massive backlash of people who hated the rework. See, riot is like the darkside. It draws power from our hatred. How else do you explain Riven ? And it grows stronger every day. Soon, it shall cast off the shackles of it's prison and consume the earth in darkness forever!

TaredomJul 21, 20151 votes

OP, have you tried sated devourer on him? I've had a damn fun time going that route.

Snoopy NoopersJul 21, 20152 votes

I did try it, you still die fast, but you only clear camps better.

TaredomJul 22, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Snoopy Noopers,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=Exuef2cE,comment-id=00040000,timestamp=2015-07-21T17:52:24.363+0000)

I did try it, you still die fast, but you only clear camps better.

When you say die to fast, is that relative to him being full tank? Because in that case, everyone dies too fast, you play that kind of build when you aren't responsible for the initiation but you get tanky enough to sustain most of the damage while in the fray.

The build hurts and I absolutely recommend that you give it a shot, separate note about devourer, I've come to realize that if you decide to go into a tanky item after rather than going like bork or witts end, you're more relevant. Not sure if you've noticed but if all you have is sated and a bork by the twenty minute mark (possibly t2 boots too) you blow up, hard, any sort of cc instantly removes you from a fight, feel free to build the bork a little later, just be sure to get tanky.

Snoopy NoopersJul 22, 20152 votes

What I mean by die fast, is that you will die super fast no matter what, full tank, full AD, you lack everything that everyone has, Skarner is basically the bear ability of Udyr. Even if you break the meta, your teamates will think you're going to go tanky like a normal Skarner would, so they'd go a full AD Fiora or something. I really feel like Skarner can be better. You can barely make some good out of him. You can, but barely. A buff would be nice, wouldn't it? He really needs to be changed, and he needs to be able to actually counter someone.

TaredomJul 22, 20151 votes

[{quoted}](name=Snoopy Noopers,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=Exuef2cE,comment-id=0004000000000000,timestamp=2015-07-22T07:05:12.083+0000)

What I mean by die fast, is that you will die super fast no matter what, full tank, full AD, you lack everything that everyone has, Skarner is basically the bear ability of Udyr. Even if you break the meta, your teamates will think you're going to go tanky like a normal Skarner would, so they'd go a full AD Fiora or something. I really feel like Skarner can be better. You can barely make some good out of him. You can, but barely. A buff would be nice, wouldn't it? He really needs to be changed, and he needs to be able to actually counter someone.

I don't disagree that he needs a love tap for help, but I also don't feel weak when playing him, I see where you come up with the comparison to him and bear form (let's be honest, udyr fills that role better) but he does do a fine job. He just feels like he suffers from the same thing that a lot of champs do, anything he does, someone else can do better.