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Let's talk Ekko

Dunderflump·5/29/2015, 9:38:29 PM·6 votes·1,331 views

Ekko embodies what everyone has hated about assassins since the release of Zed:

Extremely low counterplay on abilities.

Phase Dive allows Ekko to instantly gapeclose basically anyone. I mean instantly. It's a targeted blink with 425 range. Given his solid base movespeed (445), the prevalence of AP/MS items (Lich Bane, Luden's, Spooky Ghosts), and the fact that his core build involves two of them, he's all but guaranteed to catch you.

Ekko's passive,** Z-Drive Resonance**, allows him to consistently stick to targets after he's engaged. With its 40-80% 2-3 second slow, there are very few champions who can escape. It's fight-or-die.

Parallel Convergence doubles as both an extremely powerful stun and shield. This ability all but guarantees he will win trades. An instant 2.25 second stun (if he's inside the large circle) just screams counterplay. The shield also appears to be both the highest base AND scaling currently in the game. At rank 5, Ekko gains a 330 shield +80% AP.

Chronobreak is the absolute pinnacle of counterplay. This ability allows Ekko to both assassinate vulnerable targets in well-defended areas (behind turrets, teammates, tanks, etc) and 1-shot teams. With 200 / 350 / 500 (+ 130% AP) scaling, Ekko's ult consistently does more damage than Veiger's ultimate as an AoE ability. Why does this ability do damage at all, let alone have one of the highest base damages AND scalings IN THE GAME? Where is the counterplay in SEVERELY PUNISHING people for covering Ekko's escape path?

Questions time!

  1. Why does Ekko have roughly double the AP scalings he should need to be functional?

  2. Why did you give Ekko a 2.25 second stun?

  3. Why does Ekko get a Zed-level escape that can wipe out teams?

  4. Have you not noticed how much people hate Zed?

  5. Is gypsylord dead? Is CertainlyT wearing his face as a mask and designing champions?

16 Comments

Dr Poro5/29/2015, 9:45:17 PM3 votes

Zed level escape? His escape is way better than Zed's. Don't compare him to that trash!

Personally, I'd just like to see his heal on ultimate removed.

Mat7itan5/29/2015, 10:05:07 PM3 votes

{quoted} Extremely low counterplay on abilities.

You're joking right?

His Q doesn't hit hard on the way in, but hits hard on the way out like ahri's Q. However, it is extremely easy to dodge compared to Ahri q. There is a nice slow on it up to 60% (your ratios are a little high) but if he doesn't hit you with it (it doesn't have great range) you can just walk around the slow which moves very slowly.

His w has a 3 second wind up (tell me how is there no counter play to his w?). It's pretty sad if it takes you more than three seconds to react to a very telegraphed ability.

His E doesn't have much counter play (there are a lot of abilities that don't have counter play), but it also doesn't do much on it's own.

His R is a great tool for escapes (if he ults out of a fight he has to walk back in which can take quite a bit of time and does a lot of damage, but there is a glowing version of ekko that shows you exactly where he will be when he ults. How you counter this is pretty simple. Don't stand right next to it.

His kit is very telegraphed and very easy to counter.

Anyway to answer your questions:

Why does Ekko have roughly double the AP scalings he should need to be functional?

A: If you were to take half of his ap scaling (because you think it is double what it needs to be) then he would be useless.

Why did you give Ekko a 2.25 second stun?

A: He is extremely squishy, but has to be in the middle of the fight to do damage, and without the stun he would just die instantly. As for it being 2.25 seconds you do realize it takes three seconds to wind up right? You can move out of it very easily.

Why does Ekko get a Zed-level escape that can wipe out teams?

A: Because as an assassin he needs an escape. As for wiping out teams if you don't stand right on top of the shadow (the aoe is not that large) his ult does no damage.

Have you not noticed how much people hate Zed?

A: Yeah and I don't see much of a reason for people to hate him. He's a little overhyped.

jDVL20eCYs5/29/2015, 9:40:42 PM2 votes

if you halv ekkos ap scaling he would be complete usels trans tier. fucking please stop troll op. is ratios are also low. dianas is better lb is better. he burst is not even strong and takes time unless super fed. but supper fed lb can kil you with just q r and tarts toxic. stop cry about him. his overhyped

Gubbies5/29/2015, 9:43:49 PM2 votes

If you put kat and zed together you get this monster, instant blinks, speeeeeed, crap ton of cc, and a really stupid ultimate.

SlytherinUmbreon5/29/2015, 10:00:27 PM1 votes

Alright, let's talk Ekko. Ekko... Ekko.... Ekko..... Ekko...... Ekko.......

Centuros5/29/2015, 10:11:30 PM1 votes

"instant" 2.25 second stun.

Yeah right. It takes ~3 seconds from cast to stun, which requires predictive gameplay, because sticking around in the same spot for 3 whole seconds is just asking to be deleted (and if he leaves, there is no stun).

Yenn5/30/2015, 9:33:30 PM1 votes

Have you tried turning around and killing him, as his combo leaves you at 40% health and he can't do anything else for the next 6 seconds? No?

Outdated6/4/2015, 6:36:46 AM1 votes

And here I was thinking that LoL had jumped the shark with the Kalista release...

Above all, this kind of release makes a lot of older champions look like absolute garbage particularly those that are similar to Ekko. Why would anyone pick Diana Diana or Elise Elise over this guy? There's no reason whatsoever - Ekko is better in every conceivable way.

Fizz Fizz, sort of, has some claims to useful damage but even fizz can't heal himself back to (near) full after screwing up or getting caught and he certainly can't CC an entire team.

Is the Ekko release really an addition to the health & stability of the League franchise or, more likely, blatantly overpowered RP bait after the critical reception of Bard. I feel partly to blame being among those that complained Bard was poor. But we just wanted a capable champ release - not a game-breaking one.