Suggested Aatrox Changes - Including how to make him viable in the jungle.
While some may say revert the "mini-rework", these changes are trying to run with it the rework. Please keep that in mind when discussing things, though some changes can be argued for being reverted.
Passive: Holy shit this new passive is a train wreck. Needing to use 5 abilities to trigger it? Revive not even reworking outside the window? Insanely fast drain? No compensation buffs? Worthless in the jungle? Let's get started:
- Abilities now fill the gauge for 25 blood (From 20, aka from 5 abilities to 4) or blood gauge max lowered to 80 (meaning it drains faster, sitll 4 abilities).
- Blood Well passively drains 7 blood every second out of combat from 20. If you think this is a bit extreme, try to compare current passive drain from previous.
- Blood Rush now refreshes on Large Jungle monsters and Epic monsters in addition from just enemy champions. This means he can clear the jungle effectively again though still has a bit of trouble clearing raptors (swapping from hitting large raptor to small ones) and krugs (large krug disappears). And before someone says "easily solos dragon",
exists. - Blood Rush duration increased to 5-6 seconds.
Q - Dark Flight: The change tries to make it better while in passive, but he's using it before his passive is triggered. Thus reverted and these changes address old problems.
- Damage and ratio reverted.
- Cooldown reduced by 5 seconds at all ranks. (16/15/14/13/12 -> 11/10/9/8/7, this is a lot more like other gap closers from fighters.)
- Knock-up radius increased to the entire damage radius.
- No longer disabled/falls out of the sky from snares or stuns. Consistent with jump-dashes like Kha'zix's and Tristana's. (I'm basically asking for the Q changes that should have been added from the get-go.)
W - Blood Thirst/Blood Price: Makes the snowball on an early game champion, Aatrox, a bit better while making Rageblade not entirely worthless.
- 30% bonus AD ratio added to Blood Thirst's heal. (Keep in mind that the flat healing doesn't scale up with missing health.)
- 30% AP ratio added to both forms of W. (Trying to make noob-trap Rageblade less noob. But then gunblade could be strong.)
- Blood Price base damage increased to 45/80/115/150/185. (Keep in mind the rework took off half the rank 1 damage and a fourth of the final rank damage.)
- Blood Price bonus AD ratio increased to 85%. (Was 100% last patch, currently 75%) (He's a lane bully. You get ahead it should matter. He gets no in-kit armor pen so let him have some ratios.)
E - Blades of Torment: Just fixes new problems with a middle ground and some old problems.
- Cooldown changes to 10/10/9.5/9/8 from 12/11/10/9/8.
- 60% AP ratio added.
- Damage changes to deal half magic, half physical instead of pure physical (was magic pre-rework).
R - Massacre: Lore
- Aatrox now says one of his lines upon activation. Just imagine him saying, "This battle will be my masterpiece!" whenever you ult.
- Maybe have it fill Blood Well by 20% in addition to the 20% for each target. (Fills 40% in 1v1 if landed, 60% in 2v1, and helps with splitpush.) This would be a follow-up change.
- Blade darkens during duration.
Base Stats: Putting him on par with other fighters.
- Not 5 AD
- 20-40 base HP.
- 2 more base armor.
Overall this sounds like a lot of changes, but assuming they continue to run with the new passive, a lot of these changes are things that have always been problems for Aatrox. A few changes work along with the rework or find a middle ground.