Summon Aery is the worst designed Keystone

iTaLenTZ·Jul 26, 2018·12 votes·5,343 views

This keystone doesn't change your gameplay or decisionmaking at all. You play exactly the same you would without it but instead you do more damage, have more healing and more shield. It is a boring keystone that is a disguised extention to certain champs kits like Soraka and Janna while others don't benefit that much from it. Some mages just take it because it takes less involvement than Arcane Comet or because there isn't anything better. Each time I am playing against this keystone I don't have any player agency over it. It is just there. It is a terrible design.

18 Comments

Vlada CutJul 26, 201811 votes

Aery? Yes Scorch? Can you tell me a story? Once upon a time there was a pale rune Deathfire touch, it was vsry lonely? Why was it lonely? All mid laners would meet this rune. So it splot itself in two. So it could always have a friend? So he could always have a friend. Kindred Ba dum tss

Warlord RhinarkJul 26, 20182 votes

{quoted}

Aery? Yes Scorch? Can you tell me a story? Once upon a time there was a pale rune Deathfire touch, it was vsry lonely? Why was it lonely? All mid laners would meet this rune. So it splot itself in two. So it could always have a friend? So he could always have a friend. Ba dum tss

Cries in Malzahar

SEKAIJul 26, 20189 votes

Sorcery keystones are the worst, brah.

Out of the 3 major keystones, 2 are almost identical, and the last one only like 3 mages can even use it or benefit from it.

Then looking to the minor keystones, we have 3 movement speed runes out of 9, one in each tier (if include major keystones, there are 4 MS runes out of 12, the ratio is the same). Not sure what even is Riot's definition of "Sorcerer" because last time I checked, Sonic isn't called an archmage. And mages don't use the MS runes outside of Celerity surprise surprise, and only because the other 2 runes next to Celerity are utter dog shit which I will get to below.

Now, onto the Celerity row, we have Transcendence that is very niche and kick in way too late to really resemble any usefulness. And we also have Absolute Focus, which is utter garbo rune no one would ever use. And both of which is clearly outclassed by Celerity, and so you're forced to pick it in that row.

So what Sorcery tree is left with, is 2 choices between Manaflow Band and Nullifying Orb, or between Scorch and Gathering Storm. In fact the Scorch vs Gathering Storm isn't a choice either, because if you're DoT champ or early game mage, for instance, you'd be using the Scorch, and the more late-game oriented will use the Gathering Storm. There is no choice to be had there.

"What about Nullifying Orb vs Manaflow Band?" You might ask, seeing I'd skipped it so far. You might wonder that well, between Nullifying Orb and Manaflow Band, it seems that there's a great conflict to be had there. Well jokes on you, because Riot thought to use Manaflow Band as the balance crutch for all mages and so we end up with the situation that mages have to use Manaflow Band while other NOT mage classes are often far more resource efficient than mages who are supposed to be most attuned to spells, and what's more, they normally would have their own runes and won't touch the shitty Sorcery runes with a 10 foot pole. So what we're really left with is just mages would almost always run Manaflow Band, and sometimes alternative-resource mages or mage assassins may use Nullifying Orb, because they are not constantly in thirst for mana unlike traditional mages, as ironic as it sounds for the latter of the 2.

So all in all, what are the real and tangible choices to actually have Sorcery Runes, well....... You get to choose if your flying projectile that hit an enemy after a spell is lock on or an AoE, ie Aery vs Comet.

YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy................................

DW DianaJul 26, 20182 votes

{quoted}

Sorcery keystones are the worst, brah.

Out of the 3 major keystones, 2 are almost identical, and the last one only like 3 mages can even use it or benefit from it.

Then looking to the minor keystones, we have 3 movement speed runes out of 9, one in each tier (if include major keystones, there are 4 MS runes out of 12, the ratio is the same). Not sure what even is Riot's definition of "Sorcerer" because last time I checked, Sonic isn't called an archmage. And mages don't use the MS runes outside of Celerity surprise surprise, and only because the other 2 runes next to Celerity are utter dog shit which I will get to below.

Now, onto the Celerity row, we have Transcendence that is very niche and kick in way too late to really resemble any usefulness. And we also have Absolute Focus, which is utter garbo rune no one would ever use. And both of which is clearly outclassed by Celerity, and so you're forced to pick it in that row.

So what Sorcery tree is left with, is 2 choices between Manaflow Band and Nullifying Orb, or between Scorch and Gathering Storm. In fact the Scorch vs Gathering Storm isn't a choice either, because if you're DoT champ or early game mage, for instance, you'd be using the Scorch, and the more late-game oriented will use the Gathering Storm. There is no choice to be had there.

"What about Nullifying Orb vs Manaflow Band?" You might ask, seeing I'd skipped it so far. You might wonder that well, between Nullifying Orb and Manaflow Band, it seems that there's a great conflict to be had there. Well jokes on you, because Riot thought to use Manaflow Band as the balance crutch for all mages and so we end up with the situation that mages have to use Manaflow Band while other NOT mage classes are often far more resource efficient than mages who are supposed to be most attuned to spells, and what's more, they normally would have their own runes and won't touch the shitty Sorcery runes with a 10 foot pole. So what we're really left with is just mages would almost always run Manaflow Band, and sometimes alternative-resource mages or mage assassins may use Nullifying Orb, because they are not constantly in thirst for mana unlike traditional mages, as ironic as it sounds for the latter of the 2.

So all in all, what are the real and tangible choices to actually have Sorcery Runes, well....... You get to choose if your flying projectile that hit an enemy after a spell is lock on or an AoE, ie Aery vs Comet.

YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy................................

Pretty much says it all lol

MalakJul 26, 20181 votes

{quoted}

Sorcery keystones are the worst, brah.

Out of the 3 major keystones, 2 are almost identical, and the last one only like 3 mages can even use it or benefit from it.

Then looking to the minor keystones, we have 3 movement speed runes out of 9, one in each tier (if include major keystones, there are 4 MS runes out of 12, the ratio is the same). Not sure what even is Riot's definition of "Sorcerer" because last time I checked, Sonic isn't called an archmage. And mages don't use the MS runes outside of Celerity surprise surprise, and only because the other 2 runes next to Celerity are utter dog shit which I will get to below.

Now, onto the Celerity row, we have Transcendence that is very niche and kick in way too late to really resemble any usefulness. And we also have Absolute Focus, which is utter garbo rune no one would ever use. And both of which is clearly outclassed by Celerity, and so you're forced to pick it in that row.

So what Sorcery tree is left with, is 2 choices between Manaflow Band and Nullifying Orb, or between Scorch and Gathering Storm. In fact the Scorch vs Gathering Storm isn't a choice either, because if you're DoT champ or early game mage, for instance, you'd be using the Scorch, and the more late-game oriented will use the Gathering Storm. There is no choice to be had there.

"What about Nullifying Orb vs Manaflow Band?" You might ask, seeing I'd skipped it so far. You might wonder that well, between Nullifying Orb and Manaflow Band, it seems that there's a great conflict to be had there. Well jokes on you, because Riot thought to use Manaflow Band as the balance crutch for all mages and so we end up with the situation that mages have to use Manaflow Band while other NOT mage classes are often far more resource efficient than mages who are supposed to be most attuned to spells, and what's more, they normally would have their own runes and won't touch the shitty Sorcery runes with a 10 foot pole. So what we're really left with is just mages would almost always run Manaflow Band, and sometimes alternative-resource mages or mage assassins may use Nullifying Orb, because they are not constantly in thirst for mana unlike traditional mages, as ironic as it sounds for the latter of the 2.

So all in all, what are the real and tangible choices to actually have Sorcery Runes, well....... You get to choose if your flying projectile that hit an enemy after a spell is lock on or an AoE, ie Aery vs Comet.

YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy................................

I've said this before but it's been ignored. Sorcery tree is trash

hhaavviikkJul 26, 20184 votes

aery? really? how about saying majority of the keystones don't change your playstyle.

list of keystone runes that don't change your playstyle: press the attack - you're going to attack the enemy anyways so it doesn't change anything fleet footwork - just extra heal/ms every now and then, changes nothing conquerer - more damage, changes nothing you could argue lethal tempo does a bit as you want to make sure to deliver the damage with the AS boost but we're in a meta where you have to delivery damage quickly anyways electrocute - doesn't change, if you gonna all in you gonna try and hit them with all ya got anyways dark harvest - once you reach 150 stacks it's jsut there, forever, doesn't do anything but again add more damage aery - doesn't change playstyle, it's basically just more stats comet - doesn't change playstyle, also basically just more stats e.g. damage aftershock - doesn't change playstyle at all just extra stats

and even then the ones I didn't list only change your playstyle in a very minor way, predator for example, yeah you're more focused on movement speed but the ones who generally take it liked hecarim or rammus were already focused on going fast

Critmaster GarenJul 26, 20183 votes

isnt the same true for press the attack, and warlords or whatever its called?

if a champion was already dealing damage with auto attacks, he either just gets more damage, or bonus healing.

AyzevJul 26, 20181 votes

Press the Attack does nothing when you hit an enemy only 1 or 2 times. You're incentivized to extend your trades to 3+ autos, and they have to be on the same target. It's not much, but at least its interactivity is more than zero.

Though if you meant to refer to Fleet Footwork, the keystone with the heal and speed, then yeah, that's also just a free bonus for doing what you'd do anyway.

Critmaster GarenJul 26, 20182 votes

{quoted}

Press the Attack does nothing when you hit an enemy only 1 or 2 times. You're incentivized to extend your trades to 3+ autos, and they have to be on the same target. It's not much, but at least its interactivity is more than zero.

Though if you meant to refer to Fleet Footwork, the keystone with the heal and speed, then yeah, that's also just a free bonus for doing what you'd do anyway.

oh wow! you have to auto attack an enemy more than TWO whole times with an auto attack champion to use pta? thats so gameplay altering

/sarcasm

please lets not pretend that champions who run pta actually have to think about how they use it. :)

if youre auto attacking an enemy champion on a marksman or some other form of auto attack focused carry, chances are you were auto attacking your opponent more than twice anyways.

like even with grasp of the undying, you have to kindof think how you use it in comparison. you have to prep it up by attacking minions, or get a single minion to attack you and get you in combat to prime it before a trade.

same goes with for example phase rush, where you have to plan in advance how and when to trigger it, since for most champions not every combo is fast enough to set it off, and even if it were you might not even want to put it on cooldown right away.

with pta you basically just auto attack a guy with a champion like an adc... who otherwise auto attacks people just the same.

AyzevJul 26, 20181 votes

{quoted}

It's not much, but at least its interactivity is more than zero.

My point was hardly that PtA is good design or whatever. Maybe it is, maybe it's not, I won't argue on that. All I'm saying is it's at least better than Aery and Comet.

Daddy AntsJul 26, 20182 votes

[{quoted}](name=Critmaster Garen,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=HZ0H3RA6,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2018-07-26T10:30:37.233+0000)

isnt the same true for press the attack, and warlords or whatever its called?

if a champion was already dealing damage with auto attacks, he either just gets more damage, or bonus healing.

Press the Attack actually requires you to interact for more than 1 auto attack.

Fleet Footwork's healing is 80% weaker for ranged if used on a minion. So if you want the full heal you have to interact with your enemy laners.

They are in no way similar to Aery.

Janna

W + Aery > Run away until Aery returns > W + Aery > Run away until Aery returns > W + Aery > Run away until Aery returns

Let's not forget Scorch damage on top of that.

Very interactive.

Let's not forget that Janna's W also OUTRANGES every ADC who is not Caitlyn or Ashe.

Sona :

Q + Aery from 800 range every ~5 seconds.

Average ADC attack range = 550.

TLDR: Aery is a non interactive Keystone.

0 HogapuJul 26, 20182 votes

Remove the damage from auto attacks... and it would be more a cceptable

Pika FoxJul 26, 20182 votes

I wouldnt say its the worst designed or doesnt impact how you play, but i do think its thematic could have been delivered better.

It does impact how you play, however. Its less straight damage than comet for poke, so it does show you want to be more supportive if you have the ability to do so.

Offensively, it does have some gameplay to it. The closer you are the lower its basic CD.

Warlord RhinarkJul 26, 20181 votes

Bring back Windspeaker's Blessing.

Removes the unnecessary damage component.

AyzevJul 26, 20181 votes

But that would still have the issue OP is talking about. It just gives you extra numbers for doing the same things you would do without it.

Warlord RhinarkJul 26, 20181 votes