Titanic Hydra

SkyblazeHydraX3·Oct 19, 2017·3 votes·748 views

This is more griping and venting than anything, because I know Riot has way bigger things to deal with in terms of itemization and balance, but there's one thing that's seriously bugged me about Titanic Hydra for a long while now.

As an item that's meant to give offensive power as a reward for building health, why is it allowed to be an effective damage item on its own when the user builds no health whatsoever? Seriously, in my last game a Shaco built Titanic Hydra and was still able to output serious damage without even building a single other health item. To me that's just not okay, especially when Ravenous Hydra exists and is supposed to be the offense-oriented alternative.

So what gives?

6 Comments

Elkington VIOct 20, 20171 votes

I wish TH didn't offer any damage on its own, but gave you AD based on your bonus HP. Then it would be useful on more than just auto-attackers.

SkyblazeHydraX3Oct 22, 20171 votes

That would be quite a bit busted. Plus a lot of people would massively abuse it. But reducing its AD and working on the ratios would hopefully make it less abusive.

Elkington VIOct 23, 20171 votes

{quoted}

That would be quite a bit busted. Plus a lot of people would massively abuse it. But reducing its AD and working on the ratios would hopefully make it less abusive.

Bonus HP might be a bit much, but I just don't see how it could ever be a good item for most bruisers/tanks as long as its damage is constricted to only auto-attacks. By removing all the AD and the auto-attack enhancing passive, it would prevent champions like Shaco, Yasuo, or Fiora from rushing it. To be honest, I just want an item like Atmas Impaler back, as bruisers need something like this in order to have a late game. However, I believe it shouldn't offer any damage on its own, in order to avoid being abused early game by assassins.

EX:

Atmas Impaler

40 Armor 100% Base Health Regeneration

Unique Passive: Gain AD based on based on 2% of Maximum HP

SkyblazeHydraX3Oct 23, 20171 votes

Because champions with high AD ratios- Wukong, Fiora, most assassins, etc- could build heavy bruiser without sacrificing anything for damage unless the HP:AD ratio was so low as to be ineffective. They'd be able to build something like Black Cleaver, Deadman's, Spirit Visage, Death's Dance, Titanic Hydra, and boots, and they'd be supremely tanky on top of sacrificing minimal damage. Why? Because all that HP isn't restricted to just their auto-attacks anymore; no now it would apply to all of their spells and abilities with an AD ratio. Like Fiora's passive, Wukong's ult, etc etc.

Titanic Hydra is supposed to give juggernauts a means of proactive waveclear by way of the AA passive and reward them for building mostly health by giving them a means to deal damage when their spells are down. Notice how Garen, Darius, Illaoi, Mordekaiser, Nasus, and other juggernauts all have at least one skill that empowers their next auto-attack. It's not meant for most outright tanks because most outright tanks aren't supposed to be a damage threat; they're supposed to be a CC threat and frontline to try and bypass.

The problem is that right now Titanic Hydra's too strong as a damage item on its own without any HP stacked up. Made worse by the fact that the active is an on-hit effect, synergizing well with champions that frequently use auto-attacks, like Shaco. That's why I think it should have a bonus HP ratio instead of a total HP ratio. With a bonus HP ratio it would be an item you have to invest in using by building HP, which isn't a problem for its intended users such as juggernauts and divers, but makes it immensely less optimal on assassins and skirmishers that need large amounts of AD to work at their best. It would also probably stop Titanic from crowding out Ravenous.

Elkington VIOct 25, 20171 votes

{quoted}

Because champions with high AD ratios- Wukong, Fiora, most assassins, etc- could build heavy bruiser without sacrificing anything for damage unless the HP:AD ratio was so low as to be ineffective. They'd be able to build something like Black Cleaver, Deadman's, Spirit Visage, Death's Dance, Titanic Hydra, and boots, and they'd be supremely tanky on top of sacrificing minimal damage. Why? Because all that HP isn't restricted to just their auto-attacks anymore; no now it would apply to all of their spells and abilities with an AD ratio. Like Fiora's passive, Wukong's ult, etc etc.

Titanic Hydra is supposed to give juggernauts a means of proactive waveclear by way of the AA passive and reward them for building mostly health by giving them a means to deal damage when their spells are down. Notice how Garen, Darius, Illaoi, Mordekaiser, Nasus, and other juggernauts all have at least one skill that empowers their next auto-attack. It's not meant for most outright tanks because most outright tanks aren't supposed to be a damage threat; they're supposed to be a CC threat and frontline to try and bypass.

The problem is that right now Titanic Hydra's too strong as a damage item on its own without any HP stacked up. Made worse by the fact that the active is an on-hit effect, synergizing well with champions that frequently use auto-attacks, like Shaco. That's why I think it should have a bonus HP ratio instead of a total HP ratio. With a bonus HP ratio it would be an item you have to invest in using by building HP, which isn't a problem for its intended users such as juggernauts and divers, but makes it immensely less optimal on assassins and skirmishers that need large amounts of AD to work at their best. It would also probably stop Titanic from crowding out Ravenous.

That kind of change to TH sounds fine to me. I would still build it on Trundle regardless, since it accommodates his kit too well to not make use of. I just wish it was a better item on Sion.

SkyblazeHydraX3Oct 25, 20171 votes

It's certainly not bad, but being a caster tank Sion usually prefers beef and CDR. With his infinitely stacking HP though, it's a good item for when he needs waveclear or to press his advantage.