More or less a year ago, there was an Alistar change on the PBE...

DrOinkleBerry·2/8/2016, 1:25:37 AM·1 votes·300 views

The change was that Alistar's Headbutt was a skillshot that hit the first target(s) he collided with. So, he could no longer Headbutt -> Pulverize with units in the way. But in exchange, his Headbutt had a much longer range and could potentially hit up to 3 champions (if they were stacked as close as possible on each other). Also, he could theoretically use it as a long-range dash for hilarious mobility plays.

Does anyone else remember this from a while back? Whatever happened to it? Was it too powerful? Did it just upset people because "eek, change! I hate change!" I have been playing a lot of Alistar the past few weeks, and the memory of this PBE experiment just returned to me, and I wonder what happened to it. I think it would be fun as hell to have Headbutt work this way!

6 Comments

Morbazan2/8/2016, 1:29:00 AM2 votes

I think it turned out to be way too strong, but I'm not certain on that.

LordGeovanni2/8/2016, 2:20:24 AM2 votes

only assassins and adcs are allowed to be mobile while having cc and being tanky if they build any without sacrificing their damage

67chrome2/8/2016, 2:47:01 AM2 votes

Was it too powerful?

My best guess is it would completely change his identity. Having a skill-shot dash on a QWE means you can rely on mobility and speed to keep you alive, having an escape ability.

Paired with his near-Tryndamere status ultimate that will make him a tank regardless of how squishy he chooses to build and that tasty +90 AD steroid, you're looking at a really solid Riven/Yasou/Fizz-esque fighter/assassin with such a kit that just so happens to be able to knockup targets.

The reward for building largely squish would outweigh the risk currently involved in the cow's kit (You're essentially changing a skill that throws you into harm's way and demands defenses to back it up as it can only be used as an initiation tool into a lol nope escape plan). Making full-damage yolo cow viable would also allow Alistar to jungle pretty effectively and have decent clear speed, so you'd probably see him make a Lulu-esque migration out of the support position and most likely into a dedicated top-lane or jungler pick.

Given the alternatives available: I'm not sure such a change would be to powerful per-say, but the radical shift to a champion's play style that clashes with their aesthetic and intended play style isn't something that's really worth perusing from a design perspective.

Gunpoint2/8/2016, 1:31:40 AM1 votes

I think Alistar just needs a small rework imo, Change out his heal for a different ability much like Tristana's rework where they changed out her grievous wound dot for her new E.