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@Riot, If you want to make on-hit builds more distinct from crit builds, why not change Runaan's?

Rathar Dashing··30 votes·15,702 views

Remember when Runaan's Hurricane used to be an on-hit only item? In late season five, they reworked it into a critical strike item, which still applied a +15 damage on-hit, though they greatly reduced the damage of the lesser bolts. Then, in season seven, they further pushed the item towards a critical strike build by removing the on-hit passive, and increasing the base damage of the bolts.

This has had some positive effects, allowing critical strike users to purchase this good AoE item (like Ashe or Jinx or Cait at certain points). However, if you wish to better diversify crit builds from on-hit ones, why not make some more changes to it to solidify it as one or the other?

What I would do is actually split the item into two separate items, a la the Hydra items. One of the items would be pretty much the same as the current version, perhaps with slightly less attack speed but a greater portion of AD on the lesser bolts, or maybe even some form of Energized attack to help synergy with RFC and SS. The second item would be closer to the original incarnation of Runaan's. It would have an on-hit effect built into it, +15 damage or something close, and would have a lower AD conversion rate for the lesser bolts, along with no critical strike modifier and increased attack speed.

Just like how with other items that share passives, these two items would only apply the best parts of each other's passives. Like how Iceborn + Triforce deals 200% to the primary target and 100% to the AoE.

What do you guys think? Would this be a good idea? Why or why not?

23 Comments

ModThe Djinn8 votes

I think Runaan's is well-placed precisely because some Crit-based champions flex into a bit of on-hit, and some on-hit champions like to flex into pure AD items on occasion, which Runaan's makes less painful. The ability to pick BoRK + Runaan's into a super tanky team as a way to get more value out of BoRK is interesting, even on a crit-based ADC who flexes BoRK after their core is complete, and some crit-based champions like, say, Twitch still do love Runaan's.

I'd much prefer to find other ways to diversity these two.

ZT Xperimentor1 votes

Critical champions already could flex into several things thanks to their multiplied damage benefiting times over; stuff like black cleaver and death's dance to cover weaknesses too. Hurricane was more useful to on-hit only champions before the change because it only gave attack speed, but it was +70% the highest raw bonus in the game. Most on-hit champions need to be striking multiple times more per second to deal comparable damage, but have to use more item slots for their builds since such items are often hybrid in an inefficient way.

ManBearPig9164 votes

On hit builds won't be relevant until people can live through bursts again. What good are on-hit builds when players die in one fraction of a second?Back in the day, we were tankier, and on-hit builds and lifesteal had a place. Now? Not so much.

Catffeine4 votes

Crit items lack diversity in general right now. There are only four items that provide crit, all of them being attack speed items, then obviously infinity edge that increases your critical strike chance.

In my opinion, just completely reverting Ruunan's to an on-hit item would be a healthy change. Being able to burst down multiple targets ruins the identity of ADCs, that being a hyperscaling sustained damage carry. Even champions like Lucian and Jhin, who have ridiculously high damage for an ADC, only deal their damage to a single target. There's no bias in my statement either; I'm a Twitch main and Ruunan's is our most common attack speed item, and it's dumb just shredding through the entire enemy team because of one item instead of having to carefully plan who I put my damage onto when.

Adding more crit items and maing Ruunan's only an on-hit item would be a step in the right direction for both game health and placing ADCs back in their identity.

Rathar Dashing2 votes

Only four crit items? That's a lot, and it's not even including Infinity Edge or Stormrazor, for a total of 6. On-hit builds also only get five items, Bork, Frozen Mallet, Nashor's, Rageblade and Wit's End, most of which can only be used well by AP on-hit.

The rest of your comment is spot-on and very well written.

Catffeine1 votes

Compared to how many crit items were in the game, Riot gimped Crit pretty hard and the diversity of attack speed items. Though, you're right, Riot gimped all item diversity pretty hard. :P

Thank you for your input! I appreciate the compliment. :)

iw3195373 votes

Crit was broken and needed NERFS it’s rng #nerfadc

Skyregalia2 votes

Are you hashinshin? 🤣🤣

saltran1 votes

Actually Hashinshin says that adcs are weak right now.

AirKingNeo3 votes

because somehow they needed to nerf Rageblade... for some unexplained reason.

And now Kayle's DPS is 20% lower.

Ordinal Chaos1 votes

Yeah kayles whole thing was weak early game godly late game and now she doesn't really have that.

Warlord Rhinark1 votes

{quoted}

And now Kayle's DPS is 20% lower.

I still don't really see it personally.

SpecterVonBaren2 votes

Except almost no one bought Runaans before its change. Splitting the item would just leave us with one new never bought item.

Need Gold 4 Tent1 votes

{quoted}

Except almost no one bought Runaans before its change. Splitting the item would just leave us with one new never bought item.

70% attack speed. Kog would've loved that item now. (and he already did before).

Modl Ryden l2 votes

I've always thought of runaan's being a crit item to be a slight nerf to Kalista. Forcing her to attack move with random crit animations making her feel clunky.

Crowald1 votes

I want the item to go back to being a purely on-hit choice. I used it for Kayle extensively before they changed it, being the item I got right after Nashor's Tooth, but now, since the "adaptive" AP/AD changes for most rune pages, I dislike building it. It's a matter of principle, and there's really nothing wrong with Runaan's, but I just dislike building it because I like pure AP builds more since I was around when she could QE oneshot someone in Season 3. I miss that, but it was unhealthy for the game and I'll readily admit to that.

I just opt to go for Lich Bane after Nashor's on Kayle now.

I really hope they don't fuck her update. She's my favorite champion.

SanKakU1 votes

Or just make another version of the item like they did with the Hydras.

Rathar Dashing2 votes

Did you even read my post?

SanKakU1 votes

Yeah and you have this really long and non-concise title that doesn't mention adding a new version.

You make the situation seem more complicated than it is.

Rathar Dashing2 votes

What does my title have to do with anything? You can't really fit in every single point you're going to make in however many characters.

Next time actually just read the post before commenting and looking like a fool.

SanKakU1 votes

Your post doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I agree with the overall thought you are coming up with here, but your post could be a lot more simple and less thought-roaming. Just present the idea that Hurricane should be split into 2 items, Runaan's and some other name and point out that the old version presented something desirable that didn't involve critical strike.

Sentences like "However, if you wish to better diversify crit builds from on-hit ones, why not make some more changes to it to solidify it as one or the other?" just feel like they don't belong in your post if you're just asking for them to bring back the old item but keep the new one.

It's not like your idea hasn't been suggested before and now that Stormrazor is an item, maybe there's more merit to considering the thought than in the past. But that doesn't mean your presentation couldn't use some work. There's no need to be so aggressive to someone that agrees with you but thinks you're just being overly dramatic.

Rathar Dashing1 votes

This is a boards post, not a tweet. I intend to be thorough in my discussions and if you don't like that, that's fine.

I'm not asking Riot to bring back the old and keep the new, nor am I asking them to change runaan's into a much more on-hit oriented item. I'm merely suggesting that the item itself could be another place to consider looking if they truly do want to distinguish more between on-hit builds and crit builds (hence my title).

If I wanted to make a boards post only about splitting Runaan's into two items, I would have given detailed stats for each separate item and put the post in Concepts & Creations. If I just wanted to whine and say "bring back old Runaan's" I would have simply said that and given a reason or two.

The idea of splitting the two items is simply a personal afterthought, admittedly. It's my own idea but as I say at the end of my post, I'm interested in discussion on the topic and am open to other ideas.

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