Feedback on Jhin (And Why I Love Him)

With all of the criticisms and cries for change on the board, a great deal of it negative and not very constructive, I wanted to post something positive about League's newest addition.

Jhin is fun. He's really, really fun.

He has his flaws, of course. He's more reliant on his team for peel than a lot of other ADCs, his damage output can be negligible for large portions of the game if he's behind, he doesn't have a whole lot of unique quirks to add to a team (Ezreal's utility and damage, Lucian's burst, Kalista's maneuverability, etc.) and he fits into this meta about as well as a silverback gorilla fits into women's jeans, but damn is he fun. He's more, as far as I'm concerned.

For starters, his four shots make him feel different from all other ADCs, and fits his theme very well. Every single attack you make, even if it's instinct or not very complicated, feels mediated and distinct. While he maximizes his damage with autos and abilities just like any other ADC, this alone gives him a pace that operates separate from others, and makes laning and beyond feel like it goes with a flow. His fourth shot crit and reload also gives him a presence similar to pre-6 Annie with stun; the move is almost universally respected in lane unless seriously behind or in an all-in, and creates a pressure all its own. Unlike Annie's stun, however, which can be held onto indefinitely with no extra thought besides "I'm saving this to chunk people with a full cycle of my abilities", Jhin's shot will reload unless abilities are used, creating much more pressure to either expend your final blow or work with its intimidation at the cost of more clear/more available shots/mana. It's not a very deep choice, or indeed even a very tough one to make most of the time, but it adds something more interesting to the game than just shooting and shooting.

Adding his passive shots into his abilities, especially in lane, and Jhin has a satisfying organic factor to him. There's something cathartic about setting up a wave of three casters and a cannon minion, grenade-ing the three behind to death and getting the cannon minion low enough to execute it. There's a small, personal joy in thinking of the purpose of each individual auto, and planning a route with them ahead of time that ends with a shot at the enemy laner. Late game, this isn't as apparent, as teamfights dominate and nuance is lost somewhat, but the feeling that every shot you make is impactful almost never goes away, unless, again, you're well behind.

Unfortunately, behind seems to be easy for a lot of Jhin players to achieve. Being more suited to the late game, and being ill-fit in the meta, Jhin can often times have a hard time getting a good foothold if he doesn't get it early. Yet, unlike with other ADCs, Jhin doesn't feel as spectacularly useless, because he's one of the best pick marksmen in the game. With his long range snare and his ult, Jhin can catch out members of the enemy team from afar, and can still contribute to a team fight with both even if he has to leave it. Both of these abilities feel satisfying to land, not only because of what they do and because they're skillshots, but because of the windup, the meaty sound effects, and the spectacle of using them. Jhin throws his full body into his snare, striking a fabulous pose before ensuring an enemy's death, and a full performance is set up for his ult, both him and the camera sweeping as he eyes up potential targets. It all feels lively, involved, and different. This is a champion that is enjoying himself, and I'll be damned if it isn't infectious.

TL;DR Jhin may not be the most powerful ADC, but he is, to me at least, the most interesting and enjoyable to play.