What's the difference between an assassin and a burst mage?

Lapis·Oct 19, 2018·1 votes·1,595 views

Sorry, this isn't a joke but a legitimate question. They both seem to do the same thing, which is, kill people really fast.

6 Comments

InfernapeOct 19, 20185 votes

Assassins generally have the ability to get to and away from their target. For example Ekko can jump on a target, burst them then ult to get out. Or Talon could jump a wall, burst then jump another to get out. Or tools to help them stay alive while near their target (Akali's shroud, Shaco's ult etc.)

Burst mages on the other hand tend to not have mobility and have hard CC and utility to compensate. For example Syndra has hard CC on her E, and Orianna has an AoE hard CC ult and her E shield.

Some champs straddle the line between both. LeBlanc and Ahri that have components that make them part burst mage, part assassin.

Death by GlamourOct 19, 20181 votes

Funnily enough riot classes him as a skirmisher

Orianna as a utility mage

All in all its a pretty blurred line

ForFoxSakesOct 19, 20182 votes

Assassins get in there and do it the messy up close and personal way. Burst mages do it from the safety of range

JamareeOct 19, 20181 votes

Assassins tend to be able to do their damage close up and personal and have abilities and tool to stay alive while bursting down, whether it be untargetability, invisibility, damage removal, etc, they have means to do damage then get out rather then be stuck after getting in, some examples are Akali, Zed, and Ekko.

Burst mages tend to be able to do their damage all in one load from a distance then kind of have to wait before they get to do much, they tend to not be very mobile and have little if any mobility. Veigar, Annie, and Syndra are examples of burst mages.

Cotten Eyed JoeOct 19, 20181 votes

Burst mages tend to firstly zone champs and burst at a range, while assassins try to get up in your face. For example, Zed needs to get up close to deal damage as an assassin, while champs like Zoe and Syndra, while having limited mobi, try to burst down with poke and range. Often if you get cc'ed by a burst mage, you're dead. Examples like Zoe E and Syndra E

Beatrice fallsOct 19, 20181 votes

Assassins are mostly melee (mostly, I know Leblanc exists) and their job is to finish off their targets while being able to escape safely Burst mages are mostly ranged and their job is to burst down the enemy, forcing him to back up. Doesn't matter if they didn't finish him off, they just need to get him low enough to get him out of the fight (but yeah s8 everyone is an assassin so shrugs)