I am Not Broken: An Idea to Bring Varus Back Into Existence

To begin, I'll start by saying this. Varus needs some fixes. He's not weak at all. But there's not too many reasons to pick him over others. As it currently stands, Varus is the 4th least used ADC (3.27%) only in front of Twitch (2.41%), Kog'Maw (1.05%) and Urgot (if you even consider him an ADC but he's getting changed in the near future (0.40%). Varus brings a lot of AoE to a team comp from an AoE slow (which already got it's damage nerfed and from what I understand, in the sense that Riot isn't a huge fan of Grievous Wounds, will be losing an interesting factor in it. ), an AoE ult which spreads and roots nearby enemies. It seems good and all but let's compare compare to those picked lower than him.

Twitch brings more damage into team fights with his ult, which also helps a lot with positioning considering the insane attack range increase and the steroid in damage, his Q also gives him an AS steroid. Now, Twitch's early game got hit heavy but at least there's a bright side out of it if you bring him to late game. Kog'Maw low pick rate is based upon because it's hard to effectively use him in SoloQ to full potential. But the difference is during laning, he's got poke, he's got a slow and post-6, he becomes effectively a bully. Again, there's beauty in his late game.

But what's Varus' niche? He's a bully in early game which is range. He, effectively, only has 2 abilities in lane. His passive is too...weird. I can't find the proper term for it. During late game, there won't be many minions to help constantly proc his passive so he effectively has no passive until he gets a kill or an assist. But like the other two, he's an ADC with little to no mobility. So what's the benefit of picking him? Here's my proposal to help get him a bit more interest while keeping his low mobility weakness.

Passive Currently: On a champion kill or assist, Varus temporarily gains 40% attack speed for 6 seconds. On a minion kill, Varus temporarily gains 20% attack speed for 3 seconds.

New Passive: Varus' basic attacks deal bonus magic damage and apply Blight for 6 seconds (stacks 3 times). Varus' basic attacks deal bonus magic damage. They also apply Blighted Quiver Blight for 6 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. ON-HIT MAGIC DAMAGE: 7 / 11 / 15 / 19 / 23 (+10% BONUS AD) Varus' other abilities detonate Blight, dealing magic damage equal to a percentage of the target's maximum health per stack (capped at 360 against monsters) Cooldown of 5/4/3 seconds after popping Blight before possible to re-add new stacks to same target.

Upon hitting 3 stacks on an enemy, the next ability Varus uses will be enhanced. Enhanced abilities can only be activated on the same target once every 6 seconds.

Reasoning: It opens up a spot for another ability. Almost every other champ with a stacking-esque ability (Kalista, Twitch, Darius, Braum, etc) (or almost every. Forgive me if I missed a couple.) doesn't have a whole ability reserved for JUST that one stacking factor. At worst, it's mixed in with an ability. Lore wise, he's a Corrupted Human. It only makes sense for his "natural" ability to at least apply stacks of Blight. I don't intend on removing Living Vengeance but rather move it as an additional passive to a skill. It also adds more reason to hit 3 stacks and then detonate the ability. As it currently stands, correct me if I'm wrong, the DPS actually increases (not overall damage done by the Blight individually but if you factor in AS) if you detonate the Blight earlier so it makes people decide whether it's worth detonating it sooner rather than later. Blight will scale and will add bonus damage/effect at levels 6/11/16.

Q Currently: FIRST CAST: Varus begins channeling his next shot, gradually increasing the range and damage of Piercing Arrow over the next 2 seconds. MINIMUM PHYSICAL DAMAGE: 10 / 47 / 83 / 120 / 157 (+ 100% AD) MAXIMUM PHYSICAL DAMAGE: 15 / 70 / 125 / 180 / 235 (+ 160% AD) Varus can still move while channeling, but can't autoattack or use his other abilities, and his movement speed is slowed by 20%. After 4 seconds, Piercing Arrow is automatically cancelled, going on full cooldown and refunding half of its mana cost.

SECOND CAST: Varus fires, dealing physical damage to all enemies in the arrow's path, reduced by 15% per enemy hit (down to a minimum of 33%).

**New Q:**FIRST CAST: Varus begins channeling his next shot, gradually increasing the range and damage of Piercing Arrow over the next 2 seconds. MINIMUM PHYSICAL DAMAGE: 10 / 47 / 83 / 120 / 157 (+ 100% AD) MAXIMUM PHYSICAL DAMAGE: 15 / 70 / 125 / 180 / 235 (+ 130% AD) Varus can still move while channeling, but can't autoattack or use his other abilities, and his movement speed is slowed by 20%. After 4 seconds, Piercing Arrow is automatically cancelled, going on full cooldown and refunding half of its mana cost.

SECOND CAST: Varus fires, dealing physical damage to all enemies in the arrow's path, reduced by 15% per enemy hit (down to a minimum of 40%). Passive: Upon striking the enemy, Piercing Arrow strikes a vital point slowing the initial target and all enemies in the arrow's path. Strength and duration of the slow increases the longer the arrow is charges. The duration and slow is reduced per enemy hit. (down to 50% of the original slow/duration.) MINIMUM SLOW: 5%/10%/15%/20%/25% MINIMUM DURATION: .2/.4/.6/.8/1.0 seconds MAXIMUM SLOW: 10%/20%/30%/40%/50% MAXIMUM DURATION: .4/.8/1.2/1.6/2.0 seconds

Enhanced Blight (NEW EFFECT) Upon striking the target, Varus precision strikes fear into the heart of his enemy reducing his attack speed and attack damage. ATTACK SPEED DECREASE: 10%/20%/30% ATTACK DAMAGE DECREASE: 5/15/25 DURATION: 2.0/2.5/3 SECONDS

Reasoning - Varus Q is very bland. I love the charging factor of it but as it stands, it's just another long range skill shot with no real pleasure outside of sniping an enemy. Again, this change is to add more survive-ability into his kit while keeping his low mobility in check. Also adds more into his lore. In his lore, Varus is proclaimed to be the warden of his Ionian temple. For what he considered an utmost honor, and what we would like highly upon in the Lore, it must represent his immense power. To put it simple, his ability with a bow and arrow is unmatched so it would make sense for him to be aware of opposing enemies vital points. But off the Lore topic, it adds a little more soft CC into his kit while not changing his damage too much and again further rewarding for charging his shots. The Enhanced Blight ability adds better dueling potential into his kit. Again, going by Lore, as a Warden one would expect him to be a good duelist. The Blight Effects are the results of corruption so it adds a little more flavor into his kit.

**Current W:**Varus' basic attacks deal bonus magic damage. They also apply Blighted Quiver Blight for 6 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. ON-HIT MAGIC DAMAGE: 10 / 14 / 18 / 22 / 26 (+ 25% AP) Varus' other abilities detonate Blight, dealing magic damage equal to a percentage of the target's maximum health per stack (capped at 360 against monsters)

New W: PASSIVE: On a champion kill or assist, Varus temporarily gains 20% attack speed for 4 seconds. On a minion kill, Varus temporarily gains 10% attack speed for 2 seconds.

ACTIVE: Varus fires a single arrow into the ground directly in front of him which then proceeds to travel forward and leaving Blight in the path traveled. Varus' gains movement speed, his Blight damage is increased and he gains bonus resistances as long as he remains in the blighted path. Any enemies who get hit by the arrow or walk through the blight gain blight stacks.

DISTANCE ARROW TRAVELS: 600/650/700/750/800 UNITS FORWARD BONUS MOVEMENT SPEED: 5/10/15/20/25 BLIGHT DAMAGE INCREASE: 10/15/20/25/30 (+5% BONUS AD) BONUS RESISTANCES: 3/6/9/12/15 ARMOR/MAGIC RESISTANCE 1 BLIGHT STACKS ADDED PER: 3/2.5/2.0/1.5/1 SECONDS DURATION BLIGHTED ARROW REMAINS: 6/6/6/6/6

*Reasoning - *Here we keep the original passive and just move it to his W. This skill is more of a utility skill. It rewards him for standing in a "bunker" if you will or playing defensive. After all, he was a Warden who's job was to defend an Ionian temple. It would make sense for him to have a feeling of positioning and rewards players for it.

OLD E: ACTIVE: Varus fires a hail of arrows that deals physical damage and desecrates the ground for 4 seconds. PHYSICAL DAMAGE: 65 / 100 / 135 / 170 / 205 (+ 60% bonus AD) Desecrated Ground inflicts Grievous Wounds and slows enemy movement speed.

NEW E: ACTIVE: Varus fires a hail of arrows that deals physical damage and desecrates the ground for 4 seconds. PHYSICAL DAMAGE: 45 / 80 / 115 / 150 / 185 (+ 70% bonus AD)

Desecrated Ground slows enemy movement speed.

ENHANCED E: Varus' corruption spreads and roots the enemy. ROOT DURATION: .2/.4/.6/.8/1 SECONDS

Reasoning - Because of the distaste for Grievous Wounds, I removed that but kept the slow. Again, more benefits for stacking blight. If Varus desecrates the ground, it makes sense to add more corruption (or evil if you will) into it.

OLD R: Varus flings out a tendril of corruption that infects the first enemy champion hit, dealing magic damage and rooting them for 2 seconds.

The corruption then attempts to spread towards enemy champions within 550 range, applying the same damage and root if they stay within 600 range of the infected champion for 2 seconds. The corruption will continue to spread until there are no further targets in range, but each champion may only be infected once per cast.

NEW R: Varus flings out a tendril of corruption that infects the first enemy champion hit, dealing magic damage and rooting them for 2 seconds.

The corruption then attempts to spread towards enemy champions within 550 range, applying the same damage and root if they stay within 600 range of the infected champion for 2 seconds. Champions that corruption spreads toward will be slowed the closer they are to being rooted. The corruption will continue to spread until there are no further targets in range, but each champion may only be infected once per cast.

Enhanced R: Varus Chain of Corruption infection speed increases depending on how many stacks of Blight the enemy has. (Example: If an enemy has 3 stacks of blight, the attempt to consume them will be much faster than with just 1 stack.) Enemies after the root finishes are slowed for 2 seconds afterwards.

*Reasoning - *The ult in itself is already fine. It adds a little more oompfh into it considering those affected by Blight are easier to infect compared to those that aren't.

CONCLUSION: Overall, I'm not too good with numbers so I tried to touch a little upon it. Not good with mana costs either so I didn't touch those. The way it also works in regards to Blight Stacks is to make Varus choose which type of enhanced ability he'd like to use because targets can't be re-Blighted for a small cooldown, he can't just use every single type of ability to completely nerf the enemy. He has to be more decisive in which skill he'll use. If he plans on dueling, he'd have to use his Q. If he plans on escaping or catching an enemy out, he'd go with E. If he'd prefer to have stronger team fight potential, he'd go with R. As the game goes on, the CD (which is static and isn't affected by CDR) decreases and allows him to weave his enhanced abilities a bit more. Just my attempt to get him back into popularity, still keeping his bullying but making him a bit safer.

Thanks for everyone's time! Opinions are asked for!