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Real Talk: Lux Changes

Beerstein·7/8/2019, 4:08:56 AM·1 votes·2,358 views

I'm curious on peoples thoughts on this as it's probably one of the most globally impactful changes this patch in that it's a simple to play, safe champion favored by new players that's also played by top ones at the moment.

Light Binding (Q) Cooldown increased from 10 to 13/12/11/10/9 Cost changed from 40/45/50/55/60 to 50

Prismatic Barrier (W) [Removed] double effect on returning shields Shield amount increased from [50/65/80/95/110(+20% AP)] to [50/70/90/110/130 (+30% AP)] Max Shield amount changed from [150/195/240/285/330 (+60% AP)] to [100/140/180/220/260 (+60% AP)] Shield duration lowered from 3 to 2.5

Final Spark (R) [Removed] reset mechanic Cooldown lowered from 80/65/60 to 80/60/40 AP ratio increased from 75% to 100%

My thoughts:

Light Binding: I don't think this will have much of an impact on laning phase, it's not a spammed spell, and will make players a little more cautious. This is mostly going to be offset by Manaflow band or possibly Biscut deliveries early game oppression via their mana mechanics, particularly as support. 3s CD change isn't enough to open some new window the enemy will try to press. it may have a small impact on poorly judged fights.

On a side note, I think this change will impact people MUCH differently (however small it is) at different MMRs based on what runes they decide to run. Overall I'm pretty "meh, whatever" about it. Late game I think the 1s may make a legitimate difference for any team that can sustain teamfights.

Prismatic Barrier Removed double effect is a huge nerf at any MMR. Shield amount increase doesn't even close to compensating for it, despite it bringing more upfront power. TBH I feel like a lot of Lux's power is actually in Athenes, which means it won't neccisarily hit allies quite as hard as herself/own survivability which is the goal. A huge nerf but I'm okay with it depending on how it works out. Actually starting to think the item, in general, is a problem though.

Final Spark This one confuses me a lot to be honest. I don't see it impacting top play, but having a HUGE impact at lower level play, or smurfs that buy steel legion lux (there's a lot!)

Ultimate hunter: +25% CDR Cosmic insight +45% CDR - Not sure if the math is flat but that'd be 70% on a 40 second CD? 12-second cooldown (down from 18) on her ult?

Traditionally Lux has been the high utility because low AP scaling support for skillless heathens. However, when interacting with the current runes, at least in low Elo play, this looks a bit insane. 25% extra AP scaling that late game, let's just call it an extra 150 damage at 600 AP AND removing the skill mechanic? What's to stop players from spamming it to harass enemies at super long range, enemy nearing baron pit? Heck, toss some damage on them beforehand and have it back before the baron is cooked. Waves don't even spawn this fast.

Overall thoughts:

  • I feel like the shield was maybe hit a little too hard, and Athenes is actually to blame for it.
  • I feel like the changes to the ult aren't in a good direction. Something like reduced reset mechanic to once every 60 seconds, and leave CDR the same would make a lot more sense to me. I'm okay with the AP ratio change simply because W was hit so hard.
  • I feel like the hit to her W may actually be enough to remove her from high level play.
  • I don't think low-level play will go near the defensive tree with the ult change as they'll opt for a combination of Domination+ Inspiration/Sorcery for the mana/deceptively low CDR benefit or mid/late game power.
  • I don't think high-level play will play her due to how hard her W was it.

Though, perhaps I'm out of touch.

Anyway, I've played her on rare occasions, will likely pick her up a bit more post patch to play with her ult though. It almost feels like a spammy toy with that CDR. Perhaps I've assessed this all wrong, and am curious what others think.

6 Comments

chipndip17/8/2019, 5:53:31 PM2 votes

This champ was useless, got discovered, and will be useless again.

She scales like shit in this game. She's better off as a support, but they gut the living shit out of her. Now she's useless again.

Like, it's so bad they reverted ALL the buffs they gave from the FIRST time they gutted her back in the Lux/Anivia stall meta in season 5 or so.

Crispy0Snake7/8/2019, 5:27:24 AM1 votes

Riot are showing they don't know how to balance the game again?

The way you balance her W is that you lower the base amount and raise the AP scaling, and raise the mana cost, like anything you want to nerf in the support role. Riot have now made it so that Lux doesn't have her Prismatic Boomerang, which was unique to Lux and actually an interesting ability, and they made it into something far more dull

Her E: lower base damage, higher scaling, higher mana cost. Ezpz

Another problem is that her Q hitbox is wider than a lot of her skins suggest, and a lot wider than it needs to be. I think her Q hitbox should be thinner, as thin as her Star guardian skin suggests is good for me

That said, I would also like her R base damage to be lower in favour of higher scaling

Then aftershock needs to have lower base numbers and higher scaling on defence stats

They've taken this route for no reason, it sucks a lot honestly, I'd much rather these changes not go through

Ephixus7/8/2019, 6:47:56 AM1 votes

They will bench her to the Trash tier. But oh well we, let's see how they gonna revert those nerf's afterward.

Kirika7/8/2019, 1:18:06 PM1 votes

I dont get how you can disregard the 3s onlevel one Q. "It wont open up a lot of windows." Bullshit. 3s in LoL is like a world. Especially with supports like Pyke,Blitz, Brand, vel koz out there. who can spam their skills on a 6s basis.

koshkyra7/8/2019, 2:33:42 PM1 votes

Ultimate hunter is multiplicative, not additive, so the ultimate is reduced by (in which X = base cooldown)

0.55(0.75X)

If we plug X in as 40 at max rank, we get 0.55(0.75x40) = 16.5. If we plug X in as 50 at max rank (current number), we get 0.55(0.75x50)= 20.6.

So, basically, with cosmic insight and ultimate hunter (i dont think lux would ever leave sorcery but) the ultimate was reduced by just over 4 seconds.