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PSA about Aatrox

SpecterVonBaren··26 votes·2,709 views

Any time Aatrox is brought up there's always some people that like to chime in and say that his numbers were busted on release or that he's been nerfed into the ground, saying all these things without knowing what they're talking about.

Why?

Here is every single change Riot has ever made to Aatrox.

V5.11 Blood Well Cooldown reduced to 225 / 200 / 175 / 150 seconds from 225 seconds at all levels.

V5.6 Massacre Now grants 20% of maximum Blood Well for each enemy hit.

V4.6 Blood Thirst/Blood Price Bug Fix: Fixed a bug where the stance effect would sometimes trigger every 2 attacks instead of 3.

V4.5 Base armor increased to 18 from 14.

V4.20 Blood Well The amount of Blood Well changed to 105-870 (not linear) from 70-840 (linear).

V3.13 Blood Well Passive attack speed changed to 30 - 55 (based on level) % from 50% flat. Blades of Torment Base damage reduced to 75 / 110 / 145 / 180 / 215 from 75 / 120 / 165 / 210 / 255.

Aside from patch 3.13, he has only ever received buffs throughout his entire existence. I still don't know how the hell he was ever considered OP.

Given all the op champs I've seen released while I've played League, and how not a single one of them has required only one set of nerfs to change them from broken to trash tier, I don't see how he was broken.

So if you want to discuss the poor state Aatrox is in and/or why he's currently in it, do so with proper knowledge.

74 Comments

Slimegoon39 votes

Aatrox was busted because of the items and meta when he was released. He came at the start of a time period where basically every champion had some kind of gap closer/escape, so his Q was a lot more devastating than it is now. Leach was itemized very well for him and damage wasn't high enough to simply explode him. Some tank-type items were just OP on him; old Warmog's + Atma's Impaler was fairly common and an insanely powerful combo on him. If you're team didn't have a stun or hard CC and some range, he could 1v3 easily after getting a slight lead.

Basically, he didn't get worse, just everything around him got better/was changed/removed. He's the perfect example of a champion left behind.

Weasel Kensei5 votes

{quoted}

He came at the start of a time period where basically every champion had some kind of gap closer/escape, so his Q was a lot more devastating than it is now.

Wut? His opposition having a gapcloser/escape made his Q worse? May want to revise that, proof reading is overpowered.

Velzard of Koz7 votes

Lol, I read that three times and was wondering whether he wrote it incorrectly or I am missing something,

Sraeg20131 votes

his Q was a lot more devastating than it is now

It means:

his Q was a lot more powerful than it is now

I have no idea what's your problem here. Except for having a limited vocabulary.

Weasel Kensei1 votes

Yes, he says those things.... he says them in reference to the opposition having gap closers/escapes... THEN.

First sentence:

Aatrox was busted because of the items and meta when he was released.

Second sentence part 1 (before coma):

He came at the start of a time period where basically every champion had some kind of gap closer/escape,

Second sentence part 2 (after coma):

so his Q was a lot more devastating than it is now.

So he said that he was released busted, at a time period when every champ HAD some kind of mobility... and his Q WAS more powerful than it is now. I agree his Q is less powerful... because we have many champoions with gap closers/escapes. We have more mobility NOW than WHEN AATROX WAS RELEASED. They are talking about when HE WAS RELEASED, stating that he was more powerful against "basically every champion had some kind of gap closer/escape."

Why isnt it more powerful now? Cause of mobility, that hing he erroneously said champs had when Aatrox was released. Its a clear mistake.

I have no idea what your problem is here. Except for having a limited reading comprehension.

Sraeg20131 votes

Because he could follow up on people with mobility. When he got to face, say, Darius he was getting demolished.

Of course now he also gets rekt by mobility, because he lacks strength to actually put up a fight should he catch somebody.

Slimegoon2 votes

It's not proof reading. Aatrox dominated immobile champions with his Q. It let him dash to you plus knock you up. As more champions were released with mobility skills, his Q became harder to land and thus got weaker.

FantasySniper9 votes

{quoted}

He came at the start of a time period where basically every champion when few champions had some kind of gap closer/escape, so his Q was a lot more devastating than it is now.

ftfy

ßurst2 votes

I'm pretty sure he came out during a split push meta where champs like trynd were also strong, but he could duel all of them and keep pushing thats why he was strong. The meta faded quickly and so did he

Arya Riven10 votes

Aatrox is from the era of drain tanking. Everyone dislikes blowing their kit only for somebody to heal all the damage back. It is not fun to play against. Same reason Riot is keeping down many other regen and drain tanks.

That said lifesteal/gunblade lets nearly everyone drain tank these days. They should probably look into that.

Guanxi4 votes

They're making changes to it next patch.

Gosh Darn1 votes

Source?

Hyperiön1 votes

Its on sur@20. They are just nerfing the damage it deals, not the healing.

DarkinPrime6 votes

Yeah but new warwick is okay? I see Darius and trynd heal like crazy, even better than aatrox with their crit and lifesteal items. ADCS refill their health completely in a few shots.

Aatrox lifesteal is contingent on him continuing to auto attack. Its not some bs regen when out of combat or an ability that can be used even if your attack speed is slowed down like other champions who can give themselves burst of health. AND that bonus attack speed can only be had by dealing damage to yourself while sustaining combat.

Arya Riven2 votes

Again. Aatrox came around in a different era.

DarkinPrime1 votes

I mean what is your point? If its so toxic, why is he so weak?

Drain tank is not okay, but tanky champions who regain life at crazy speeds is okay?

CC tanks where you get stunned 2 times and have to fight through 4 shields is fun to play against?

Annoying Shaco junglers, old Tank Ekko.....man the amount of annoying unfun things that Riot has put on his is astounding..but Aatrox...OH NO we can't make him viable!

Arya Riven1 votes

In said era, champions, items, runes, masteries and meta were different. He would be fine now but wasn't then.

GayFluffyUnicorn4 votes

The worst part is that tryndamere is allowed to stay viable when his sole existence is cancer in the game. From cancer laning phase to endless nearly unstoppable splitpush in soloQ below diamond. RNG laning phase like idk. But aatrox needs to stay gutted. I'd rather fight 10 aatrox than one tryndamere.

SlayerOfLegions1 votes

cause adc can't do that like twitch jinx get real nobody likes to see anybody get all their health back. His life steal should be that equal to a vlad or a mundo. His W is a joke if you toggle it on more then likely 90% of the time your gonna die. he is at an unfair advantage because he basically has 3 abilities all these other champions can heal just as fast without consequence. Tryndamere Trundle Warwick XinZhao . now that's sad

The Deckowner6 votes

It's sad to see Warwrick heals a ton more than Aatrox when aatrox was supposed to be the definition of drain tank.

Neamean9 votes

But Warwick is the OG Drain Tank

The Scout Girl3 votes

i honestly don't know why " aatrox must be kept weak " considering I walked all over him .

Quepha3 votes

Aatrox's play pattern is to dive a target and auto attack them to death while regenerating so much health that their damage doesn't matter.

It's completely unhealthy when it works coming out of the starting gate, which is why none of those buffs compares to the nerf to early game attack speed that would let him win a duel in the early game and snowball the lane.

SpecterVonBaren2 votes

No. I'm perfectly aware that his kit is unhealthy, but his current state isn't because Riot gutted him, he's always been balanced to be weak because of his kit mechanics.

Quepha2 votes

{quoted}

No. I'm perfectly aware that his kit is unhealthy, but his current state isn't because Riot gutted him, he's always been balanced to be weak because of his kit mechanics.

Your post shows that the first big change to Aatrox was a significant nerf and everyone is telling you that before that nerf he was really strong. You admit that afterwards Riot did not give him any significant buffs that would have made him strong.

I don't see what point you're trying to make.

GayFluffyUnicorn2 votes

Compare aatrox nerfs to GP nerfs. Passive: cd up, burn dmg from 1,5-2,5 sec, ratio lowered to 1,0 from 1,2 Q: Gold generate reduced, mana refund reduced, then removed, dmg lowered. W: heal lowered, mana cost up, cd up E: dmg down, CD up, 3 instead of 5 barrels/cd down, dmg lowered, arpen to 50% from 60 now 40 R: cooldown up, dmg down

Base health reduced from 730 to 540. Base armor reduced.

Quepha3 votes

{quoted}

Compare aatrox nerfs to GP nerfs.

Why? Aren't we talking about Aatrox?

SH Azykan2 votes

huh I guess I play aatrox wrong then, I poke with E until they are at about half health, then Q+R+Actives to kill them item 3285 item 3089 item 3152 / item 3146 item 3135 item 3020

Asayake 5150glow2 votes

[{quoted}](name=7th Syn,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=P2xHiujX,comment-id=00070001,timestamp=2017-01-28T19:40:14.748+0000)

huh I guess I play aatrox wrong then, I poke with E until they are at about half health, then Q+R+Actives to kill them item 3285 item 3089 item 3152 item 3146 item 3135 item 3020

item 3152 +item 3146 = facepalm

DJMason881 votes

Well you don't get gunblade for the active

Asayake 5150glow1 votes

{quoted}

Well you don't get gunblade for the active

Meh, better items out there.

Like a item 3100

SH Azykan1 votes

I mean you do...just also for the sustain lol

SH Azykan1 votes

eh I forgot the slash between them, thats supposed to be one or the other

LeonLye1 votes

Best way to play it since his only source of poke scales off AP. His ult, his only burst, also scales off AP. His Q, which scales off AD, is too easy to dodge.

Building less AD also means more autoattacks, which means more lifesteal.

ChaddyFantome2 votes

I'm just talking from experience. All i remember on Aatrox release was Aatrox's being unkillable with 3 shotting everyone and while lifetstealing for 1/4th their HP every other auto.

Then he was nerf'd and it never happened again.

Maybe it was a combination of the itemization and not just Aatrox (lifetseal used to he pretty busted around that time and i do remember it being nerfed severely) but this shit isn't being made up or anything.

SH Azykan5 votes

they removed a lot of his E damage as well at that time, 40 base damage is no joke when its the ability you max first

DarkinPrime2 votes

I think hes almost in a fine state. He has some hard match up, but can win many matches up as well. He lacks a defensive ability like other top laners--Rivens shield, Panth free blocks, Nasus ult that gives resistances and health, Olaf passive resistances from his ult etc etc. His base stats are a little unfair. He should start with a little more health and armor and 350 movement speed

The Lexer2 votes

Does it bother anybody else that Aatrox has gotten 6 changes in the last 3+ years?

SpecterVonBaren1 votes

It's really more 5 changes. The armor buff was a general pass on all champs because they nerfed armor seals.

Slave Knight2 votes

I'm glad you brought this to light. The irony of people saying that Riot has purposely kept him down all these years was because he was broken on release is that he was never broken. He was just better than the other champions at the time and in time when they all got buffed through various means i.e direct buffs, item changes, mastery changes, etc. he was left behind because they or more or less forgot about him or just didn't know what direction to take with him. He's been a 'joke' character for a while now but there are actually people who still think he's broken. What Rubbish.

Tails90161 votes

Now the real problem, Sion . 2 combos plus his ult and you're dead. I don't play ranked though, so if he's balanced there then never mind.

RivetAce2 votes

Luckily everyone will forget about him with the potential Chogath changes. But yeah, Sion has absolutely insane base damage, works so well with thunderlord's and precision. Tilterella is a good example of a high elo Sion player who abuses Sion's damage rather than his tankiness.

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