[Discussion] Are Offensive Masteries too Strong? Or Defensive Masteries too Weak? Extremely Lengthy.

It seems like these last two seasons of masteries(since they used the same Mastery Format in the last 2 seasons), has been completely stale to the game, but what seems to irk my curiosity is that Defensive masteries currently feel like a joke.

There are flat-damage mitigations here and there in the but only one-damage modifying-mitigation throughout the entire tree, while in the Offensive Mastery Tree we have 5 Damage Modifiers.

So first things first, what the hell am I talking about?

What's the difference between a flat-damage whats-it-who-sit, between a modified-mitigation, and what's a Damage Modifier?

In my analysis, I use the term "Mitigation" as a mechanic that reduces the impact of an attack or skill by a flat value, be-it through a flat-value like "Block/Unyielding(T1/T2 Defensive Masteries)", or through defensive stats given through masteries(Hardiness / Resistance, T3 Defensive Masteries), but NOT as a value that gets put through the damage reduction equation below.

( 1 - [100 / Armor+100] ) * 100% = Physical Damage Reduction BEFORE ArPen.

So what's a Modified Mitigation?

Direct your attention to T6 of the Defensive Tree, Oppression.

Enemies Impaired by (Slows, stuns, snares, taunts etc) --Essentially, any form of CC, that's not a silence--

Deal 2% reduced damage to you.

This is an incredibly powerful tool. Basically, buying a Frozen Heart, all enemy champions within range of the aura deals 2% reduced damage to it's wielder.

But the issue is, This is the only trait that reduces damage outright, in the game.

Finally, what's a damage modifier?

A damage modifier, increases your total damage over-all. This is something that has FAR less trade off than in the defensive tree. Pay attention this is my whole point of this discussion

Let's direct our attention to the Offensive Tree to start things off.

T1, Double-Edged Sword, 1/1 point(s). A 2% damage modifier, for basically nothing. As an ADC you are eternally accepted to be squishy and this is an acceptable trade of fortune. You take a tiny-bit more damage in tandem to the fact you have no defenses to begin with, and do more damage in exchange. Many tanks currently take this trait because they're resigned to the fact they're completely indomitable, and taking 1% damage while doing 2% more is not going to be a problem when they have 300 armor and 150 MR.

T2. Expose Weakness, 1/1 point(s). A 1% damage modifier for your allies only, as long as you have used an ability to "tag" an enemy champion. Not typically taken on champions unless they have large AOE radiuses, or CC to hinder enemy champion control(Orianna, Malphite, Maokai, etc etc).

T3. Spellweaving 1/1 point(s). Attacking an enemy champion 3 times with an auto attack increases ABILITY damage by 3%. Not SPELL damage, ABILITY damage. As long as the ability is not an on-hit attack or modifier(Poppy Q, Nasus Q, Nidalee Cat Q, Ezreal Q, GP Q, Fiora Q, Irelia Q), this will raise ABILITY damage by 3%.

T3. Executioner 3/3 points. Self-explanatory, 5% damage modifier for 3 points, as long as they fall below a threshold of HP.

T4. Bladeweaving 1/1 point(s). A 3% AUTO ATTACK damage modifier whenever you trigger 3 instances of ABILITY damage. Incredibly strong on champions who weave spells into their auto attacks, such as Corki, Kog'maw or Ezreal

T5. **Devastating Strikes 3/3 points ** - A Pseudo-damage modifier. 6%, this being percentile Dual-Penetration means more damage.

T6. Havoc 1/1 point(s) - 1 point, 3% damage for free. What's not to like?

So where are we with all these modifiers? 1.5% + 1% + 3% + 5% + 3% = 13.5% Damage Bonus, on a target below 50% HP, 8.5% on a target above 50%. This is a MASSIVE damage modification. AT ALL STAGES OF THE GAME. +6% Dual Penetration.

Now let's look at the defensive tree.

T1. Block 2/2 points - Reduces enemy champion AA damage by 1 or 2. Not much, adds up overtime, but really. Not much.

T2. Unyielding 1/1 point(s) - Reduces enemy damage by 2 if melee, 1 if ranged. This is essentially nothing up front, and not much over time. If you were hit by a 500 times over 30 minutes, which is incredibly generous. As melee you'd have reduced 2,000 damage, which sounds like a lot but assuming he's 18. 70AD(His average base AD with no items from 1-18) you'd have taken 35,000 DAMAGE, FROM HIS BASE DAMAGE WITH NO ITEMS. ALONE. This is less than 5.7% of the damage blocked WITHOUT LUCIAN'S ITEMS, OR HIS 8.5% / 13.5% MODIFIERS. A truly, truly, truly, worthless mastery.

T3. Hardiness/Resistance 3/3; 3/3 - The second set of flat damage mitigation you'll find in the defensive trees. 2/5 armor? or 2/5 MR? You have to pick between one or the other, or lose out on traits actually worth getting later on. Don't even think about putting 2 points in either of these because fraction stats round DOWN. Meaning in addition to wasting trait points on these traits, putting only 2 points in either of these traits poses a negative benefit, which i thought was an impossibility in this situation. Apparently I was wrong.

-- BUT WAIT!-- I already put 1-point in Tenacious, and 1-point in Juggernaut! That means I only have two points left, what do I do!? http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/masteries Let's put 2 points in armor and see where it takes me.

T4. Adaptive Armor - A statistical nightmare and impossibility to gain a fairly decent amount of defensive stats from this trait. Complete and total noob trap, don't even think of investing in it. Situation #1 - VS a team that's full AD? MR doesn't help me, trait is now useless. Situation #2 - VS a team mostly AD but fed AP? Well let me build up to 250-280 Armor(Which is not hard at all) to combat a majority of their team and hope I can hulk out enough welfare stats to combat just so slightly against the fed AP. Let's assume you have 82 Armor Base(the average armor of all 126 champs excluding, Gnar and Thresh because awkward numbers, while at level 18). So essentially, you've bought 198 armor through items runes and masteries. This means from this trait you get 7 MR. Situation #3 - Vs a team that's full AP? Armor doesn't help me, useless again Situation #4 - Vs a team mostly AP but fed AD? Same crap different toilet.

T4. Reinforced Armor 1/1 point(s) - Decent trait, problem is it's exclusively against critical strikes. So unless it's Yasuo or a crit-happy AD, it won't mean much. Don't even mention Fiora because she cuts through tanks currently, this wouldn't save you. I'm not sure though if it works similar to Randuin's current variation of reducing all 'critical' strike attack modifiers such as Solo-Karthus Q, or Nidalee execute Q, or gangplank Barrels. Would be a great must-have trait all around if that were the case for tanks.

T4. Evasive 1/1point(s) - Another Decent Trait, however extremely specific. AP, Ability Damage only. NO PHYSICAL WHATSOEVER. Would be incredibly good if it were all forms of AOE damage. Otherwise very specific usage.

T5. Enchanted Armor 4/4 points - GREAT TRAIT! If you can get all 4 points. 2 Points if fairly worthless, and 3 is a fractional value so it would most likely round down. There is where the big problem comes in with this trait being FOUR POINTS.

T5. ** Oppression 1/1 point(s) ** - Absolutely god tier trait that's a must have on any champion that builds a Frozen Heart, grants a complete damage mitigation that cannot be dropped for it's bearer. It's in competition with Enchanted, but this is far more desirable.

T6. Legendary Guardian 1/1 point(s) - Wukong passive in a trait. Exceedingly strong and free stats at all skirmishes in the game. No real complaints, but would have liked an additional damage modifying-mitigation to ice the cake, because this trait is fairly disappointing vs the offensive tree. Armor / MR can be reduced. Damage modifiers, can only be dropped by other modifiers, meaning 15 armor & MR is nothing compared to a LW bearing ADC or Void-staff wielding mage.

So I reiterate. Are Defensive masteries too weak? Or are Offensive masteries to strong? Please be civil, if you can. This is mostly to strike up discussion about the state of runes and masteries since we've been playing with the same tools for 2 years with different players.