Why does Warwick's spells all deal magic damage when he builds exclusively physical damage items?

Frontline Fury·Jul 20, 2018·2 votes·1,167 views

I understand how it works from a thematic perspective - but how is it even rermotely sensible gameplay-wise? Other champions have had their "magical" spells nerfed from magic to physical damage for gameplay purposes (most notably old Aatrox) yet Warwick's entire kit can deal AD scaling magic damage?

Can Warwick also be forced to build armor pen like other sustain bruisers like him? There are no other champions in the game left with scalings like him - Nidalee was gutted because of her interaction with AD items a couple seasons back, and so was Katarina.

11 Comments

Warlord RhinarkJul 20, 20184 votes

Laughs in Corki

InfernapeJul 20, 20182 votes

Because Warwick's gimmick was always his mixed damage and sustain.

Frontline FuryJul 20, 20181 votes

{quoted}

Because Warwick's gimmick was always his mixed damage and sustain.

It could be limited to his passive, or turned into adaptive damage - because as it is, he is extremely unfair to play against. Not only is his ultimate a "click button to win fight" gimmick but the items you have to build against him are extremely niche.

SelegunJul 20, 20182 votes

Unless you are sitting on his face his Ult is still a skillshot.

eldritchbreadDJul 20, 20181 votes

[{quoted}](name=Frontline Fury,realm=EUW,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=TzFAE6kh,comment-id=00000000,timestamp=2018-07-20T09:52:46.915+0000)

It could be limited to his passive, or turned into adaptive damage - because as it is, he is extremely unfair to play against. Not only is his ultimate a "click button to win fight" gimmick but the items you have to build against him are extremely niche.

actually he isnt unfair unless you let him touch you, he only has two damaging spells and the other two are steriods so you just have to wait out his Q or E before striking him and compared to when he had his old bug that made his damage double he is in a better spot now

FlashesJul 20, 20182 votes

It's so that Warwick doesn't become overbearingly powerful.

Warwick already has a lot of sustain and base damages, and making him not only strong early game, mid game, AND late game would be insane.

By adding AD scalings to him, his Autos deal a lot, his Q does a lot, his Ult does a lot MORE.

Add that to his tankiness, and his already innate attack speed, and you have a true monster.

Shiki RyougiJul 20, 20181 votes

He has AD scalings on his magic damage. That is the core off the complaint.

Sono Un KebabJul 20, 20181 votes

It's the same thing I thought, before it had a sense because "hey a ranged claws-slap and a immediate blink" are not something that have anything to do with being physical but a charge and a bite? Magic damage? Really?

Chembaron YamadaJul 20, 20181 votes

Abilities don't always get seperated in magic and physical damage because of thematics.

Look at the Akali rework. Her new thematic is that she is a pure gadget ninja. All her skills are physical in thematic and she is the only ninja in the game now who doesn't use any magic whatsoever, just martial arts and tools like shuriken, kunai, and smoke bombs.

But a large part of her kit is still magic damage. It makes itemization against her more difficult, she is supposed to be an assassin with above average efficiency against tanks. Her mixed damage helps here, a purely physical assassin like Zed is easier countered by stacking armor. For Akali, you need armor and MR to resist her damage.

This is most likely the reason why Warwick has mixed damage, too. They want his damage to not get countered so hard by resistances. If all his damage is physical, then getting a thornmail would absolutely gut him. No damage from his spells, no healing from his spells thanks to Grievious Wounds, damage even further reduced because of reduced attack speed.

A single items would absolutely destroy Warwicks entire existence probably.

SwiftKitten88Jul 20, 20181 votes

{quoted}

Abilities don't always get seperated in magic and physical damage because of thematics.

Look at the Akali rework. Her new thematic is that she is a pure gadget ninja. All her skills are physical in thematic and she the only ninja in the game now who doesn't use any magic whatsoever, just martial arts and tools like shuriken, kunai, and smoke bombs.

then we have Katarina

LeftyRaydyJul 20, 20181 votes

The reason Warwick has AP/magic damage is simply if he had AD scalings he could be absolutely disgusting since he has great sustain and then would just need a deaths dance and a spirit visage and he would be basically unkillable with his Damage reduction. Warwick was always building on hit items due to his ultimate making use of them.