Am I the only one satisfied with Kai'Sa?

Probs feeding·Feb 26, 2018·2 votes·858 views

I've seen a lot of people complaining about her design. Anywhere from Art, to gameplay, to personality. Name it, and someone has made a post extensively explaining why they don't like it.

Personally, I've been playing her on the PBE (as much as I can) and finding any and all information on her that I can. And I've gotta say, I think I'm really starting to get attached. I love her playstyle, design, color scheme, origins. Everything really. I long await till I know more about her and this symbiotic connection to a void creature.

Anyway, I'm just curious if I'm the only one who loves Kai'Sa, and I guess I'll answer anyone's questions if they have any. (I.E. why do you like her gameplay?)

9 Comments

Teridax68Feb 26, 20182 votes

I certainly don't think you're the only one who likes her, and generally, it's practically impossible for any one thing to receive universal liking or dislike. I'm personally not enthused with her, and I do feel there are valid reasons behind this, but at the same time that does not in any way mean we need to be in opposition: my dislike of Kai'Sa does not invalidate your liking of her, and vice-versa. If Kai'Sa manages to accrue a significant enough playerbase, and doesn't frustrate her opponents too much, then all the better.

I'm curious, though: what specifically makes you enjoy her gameplay? Personally, I like her stat-based evolutions, as well as the fact that she has no CC whatsoever (we could use more champions like that), but I dislike the fact that most of her effects feel like they've been done to death already in existing kits, e.g. a long-ranged skillshot, an X-hit damage passive, a long-ranged dash ult, and so on. While this isn't a gameplay issue, my other gripe with her has been that I think her voice acting is fairly flat, and that her personality doesn't feel like it reflects her traumatic experience in the Void. As a lore junkie, I was also very disappointed at how Kai'Sa, who has lived in the Void longer than any other human, revealed so little about it or its creatures in her quotes, missing some Voidspawn champions entirely.

Probs feedingFeb 26, 20182 votes

Kai'Sa will be the 140th character to the game, so as for ability diversity I can get over that her abilities have been done before. But minor details are different, which is what I like.

X-hit passive is five, which is rarely seen, if ever.

Long range skill shot has been done before, but most of the time it's an opener or a poke. Kai'Sa's W can be used for a multitude of purposes, to execute passive marks, to set up R, to poke, to scout, extra burst, whatever. If we look at the most recent long range skill-shot, we look at Zoe's E(her sleep). It is almost exclusively used as an opener. (obviously not it's only use, but for sure it's main use)

The long range dash is a bit of a stretch (See what I did there? :^) ). The most recent dash ult is Rek'Sai's, but it's a little different on usages. Kai'Sa can position herself anywhere around her target. This is the first (other than Katarina's E) mobility that allows you to select where you are after a targeted dash, and to a much higher caliber than Katarina's.

As for her voice, I agreed with you at first. But then I thought, why does every character need an overarching voice personality? Why can't calm and collected be a voice personality. Yes, she was in the lore for some time but I think this plays a part in why she's so chill now. Nothing can phase her.

As for void lore, yes I wish she played a big a part in void lore as Swain rework did for Noxus, and Zoe release did for Targon, but what can you do?

To answer your original question, my taste in character is definitely Assassins and Marksman. So right off the bat, you could see why someone like me would find a perfect hybrid between the two and attractive choice. I like purple with dark tones, so the in game ability VFX is extremely aesthetically pleasing to me. Her E and R make her very mobile and flashy once she evolves it[E]. As much as I wish the Q functioned differently, it really does feel good on isolated targets so I can live with it. And finally, the passive. Her abilities adapt to what she buys? Like, that is so awesome in my book. I love the idea of being able to be rewarding for trying out random, new, and potentially trolly builds. It makes me so happy!

That concludes my wall of a reply. Let me know what you think! :)

Teridax68Feb 26, 20181 votes

{quoted}

X-hit passive is five, which is rarely seen, if ever.

The precise number of hits required is rare, but the very nature of an X-hit passive is itself not new at all, particularly when this one doesn't exactly mesh with the rest of her kit. Marking enemies for Kai'Sa to take down could be fine, but as it stands it's an effect that's generally better on champions who chain autoattacks smoothly in-between spell casts, whereas Kai'Sa has one ability that doesn't synergize with it at all (Q), plus another ability that only works because it's made to apply some arbitrary number of marks. As such, it's not really the smoothest or most original way to give AP Kai'Sa some persistent damage.

{quoted}

Long range skill shot has been done before, but most of the time it's an opener or a poke. Kai'Sa's W can be used for a multitude of purposes, to execute passive marks, to set up R, to poke, to scout, extra burst, whatever. If we look at the most recent long range skill-shot, we look at Zoe's E(her sleep). It is almost exclusively used as an opener. (obviously not it's only use, but for sure it's main use)

Zoe's E arguably has many different uses too, since it provides bonus damage to allies, can be used to deny areas, and can also be used to keep certain enemies at bay. Similarly, Jhin's W also offers poke, support for allies, additional damage mid-combat, kiting/chasing, and so on, so she's not even the first marksman with an artillery-ranged basic ability. My issue with the W in particular is that, like the rest of her abilities, it has no real relation or synergy to her other effects, besides some very obvious (and fairly forced) synergy with her ult.

{quoted}

The long range dash is a bit of a stretch (See what I did there? :^) ). The most recent dash ult is Rek'Sai's, but it's a little different on usages. Kai'Sa can position herself anywhere around her target. This is the first (other than Katarina's E) mobility that allows you to select where you are after a targeted dash, and to a much higher caliber than Katarina's.

Just to pick a few more recent or updated champions with long-ranged mobility ults, we have Kled, Taliyah, Tahm Kench, Rek'Sai, but also the new Ryze and the new Galio. They have slightly different variations, e.g. one can pick up an ally, another spawns a wall, another has a knockup, etc., but the end result is we've had a ton of champions whose ultimate basically boils down to letting them get very quickly across the map and hopefully join a fight. It's an idea that's been done to death already, and while I agree the ability to select where you can dash around your target, I don't think it's really so novel as to merit yet another semi-global mobility ult just for it.

{quoted}

As for her voice, I agreed with you at first. But then I thought, why does every character need an overarching voice personality? Why can't calm and collected be a voice personality. Yes, she was in the lore for some time but I think this plays a part in why she's so chill now. Nothing can phase her.

There is plenty of room for calm personalities. Karma, Lee Sin, Master Yi are all champions who emphasize balance and serenity, for example. What we don't have, however, is a champion with PTSD, which is what everyone had been expecting from Kassadin's daughter since before Kai'Sa was even announced. This could've been a fresh, interesting and unique direction to take her, and could've helped give insight on what it is to live inside the Void, but the end result was a much more monotone VO, with many elements of the bubbly/friendly/socially awkward personality we've seen so many times already on female champions, e.g. Taliyah, Zoe, Nami, etc. If the strongest argument in favor of a champion having a certain personality is "why not?", I don't think there's really a strong argument to be had to that specific personality, particularly when there were much more appropriate suggestions.

{quoted}

As for void lore, yes I wish she played a big a part in void lore as Swain rework did for Noxus, and Zoe release did for Targon, but what can you do?

I mean, her actual lore has yet to be released, but I do think it is nonetheless worth criticizing Riot for missing a huge opportunity, so that they may rectify this in the future. We've seen champions receive additions to their voiceovers in the past, and even complete voice redos, so I think this might be a case where it would help to at least give Kai'Sa a few more relevant quotes, particularly when she already has a good half-hour of mostly quote fluff.

{quoted}

To answer your original question, my taste in character is definitely Assassins and Marksman. So right off the bat, you could see why someone like me would find a perfect hybrid between the two and attractive choice. I like purple with dark tones, so the in game ability VFX is extremely aesthetically pleasing to me. Her E and R make her very mobile and flashy once she evolves it[E]. As much as I wish the Q functioned differently, it really does feel good on isolated targets so I can live with it. And finally, the passive. Her abilities adapt to what she buys? Like, that is so awesome in my book. I love the idea of being able to be rewarding for trying out random, new, and potentially trolly builds. It makes me so happy!

This is the part I can most relate to. I personally love the idea of a very mobile champion who constantly skirts on the edge of danger, and I also very much like the Void's thematics and color palette, which is why I would like to see it receive further development. I actually personally like the Q, if only because it has an interesting targeting paradigm that could potentially allow for good team counterplay. I had made a thread a few months back where I discussed having certain effects gated behind the purchase of stats, so it makes me very happy to see that implemented on Kai'Sa, and I very much look forward to testing how it affects her build diversity.

ggigotfedFeb 26, 20181 votes

No, because nobody is. not even you. It's a brand new champ. Riot won't test it enough to find the middle ground between it. She'll either be super overpowered pick or ban, or on release get reported for intentionally feeding.

They want her to be an adc when she'll be taken top with tank items and used like urgot since one of her abilities is like his but slightly better, since your minions cant block it. Riot will fuck it up for the first few patches I have absolutely no doubt or faith in them to balance her anytime soon.

NuparuFeb 26, 20181 votes

Absolutely zero way they play her with tank items considering her passive requires AD, AP or AS to turn on, and Cleaver isn't close to enough for that.

She may end up with a Riven build at worst (Cleaver/Death's Dance/Guardian Angel type build) or a Graves build (Death's Dance/Phantom Dancer) but no way she ends up as a tanky bruiser.

ggigotfedFeb 26, 20181 votes

No they'll fuck it up. Every single champ they've released is either op as fuck or terrible. The tank items give enough ad for her passive she'll just run a cleaver steraks trinity force then build all tank. It'll hit the attackspeed from trinity, ad from the cleaver alone and then probably just buy a rageblade because her lock on abilitiy will probably proc it.

Xion The XIVFeb 26, 20181 votes

The problem I hate is how everyone makes a Video of Her and SPAMS OP OP OP. Yet people forget this is PBE. Everyone from NA has close to Australian Ping randomly. None know how to really fight against her so of course within the first week you will see videos of her getting fed. I love her Design, but i'm 100% will not play her as an ADC more of a Jg/top champ to me, because of her 500 range auto's will hurt her too much against others.

PhantomPranksterFeb 26, 20181 votes

i honestly don't give a shit about her LOL

she looks like such an amazing character and is just mad wack in game.

AltiverseFeb 26, 20181 votes

Satisfied? Yes, I'm satisfied. I welcome every new champion; why not. It's just that the recently released champions were so damn good, both gameplay and character-wise, that Riot just set some really high standards.