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My problem with the whole "AP mids vs Assassins" issue is this.

Swerzz·2/24/2016, 5:24:24 PM·225 votes·14,296 views

Not bringing up adding new items in to the game or how we should nerf current items. I understand that assassins should beat AP Mages early on in the game.

But my problem is this.

You ask anyone how to play against an assassin as an AP mid, you'll always get the same cookie cutter answers.

  • Take barrier/exhaust against them instead of ignite.
  • Just rush Hourglass. (This one has lots of issues, but moving on from that)
  • Change your rune page to add more armor for yourself.
  • Just play more passively and farm under tower. (This adds for roaming, which is a problem in its self. But, again, moving on)
  • Play super smart, never make a single mistake and don't fed them (Genius)

But what i hear is this.

  • Just change the way you have to play completely, adjust everything to fit there play style. and just try not to feed them.

But on the reverse, ask how to play against an AP Mage as an assassin.

  • Build Maw i guess. You'll pretty much be fine after that.

That right there is my issue. How one group has to change everything about there play style to attempt to, maybe, live. But the other group has to do next to nothing to be successful.

Agree, Disagree. This is just my two cents on the matter.

303 Comments

junglerboy162/24/2016, 5:53:23 PM90 votes

Actually, Assassins should lose lane to mages, that's why so many mage mains get salty about assassin mids. Mages are naturally good bullies most of the time, whether because they have CC, long range, or some other utility. Assassins always scale harder and snowball more quickly and are supposed to be weak early.

Karma Deified2/24/2016, 5:48:57 PM45 votes

You hear:

  • Take summoner spells based on your match-up
  • Counter-build
  • Take appropriate runes
  • Don't take stupid risks
  • Play Super Smart

And hear

  • Just change the way you have to play completely, adjust everything to fit there play style. and just try not to feed them.

Stop having one size fits all + feeding as your play style then.

Edit - Woah

Just one point for AD Assassins, usually melee?

Melee vs. Ranged alone has a set of rules to follow.

Let's not even go into this, you're extremely biased.

Cryo002/24/2016, 5:29:56 PM17 votes

To be fair, taking exhaust/barrier by itself is a pretty decent way to deal with them. I do agree with the with the lack of items the mages have to deal with assassins early game though.

Slamurai Jack2/24/2016, 7:30:33 PM14 votes

Yeah, no shit. Assassins are supposed to have the advantage 1v1 against mages; that's literally why assassins go mid lane. The champions that are best suited for 1v1 laning have to adjust their play pattern the least? What a weird fucking concept.

Powderkegg2/24/2016, 5:47:05 PM11 votes

I mean you said it in the first paragraph, assassins beat mages in lane. Getting upset at that is how we get ADC's surviving a full rengar combo by building steraks and maw. And with the mage update I'm sure they will address some concerns and itemizations.

Phoenix Kotori 2/24/2016, 5:43:13 PM10 votes

Take barrier/exhaust against them instead of ignite.

Tbh this the real big thing as long as you use them well, the other stuff is just extra safety.

Winged Hussars2/25/2016, 1:19:24 AM10 votes

You see, I'm of the opposite mindset. I think that every enemy champion should change the way you play somewhat. A problem I see is that many mages have an incredibly one-dimensional play style that can't change and they suffer against more in-the-moment versatile assassins as a result.

Think about Malzahar, Annie, Brand... Almost all burst oriented non mobile mages have abilities that have one clear 'best' way to use their abities that result in an inability to play around champions that have means of circumventing that best case scenario. Conversely (especially for Malzahar and Annie, and old Cassiopeia was the #1 perpetrator) many of these mages are known for being very difficult to play against if the champion you chose doesn't have the one kind of tool they need to lessentheir effectiveness.

That's why utility mages like Orianna and Lux are performing so well. They have better kits (imo) that allow them to be useful in multiple situations. The problem doesn't seem to be assassins so much as the more linear kits that don't work well in a meta that favors versatility and mobility more than raw single target bigdamage.

Where I will agree a problem exists is with assassins that are both linear AND are entirely damage focused, like Talon and Katarina (regardless of how strong or weak they might be).

I PREACHER I2/25/2016, 2:21:05 AM9 votes

Assassin's mid and late game team fights are a lot more risky than mage's; if an assassin isnt supposed to put pressure on mages during laning phase who are they supposed to beat in lane? Bruisers and tanks? They don't. Are they supposed to work in bot with a support? they dont. other assassins are always a skill match up; the whole game is rock paper scissors and its ridiculous when people get upset that they chose paper into scissors and lose. Could you imagine if assassins didn't exist and mages had an easy pass into their late game where they shit on the entire enemy teams health bars? Why should a class with massive amounts of utility and AOE damage beat champions specifically made to kill a single target? /rant/