Could this bring Azir back into viability?

Coballz·11/5/2016, 12:50:38 PM·1 votes·658 views

Given Azir's pathetic winrate as of today (42.45%), he needs some changes. His early-to-mid game was nerfed in favor of... well, absolutely nothing, really, and it's about time he changed for the better. Part of his previous dominance was his ability to slow for 40% without cooldown because of his AtkSpd desire, in combination with Rylai's Crystal Scepter (which is pretty broken in and of itself, to be fair), but this meant he had to be cut down because it was just plain oppressive. To remove his synergy with Rylai's, better his synergy with Nashor's, and better curb the damage output of his Sand Soldiers, I suggest these changes:

  • Removing the Sand Soldiers' application of on-spell effects, but adding an on-hit effect modifier to them;
  • Changing the Sand Soldiers' damage from 50-170 (based on level) (+60%AP) to 0-20 (based on rank) (+100%tAD)(+50%AP)
  • Lowering Azir's base AD to 49; lowering Azir's AD/Lv from 2.8 to 2;
  • Removing Conquering Sands' damage; lowering its cooldown to 9-5 from 10-6; still having it apply spell effects to targets hit.

Addressing these changes point by point:

  • Changing the Sand Soldiers' application of spell effects to on-hit effects removes the oppression of the Rylai's build, plain and simple. Allowing it to apply on-hits means Nashor's passive isn't put to waste anymore, as well as opening up other build paths;
  • Changing the Sand Soldiers' damage from a wonky scaling per level to a damage per rank (in addition to the AS he gets from ranking Arise!) plus a 100% total AD ratio means Azir's the one that can be balanced so as to better control the Sand Soldiers' damage output, whereas lowering the AP ratio by 10% is pure compensation for the no-longer-wasted Nashor's Tooth passive;
  • Removing the damage from Conquering Sands (but retaining the slow so as to be able to apply spell effects) means Lich Bane isn't as oppressive a buy now (given the new application of on-hit effects), and lowering the cooldown means Azir is compensated in adaptability around the battlefield for the loss of Rylai's permaslow.

Additionally, it opens up alternative build paths for Azir. Should he still want to stick with slowing people with his Soldiers' attacks, he could opt for a Frozen Mallet; his new tAD ratio means he could actually pick up a Hextech Gunblade for added teamfighting sustain against long-range siege champions like Xerath and Ziggs; and best of all, he can actually pick up Fervor of Battle again since it's now a bonus AD gift instead of an on-hit (which he would be able to put to use in this scenario, anyway).

Thoughts?

9 Comments

GULAG 4 U11/5/2016, 2:43:43 PM1 votes

Cool changes, solid concepts, but...

No one wants to see the bird again. We don't need a lanebully that hyperscales.