Since the main Mage thread is all about Vel'Koz, let's talk about Brand here
Because while the community's eye is on our favourite tentacle monster, it would be nice to avoid any champion of those 6 become the next Mordekaiser.
What do you guys think? Here's my feedback:
I'm scared to count how many games with him I've played. It's probably around 1000. I've joined LoL right after he was released (during his first free week) and I knew I'd main him ever since I saw him on the list.
> What aspect is most core or sacred to their identity?
Fire. This is the guy that burns stuff. He doesn't launch nukes, he doesn't fire precise shots. He makes things around him burn, and as long as he got to launch his stuff - allahu akbrand - his job is done. If he doesn't become a suicide bomber, however - the fire grows even larger, and everything burns even more.
Metagame-wise he always was THE % max hp damage champion before everyone and their mother gained % dmg in their kit. He predates Vayne. Brand's damage is imminent to all enemies, and the more fatty health there is to burn, the better.
One of your main errors was calling Cassiopeia "the DoT mage". That was why your Cassio rework failed. The DoT role belongs to Brand.
> What issue bothers you the most when playing them?
I've been playing him for more than 4 years and I always felt like the whole game is rigged against him (despite his consistently high winrate). The only reason why he got popular in the preseason was because all mage items got gimped and everyone else was suddenly just as screwed as he always was.
He was shortly relevant during Season 1 WC. But after that, Season 2 happened, and guess who got released? His worst nightmare, Fizz. And then Ahri. And, outranging him, Vel'Koz. And tons of other mobile midlane assassins who made him very much obsolete.
His power curve and scaling is just off. Once you get Liandrylai, you're a god. But until then, other mages have way better power spikes with Luden's, Lichbane, Zhonya's - or just good kits with mobility, utility and CC, which makes CDR (Morello/Athene) an option. And after Liandrylai's career is done - Brand falls off. Hard. Other mages have better stuff in their kits that makes them relevant in the lategame. Brand in the lategame can't 100-0 people, is helpless against enemy all-in, reacts slowly, and his damage does not scale into the lategame as well as other champions'.
The only reason I'm Diamond is because Brand is a champion that makes your team win for you. They make the plays, they protect your ass, they clean up the kills. You just faceroll your keyboard and deal obscene amounts of AoE. I don't feel like I'm making big plays when playing Brand. I feel like I'm cheating the system by picking the most freelo champ that runs purely on teamwork.
As far as mechanics are concerned, my biggest issue is the cast time of E + Q combo. It's just SO STUPIDLY LONG. Every other mage has a line skillshot with CC as their base spell that gets cast in half the time Brand's combo does. Brand has a stun, okay, but any competent player will easily dodge it as it's clearly telegraphed. "Unreliable" is the word here. This is why Brand has never been picked in LCS. Ever.
The fact that he became obnoxious as a support only shows the true problem. This is the same thing as with Zyra - a high-DPS mage with poor scaling. Both of those champions should either become true midlane mages, or a replacement for ADCs in the botlane, not supports. It's 2016, we can have marksmen EVERYWHERE in competitve play, it's high time to open up the bottom lane to mages. And yes that's calling for Mordekaiser treatment - but in a different way. Don't change the rules for specific champions, change all rules so that groups of champions can work in a duo lane.
Stuff I'd consider for Brand:
- Knockback on Q (or on W, Velkoz style)
- Have E proc like Sejuani's Permafrost instead (just get rid of the current E)
- More fire. Consider zone effects like Shyvana's W. Or more burn damage when enemies stick together.
- Stacking passive from lower amount than it currently is to something even higher
- Do something with the ultimate, it makes him irrelevant in pro play. I wouldn't mind having it replaced with a proper firestorm
- Make him relevant lategame.
You could even consider a death passive like Karthus has. After all, Brand is a spirit possessing Kegan Rodhe's body. That would heavily buff his lategame power while allowing to retain a damage-only kit.
Another "spirit unleashed" option is making his ult a temporary buff to all his base spells, as is with Ryze and Shyvana. That would allow him to get a satisfying window of power.
--
Keep in mind that Brand in his current state - despite having obnoxiously high winrate before the nerf - is considered one of the most balanced champions in the entire game. Playing against him is not hard, just requires focus on that particular character - purchasing early MR, dodging his skillshots which can be done with just boots, trying to lock him down before he casts a single spell.
So consider this approach: either change very little (e.g. ult/E), or make big changes, but have the guts to revert them if it's another Mordekaiser case.
