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@Riot Meddler, my Aatrox rework

OuterRaven·1/21/2015, 12:07:54 AM·22 votes·5,974 views
Reign of Gaming

Hello everyone, my name is OuterRaven. I don't post here often, but I'm a frequent poster in Reign of Gaming. Anyway, let's get to the point.

I remember reading some time back that according to Riot Meddler, Aatrox was in a good spot and wasn't in need of any changes at the moment. This concerns me quite a bit, considering that while he may seem good on paper, his base stats are quite low for a melee champion which sets him back quite a bit compared to other champions. The base damage on his abilities are quite low as well.

Of course, with his current kit he cannot be buffed, it simply has too much (mobility, CC, free sustain, damage, wave clear, poke, 2 steroids, revive passive). Which is why I tried to do my own rework, with the aim of removing what's toxic (free sustain) and what's out of place (poke, ranged wave clear) while trying to give him an identity that fits his lore: a teamfight-centric bruiser (think of J4).

I got good feedback on RoG and some people insisted that I posted it here where Riot could potentially see. I don't want this to get too big so I'm just gonna paste the essential here and if you're curious for the explanations of why I changed what, you can follow the RoG link and check it out yourself. As always feedback is appreciated (NUMBERS ARE PLACEHOLDER AND EASILY CHANGED):

Base stats: Increased to match standard bruiser levels.

Passive: Bloodwell - no changes.

Q: Dark Flight - Slight increase on the circle and epicenter size.

Base damage increased to 90/135/190/225/270 from 70/115/160/205/250.

Cooldown reduced at all ranks by 2 (14/13/12/11/10 from 16/15/14/13/12).

W: Blood Thirst/Blood Price - complete rework

Passive: Blood Price: Aatrox's blood powers his basic attacks, dealing 10/15/20/25/30 (+0.1 Bonus AD) bonus physical damage. Additionally, basic attacks and spells now apply a stack of Cursed Blood for 4 seconds (refreshed every time a new stack is applied to the same target. Maximum 3/4/5/6/7 stacks per target). Every 3rd basic attack, the bonus physical damage is doubled and Aatrox loses 15 / 23.75 / 32.5 / 41.25 / 50 (+0.2 Bonus AD) health.

Active: Blood Thirst: Aatrox calls all of his own blood in the nearby vicinity back to him, consuming all nearby Cursed Blood stacks, dealing 60/90/120/150/180 (+0.2 AP) (+15% bonus damage per stack) magic damage to all affected targets and slowing them by 20% (+10% per stack) for 1.25/1.5/1.75/2/2.25 seconds. Additionally, Aatrox heals for 10/20/30/40/50 (+15% bonus health per stack) (+1% per Aatrox's missing health) health per target. Healing from minions is reduced by 50%.

Cooldown: 14/13/12/11/10

E: Blades of Torment - Removed

New: Impalement: Aatrox's next basic attack pierces through the enemy, dealing 20/40/60/80/100% of his total AD in bonus physical damage to the target enemy and all enemies behind it in a line. Additionally it shreds their armor by 5%/10%/15%/20%/25% for 3 seconds.

Cost: 5% of current health.

Cooldown: 10/9/8/7/6.

Range: 500

R: Massacre - Partial rework

Aatrox draws in the blood of his foes, dealing 100/200/300 magic damage to all nearby enemies and pulling them closer to him. Additionally, Aatrox gains 175 attack range and his basic attacks deal 50% damage to all surrounding enemies except for the main target, for 12 seconds.

Red bait: @Riot Meddler @RiotPhreak @RiotClassick @Classick

39 Comments

BITE ZA DUSTO1/21/2015, 1:13:53 AM4 votes

I really hope that Riot looks into this kind of thread

Manwad1/21/2015, 2:12:12 AM4 votes

Done turned him into a burst Voluc.

This looks awesome. Hope a red sees this.

Teridax681/21/2015, 8:40:47 AM4 votes

While I would personally like to see Aatrox taken in a different direction (he could be the bloodlust-inspiring avatar of war from his lore, and become a team-empowering frontliner), these look like mostly excellent changes to him. While Aatrox is balanced in his current state, he is also one of the blandest champions in the game, and his intended core playstyle (autoattack-based drain tank) is implemented in such a way that it cannot be properly brought out without creating serious gameplay issues, namely his free infini-sustain. The new W you gave him gives him a significant gameplay choice between hitting crowds of enemies and focusing on single targets for CC, and I think you could even make this go further by making the healing dependent on Cursed Blood stacks: that way, you could give Aatrox fairly harshly gated healing early on, where it's most problematic, and then have it massively expand to the late game, where he's meant to be a drain tank. I would still keep the converging projectile on E (it's really cool and does have a lot of good gameplay behind it for Aatrox and his opponent), and turn the slow into the armor shred you proposed, but in either case it's a great idea to have Aatrox contribute utility for his whole team along with himself.

Giving Massacre a focus on AoE power and damage is good, but I don't think Aatrox really needs a self-centered group pull, particularly since it just becomes redundant with his range steroid (it lets him reach targets more easily). While this is also true for Aatrox's current ult, there's a lot going on here, and it would be better to take a look at what the ability's main goal is and work from there (does he really need the initial AoE magic damage, for example?).

19 19 191/21/2015, 1:00:16 AM3 votes

I thought people wanted Aatrox's ult to be an AoE Fear

Phoneixflare1/21/2015, 1:30:22 AM3 votes

I like this idea a lot!

76Summers1/21/2015, 12:49:47 AM3 votes

a bruiser who can revive himself tho....then you give him jax stats? come on

Messaiga1/21/2015, 10:53:02 PM2 votes

I must say I love the direction this puts him in (teamfight centric bruiser, high AOE damage, Drain-Tanking WITH counterplay). Though I feel like it could be more refined. What I think could be done? Move his attack speed buff elsewhere, separate Blood Thirst and Blood Price, Blood Price becomes his E (on-hit passive moves here, Impalement is the active).

Blood Well - remove the attack speed buff, it can be moved elsewhere in his kit.

W - Blood Thirst: Slight tweaks as well as moving part of the passive to E.

Passive - Applies Cursed Blood, maximum stacks reduced to 5 per target but it doesn't scale with rank.

Active - Aatrox calls all of his own blood in the nearby vicinity back to him, consuming all nearby Cursed Blood stacks, dealing 60/90/120/150/180 (+0.2 AP) (+20% bonus damage) magic damage to all affected targets and slowing them by 30% (+10% per stack) for 1.25/1.5/1.75/2/2.25 seconds. Additionally Aatrox heals for 10/20/30/40/50 (+20% per stack) (+1% per 1% of Aatrox's missing health), 50% reduced healing versus minions.

E - Blood Price: Number tweaks, attack speed buff moves here but armor shred is gone, Impalement becomes the active, part of his W's passive moved here.

Passive - Physical Damage increased to 10/15/20/25/30 + 0.2 Bonus AD.

Active - Same as Impalement, but instead of shredding armor it gives Aatrox an attack speed buff (40%/50%/60%/70%/80%) for 3 seconds and range increased to 600 (like Vi's E).

Once again, I'm totally for making Aatrox a better teamfighter and making his sustain to be more interactive, your concept just needed some refinement (in my opinion). Also about Aatrox's Ult, instead of pulling enemies toward him why not make it a taunt or fear? Could be an interesting idea to explore.

And, lastly, I got questions.

Will Cursed Blood be applied to enemies near his target damaged by Aatrox if he has a Tiamat or Ravenous Hydra?

If yes to the above question, would he be applying 2 stacks at once (to enemies near his target) with Tiamat/Hydra and the splash damage on basic attacks from Massacre?

Does splash damage on basic attacks from Massacre apply lifesteal?

Affinity21/21/2015, 6:56:36 PM1 votes

i think he could use this update or at the very least a nudge in the right direction. take away some of his tools and make him more interesting without homogenizing him

TheDevice3/19/2015, 7:53:09 PM1 votes

I can kinda dig everything except the radius changes to his Q and the rework of his E. I understand many people want to AA all day but I enjoy skill shots and those changes just remove what little skill factor Aatrox has

DaedricTerror139/6/2015, 3:23:13 AM1 votes

I love his W the way it is and its my favourite part of his kite, but even with all this I still think he'd suck but sure I'll support you.

But not your W idea, the sustain tank thing is the funnest part about him, even if it kinda sucks unless ur fully fed or kiteable.

Erotic Fantasies1/21/2015, 1:40:20 AM1 votes

Okay so I understand the W, but how does this fit with his kit and his lore? Also Does E proc on hit effects (can it crit)?

Currently, it looks a bit overloaded as with this kit he can Q+R+E+Tiamat+W his way to victory in team fights.

Gromble1/21/2015, 11:15:25 AM1 votes

Don't mess with Aatrox he is just fine where he is. He is strong and a lot of fun. I love his whole kit as is. I don't see why his kit should be messed with if its not toxic and its not. He could use more skins though!

Don't wreck muh Trox.

ok If you want to make him op, give him a one direction dash from his current ult like kalista's.

Solaxo1/21/2015, 4:10:11 PM1 votes

But I like his current E :(

qetzel1/21/2015, 4:45:54 PM1 votes

I like each individual part of his kit, and he does have a clear role but my concern is that, however cool, he just is. There isn't really anything special. Why would you pick him over, say, Jarvan?

This type of kit makes the game a question of "who does the job better" rather than "I want to do this job, so this champion would help".

My advice? Change the ultimate. It is boring now. Give the ultimate something that no other champion's ultimate does. Make him unique.

... The rest is cool though. I like the changes.

DSRM Mobius1/21/2015, 4:48:13 PM1 votes

I don't like it. I love the concept of Aatrox and how he has his W to make his basic attacks Heal him or do more damage. I don't like the W rework you gave him.

Daaaaang1/21/2015, 5:12:13 PM1 votes

As a Trox main I love your idea... I really hope Rito looks at this. It makes me think of a less mobile-more tanky melee Kalista.

I do think his passive should be tweaked a little though. I would add some kind of aoe to the end when Aatrox is up. His primary weakness is burst damage, so a minor amount of counterplay is involved when deciding to all-in an Aatrox. My 2 cents. Good stuff man!