After 30+ games - A small tweak request to Kindred's Early game

Hey guys!

So I LOVE the new Kindred update in terms of how much wolf is really important now, and the ability to "throw" him ahead during a chase or as a way to discourage being chased, or over a wall after someone or to peak, is wonderful.

Issue: After playing almost no one but kindred these past few weeks, I've noticed that in the first 3-6 minutes of play, ganks that originally ensured a hunt now leave enemy champions surviving under their turrets by a sliver of health. This is understandable as Kindred no longer receives a damage bonus from marks, however in this particular situation, these are the first few critical ganks necessary to gain those hunts.

I've counted exactly the damage hits needed from before and after the 7.11 as well as the specific plays I use each time to ensure them in the most optimal way - the majority involving a chase into an enemy turret for a single turret projectile hit on Kindred, but enough to secure that first kill.

Now Kindred is walking away with no kill and potentially a lot of damage - if Kin walks away.

These are under optimal conditions in which the enemy player has been allowed to push close to the opposite team's turret, just as before. The same or sequence of abilities, auto attacks and damage, with and without teammate added support, occurs.

If the enemy teammate has armor runes or so on - Kindred's lost the first 4-6 minutes of the game without any gain, and with the other team taking their jungle hunts, etc. - falls easily behind without marks to catch up with.

The State of Kindred: The effect of being marked actually causes other teams to set up ambushes by having marked champions near the marked jungle with other teammates in wait - while true, its best then to pursue other goals at this time, but in Kindred's design, their passive's marks are now more essential than ever, and being starved of them is even more devastating.

We're talking a very small difference in early damage - literally a single hunt's worth in the original version, but its become a significant change.

I'm asking that Kindred have a small early game boost of some kind to help return Kin to where they were.

Without that small boost to ensure the early hunts, Kindred remains *very* fragile and *very* dependent on her items or team assist right now - after the 3-6 minute mark of the early game the enemy team has a sense of where Kindred may show and leaves a mark hungry Kindred at a loss for jungle marks or for hunting enemy team members who are now 1-3 levels higher than Kindred when assisting fellow teammates in their lanes - and without the additional range OR original damage that would let Kindred kite as effectively.

And I'm not alone. People are not banning kindred wildly as they used to with a reworked champion for fear its OP - and teammates are suddenly complaining to me that Kindred is too nerfed - they'd rather have me play someone else.

The State of Kindred as per Stated Design Intention (Comments)

Kindred was originally released as the answer to "MacGuyvered ranged junglers" as Twitch, Twisted Fate, etc. as a champion that would not be as item dependent despite being squishy.

Without the heal that was the original cause of Kindred's unhealthy play in Season 5 or their damage boost, The Eternal Hunters now in play are substantially more team and item dependent even in this current patch, which goes against their purpose as a carry.

Right now, Kindred plays much better as a bot lane ADC than as the Jungle, and needs some kind of small aid in this early game to ensure they don't fall off.

Ideas for help:

Adding a TINY bit of early game damage - just enough to catch up to a single mark as in the original;

Giving back the hunt damage For the FIRST four Hunts Only

increasing their initial movement speed during combat with a marked character that falls off after combat ends

Removing a small bit of cooldown on all basic abilities,

Speeding up "W" 's initial attack speed or damage

Adding a .25 second initial freeze to wolf's E before the slow effect takes place (this also helps fragile Kindred flee if necessary) to hopefully allow Q and W to make up for the loss in damage,

Something to help return The Eternal Hunters to their original early game.

Reflection:

I don't know as of yet how 7.11's changes are working at much higher levels as youtube, op.gg and other places haven't yet caught up to Kindred's rework beyond a flood of impossible "Kindred's infinite range" videos showcasing the power of 20, 30 - 100 hunts, which is a complete overreaction, however fun :).

I do however know that despite the rework, kindred's pick rate has only jumped in the high elo tiers where team support and cooperation is the norm.

The vast majority (including myself) of League Summoners are in fact silver or bronze or Normal mode where that kind of assistance isn't going to exist very often.

I think Kindred just needs a TINY early boost to their early game to help ensure that their overall reworked design will function as intended.

I'm excited about the potential of the new Kindred as an idea and on paper - I just would like to see it live.

Thank you, Sincerely,

Tryst, "Phoenix Incite" L.