Why can Allies CC apply Kai'Sa's Plasma Stacks?

BLIGHTBRINGER·Nov 1, 2018·1 votes·2,090 views

###NOTE: This isn't a hate post, just a genuine question. I am trying to be reasonable even if I don't exactly like this Champion.

Just got me thinking, most other stacking Marksman...

Have to stack on their own while can apply her Passive too easily with CC and a few (usually 2 AA's) basic attacks.

She can also apply the stacks with W, on top of it all.

###So why is this a thing?

I think because of this interaction, is also one of the hidden reasons why she's so pick or ban in worlds. Because she's able to proc her Passive damage to easily and excessively.

14 Comments

ÆtheistNov 1, 20183 votes

I made a post once suggesting to have the "allied CC applies Plasma" bit unlock when Kai'Sa hits level 6, since its main function is enabling her ultimate anyway and not necessarily giving her more damage when paired with tank supports.

BLIGHTBRINGERNov 1, 20181 votes

That's actually a really good idea. I imagine that it could be like some sort of Passive that is unlocked with the Ultimate (as you say).

CIaymanNov 1, 20182 votes

Same reason Jhin gets his w mark off of ally CC, I suppose. He doesn't have much setup himself

Doge2020Nov 1, 20181 votes

Her ult lets her dash to a target with plasma on them. So if your team can CC the enemy adc when you are far away, you can ult in a to help your team. Sure ally CC gives plasma stacks, but your allies can’t proc the last plasma stack for the extra damage, Kai’sa has to actually proc it.

It’s more to help with engage and to make Kai’sa better in a duo lane rather than something like mid or even top.

BLIGHTBRINGERNov 1, 20181 votes

That's a fair reason I suppose, but in most cases because of this. It helps her get up easily if someone makes sure she's behind. Imagine this scenario...

The Jungler, Support and Mid Laner engage on a fed Draven and a Kai'Sa who is behind can just dash in with her R, and use Q and Passive Execute to collect a massive bounty from him.

This basically nullifies being behind punishment.

EleshakaiNov 1, 20181 votes

Sounds like pretty fantastic team play to me to organize something like that in a position where there's no risk of it going south and the Kai'Sa's there to capitalize. Team play is how you're SUPPOSED to make up for being behind.

Doge2020Nov 1, 20181 votes

Well the Draven shouldn’t have put himself in a position to get engaged on by the tanks so Kai’sa can ult in for the bounty.

In that example: if draven’s team was with him they should have peeled for him by either keeping the tanks away from him or from focusing the weak kai’sa when she ulted in.

This part of her ult gives her some nice skill expression, use it correctly and you get a free bounty on the fed draven. Use it incorrectly and you will instantly die because you ulted to a place no where near your teammates and the enemy team CC’d you. This interaction with ally cc and plasma stacks makes her a little more reliant on teamfights and her teammates for a good engage.

And also if you get CC’d by the enemy, usually that means you are dead anyways so removing ally application of plasma is kinda useless in this regard, it only delays your death by (at most) a few seconds and at worst a few milliseconds. (Depending on how squishy you are and how many people are focusing you besides Kai’sa and her supp).

BobaFlautistNov 1, 20181 votes

Because her ult casts on tagged champions. It's so she can go to an ally fighting someone with cc, kinda like Jhin's W mechanic.

DerMangoJoghurtNov 1, 20181 votes

Apart from what's been said already, Kai'Sa is supposed to be able to dive right behind the enemy backline. Since you are quite sqishy you can't reliably get stacks on them yourself.

BLIGHTBRINGERNov 1, 20181 votes

Shouldn't that be a reasonable drawback to playing her (every champ is suppose to have one; Varus no mobility, Lucian Low Attack Range, etc...)? Remember when during her teasers Riot were saying that this would be "high risk high reward Marksman", in all honesty she doesn't really fit that criteria. She's got too many tools that can be used defensively that also nullify any kind of punishment to playing her.

She has invisibility on her evolved E, and Shield that scales up to being half of your total HP at some point in the game. Usually most people would say that, that requires late game and all. But she's too good early game because of the reason that I have mentioned in this post.

Doge2020Nov 1, 20182 votes

She also has very shit damage early on lol. She is balanced to be more towards scaling, That’s with the evolution mechanic on her basic abilities. Her e doesn’t give that safety net of invisibility until she gains a certain amount of extra AS.

Moody PNov 1, 20181 votes

because riot jag

aNewMoonIsRisingNov 1, 20181 votes

Its pretty fair imo. you have to ult in at the right time or die, even more now that her ult got nerfed from a 3 second shield to a 2 second shield. might not seem like much but in team fights its easy for an adc to die.