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I am concerned about Malzahar's rework

YumaS2Astral··2 votes·719 views

I want to play him when he comes to live to see if I am wrong, but the fact that his ult no longer has its old damage mechanic, coupled with the fact that Malzahar's Q and E base AND ratios have been nerfed, also the fact that his W has been moved to his ult, makes me concerned. People on PBE have already reported that Malzahar does much less damage than before, and that makes me concerned, because with Malzahar's lack of mobility, it was extremely risky to play him, but his damage potential is so high that it could compensate this risk.

Indeed Riot is shifting some damage to the voidlings, but if the voidlings are easy to kill and hard to control, then it will not be of much use. Maybe this is all wrong and Malzahar is still powerful if not more powerful; I have yet to test it to see if that is true. But wouldn't it be better to shift less focus from the passive and the W so that his other abilities could be more powerful? Also, while they increased Malzahar's AP ratios on yesterday's PBE patch, the fact that they reduced the base damage means that this ratios changes are of little use until late game.

14 Comments

Quepha3 votes

I'm sure it will be fine.

Although they're making malz into a tanky sustained damage dealer with heavy disruption instead of "You're in range, I press all my buttons and you die"

Void Nargacuga2 votes

I'm gonna grab all his skills ratios for his current live kit and from the most recent PBE information from [email protected].

Live, Taken from his League of Legends Wikia page:

Passive - Summon Voidling

On every fourth ability use, Malzahar summons a Voidling that remains on the field until it is killed or 21 seconds have passed. If Malzahar dies, the Voidling stays behind but stops attacking.

Voidlings grow in size after 7 seconds, gaining 50% bonus attack damage and armor, and frenzy after 14 seconds, gaining 100% bonus attack speed.

  • Note: Before being out for 7 seconds they have a base AD gain of 100% of your bonus AD. After the 7 seconds they have a whopping 150% of your bonus AD added onto their base AD.

Q - Call of the Void RANGE: 900 / 400 COST: 80 / 85 / 90 / 95 / 100 mana COOLDOWN: 9

Active: Malzahar summons two orbs at the target location perpendicular to which way he is facing after a 0.5-second delay, dealing magic damage to all enemies caught between the orbs and silencing them.

  • Magic Damage: 80 / 135 / 190 / 245 / 300 (+ 80% AP)
  • Silence Duration: 1.4 / 1.8 / 2.2 / 2.6 / 3

W - Null Zone RANGE: 800 / 250 COST: 90 / 95 / 100 / 105 / 110 mana COOLDOWN: 14

Active: Malzahar creates a zone of negative energy for 5 seconds, dealing magic damage every second to all enemies standing on it, capped at 120 against minions and monsters.

  • Magic Damage Per Second: 4 / 4.5 / 5 / 5.5 / 6% (+ 1% per 100 AP) of target's maximum health
  • Total Magic Damage: 20 / 22.5 / 25 / 27.5 / 30% (+ 5% per 100 AP) of target's maximum health

E - Malefic Visions RANGE: 650 COST: 60 / 75 / 90 / 105 / 120 mana COOLDOWN: 15 / 13 / 11 / 9 / 7

Active: Malzahar infects the target enemy's mind, dealing them magic damage every half second over 4 seconds.

  • Magic Damage Per Half Second: 10 / 17.5 / 25 / 32.5 / 40 (+ 10% AP)
  • Total Magic Damage: 80 / 140 / 200 / 260 / 320 (+ 80% AP)

If the target dies during this time, they pass Malefic Visions onto the closest enemy, refreshing the duration and restoring a portion of Malzahar's mana.

  • Mana restored: 10 / 14 / 18 / 22 / 26 mana

R - Nether Grasp RANGE: 700 COST: 100 mana COOLDOWN: 120 / 100 / 80

Active: Malzahar knocks down the target enemy champion and channels for up to 2.5 seconds, suppressing them and dealing them magic damage every half second while the channel holds.

  • Magic Damage Per Half Second: 50 / 80 / 110 (+ 26% AP)
  • Total Magic Damage: 250 / 400 / 550 (+ 130% AP)

Now for PBE from [email protected] (NOTE SOME THINGS MAY STILL CHANGE SINCE POSTING THIS!)

Passive - Void Shift

When he hasn't recently taken damage or been crowd controlled in the last 24 (minus 1 sec per level, down to 6? ) seconds, Malzahar gains 90% damage reduction and crowd control immunity, lingering for 1 second after taking damage or blocking a crowd control effect.

Damage from lane minions is not mitigated by this effect, but it does not trigger or reset its cooldown either.

Q - Call of the Void

  • Mana cost reduced to 60 at all ranks from 80/85/90/95/100
  • Cooldown lowered to 6 seconds from 9
  • Damage reduced to 70/110/150/190/230 from 80/135/190/245/300
  • AP Ratio reduced to .7 from .8
  • Silence duration reduced to 1/1.25/1.5/1.75/2 seconds from 1.4/1.8/2.2/2.6/3 seconds.

New W - Void Swarm 60 Mana 20/19/18/17/16 sec Cooldown

Summon a Voidling lasting 12 seconds to fight nearby enemies.

The first time a Voidling attacks a champion or monster, or assists in killing a unit, Malzahar spawns a new Voidling with the same remaining duration. When 3 or more Voidlings are active, they all gain 50% Attack Speed.

Voidling Details:

  • Attacks deal [.3/.325/.35/.375/.4 AD] physical damage plus 10/15/20/25/30 [+0.1 AP] magic damage (deals 75% damage against monsters)

  • Deals triple damage to lane minions below 25% Health

  • Will not spawn from a Voidling with less than 4 seconds left

  • Prefers to attack targets with Nether Grasp or Malefic Visions and has 100% increased Movement Speed when seeking these targets

  • Otherwise attacks the enemy nearest it

NOTES:

  • Note: Voidlings no longer react to Malzahar's auto attacks.
  • Note: Voidlings no longer have a leash/returnTP range.
  • Voidlings gain health per champion level.
  • Voidling cast/spawn range increased to 450 from 300

E - Malefic Visions

  • Mana cost reduced to 60/70/80/90/100 from 60/75/90/105/120
  • Damage lowered to 80/115/150/185/220 from 80/140/200/260/320
  • AP ratio lowered to .7 from .8
  • Mana restore changed to 2% of max mana from 10/14/18/22/260 mana.
  • [NEW] Duration now refreshes if Malzahar uses Q or R on target

R - Nether Grasp

  • Flat damage removed.
  • [NEW] Now creates a zone around enemy ( like old W) that deals 6% (+ 1% per 100 AP) of enemies max health as magic damage per second for 5 seconds.

IMO: Overall I would call this a buff. Are there nerfs in his update? Yeah, but they are understandable (Base damage nerfs on Malefic vision for example). DId he get flat buffs? In some parts yeah and once again they are understandable. Malefic Visions getting refreshed from Call of the Void and Nether Grasp hits, and the amount of mana it restores for example.)

Kathash3 votes

and the passive shield is a sorta buff...helps defend against other assassin types.

Void Nargacuga2 votes

90% damage reduction is HUGE and it lingers for an extra second after the initial damage! And it makes him immune to CC and even that CC immunity lingers for 1 second... Huge buff right there IMO. The only thing that worries/excites me is Void Swarm. When it was first out he could clear the jungle like a MONSTER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MheH0uf8LDE

That is just scary. But it got nerfed to deal 75% damage to monsters after that video. That might have taken care of that problem. Still though I am LOVING his changes! Can't wait for him to hit live honestly!

Kathash1 votes

Not to mention they dropped the frenzy attack speed from 100% to 50%.

Void Nargacuga1 votes

Guess I never read that part since I don't check [email protected] all to often. Only if something catches my eye... All of MYMU kinda did obviously, I just don't check every single day is all.

Still that was probably needed as well.

Kathash1 votes

it was in the latest update to his main thread(lost in the jumble of numbers though)

Changes for next build:

Q - Call of the Void
    Base Damage reduced 70/115/160/205/250 >>> 70/110/150/190/230
    AP ratio increased 0.6 >>> 0.7
W - Void Swarm
    Now spawns a Voidling when attack monsters (this was in at the end of this week)
    Frenzy Attack Speed bonus reduced 100% >>> 50%
    Total AD ratio reduced 0.38/0.41/0.44/0.47/0.5 >>> 0.3/0.325/0.35/0.375/0.4
    Base magic damage increased 8/11/14/17/20 >>> 10/15/20/25/30
    Cooldown adjusted 18 >>> 20/19/18/17/16
    AP ratio increased 0.05 >>> 0.1
E - Malefic Visions
    Base damage reduced 80/120/160/200/240 >>> 80/115/150/185/220
    AP ratio increased 0.6 >>> 0.7

as of the 25th

Void Nargacuga1 votes

Oh cool thanks for the info! Hard to keep tabs on just about when you work nights. Especially when you get off work at 12:30am (on a normal schedule even though its 4 days a week).

Kathash1 votes

and slightly reduced his AD ratio from initial rework(though they did slightly buff his AP ration from .05 to .1) from .5 at lvl 5 to .4 at lvl 5.

Try comparing them to the 100% bonus AD of the Live version XD. Live version voidlings are tankier and can hit a little harder but you can get 3 out at 40% CDR all while sucking your mana dry. Now they are basically one shots but easy to get 6, maybe 7, out(basically the limit due to the last 4 seconds of no spawning) and don't rely on CDR as much(except to keep minions always up. at 40% CDR i can span a new seed minion just as the last batch is about to die) also the Rush to the visions target is awesome. less wasted up time.

That said, I do kinda wish they lasted maybe 15 seconds and had more health... but then they would have to nurf something else to keep him "balanced" XD

JerulEon1 votes

If they're nerfing his space aids ratios, that is awesome because I can't really see much counterplay from it. He insta pushes waves with one ability click + free mana sustain, and it's hard to deal with him. Plus the dot on it is ridiculous damage which gives him easy trades.

IDK maybe I'm just bad at the matchup but I think Malz is such a dominant force in a lane.

Kathash2 votes

He was designed as an mage ASSASSIN. 1v1 he is dominant unless you specifically pick something to counter him (fizz for the jump thing just as example). Now he isn't as POW but can still hurt with the right build/combo. He lost some damage to trade off getting a shield(so now he isn't as squish) and easier to manage minion numbers.

JerulEon1 votes

{quoted}

He was designed as an mage ASSASSIN. 1v1 he is dominant unless you specifically pick something to counter him (fizz for the jump thing just as example). Now he isn't as POW but can still hurt with the right build/combo. He lost some damage to trade off getting a shield(so now he isn't as squish) and easier to manage minion numbers.

I thought he was meant to be the anti-assassin mage, and that Riot didn't like how his gameplay focused on summoner 4 + R + Mash abilities. That's why they reworked him, but that's what I've heard.

Void Nargacuga1 votes

If you do anything after using Nether Grasp, unless it is summoner 14 and they are in range of that summoner spell, then you will cancel your ult. Just saying.

Kathash1 votes

His secondary role is assassin, and since before he used to be able to pop out of a bush and 100 to 0 most unsuspecting champs. Now not so much, but he can survive better.

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