Boards›Gameplay

Duskblade and Deathfire Grasp

OB3K··4 votes·594 views

Deathfire Grasp:

  • 3100 Gold
  • 120 AP
  • 10% CDR
  • Deals 15% of target champion's maximum health in magic damage, then amplifies all magic damage they take by 20% for 4 seconds. 60 second cooldown.

Duskblade: item 3147

  • 2900 Gold
  • 55 AD
  • 10%CDR
  • After being unseen for at least 1 second, your next basic attack against an enemy champion will have enhanced effects. The enhanced attack lasts 5 seconds after being seen by an enemy champion. Melee role Melee champions will deal 320 (max level) bonus on-hit physical damage and Slow icon slows by 99% for 0.25 seconds. (I left out Ranged because most Duskblade users are melee)
  • When spotted by an enemy ward or Noxious Trap traps, gain Blackout over a 400-unit radius for 8 seconds (90 second cooldown).

I make the comparison between the two because I believe that Duskblade is at least in need of some changes, if not a complete removal like DFG.

In my eyes these two items are extremely similar. Their bonus effects are used in the same way. Create a situation where the target has no chance of fighting back, unless they are a tank building specific resistances. A tank may be able to fight back or even escape (with all the tank items needing some changes, but that is for another time). For most champions though there is/was very little counterplay, especially if the item was rushed. Duskblade allows for high burst damage when utilizing stealthy attacks and also offers help in vision control to allow stealthy attacks. I do realize that CC is the easiest way to shut down Duskblade users, which is much easier late game when teams are together. Champions with no, or a single, form of CC during laning phase and the early game are extremely susceptible to Duskblade abusers. This creates an easy to seize snowball opportunity. Too many Champions are able to abuse Duskblade; It is being build on any champion that can benefit from burst. Some Champions are even able to proc its bonus effect multiple times rapidly: Khazix Kayn Zed Talon

Duskblade needs change. It is too efficient. It is too powerful. It is too safe. It is overused.

6 Comments

NinjaGuy692 votes

Let me start this by saying that Duskblade is nowhere near as broken as DFG was before it was removed. DFG was removed because it was so overpowered that it started warping the build paths of every AP mage and essentially turned them all into AP assassins. You needed to buy it or else you couldn't throw down with your lane opponent, even if it wasn't an optimal item for your champion. The damn thing dealt 15% of a champions MAXIMUM health and it gave you damage amp on top of that. Think about that for a second.

Duskblade is nowhere near as broken as DFG was in it's current iteration. I definitely think that the physical damage proc on it needs an internal cooldown in exchange for flat AD on the item but other than that, it's not terribly overpowered or anything at the moment. It may be a staple in every AD assassins' build but it isn't game warping like DFG was.

ˆO vv Oˆ2 votes

Hasn't Duskblade warped the build paths of pretty much every AD assassin? Even Adc's get the item. When was the last time you saw a Zed, Kha, Talon ect, not build it first or second item?

Op's argument is sound in my eyes. They do draw parallels from one another. It's an excessive amount of burst that is easily accessible. Not so easy as DFG's point click was but still easily done enough.

Edge of Daybreak1 votes

Duskblade isn't warping their build path as much as it's designed so that AD assassins can function after riots changes making it like flash where they are balanced around having it. Also op's example like every other person who tries to compare these items is as terrible as all the others. One is a ranged nuke that helps melt anything vs a melee nuke that is designed to be used by a specific class of champion and not nearly as effective vs tanks. No mage was so reliant on dfg that its removal caused a mass shift in power for them where for duskblade the strength of the ad assassin class is tied to it. When it's weak they plummet and when it's good they just rocket up in winrate. I hate when people say too many champions can abuse duskblade. The only abusers are the people who can actually stealth which it was designed for them otherwise most champions just get one hit of it and that's it.

NinjaGuy691 votes

Hasn't Duskblade warped the build paths of pretty much every AD assassin?

The thing is that Duskblade actually belongs in assassin builds because it's intended to be an item specifically for assassins so I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's warping their builds. DFG was however because it was forcing mages into buying it as well. The main issue with Duskblade is that no one was buying it so Riot did what they always do with items/champs that no one picks up: they overbuffed it so that it would be an attractive buy for players. Not sure why they haven't learned their lesson yet. They just need to rebalance the numbers on it and give the on-hit proc a cooldown in order to potentially put it in a decent place. Hopefully they go this route but we'll have to wait and see.

Colton1472 votes

{quoted}

The thing is that Duskblade actually belongs in assassin builds because it's intended to be an item specifically for assassins so I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's warping their builds. DFG was however because it was forcing mages into buying it as well. The main issue with Duskblade is that no one was buying it so Riot did what they always do with items/champs that no one picks up: they overbuffed it so that it would be an attractive buy for players. Not sure why they haven't learned their lesson yet. They just need to rebalance the numbers on it and give the on-hit proc a cooldown in order to potentially put it in a decent place. Hopefully they go this route but we'll have to wait and see.

Jhin MissFortune Varus

PhearBunny1 votes

I like the idea of bring DFG back in a nerfed form, but man Mages right now are so inconsistent with eachother.... Some of them are underwhelming because of the item options, or lack of item options... But others are just ridiculous and would be even more ridiculous if DFG brought back.

Azir is already probably the most overpowered champ in the game, throw DFG in the mix and hes gonna be even more busted. Brand does oppressive damage, with crappy support items, add DFG and hes too powerful. Veigar doesn't need it, would be broken. Syndra doesn't need it, would be broken.

But all the other unplayed mages could really use the return of DFG.

More from Gameplay

3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay764 comments
7,167
votes
3 Refunds per season, upvote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay156 comments
3,510
votes
UPVOTE FOR URF
Gameplay606 comments
2,440
votes
Yes plz.
Gameplay456 comments
1,721
votes
3 Refunds per season, up vote if you want 3 refunds per season.
Gameplay114 comments
1,716
votes
When is ANYONE at riot going to address the awful new player experience?
Gameplay634 comments
1,383
votes