Nunu Mini-Rework
Nunu is currently a champion where he is just not a solid pick. Why? He contributes little to any strategy out there. His only niche is nuking monsters. That's it. Since Nunu is a Warden and Wardens aren't getting a class update next, I suggest we patch up Nunu to make him viable similar to how Riot did for Urgot and Swain.
Passive- Visionary Number of Basic Attacks Required: 5 -> 12/9/6/3 (Levels 1/6/11/16) The current problem with Nunu's Passive is it makes Mana just not a question in the early game, especially in a Lane. This can lead to unhealthy scenarios of manaless sustain and just being a general annoyance in lane. However, it falls off ginormously later in the game. So, I nerfed the hell out of the early game power of it since it's only use then was being annoying in lane and buffed it's late game so it feels at least a little impactful.
Ability 1- Consume True Damage Dealt: 400/550/700/850/1000 -> 550 (+25 per Level) Healing: 70/115/160/205/250 (+75% AP) -> 60 (+10 per Level) (+35/45/55/65/75% AP) New- Champion Cast: Can now be cast on an enemy champion to deal 60/95/130/165/200 (+25% AP) true damage and heal for the normal amount Cool Down: 13/12/11/10/9 seconds -> 15/13/11/9/7 seconds Here is the thing with Nunu. The sustain granted to him from his Q has always been a major point of upset in his balance. However, is the healing really why we pick Nunu? We pick him for the true damage portion, not the healing. Early game, Nunu's healing is nerfed heavily by nerfing the overall healing it provides and the cool down of the ability. However, the true damage dealt by the ability is buffed early game and only slightly nerfed mid-game by making it scale with level. It still ends up at 1000 damage at Level 18. Next, we move onto the biggest change here. Making Nunu's Q be able to be cast on enemy champions. Woah, that's a true damage spell! Isn't that OP? Well, not really. It has weak base damage and scaling. So why implement it in the first place? The main problem with Nunu is that, late game, he feels kind of useless in a team fight. Another issue is that Nunu just feels a lot weaker when there isn't a minion or monster around to nibble on. With this change, Nunu can contribute a little bit to team fights later on by wearing down on high defense targets while also keeping himself alive with healing. The cool down of this ability has been seriously buffed late game as well to allow Nunu to continue to bite down on his enemies in a fight.
Ability 2- Blood Boil Movement Speed Bonus: Removed New- Aggressive Blood: Basic attacks and single target abilities during Blood Boil now provide 15/17.5/20/22.5/25% movement speed that decays over 2 seconds. Attack Speed: 25/30/35/40/45% -> 20/25/30/35/40% Duration: 12 seconds (soon 7 seconds) -> 6/7/8/9/10 seconds Cool Down: 15 seconds (soon 10 seconds) -> 20 seconds Previously the most generic, arguably worthless buff in the game, Blood Boil is now a powerful kiting and chasing tool that Nunu can now provide to now both AA-Oriented champions and Caster oriented champions (that are single target). While it could still use some work, this is the best I can think of without reworking the ability, which isn't the goal here.
Ability 3- Ice Blast Damage: 80/120/160/200/240 (+90% AP) -> 60/90/120/150/180 (+50% AP) Attack Speed Slow: 25% -> 30/35/40/45/50% Mana Cost: 70/75/80/85/90 mana -> 55/60/65/70/75 mana Projectile Speed: Increased by 75% Cool Down: 6/5.5/5/4.5/4 seconds -> 4 seconds at all ranks Range: 550 -> 500 New- Easy Freeze: Minions and monsters hit are now frozen and stunned for half the slow duration. They also take 50% increased damage from Ice Blast. Ice Blast is not a damaging ability. It is right now, but it's not what you use it for. You use it for the crowd control it provides. This huge number rebalance pushes it in that direction. I also implemented a new mechanic that causes Ice Blast to stun and deal increased damage to monsters. This way the damage reduction and Nunu's durability in the jungle aren't changed by this rework.
Ultimate- Absolute Zero Minimum Damage: 78/109/140 (+31% AP) -> 100/125/150 (+30% AP) Maximum Damage: 625/875/1125 (+250% AP) -> 300/375/450 (+90% AP) New- True Zero: The slow and attack speed slow from Absolute Zero now also scale over the duration, increasing from a 10% attack speed slow and 20% movement speed slow to a 50% attack speed slow and a 100% movement speed slow. Currently provides a 25% attack speed slow and 50% movement speed slow for the whole duration. New- Reap the Rewards: A fully charged Absolute Zero now stuns enemies hit got 1.5/2.25/3 seconds, freezing them. Range: 650 -> 700 Not going to lie, Absolute Zero right now is 100% cheese. It's a horrific, gimmicky ultimate that is used entirely in cheap, unreliable strategies. It is absurd. Instead of making it absurd in an unreliable way, let's make it absurd in a good way. Absolute Zero is now a large area slowing spell that's main objective isn't insane damage, but insane crowd control. Fitting of his role, enemies who choose to stay within Absolute Zero are now punished with an increasing slow and, if Nunu completes the channel, a very long stun and still ok chunk of damage. Is it a reliable initiation? Not really. Is it good for peeling for a team however!? Yes! It punishes initiators and any team who stays within the range, which is now bigger by a small amount.
What was solved here?
- Nunu is no longer having god-tier sustain early game that, while not game breaking, is stupidly annoying to fight against.
- Nunu now has a way to continue to contribute in a fight via Champion Consumes and a much more powerful crowd control purpose Ice Blast.
- Blood Boil is longer a super generic ability. Still could use help, but now it requires more interaction than just use and forget.
- Absolute Zero is now a decent ultimate that is more suited for Nunu's role as a Warden and not a super cheese ultimate.
Opinions? Is Nunu still Nunu?