Akali's identity

Ralanr·Nov 21, 2016·3 votes·576 views

So I don't know much about how Akali works or what her identity is. But after hearing that she'll be up for a VGU eventually (like Ryze level work I think) I got to wondering about what ability truly defines her ninja archetype and would most likely stay in some form with a VGU (as all VGUs keep at least one aspect. Except Karma, idk).

I immediately think it's her shroud since the classic smoke bomb is a ninja staple. But people argue that her ult is her most iconic ability.

So what do you think is her most iconic ability and how would you work it into a VGU? Personally I'd turn her shroud into an ult that provided stationary team stealth/mini nocturne ult.

22 Comments

Sahn UzalNov 21, 20168 votes

Mandatory comment on every Akali thread

Rip Sideboob.

RalanrNov 21, 20163 votes

http://i.imgur.com/3lJT9OE.jpg

Rip sideboob.

Photos of GhostsNov 21, 20161 votes

I mean, it looked bad due to the poor drawing, so I'm ok with it.

Akali is SO HOTNov 21, 20161 votes

http://i.imgur.com/iy8CK4P.png[/img]

RalanrNov 21, 20161 votes

It's not the same.

ChaddyFantomeNov 21, 20161 votes

her shroud IS the more iconic. The players remember her R because they love how braidead pressing R on someone over and over is but it really isn't what makes akali akali.

Her E and W and even to a lesser extent (even tho i think it should be removed) her passive are. R is just riots way of gating her ability to get to u pre6, rofl.

RalanrNov 21, 20161 votes

So how would you change her shroud in a VGU?

ChaddyFantomeNov 21, 20161 votes

{quoted}

So how would you change her shroud in a VGU?

I'm not quite sure, but ever since the mage update (sans velkoz i guess to a degree) Riot has been on point with champion updates and I have little doubt that whatever they have planned will be just peachy.

Irelia BotNov 21, 20162 votes

Iconic? sure

Relevant to the play style? Shadow dash and procing Q have always far more relevant then her shroud ever was.

RalanrNov 21, 20164 votes

Yeah, but a VGU would end up changing her playstyle somewhat.

Irelia BotNov 22, 20161 votes

With the huge limitation on the range of shroud it will never be something akali players have as a focus point of her game play.

ChaddyFantomeNov 21, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=Irelia Bot,realm=NA,application-id=3ErqAdtq,discussion-id=aEmI8njT,comment-id=00010001,timestamp=2016-11-21T15:31:33.045+0000)

Iconic? sure

Relevant to the play style? Shadow dash and procing Q have always far more relevant then her shroud ever was.

And her current playstyle is dumb and needs to be updated, that's the point of a full VGU.

Big LincolnNov 21, 20161 votes

mini nocturne ult.

it'd just be graves smokescreen, then, and that mechanic is absolute cancer on him and Quinn.

her shroud is probably the most unique part of her kit, everything else is pretty much just point-click damage or her E, which is the ability I'd like to see changed most anyway

RalanrNov 21, 20161 votes

Hmm, that's a good point on the ability. Idk, I just feel a group stealth zone makes sense with a smoke bomb.

Big LincolnNov 21, 20161 votes

I feel that would make her more inclined to be a tanky fighter and not an assassin

and also the potential for abuse from other stealth champs

RalanrNov 21, 20161 votes

True. Though Riot has explored stealth giving champions before with Lux and Rengars rework, so it's definitely something they want to try.

I think it'd make sense in Akali's VGU testing phase at least.

SerageNov 21, 20161 votes

I dont like the new W at all. I hope they change it back to the old way... Placing the shroud in a tactical way... At the moment you need the blink or the invisibility never both together!

RalanrNov 21, 20161 votes

Did she have a blink before?

Teridax68Nov 21, 20161 votes

She didn't, the blink was the most talked about feature on her mini-rework by both Riot and the players criticizing the changes. It was intended to give her more juking potential, but ended up making her a lot clunkier.

Akali is SO HOTNov 22, 20161 votes

It's really hard to pinpoint exactly which ability is most iconic for Akali because of how her abilities mesh with each other. It's a lot easier for most other champions, but not as much for Akali. For example, Kat's most iconic parts of her kit are her resets and ability to jump around all over the place in fights if she plays well which is why the rework turned out pretty well for her.

Akali, however, is much more difficult. Changing even one of her abilities can completely alter the way she plays which is why a lot of Akali players are upset about her changes to her passive and shroud. Her identity has always been the dashing all over the place with resets, spellvamping, stealthy, reliable, and hot af ninja.

Her Q and R go hand in hand with each other so changing either ability could completely alter how she plays the game and her shroud has always been one of the most iconic and unique forms of defensive abilities in the game and changing that too much could also completely change the way she plays as well. The only ability they can really get rid of without changing her playstyle all that much would be her E.

If I absolutely had to choose only one ability to stay the same it would be her ult, but changing her shroud to something else would be devastating for any long time Akali player.

JedenVojakNov 22, 20161 votes

I would say the iconic thing for Akali is a constant stream of unavoidable attacks. When you are the target, you are going to die. Period.

Also boobs.

Pierce The VealNov 22, 20161 votes

{quoted}

So I don't know much about how Akali works or what her identity is. But after hearing that she'll be up for a VGU eventually (like Ryze level work I think) I got to wondering about what ability truly defines her ninja archetype and would most likely stay in some form with a VGU (as all VGUs keep at least one aspect. Except Karma, idk).

I immediately think it's her shroud since the classic smoke bomb is a ninja staple. But people argue that her ult is her most iconic ability.

So what do you think is her most iconic ability and how would you work it into a VGU? Personally I'd turn her shroud into an ult that provided stationary team stealth/mini nocturne ult.

Her spell vamp, scaling with AD and AP, and her ult are the most iconic parts of her kit. What made her fun is the whole dash around spell vamping. Tbh people complain about her being point and click, but that's not fair because you have a q that moves almost as slow as someone withered by nasus and has the bas damage of leona's E. Her ult is a dash sure, but pretty much every other champion doesn't need to be in your face to kill you. I'd be fine with both of them being turned into skillshots, as ling as her Q's speed increased majorly. Her R being a skillshot would mean she can dash however she wants, but hey that appeals to both the non-akali players and the akali mains!

In order,

Her R is most iconic, as seen in Akali mains reddit. Her inbuilt spell vamp and AD/AP passive comes second. Without her R it's not worth squat but yeah. Her Q that procs a bunch of damage on auto after is pretty iconic. It's become ingrained into her playstyle and, though it can be replaced, Akali just wouldn't be the same without it.

Her W's stealth is nice, but otherwise it alongside E can literally be thrown out the window.