The state of Nocturne?
Recently I've really gotten into Nocturne and want to start picking him up as a "Main", but I'm still pretty new to him as a champ and wanted some expert opinions from some mains out there and maybe some Reds too on stuff like builds, viability, things you think he needs changed, things you think are really cool about him, etc.
Ok, first off, I really like his thematic as a living nightmare, and I think his kit and design really reflect that well. I love his Q, E, and R in particular because they match his aesthetic really well. I don't like his passive or his spell shield in terms of thematics, since the passive feels tacked on for some sustain and jungle clear, and his spell shield just feels out of place in general. What do you all think of this aspect of nocturne? does he fulfill what you'd expect from a nightmare, or does he fall a little short?
As for build, I've seen a lot of people build him with Sated Devourer, but I can't really justify it most of the time. The only thing that it synergizes with is his passive having a shorter CD, and BotRK if you have it. It is definitely a strong item in its own right, but I feel like he doesn't have a strong enough power spike from the transform to warrant getting it over warrior for better early gank pressure. Thoughts? I'm also not really sure about his build as a whole. Should I go all out DPS, heavy AD assassin, or more of a tanky bruiser build? Does it mostly depend on the match or is there a clearly superior build style? Are there any really strong core items you'd suggest lie Ravenous hydra, Youmuu's, Sated Devourer, etc.?
Ok, big question, is Nocturne a viable choice right now? I saw that recently he received some buffs (or will receive, I always get PBE updates mixed up with live patch notes) to his ult dash range, and noticed some people saying he needs "more". Is Nocturne good in the jungle? Average? Bad? Can he lane decently well?
As for things I'd change (again, relative nocturne noob here) I'd really like if his passive heal had a very small AD scaling attached to the flat amount (something like 10% bonus or less), because as an assassin/DPS sort, he should be rewarded more for the damage he builds than I feel he is now. The other thing I would change is that his spell shield feels weak. I know in general, spell shields are actually quite strong and this one having a steroid attached is cool, but the steroid is so small that it isn't really noticeable. Giving it a facelift in the same vein that Fiora's Riposte got a facelift from being uber passive to being more engaged and impactful is all I would really ask. What about all of you, do you think there's anything that Nocturne really needs, or is he pretty much fine as is outside number tweaks?
Personally, the things I find coolest about him are his Q and R. Q is one of the most unique abilities in the game because of the dusk trail effect on champions hit, and it helps with tracking enemies and gives that feeling of a monster chasing you through your nightmares which is pretty epic. His R is possibly one of the most iconic abilities in league as a whole and still sends a tiny jolt of panic through my spine whenever it gets activated, really living up to its name.
Ok, so there's my two cents, and I'd love to hear from some more experienced nocturne mains and Reds about how he stands right now.
