Azir: "Big early game buffs to Q and E, small late game nerf to W's AP ratio"

Bringing clarity to the 4.20 Patch Azir Changes

There's quite a bit of number work, just fyi.

The Buffs: Q - Conquering Sands BASE MAGICAL DAMAGE 60/90/120/150/180 ⇒ 75/105/135/165/195 +15 damage across all levels E - Shifting Sands BASE SHIELD AMOUNT 60/100/140/180/220 ⇒ 80/120/160/200/240 +20 shielding across all levels

The "Small" Nerf: W - Arise! RATIO 0.7 ability power ⇒ 0.6 ability power (for both the stab and turret damage) -10% of AP scaling in damage per hit [obviously across all levels]

It's been discussed briefly in a few threads prior to the release of this patch, but the changes have gone through.

Personally, I try to play Azir whenever I get the chance. Sometimes I do well, sometimes, I don't. I'm not a great player 24/7, whatever. However, if it comes to analysis of numbers.. well, anyone can do that, and it seems to me like the changes to Azir are a rather large nerf with two smaller buffs to compensate. Of course, this is my opinion, so here's why I think so.

First off, the buffs.

Let's talk about the shielding of E first. Keeping in mind that this a total of 100 mana (40 + 60) to use on it's own or more often, 170 mana (40 + 70 + 60) to use offensively (usually the only time the shield will be applied), +20 shielding might help out in some situations.

However, considering the risks, it's generally not worth using as an offensive tool. Suppose Azir attempted to engage onto an enemy, but he missed (we all know how much mobility there is for opponents to work with).

Now he's probably close enough to the enemy to be nuked while having lost his escape, not getting his shield because he missed, and not having the tools to outburst his opponent unless he's already ahead.

The E shielding buff is simply not applicable enough to be significant given the costs and risks.

Next, the Q- Conquering Sands change.

+15 damage on every Q (10 sec CD lvl 1), which can increase up to 50% when 3 soldiers hit the target for about +22.5, whatever that will round to.

That seems pretty good at first glance, considering that the Q also applies a slow that will let you get off an auto attack on the target as well under ideal circumstances.

However, this is a buff on a skill that has a total cost of 110 (40 + 70) mana, and summoning three soldiers (40 x 3 mana) at level 2 for one Q + AA is unreasonable, so let's assume a more standardized scenario for comparison.

Let's say Azir started with Doran's Ring and doesn't have masteries or runes that give AP.

+15 AP total. This originally gave +10.5 damage (0.7 AP) to the soldiers and with the new changes will give +9 damage (0.6 AP). It still gives +7.5 to the Q - Conquering Sands.

At level 2 (when you have both W and Q), ORIGINAL Damage W damage = 65.5 damage (= 55 base + 10.5 scaling) Q damage = 67.5 damage (=60 base + 7.5 scaling)

Total in W -> Q + AA = 133 damage Total in W + AA -> Q + AA = 198.5 damage

4.20 Patch Damage W damage = 64 damage (= 55 base + 9 scaling) Q damage = 82.5 damage (=75 base + 7.5 scaling)

Total in W -> Q + AA = 146.5 damage Total in W + AA -> Q + AA = 210.5 damage

Now, to make the most use out of every cast of W, I prefer to summon, AA, Q, then AA for 2 AA's and one Q, but there are also times when Azir simply can't afford to risk getting close and use Q immediately to keep Azir distant from the target, hence the above calculations.

While the** safer form of Azir's poke at level 2 is a bit better with about a 10% increase in damage, 14 damage** (146.5/133 = 1.101), Azir's riskier 2 AA + Q move only benefitted by about 6% in terms of damage, 12 damage (210.5/198.5 = 1.060) Again, both attack scenarios cost 110 mana and is at level 2.

It's pretty easy to see that in many cases, Azir can dish out enough damage that he DOESN'T REALLY NEED THIS "BUFF" to fare well in the laning phase.

If you want to compare other champions to Azir to see how they match up, feel free, but I will be focusing on Azir. Two champions commonly picked mid against me when I select Azir are and . They don't always do as well as they seem to think they should, but, that's not the issue here.

Let's see what Azir LOST in exchange for these "big early game buffs".

Obviously, this 10% AP loss in scaling applies mostly to late game, because I admit, he is quite the monstrosity... but not to the extent that it warrants him receiving this great a reduction.

Builds vary, of course. I personally like to use instead of or . Followed by , , , with intermittent defensive items as needed.

As such, let's consider a real scenario where I as haven't been doing well at the beginning, but performed well overall like in this match here. http://matchhistory.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/#match-details/NA1/1634033474/211598632?tab=builds (This is before 4.20 Patch) Azir was meant to be like an ADC, right? A late game monstrosity. For comparison, we have a monstrosity on the other team in that very same match. A Lucian.

I was 0/2/0 until about 7 minutes in.

It wasn't until about 12 minutes in that I got my hands on and .

Kills soon followed, and by about 20 minutes, I had and .

This totals about 260 AP, on it's own.

With the 4.20 Changes, already, would be worse off than before the changes. This is 20 minutes in, while I was behind in early game.

Let's look at the same calculations as before, modified to match the situation, 20 minutes in. Granted, I have no idea what level I was. Let's err on the lower side and say I was only level 12, since W damage scales with level. I have maxed Q by now of course.

Here comes the numbers. Again, 260 AP. We're not considering runes or masteries. ORIGINAL Damage W damage = 292 damage (= 110 base + 182 scaling) Q damage = 310 damage (= 180 base + 130 scaling)

Total in W -> Q + AA = 602 damage Total in W + AA -> Q + AA = 894 damage

4.20 Patch Damage W damage = 266 damage (= 110 base + 156 scaling) Q damage = 325 damage (= 195 base + 130 scaling)

Total in W -> Q + AA = 591 damage Total in W + AA -> Q + AA = 857 damage

The** safer form of Azir's poke at level 12 with the above items is decreased by a minor 11 damage, about 2%** (591/602 = ), Azir's riskier 2 AA + Q move was reduced by 37 damage, about 4% (857/894 = 0.9586)

As seen above, at level 12, 20 minutes in, with the three items I always get in a match where I was behind to start with, Azir is already being penalized by the new patch. Because of the cooldowns and the hectic nature of teamfights, enemies often take multiple AA's with each cycle of repositioning. Each AA is another loss of 26 damage (292 - 266) (up to 39 damage if target is hit by 3 soldiers).

20 minutes in is pretty early to be penalized so heavily. 26 - 39 damage lost by following the 4.20 Patch, for EACH autoattack, on a champion who has autoattacks as his focus, and autoattacks as his main source of damage.

Of course, 266 damage per hit doesn't seem bad at all compared to adc damage! Until considering that adc's also get scaling from criticals, attack speed, and lifesteal. Azir could get spellvamp, sure.. but at 1/3 per target and given the opportunity cost of getting spellvamp, it's not always worth it. If at all.

Returning one last time to the match indicated above, eventually reached full build, building the way I did in order to try and survive that particular match.

Let's see how the 4.20 Patch would have affected it, had this match taken place after it. 1.3 x (80 + 120 + 70 + 100 + 70) = 572 AP

ORIGINAL Damage W damage = 570.4 damage (= 170 base + 400.4 scaling) Q damage = 466 damage (= 180 base + 286 scaling)

Total in W -> Q + AA = 1036 damage rounded Total in W + AA -> Q + AA = 1607 damage rounded

4.20 Patch Damage W damage = 513.2 damage (= 170 base + 343.2 scaling) Q damage = 481 damage (= 195 base + 286 scaling)

Total in W -> Q + AA = 994 damage rounded Total in W + AA -> Q + AA = 1507.2 damage rounded

On their own: W has a decrease of 57.2 damage (570.4 - 513.2) per hit, up to 85.8 damage less than before per hit (57.2 x 1.5 with 3 soldiers) That's quite a large chunk to lose in exchange for +15 damage on Q in the early game.

I'm not going to put together the above combos and their decrease %'s because the key change here is the W decrease, and the actual combos used vary significantly at this point in the game. Sometimes it's just W AA's.

**The main idea here is that in exchange for a 10% increase in damage of the level 2 W -> Q + AA combo, gave up a whopping 10% in his late game damage PER HIT. **

If considering the common 2 soldier AA scenario, that's a nerf from a 0.875 AP ratio to 0.75 AP per hit, and in the less common 3 soldier AA, a nerf from 1.05 AP ratio to 0.9 AP per hit.

Because Azir is an AA focused champ,** the losses from the nerfs accumulate further every time he AA's** and he is essentially penalized for doing what he is supposed to do.

While I agree Azir may have dished out a bit too much damage in the late game under IDEAL circumstances, the nerf to his W was too much given the mediocre compensation he received.

Thoughts, etc, all welcome.