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Why do we continue to nerf mages with point-and-click abilities, but make mobile assassins?

SmoothBrainIdiot·5/30/2015, 2:57:35 AM·108 votes·5,692 views

It almost feels as if Riot does not want us to have a champion with an answer to mobility. We get that can free form dash AND teleport to any target he attacks, but people like get shafted into a new skill shot that makes him unable to compete with it. gets half his kit changed because of play in LCS, yet has been EVERYWHERE since the beginning of time. She even still has a point-and-click! How can you pass up high damage, CC, and 4 possible teleports on low cooldowns? You don't. Hell, soon will be changed to have some dumb gimmick where if you gold card you have to click W and toss it in a line or something like that. Can we get some champions that make assassins think twice about going in? I feel like are some of the last point and clicks in the game, but they have all been either nerfed or underplayed due to low mobility.

This is mostly just me venting but I would like to know an answer. Are we doing away with old designed abilities, or are there other reasons for it. I want to hear the philosophy. I hope Riot responds as well.

82 Comments

SlytherinUmbreon5/30/2015, 3:05:52 AM42 votes

Because assassins are extremely fun to play as and not even remotely frustrating to play against, unlike mages who are the exact opposite and need to be removed from the game. #Strategic Diversity

My Desired Name5/30/2015, 3:13:31 AM15 votes

Mobility is cancer.

Narasimha5/30/2015, 3:31:39 AM11 votes

Because point-and-click abilities are, by their nature, harder to balance than skill shots. With the former, theres a lot less tuning options. You can hit the numbers, or you can hit the range. If its skill shot based, you have more avenues to adjust. Missile width, missile speed, range, damage, etc. Plus, point-and-click has the inherent frustration of zoning that comes with it. Everyone's experienced it with Annie. Once she has her stun up, there becomes an area around her where you don't want to enter, simply because you'll be stunned and there's nothing you can do about it.

Ramuhdo5/30/2015, 3:22:53 AM11 votes

You forgot a point-and-click. Katarina Understandable, she's more difficult to play than Veigar after all, if the difficulty ratings are to be believed.

I think Anivia is one of those mages who could probably use a bit of a review considering the rising mobility of enemies, and the missile speed of her Q.

Worst Mid Ever5/30/2015, 1:58:53 PM8 votes

season 2 meta long range AP mage afk farming mid with no kill pressure adc afk farming with a passive healer support weak ganking jungler afk farming jungle with gp10 items top being the only interesting lane with kill pressure and outplay potential goal is to afk farm till 30 then have one fight over dragon that decides the entire game

season 5 meta mids need to play mobile assassins so they can roam, get solo kills and out rotate lane opponent for jungle skirmishes tops are running teleport to have larger game impact as early as possible instead of waiting for 6 on shen in season 2 supports are able to roam effectively now even before tower goes down or pre 6, and can also make plays with their aggressive supports that actually have engages junglers are able to gank more effectively because everyone has higher kill pressure with mobility, cc and burst

dont know about you but i prefer the modern meta, and its only there because mid assassins speed up the game by creating more kill opportunities and forcing earlier fights in the side lanes or jungle, these mobile cc burst champions also allow more skill gaps between players, you wouldn't have players like Faker or Madlife who stand out because the players like Froggen who stood out back then only stood out for farming more wraith camps

Bern5/30/2015, 4:28:12 AM7 votes

It's because skillshots vs. mobility (oh, I can juke this nid spear while I move in to attempt to charm) is a more interesting gameplay interaction than something like Annie Q with stun vs. Annie Q with stun (oh look, neither of us can go near the other because if we do we take tons of damage). It raises the skillcap of the game and allows people to take more risks.

Blades of Navori5/30/2015, 5:29:31 PM5 votes

Mages are nerfed the most. In my opinion they aren't that creative either. Their abilities aren't...original? The most creative mages are

Heimerdinger Syndra and Orianna

Every other mage is like this: Skill Shot Here , Slow/Stun Here, long cool down Here, and typical ult that does no damage unless the specific conditions are met. They also talk about power CONSTANTLY. Power this, I need moar power, this isn't my final form!!

Heim builds turrets and Syndra and Orianna manipulate spheres. Very unique attacks and ways to attack. Am I the only one that feels this way? I hate to admit it but DoTA (Yes, DoTA on a league discussion GASP) has much more creative mages. Need proof?

Invoker>Creates spells on the go and has very unique quotes that fit him well. " I am a beacon of knowledge blazing out across a black sea of ignorance."

Crystal Maiden>Seems like a generic ice mage right? Dude she conjures meteors from the sky. Need I say more?

Puck>This guy actually shifts through dimensions unlike Reksai. Amazing effects and rather unique abilities.

Honestly we need a complete mage rework. More creativity put into them like the fighters and assassins. We have creative Sion who can throw minions and smash his axe into the ground like a man, Draven who throws axes like a beast, Sejuani who rides a fricken boar into battle...the list goes on. But the mages? Lame Passive, Skill Shot Here , Slow/Stun Here, long cool down Here, and typical ult that does no damage unless the specific conditions are met.

Seriously am I the only one that feels this way?

Dragonface5/30/2015, 5:55:57 PM3 votes

I'll answer your question simply

Riot doesn't give a fuck about anyone under Plat tier, therefore, they're gonna do everything in their power to make their SMALLEST amount of income, but the face of their company, have more fun and be happy, compared to the vast majority of people, like us Gold and under, who spend hundreds of dollars across a few months just to buy new stuff, ONLY because no one sees us in the gaming community. They only care about if the pros are happy or not, they don't honestly care about us lower levels, except on a level of $$$.

Drezmal5/30/2015, 6:05:26 PM2 votes

UPVOTE i completely agree champs like zed and ekko are impossible to hit sometimes they take away point and click cause of counter play but it sux if u have to stay still as xerath or ziggs and all these assassins are flyin around you this only isnt a problem because of the tank meta but now this just makes a champ select game which is really frustrating

Dengeden5/30/2015, 10:27:22 AM2 votes

Ryze and Veigar Q have very forgiving projectile speeds and ranges. Veigar's rework was unfortunate not intentional.

Other than that, you're delusional: TF isn't getting reworked; LB completely fell out of the meta after her silence was removed; Annie sees tons of play as a support; you completely forgot about ADCs somehow (Urgot and Trist have hard CC for ults to boot)

Depóngo5/30/2015, 11:30:16 AM2 votes

Recently many assassins have been nerfed, including LeBlanc, which is also getting another nerf soon.

Sluiceway5/30/2015, 4:12:41 PM2 votes

Among the mages you list, you missed my (former) favorite, Soraka . Here was a mage who could zone an assassin off of farm with her Starcall spamming (the version that hit everything in an aoe around her), silence them on an all in, and heal herself out sustain them in lane, all of which gave her outplay (the only thing op really stands for) potential against mobile assassin, The difference between mages and assassin is that the majority of mages cannot make flashy "LCS Big Plays," and are, instead, firm foundations from which a team can snowball to victory, though, of course, they have to be played well to achieve this. But, for some strange reason cough LCS sponsers cough they rework any strong mages that see success in the LCS.

Besides Soraka (whose rework should be reverted), other victims of Riot's promotion of assassins (from reworks or neglect) include Ryze Kayle Fiddlesticks Evelynn Syndra Taric Poppy Galio Elise Rammus Quinn Zac Udyr . Let me know if I missed any, as I am sure I did. I hope I got the majority of them, at least.

Big Bang Bob5/30/2015, 4:39:33 AM1 votes

It's because Rito expects you to either avoid the assassin, or stay far enough away to force the mobility so they can't use it to dodge and then smack them in the face with spells. Most champs only have one form of mobility, so after that one use you have plenty of time to hit them. If they kill you too fast for you to launch out your spell after that, it wouldn't matter whether or not your attack is point and click and you should bring protection (like a tank).