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Riot fundamentally misunderstands what assassins are

fractalfantasies·9/16/2016, 12:51:43 PM·5 votes·1,284 views

Apparently the next class due for mass reworks is the assassin class and rather predictably a rioter confirmed will not be experiencing significant changes, however has been earmarked for change. Shaco and Zed are on the opposite ends of the assassin spectrum and Riot clearly feels one is healthier than the other, yet I fail to see what it is which makes Zed an assassin.

Shaco is characterised by his style of play centred around stealthily operating behind enemy lines to take objectives and kill high value targets and careful planning and awareness of the map is crucial to successful play. He feels like an actual assassin sneaking into the enemy camp. You could change his theme from that of a demonic jester to a robot which lays mines instead of boxes and he would still feel like an assassin by nature of his kit

Zed is characterised by mechanical skill and using his flashy abilities to outplay the enemy mid laner and the only thing remotely assassin-like about him is the fact he is a roaming mid with high single target damage. If Riot were to get rid of the shadow ninja theme and make him into a wizard who throws magic, he would go from an '''''assassin''''' to a very mobile burst mage.

Rito pls.

44 Comments

Aptest9/16/2016, 12:56:18 PM5 votes

I fail to see the un-healthy parts in shaco's kit. He has a good deal of damage. can kill both squishy targets and beefier ones. is very hard to pin down or chase.

but OTOH he can be pinned down and sniped. he does not instagib anyone, because he relies on several autos. he can be outright 1v1ed by certain types of champions or disabled by a tank or support and DPSed to extinction. he is a split pushing god but in team-fights he is meh. he has both risk in his mechanical play, and also in picking him.

also I think people who play him are having tons of fun, and that fun is not at the expense of the rest of us.

I would really like clarification from riot, why he merits a change ?

Oleandervine9/16/2016, 1:23:25 PM5 votes

An assassin by real world concept is an operative who is assigned to kill someone. There are brute force assassins, such as someone who would bomb a car or would kill their way to their target and then kill it. There are espionage style assassins who use cover and clever tricks, such as poisons, to kill their targets. An assassin on the whole is not a singular exact style of character, they're just a highly skilled mercenary who is given a specific task to kill a target. Most of the assassins in League fit that concept. From a gameplay point, assassins in other video games are characterized as espionage style assassins, which isn't bad, but it's just not inclusive of all types of assassins that exist in the real world.

Meep Man9/16/2016, 1:00:26 PM5 votes

Zed is definitely an Assassin and would still be characterized as such because his W, E, R, and Passive all go towards being an Assassin. The only "Mage" like style of his gameplay is his WQ combo, which is long range. He is definitely someone who marks a target for death, goes in, kills them, then escapes. Plus, he is Melee.

Assassins- Akali Fizz Katarina Khazix Leblanc Rengar Shaco Talon Zed

Burst Mages- Ahri Annie Lissandra Lux Malzahar Syndra TwistedFate Veigar Viktor

See the difference? Assassins lack crowd control and are usually Melee, but come with increased mobility. Burst Mages come with more crowd control and are usually ranged, but come with much more limited if any mobility. Notice that the only Assassin with hard crowd control is the short knock up on Fizz ultimate and the only Burst Mages with serious mobility are Ahri and Twisted Fate with their ultimates, with Lissandra having her claw for second most mobility.

Shadòw9/16/2016, 12:59:36 PM3 votes

so Zed and every assassin should be made a stealth champion with which you can sneak?

In League an assassin is simply a high mobility champion with a high risk/high reward playstyle and much single target damage to blow up a squishy.

very mobile burst mage

...which is also an another word for AP Assassin, like Ahri or Leblanc .

This isn't Assassins Creed, when every assassin would need to have stealth in his kit and be able to sneak about the map, it would fuck up the gameplay.

The Candy Pirate9/16/2016, 4:12:54 PM2 votes

Kinda mad they are reworking shaco. He's pretty much the ideal assassin

Blåbæret9/16/2016, 1:22:18 PM2 votes

Shaco has an unhealthy design which is why he's getting changed. Zed has more counterplay. I still think Zed is toxic though.

MLDzXnRRR9/16/2016, 2:05:15 PM2 votes

They don't wanna make good stealth detection, because stealth champions will become totally useless vs competent teams.

Astôlfo9/16/2016, 2:32:38 PM2 votes

You are the one that doesn't understand.

Sasogwa9/16/2016, 12:56:23 PM1 votes

Well idk, do you consider Leblanc to be an assassin?