Bard's Tempered Fate - My beef with the casting delay
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20150224202956/leagueoflegends/images/b/b9/Tempered_Fate.png Tempered Fate
ACTIVE: Bard sends magical energy arcing to a target location. On impact, all units — allied, enemy and neutral — in the target 350-radius area are put in Stasis icon stasis for 2.5 seconds, becoming untargetable and invulnerable but also unable to perform any action.
Epic monsters and turrets (excluding Dominion turrets and the Nexus Obelisk) are also put in Stasis, despite normally being immune to disabling abilities.
Basically, Bard's ult is pretty dandy for a lot of things from disabling turrets and epic monsters, gank set-ups, comebacks or saving allies from harm.
At "longer" range (1500-3400 units) Tempered Fate can be easily dodged thanks to it travel speed and telegraphed impact spot. This allows counterplay by either avoiding the circle of Midas or abusing it for one's own purposes.
However, at closer distances down to on top of Bard, the Ult's casting delay (Bard blowing into his trumpet) becomes more of a hindrance. Even the slowest projectiles like Ashe's Enchanted Chrystal Arrow cannot be avoided by it as by the time between beginning the Cast and the projectile hitting the Arrow has either passed or hit its target.
Worse, in certain circumstances like Caitlyn's Ace in the Hole, a Bard player is screwed as he has to anticipate the cast before the Caitlyn player even begins his own cast. Unless the distance between Caitlyn and her target breaks line of sight she can fire her ultimate anyway after the stasis wears off and Bard's ult is wasted. Should Bard wait for the cast he is still better of taking the hit for his ally.
Outside of the rare case in which Caitlyn fires her ultimate at max or close to max distance the cast of Tempered Fate will not protect Bard nor Caitlyn's target as Ace in the Hole is simply to fast. Even with both players - Bard and his teammate - standing right on top of each other, the cast delay at point blanc makes Tempered Fate near worthless for clutch saves.
Caitlyn's ultimate is just one example for this. The same problem applies to Turret shots, all long range skillshots, executes,... etc.
While Tempered Fate can create amazing set ups, prevent Karthus' and Zed's respective ultimates from dealing dmg and either screw up or help any Morgana player hitting Soul Shackles its delay greatly reduces Bards supporting abilities in fights and reduces his participation to stunning opponents and healing/speeding up allies.
Now, I understand that Tempered Fate needs a tell in order to allow couterplay from opponents. I would still like it very much if the casting delay could either be decreased or completely dropped if it is supposed to hit in proximity to Bard (i.E. Bard's and Tempered Fate hitboxes overlap).
Just my two chimes.
