Just playing with ideas and unwanted (but thematic!) buffs to Zyra as usually

An Undead brat··7 votes·341 views

Why does the fact that she's a carnivorous plant reflect nowhere in her gameplay?

Hear me out first and downvote me later, but please keep in mind I'm only playing with ideas here:

Zyra has 11th lowest base health on level 1 (counting unmounted Kled, otherwise she's 10th) in the game and 7th at level 18 (counting unmounted Kled again). Given she has no inbuilt survivability in her kit, what if she consumed enemies? In other words, what if she healed when plants damage her enemies?

It would reward those players that can kite around her plants and actually helped her in extended fights, since introduction of item 3194 trashed this ability of hers and her burst is so so anyway, given current meta of shielding and healing supports. (This is my opinion, you are allowed to disagree.)

Now I don't think about anything big, for comparison: Cassiopeia heals when damaging poisoned targets with Twin Fangs (E) by 5-22 (based on level) HPs. That's not so big, is it? Could be even lowered for every other plant attacking (the same as it works for the plant damage - every other plant after the first one deals 50% damage).

I know noone enjoys playing against her because she's a lanebully, but with this change if you poke her or a jungler ganks, she'd actually waste the seeds she stacked to heal from the minions and couldn't use it to poke you, think about that! Speaking mostly about the midlane where I play her, I cannot comment much on the impact on support role because I don't play her there, but theoretically I guess she'd push the wave for her ADC this way and need to recall anyway as good junglers are focusing botlane the most now and she'd open herself to ganks.

Now that her winrate was decreasing according to op.gg for a few patches (except the current one which still has pretty little data and keeps Zyra on 50% winrate as opposed to previous 48%) I guess a minor buff wouldn't hurt the game much, would it? Especially a selfish one.


Edit: If someone actually thinks this is bad, please, tell me why do you think so. I'm open to an objective conversation.

7 Comments

Bladerunner77771 votes

I just want Zyra's walk animation/other animations to be updated. They look clunky.

An Undead brat1 votes

I don't feel like they're clunky, more like not fitting - I'd expect her to walk like a model sort of thing, like Camille maybe, not running like she was a warrior, she's a brittle (hehe) lady.

Bladerunner77772 votes

I also thought she should walk with swagger like Camille ;v

Chembaron Yamada1 votes

Not really sure if Zyra should move like that.... Just because she does look sexy, doesn't mean that she is able to utilise that sexiness or is even aware of it.

She was a carnivorous plant the longest time, totally unaware of the concept of walking, not to mention walking in a specific way to induce reactions from an observer. Running can fit, since it simply is an efficient way to move.

An Undead brat1 votes

What about something in between? Like a walk but not sexy like Cam, but little bit more predatory, as you said yourself, not experienced in sexiness, the back hunched a little like this? https://youtu.be/vzHrjOMfHPY?t=1m38s

Chembaron Yamada1 votes

As far as I know, the counterplay for Zyra in the bot lane is to poke her out of lane (hence why MF support got played in pro play as a counter: she outranges her, they can poke her down and then finish her off with burst).

With that in mind: I am against this change. You said it, she is a lane bully. You are supposed to poke her from far range to get her out of lane. If she is able to heal all the poke you are throwing at her, that counterplay goes out the window.

An Undead brat1 votes

I do not watch LCS, but I believed MF got picked because Make It Rain is an easy way to deal with her plants (and the ult burst, as you said).

But what is more important, she already has tons of counterplay in her kit:

  1. If you don't get hit by her skillshots, plants won't target you.
  2. You can step on her seeds.
  3. You can pretend you are about to step on her seeds and bait it out (which costs her the seed/s and mana).
  4. Hard engage in the moment she's out of her seeds, even Stranglethorns won't hurt you significantly in that moment (unless her ADC is very strong/fed/whatever).

Comparatively (again, because comparison is the key to balance) she basically lost her lanebully status, especially in the midlane, because she can't measure with Ori, Syndra, or let's say any artilery. Combined with her slowness she's very vulnerable to any mobility (assassins in the midlane or hard engage supports in botlane like Leona). So now that this strength is no more present against players that have at least a little idea what Zyra does and what she will try to do to them, this buff is in my opinion appropriate.

But as I said, I'm just playing with thoughts.

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