Aatrox: an analysis and what I would do.

SO Aatrox is in a terrible spot and I see a few threads popping up about what to do with him. He represents an awesome drain-tank fantasy, and right now he has no identity whatsoever. There is a ton of room to make something cool happen. First lets analyze his weaknesses and problems.

Passive: (blood well) This is a huge problem with his kit. It's almost useless outside of early turret dives, and sometimes during extended teamfights. The problem is while you regenerate health after it's popped, you have a huge delay so everyone can cluster hump your body. Then you have to get into autoattack range again to heal (if you live much longer) and you won't have your attack speed. Generally speaking your long Q cooldown means you probably already tried to use it to escape, and now you're going to just die again the second it comes up. This passive is NOT unique in any way, and is pretty terrible.

Q: (dark flight) This ability feels like one of the worst abilities to use in the game. It is PAINFULLY slow with no way to accelerate it. On top of that you have a HUGE delay in place with no movement at the top, which means you'll probably eat a ton of damage and CC while it winds up. Furthermore any champion with any mobility will just move out of it. This needs to be scrapped for some other mobility tool.

W: This is just a passive heal most of the time. It is rare that you'll have the opportunity to use it for damage, because by the time you get to your opponent you need to heal.

E: This is one of the better abilities in his kit. Its a fun to use aimed slow, but I would still add some flavor because it's very generic.

R: His ultimate is a steroid that gives attack speed, attack range, and slight damage on activation. This ability is the definition of boring and passive.

Here's what I would do.

Passive: Blood well: Activation of Aatrox's abilities, sustained damage, and any health drained fill the blood well. When the blood well is full, Aatrox gains the use an empowered version of his spells. Self revive every x seconds included or not (I don't care).

Q: dark flight: Aatrox takes flight, gaining the ability to cross terrain and bonus movement speed. Drains percent max health/second. (toggle).

Empowered: Aatrox gains tenacity and attack range while in dark flight for 10 seconds.

Now aatrox has mobility and flight like his previous ult. not every skill needs damage.

W: Aatrox passively heals every third strike. Activate to gain a shield for x percent of the amount healed over the last 10 seconds. 10 second cooldown.

Empowered: Aatrox also does bonus magic damage on every third strike over the next 10 seconds.

E: Leave this one the same as it is currently.

Empowered: aatrox casts chains upon the first champion hit, gaining bonus movement speed toward that target while slowing and draining life while the target is in range.

R: Aatrox enrages, immediately filling his bloodwell and gaining passive bloodwell generation for 5 seconds. Aatrox and nearby allies gain x attack speed. All enemy champions hit are feared for .5 seconds.

There now you have a unique drain tank fantasy with some utilty and a unique mechanic. He is still heavily auto attack based for damage, but he has the tools to stick to a target and stay alive long enough to get there. Aatrox CC is removed from Q and placed on his ultimate, while adding a little to his E. Aatrox now has a defensive shield and some additional ways to drain life and close gaps without CCing himself. Now he can effectively build as a bruiser. He now has no dash, but he makes up for it with a little more effective CC and better movement speed in some places. You can now afford to build some damage and are an actual threat.

Thoughts?