(From Chinese player) A Full analysis and advice about the rework of Akail

Hello, i am a Chinese player, it is so difficult to come here and create a discussion. Although my English is not good enough like local players. However, this article is my painstaking effort, i earnestly request designer and balance team can see and think about this. I spent a lot of time to write this. This article was sent to many website in China, it had many comments and agreements in different websites in China such as bilibili, Baidu post Bar, NGA, Weibo, Zhihu and so on. Clearly, it can represent many ideas of Chinese players. The topic is "Full analysis and advice about the rework of Akail" This is the text:

I am a challenger player on Akali in S6 and S7. I think new Akali is not a successful rework.

Since the new version of Akali came out, it can be said that it was frequently boarded on the LOL Pro League (LPL, LCK and so on) , and general players have followed this. This champion can always appear in "TOP 10 operation show" matches in Pro league. However, in ordinary games, the win rate of Akali haven't higher than 50%, especially in mid line (always in about 45%, and lower than 40% in 9.3).The balanced team nerfed her constantly since she was reworked. Actually, her performance is not actually very showy in Pro league. However, what is the reason that she always can appear in Pro league.

1, Stability advantage on top line, in LPL, most professional player afraid solo killed in the match, once they was solo killed by other professional players, there are many news in each forum and board talking about their performance. Obviously, Akali can suppress most champions on top line, when she get a litter advantage, she can kill other champions continuously. We know Pro leagure is not same as ordinary games, the other line usually do not have the condition like our teammates get 0/5, 0/6. Therefore, this champion can make stable advantage and get continuous pressure in her line before 9.3. This is the first reason why she can appear in Pro league but has low win rate in rank.

2, is the distance between the player in rank and Pro league, this is like the conditon of Azir and Ryze. These two champions is not easy to balance. When you buff them slightly, they will dominate Pro league, however, in ordinary games and ranks, their win rates is really too low. Akali is similar to them. Why? Because the teammates in the pro league is different to ordinary games. I know there is a word "troll" in English. This behavior is much more common in Chinese server. The reworked Akali can not solo carry a game. In the Pro league match, the teammates never troll in any game. Therefore, her advantages can be brought to whole team and “operating”(in Chinese) in a game.

I usually follow the forum of American server, the most views about Akali is "Frustration" on her W. It means the enemy always feel bad because of her W. She can repeat QA QA in her W, and the enemy can not counterattack， even those champions who have directive skills. This makes the experience of enemy become very bad. When they killed Akali, they also feel being played by Akali. This is "Frustration"

However, is this experience to the enemy gives Akali players a good experience?

My answer is "No" "Never"

The reason is so easy, because Akali players can not win the game. Many American players only know about frustration, but they didn't think about the problem that Akali can not win a game.

It is true that her solo kill ability and making "frustration" ability are good. However, she can not win the game even though she killed enemies many times. Why?

1, The first reason is Akali does not have a "snowball" ability which an assassin should have. This snowball is not saying about solo kill on the line, it's the ability that helping team and teammates, then go to win. I know the designer emphasize nerfing Akali's snowball ability when she was reworked. However, new Akali's snowball ability is even weaker than Leblanc, Zed. Well-known, in general rank games, Leblanc and Zed is easy to solo kill on their line, but after they killed their enemies for some times, they still can not win this game. This problem on Akali is more serious, compared with them, her skill R has one of the longest 120 cooldown in league of legend, as an assassin. She don't have a continuous fight ability in the game. After she used her R, she is too foolish to the enemy who know her skill combination. In addition, Her fighting ability is rely on her W. If she does not have W, she always can only "ob" her teammates and enemies fights. I think is not a good mechanism. In her W and QA QA, I don't think this is a good design. It decreases the explosive speed of an assassin and making "frustration" on her enemy.

2, The limited clearing minions ability. The energy cost of Akali's Q is too high, only using two times "Q", her energy will be very low. Except in the advantage condition, Akali's Q even can not kill a long-distance minion. After she cleaning the minions, she does not have any fighting ability because of no energy. Therefore, her solo "cleaning minions" ability is too weak. When she cleaning some minions, she does not have any energy to strike back if other enemy champions come.

3, is the killing speed of an assassin. She always can kill many enemies before 20 min in this game. However, it is useless, in the later game, akali always die in “unknown AOE” because she can not make killing faster. The passive skill of her has high damage, but is relative too slow in later game. This is similar to Leblanc in S7. Her passive is too slow in later game, too. To that Leblanc, i think the designer can reduce the passive time (1.5s) in later time. Maybe 1.5s in lv1, 1s in lv 9, 0.5s in lv 15. Then decrease her damage growth. I think this will be a good adjustment. However, that Leblanc is not exist. I will not talk more suggestions about her. Nevertheless, this ways is not suitable to Akali, because her passive value is not easy to change like reduce circles in later game and move speed. Overall, killing speed is really too important to an assassin in later game. It has a positive correlation to the ability of making chance.

Ok, these three points is the reason why she can not win the game, even though she get lots of kills. (Maybe my expression in English is not very accurate, if you want to know more accurate about this, you can ask professional interpreter to translate my Chinese version, if this article is really useful) So, this is the most failure place i think about the rework of Akali.

New Akali's skill mechanism is really not good. The biggest balance problem is her W, however, not like S6 and S7 Akali, her W decide her whole ability of fights. She only can fight with the enemies when W is not in the cooldown. In addition, why old Akali's W does not have any "Frustration", because when old Akali need to attack enemy, she always appear longer time to attack enemy. In this time, other emenies can use any methods to counter her.

About your buffs on 9.4 or 9.5. I think about this for a long time, it is really not easy to buffs her. such as: reduce her Q energy cost, reduce cool down of R and adding AP suck blood. These changes might change a little bit win rate of her. But her problem is W, if W is too weak, akali will stay on the ground. If W is too strong, she will dominate Pro league and bring "Frustration".

I still think old Akali is better, the biggest reason is she can win the game. Her line and solo kill ability in early game is not really good. But she can get advantage in the group fight in early game. It is true that "smurf" can bring negative experience to lower division rank players, however, this is the problem of "smurfs", not old Akali's players' problems. You should try to reduce the amount of "smurfs". In Master and Chanllager even diamond rank , old Akali is really a balanced champion. Her total win rate is always near to 50%(49%-50%) The players who really have higher skills on her can use distinctive operation to win a game. I don't want you delete this distinctive champion. Her ability is unique and interesting (at least no Frustration on enemy players) She has clear weakness and merits. Please think about adjust back to old Akali. To tell the truth, after the rework of Akali, my gaming time on LOL is decreasing about 70%. I just feel boring when i use new Akali that i can not carry this game due to the reason of "troller". I only can report them after the game and feel annoyed. However, these troll players still always exist in the rank game when i play the game. This is true "Frustration" to me. When i play old Akali, i always have feeling that i can win this game. But now, i only can win the game when my teammates have a good performance (at least not "troll"). I feel really so sad, and now, i can not achieve challenger in the first server in China.

"Maybe one day she will come back along that way, but this will be decided by herself." This is your background story about Akali. When i see this, i feel lacrimal. I am waiting for the day which she can come back... that girl. Akali

This article was translated by myself and the author of Chinese version is me too. Maybe my English translation is not actually good enough, if you think it make sense. Please think about this and let Chinese staffs go to that Chinese website to have a look. I really hope designer and balance team can think about the opinion of players, not only in LOL Pro league matches.

Thanks for your reading! 14/02/2019

Xxxyyy MasterYyyi