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Actual Unpopular Opinion: Akali is the best designed assassin

kargish·11/6/2018, 12:08:34 PM·8 votes·2,407 views

EXCEPT for obscurity on her W and infinite E range

Disclaimer: I know she's overtuned, but when it comes to kit design I think she's the healthiest assassin

Unlike every other assassin in the game, Akali has a fair game pattern that rewards her for playing good. She's the game's first true hit and run assassin. Her kit forces her to do certain actions to attain the most benefit. Want maximum damage? You gotta make the most out of your passive by breaking the energy ring and trigger the effect as much as possible. You can't just afk camp in your shroud, you gotta break in and out of it to extend its duration and gain max survivability. Plus, she's one of the few assassins that gain survivability by avoiding damage, rather than kill trading or resets.

She doesn't get rewarded the kill for landing 1 hard CC ability , nor for catching someone that's out of position for one quarter of a second .

The only thing that's truly dumb about her is her 'obscure' mechanic on her W. If true sight can't reveal her, then it isn't true sight and it breaks the rules of the game. The base duration on her shroud is also too high at higher ranks, she should break in and out more to gain full effect.

Edit: I’m surprised (and happy) most of the comments are discussions

42 Comments

saltran11/6/2018, 2:09:33 PM7 votes

If you say that Akali is the best designed assasin except for her W you are saying that she's not the best designed assasin.

Because her W is her identity and they will never remove it, maybe nerf it but overall she will be balanced around her W.

DerMangoJoghurt11/6/2018, 12:22:11 PM5 votes

I wouldn't say her W breaks the rules of the game. Normal sight can't see through normal stealth; it only makes sense true sight can't see through true stealth. But it is an exception to a previously exceptionless rule, so it does feel wrong in a way.

But just imagine Akali with normal stealth. The healthy kill pattern you described wouldn't be possible if simply picking ignite or a champion like Morgana would completely remove the safety of her W. Without the safety of her W she would need faster kill times to function, especially in late game. And then we'd just have another "catch someone out of position for one quarter second" champion.

SEKAI11/6/2018, 1:53:22 PM3 votes

My complaints of Akali:

W, obvs. The fact it not only costs no energy but instead if restores them because fuck reasonable design miright, as well as the completely broken Obscured effect which we all know the deal.
The infinite range of E, obvs.
The fact she has a back-dash during E toss too, that can also be used to cross terrains because it just has to be there. And it shouldn't be there because she already has 3 other dashes and 2 movement speed steroids.
The fact the E can mark HER OWN SHROUD for her to dash to. Why? She isn't mobile enough? She actually needs to land a fucking ranged skillshot and we can't have that? She actually needs YET ANOTHER way to disengage and/or re-engage into a fight after she already has a billion ways to do them?
The fact her R has TWO free-direction dashes, and the first one has A STUN that instantly wins any trades and chases with any follow up (where one of which is the ever obvious R2 that executes the target, that has the FIVE TIMES the HP-scaling of Garen's R and TWO TIMES the HP scaling of even Veigar's R)

The champ is ridiculously insane, both in number and design itself.

Who Fed Ru11/6/2018, 12:47:49 PM3 votes

catching someone that's out of position for one quarter of a second

imo that's what Assassins should be about tho. punishing even the slightest mispositioning, and quickly Assassinating their targets.

A champion that just hides in her stupid no counterplay cloud and goes in and out of it all the time is just BS and not even really Assassin'y on top of that. Her whole gameplay pattern definitely isn't fair simply because of how many rules her W breaks. It doesn't even cost energy, but even gives some back.

The Bad Touch11/6/2018, 1:43:41 PM2 votes

Any assassin that pulls off a 72% win rate in worlds vs organized pro teams..... is not well designed.

haaaaaaalp11/7/2018, 10:26:25 AM1 votes

Everything about her kit in a vacuum is fine. However, the combination of free mobility, burst damage, and long duration obscurity simply does not work together in a moba. Should have built her around two of the three.

Riot missed the mark on what was problematic about her pre-rework kit. Having targetted burst is fine as long as it also puts the assassin in danger, both rengar and kha work just find around that concept. Her problems stemmed from the defensive aspects of her shroud and her sustain in lane against melee champions and the rework kept both of those elements (and doubled down on the shroud).

Big ol Nom11/6/2018, 2:53:21 PM1 votes

her e range isnt really a problem, what IS tho is her free healing that just shouldnt be in her kit as a whole

Fear the Kayn11/6/2018, 4:10:26 PM1 votes

I have a problem when any assassin has too many escapes. Akali is just too safe atm and does need some changes.

Nyarlathοtep11/6/2018, 2:37:18 PM

All cool and dandy (as an opinion) however...

She doesn't get rewarded the kill for landing 1 hard CC ability

Excuse me? It might be an extremely short lived hard cc but it can reward a kill. After level 6 when akali engages with ulti (and lands it) unless the enemy is an assassin or a beefy champ, he WILL have to flash away or 95% of the times, he will die. That 0.5 sec is enough for her to land her e, get out of the ring and gain the empowered aa and she still has her w to regain energy and 2nd ulti to catch up to you.