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A Question About Tanks (@Riot)

SkyblazeHydraX3··1 votes·362 views

Why do so many of them have rather high base damages and/or high ratios? I mean I get the idea of "bang for your buck" when it comes to certain champions, rewarding them for building unconventionally, but on some it's downright abusive. Lately I've been seeing a lot of champs win fights and win games because they build ludicrous amounts of tank, then just pound down any squishies that get in there way. Or even worse, some tanks who build high amounts of AP, then nuke you while you're in the midst of being CC'ed by their skills. Tanks are supposed to be the role that harass and disrupt the enemy team with CC and beef, not serious damage threats that mop up the team if you focus the squishy DPS like you're typically supposed to.

I'm aware this is probably a rather complex matter that doesn't have a simple solution or answer, but I'd really like it if a Rioter could answer this question on the matter of tanks and their damage-dealing capabilities. Are there any plans to address tanks and their damage dealing? Or perhaps their role in general?

I have a lot more questions and a lot more I wanna bring up, but Rioters don't like it when you give them a wall of text and expect an answer to everything. So one... two... three questions at a time I guess ^^|

5 Comments

IcyPepper1 votes

Or even worse, some tanks who build high amounts of AP, then nuke you while you're in the midst of being CC'ed by their skills.

Wouldn't that make them AP bruisers in that case? Build matters.

SkyblazeHydraX31 votes

That's part of why I realize it's so complicated. I mean Amumu, Malphite, and Alistar are all some of League's most iconic tanks. But they also have incredibly high ratios that means just a bit of AP makes them incredibly frustrating to fight. To this day I still remember a game where as a squishy I faced an AP Alistar, who by the time they were in our base used headbutt, a his knockup, and then a LB-proc auto. 100-0'ed me, no means of escape, no counterplay.

I also happen to have a friend who LOVES to abuse AP Malphite. Ult in, use the AoE slap, then Q and/or ignite for good measure. Boom, dead. Amumu's in a similar state, and there are many, many others that could come to mind.

But at the same time, if they don't have the means of fighting in solo lanes, the tanks might as well go as supports in botlane while the bruisers take over top. That's largely the reason I don't expect a simple answer to this question; tanks seem to fill an odd space between supports and fighters, where their intent is to buy beef and utility, but they have the potential to be serious damage threats if they build just a bit of AP. The problem is that some champions can have the best of both worlds, with incredible amounts of defense and CC combined with high damage that makes them nigh-impossible to duel, and makes teamfights that much more difficult and unclear. What's the point of focusing down the squishy ADC/Mage/Assassins when the beefy tank can just tear apart our team anyways?

Crett1 votes

I wish there was a world where tank damage was gated behind being attacked, such as to discourage players from focusing tanks without sufficient firepower or teamwork Most of the time, I don't think AP ratios belong on tanks, even on most off builds (AP Sejuani/Amumu/Rammus/Malphite are honestly ridiculous, not OP, but just really cheesy and I have reservations about their continued existence). With AP zapped off tanks, Riot would have a LOT more control over where their damage is coming from and can afford to tune up their durability and utility as a result

SkyblazeHydraX31 votes

I honestly wouldn't mind that either. A tank's biggest weakness is to be ignored. If their allies can't make use of a tank's CC, either for engage or peel, then the enemy team should be able to work around the enemy tank until they have the sufficient number advantage needed to focus down the wall of meat (or rock, or metal, or corpse flesh, or... etc etc).

But currently a lot of tanks have damage you really wouldn't expect from them, and unfortunately it's also tied to their CC spells, which can make things very frustrating or abusive. That's why I'd like an answer from Riot staff, to get some insight on this issue from the source, and if they intend to do something regarding it. Or feel like doing something is even necessary.

Lovelle1 votes

They have high base damage because they don't typically build damage and they still need it to farm and to actually be some kind of threat. In today's LoL you have to have damage to be relevant, even as a tank. Maybe you just need to position better as a squishy champion.

What tanks are you talking about in particular that have the best of both worlds and destroy teams on their own? Because as long as I've played, I can only think of one tank champion that is capable of doing that, but it requires them to invest heavily into damage (which makes them an easy to kill for anyone with a brain).

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