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What is Riot's problem with safe lanes?

Sluiceway·2/28/2016, 9:25:47 PM·3 votes·748 views

For example: "Viktor's been a strong pick on the Rift for many patches thanks to his safe and consistent laning phase... but laning against him is low on interaction given how easily he’s able to ignore you and laser-focus the minion line."

The point of Viktor, Orianna, Ziggs, Xerath, Zilean, Karthus, and similar champions is to be able to farm without overextending in the lane (thus opening themselves up to assassination) while simultaneously being able to zone assassins away from farm, thereby cutting off their huge snowball potential. In order to accomplish this, players of these champions must interact with their lane opponent in the form of harass. So the lane is not low interaction, it is instead low kill count lane. So why does riot continually punish these champions for doing what they are designed to do? Not every mid lane needs to be a d* measuring contest between two assassins (or more commonly this season, one assassin versus Corki).

PS My personal stake in this is not Viktor, but how they reworked Soraka because of supposed low interaction, which I translate into low assassination.

Edit: But if Riot is against low interaction lanes as they claim to be, then what about Heimerdinger? His entire game revolves around tending his turret ranch while they do all the farming/pushing for him and even his teammates can't interact when all Heimer players do is basically afk inside their turret forts.

14 Comments

I am Pacman2/28/2016, 9:44:40 PM2 votes

The other champs you mentioned all have some sort of weakness or counterplay later on in the game past the safe lane phase. Each are incredibly powerful champs for late game team fights and due to this safe laning phase they are likely to reach that point.

With ori you just need to make sure you know where her ball is, ziggs is all skillshots, xerath as well (not to mention that if anyone reaches those 2 they die pretty much instantly). Zilean has only one damaging abilty and its a skillshot. Karthus is the most immobile champ and a large part of his dmg is also a skillshot.

Viktor on the other hand had a safe laning phase to reach late game potential but also has mobility in q (also ghost) and very powerfull slow/stun field to stay alive. e and ulti while they are both skill shots on paper, in practice its pretty hard to miss ulti, as it has no cast or travel time or any indication at all that its coming and his laser is the same deal at the beginning point making it easy to land in melee or medium range. All they did was make it so he can't insta clear waves with e. He still has all of what I just mentioned, its just not free money mid lane anymore, he has to stick around and last his for 4-5 sec and risk some harass.

TL;DR easier to access his power after safe laning phase with no real drawback compared to other champs mentioned.

Idk maybe I'm off the mark but it seems like a decent explanation to me.

D3m37r12/28/2016, 10:03:22 PM2 votes

Riot doesn't like safe lanes because when those champs are picked LCS becomes boring to watch. And u know how much riot loves LCS

Cavemantero2/28/2016, 11:50:38 PM2 votes

They want flashy ganks in LCS not xPeka getting 3k CS lol

Nahui2/28/2016, 9:50:57 PM1 votes

They reworked Soraka because her spells shredded your MR on a tiny CD and she could heal herself while silencing you. There was no beating her.

blfUvZ8Ybu2/28/2016, 11:28:14 PM1 votes

Lux?

I am Pacman2/29/2016, 5:19:30 AM1 votes

Lux actually has the same problem viktor just acquired. She cant clear a wave with just e. If she is fed she can clear back minions but still has to aa the front and if not then e wont even kill those. (nvm the 130 mana cost on e). She could also clear wave with ulti due to its cooldown, but if so then she is usually backing and not roaming as you sorta want to keep your long range nuke for ganks.