What did they want Rakan's identity to be?

FTMHukY4Ps·5/24/2017, 2:40:44 PM·1 votes·482 views

You have this champion with a kit that sort of screams at you "Go in, go hard!" and yet he's got incredibly squishy base stats, he can't take relic shield because of his (craptastic) auto range (THRESH can make relic shield work and he's got the same range as Lucian!), and as a tank his heal and shield are lackluster.

Let's look at the other side of the coin. He's got a great AP scaling heal and shield, but the heal is still relatively short range (I can't tell you how often I throw a Q out and the particle clips the enemy but instead of landing it just disappears) , his shield got nerfed because they "don't want him to be a better enchanter" than Soraka/Janna/whathaveyou, and he's overall not good in either role.

He's delegated to taking ancient coin first, being squishy half the game, then late game being a somewhat mediocre bruiser in a support role.

10 Comments

Oleandervine5/24/2017, 2:51:45 PM3 votes

Rakan is intended to have an assassin style gameplay. He is meant to be squishy and highly mobile, so he goes in, disrupts, and gets out. This is why he has a passive shield. He's not meant to be a tank. Think of him like Katarina, Ekko, or Talon. You don't go balls deep with them unless you have an escape plan or can secure a kill. Play Rakan the same way.

As for Thresh, he has passive on-hit auto attack damage from his Flay. This allows him to last hit effectively and this is why he works with the Relic Shield even though he's ranged. Rakan does not have an auto attack boost, so this is why he doesn't use it. Rakan is not intended to use the Relic Shield Line, because, as before, he is not intended to get super tanky.

People just need to understand that Rakan is redefining a special niche in the support role and learn to play him in that niche. He is the first assassin play style support, and naturally people don't know how to use him. They should learn, and not try to lump him into a tank category and should stop trying to force a playstyle on him that he is not intended to have.

Çhåryzård5/24/2017, 3:17:02 PM2 votes

They wanted him to be a sexy boi and hot damn they succeeded

Ralanr5/24/2017, 2:44:48 PM2 votes

He's a "support for assassin mains" who is meant to initiate but not stay in the frontline. He goes in, starts a fight, then runs like a bitch.

KONO RUBICK DA5/24/2017, 3:20:59 PM1 votes

rakan doesn't have identity

he can shield, cc, heal, engage,disengage

enchenters in general don't have identity they do the same thing

undesirable team5/24/2017, 2:44:07 PM1 votes

thresh can make item 3302 work due to his e passive which gives him extra e damage to last hit minions he can heal his adc(even if its 100-200) he can tank damage for a while and jump in and out of a fight he can cc an ENTIRE TEAM point and click

SadKill5/24/2017, 3:48:47 PM1 votes

Yous have to pick your engages but for the most part his identity lies in peeling and counter engage.

MorgManBasher5/24/2017, 2:44:44 PM1 votes

He may be squishy, but he's hyper mobile to make up for it. He's a great champ, tbh. You just need to get him out of the laning phase because that's his weak point.

His pick potential is ridiculous, just watch Aphro

FiddlesOnTheRoof5/24/2017, 3:15:52 PM1 votes

A highly mobile, get in and get out support. Honestly, maybe the first of class. An incredibly compelling, interesting, and fun kit. Riot nailed these two champions thematically and from a game design perspective.