Keystone Mastery Balance

Here are my most humble honest opinions about the keystone masteries for this season: it sucks! I understand Riot’s intention to advance the game length, but the keystone mastery power has tilted the balance of the game toward early game champions and made it more difficult for late game champions to get/hit their sweet spot. Here’s why: While the keystone masteries are available to all champions, it seemingly grants everyone the same ‘advantage’, but I disagree. As a mid main who plays Swain and Cassiopeia (and now even trying to learn Lissandra), early game/laning phase has become completely atrocious, especially against energy-based champions like Yasuo (who can almost zip around freely at almost no cost and build a shield?). As mana pots have left the field and mana regen has taken a hit, it’s difficult to take advantage of those masteries. Swain: As a Swain player, I might be able to vs some players pre-6, but post-6 is really where I can start being more aggressive. As many of the more common mages are being played and taking the ‘Thunderlords’ mastery, it has becomes increasingly more difficult (though not impossible) to get to lvl 6. Can anyone at Riot confirm that when Swain’s Nevermove was nerfed, they did not just compared his damage output, but actually compared his whole entire kit compared to other mages and mid-laners (who take thunderlords, deathfire, etc)? I really can’t believe that it was justified, given his short range and hard-to-land skillshot. Cassiopeia: As a Cassiopeia player, my experience has taught me to be even more conservative with my mana than with Swain. I’m not sure if there are other Cassiopeia mains out there, and I could possibly be playing her wrong, but in the early game I have to save my Twin Fang (E) for last hitting minions. Being aggressive in-lane is usually not worth it, unless I am able to land both my poisons on the opponent, because after two or three Twin Fangs, I find that my mana is almost <= 25% and falling below that amount makes me very vulnerable to the opponent. Even after the first back, I find that I need to buy a Tear of the Goddess and Ruby Crystal (as it is almost necessary given how squishy she is), while other champs are already building their AP (or AD) items – and additively with the bursty, powered keystone masteries, means that I have that much more of a challenge to get to my sweet spot. I know Riot gave reasons for their mana cost nerf to Q and mana regen reward to E, but I believe that it was not justified (or was nerfed way too much). I’m certain that most people just find her early game really difficult, and even after trying to master her for a season (Season 5), I can’t see that she is the hyper carry that Riot intended her to be after her adjustments, as she is still really prone to cc /etc (but I still have way more to learn on her – maybe King Cobra can offer some insight) . In any case, these have been my observations from my experience from the last three seasons. It could be just because I prefer playing more skill-based mid mages that I have yet to master. Can anyone else corroborate or rebuff these observations? Perhaps it is just that Riot wants the late-game champ players to advance their skills.