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@Riot- How do you feel about full ap, mid ekko?

Woook3r··2 votes·856 views

Why is he allowed to run primarily tank builds? Is anyone actively thinking about his balance?

When I play him, I notice that it is very important that he back early for a second dorans ring. I think this is the right thing to do but it puts me behind which is not good for an assassin, and is also weird considering that he is an assassin. It seems like a lot of assassins have really strong laning that requires the other champion to build some armor or mr (zed, leblanc).

Since his release, initial nerfs, and seemingly complete adoption of the tanky jungle builds in high elo, I haven't heard a peep about him from riot. I am asking cause if his midlane game is considered to be in a good state Ill try and change more things about how I play him. For instance, doing the double dorans early back has made ekko considerably more reliable. My next idea is to try and do enough dmg that I can force the enemy laner to back as well. Im not sure I want to put time into that tho. Ill have to balance farming and harass and jungle pressure.

Is he really viable midlane?

18 Comments

WookieJesuz3 votes

AP mid ekko is in a good spot imo He has insane burst, as well as some utility. A good AP mid ekko will do just fine.

Woook3r1 votes

{quoted}

AP mid ekko is in a good spot imo He has insane burst, as well as some utility. A good AP mid ekko will do just fine.

I think of him as someone who cant really farm and gets forced out of lane a lot. He is a leblanc counter though. She cant really touch him. I just played against a leblanc and figured that out after a while. The double dorans seems to be the only way to go, btw. Do you play him?

Divewing1 votes

Just force a trade around their ability cooldowns with a e->point blank q+AA, then peace out with the MS steroid. It should give you a sufficient edge to at least survive til 6 without too much harass. Also watch their movement patterns, it'll help for W placement, which is usually fine if placed a bit behind them (they'll retreat into it as you approach).

Woook3r1 votes

{quoted}

Just force a trade around their ability cooldowns with a e->point blank q+AA, then peace out with the MS steroid. It should give you a sufficient edge to at least survive til 6 without too much harass. Also watch their movement patterns, it'll help for W placement, which is usually fine if placed a bit behind them (they'll retreat into it as you approach).

so I force a trade when their abilities are up so that the tank is empty when i need to farm?

Divewing2 votes

........Could do without the smartass comments thanks. No why the hell would you ever force trades when abilities are UP like wtf xD when they are down go in, sorry if it wasn't clear, maybe i shouldve specified, but i honestly thought that would be common sense. Also if you NEED your abilities to farm, your skill playing ekko isnt the issue here

Woook3r1 votes

{quoted}

........Could do without the smartass comments thanks. No why the hell would you ever force trades when abilities are UP like wtf xD when they are down go in, sorry if it wasn't clear, maybe i shouldve specified, but i honestly thought that would be common sense. Also if you NEED your abilities to farm, your skill playing ekko isnt the issue here

Hey, I meant that their tank is empty and they cant harass me with abilities.

I dont farm with ekkos abilities until I get to a certain point. When he can clear the back line with one q I start clearing with a q and three autos (one auto for each melee). Ekko is really easy to farm with thanks to the passive on his w. The problem I have is trying to farm at melee range without being forced out of lane and the fact that I have a little bit of trouble harassing well with my q. T

His q is one of the least reliable skill shots in the game. It is a pretty unique and difficult skill shot if you need to land both sides of it. Also, I push the wave a little too much with it and miss farm with it early bc of it.

Divewing1 votes

well frankly if you're not ready to go in for trades and prioritise that over farming, there's nothing really else you can do. I use the term assassin very casually here, ekko is actually a skirmisher, but if youre going to play an assassin you should prioritise kills over farm for the most part, you usually need that snowball (im not saying ignore waves, but yknow), it's something that "comes with the job", as most are feast or famine. You COULD play safe as ekko and farm all game waiting til late, but if you did, youd honestly be better off picking something that scales harder with more range Edit: also apologies for my misunderstanding

Woook3r1 votes

{quoted}

well frankly if you're not ready to go in for trades and prioritise that over farming, there's nothing really else you can do. I use the term assassin very casually here, ekko is actually a skirmisher, but if youre going to play an assassin you should prioritise kills over farm for the most part, you usually need that snowball (im not saying ignore waves, but yknow), it's something that "comes with the job", as most are feast or famine. You COULD play safe as ekko and farm all game waiting til late, but if you did, youd honestly be better off picking something that scales harder with more range Edit: also apologies for my misunderstanding

What I need is a way to get 30 ap and sorcshoes by 8-12 minutes every game without falling behind in levels. Whenever I manage this I usually get a kill or assist bot, or top, or by warding the enemy jungle and going there for a kill(one of the best ways for me to win a game). The lvls are very important bc ekkos passive scales with lvl. Both the slow and the dmg scale. So if I fall behind, but manage to get sorc shoes and 30 ap, then Ill notice it when I try to gank.

I can reliably do the 30 ap every game because of my double dorans. If the enemy laner isnt too good, or didnt bring mr, then I can reliably stay on par with lvls bc I will either force him out or get a kill. The problem is keeping the lane on par long enough for me to get enough lvls and gold to get a good gank off.

Blazing Tenshi1 votes

Sounds like you are just having problems laning as a melee champ mid lane. If you are unable to show dominance in lane then you will be forced to farm with Q and end up missing a lot of farm and getting poked down.

I like to rush a ROA, the catalyst start is great at sustaining hp though poke and you mana for farming.

Divewing1 votes

Here's the thing. If you don't fight back as a melee mid, people will think your a bitch, and will therefore treat you like a bitch. If you want to keep playing this same style, then you cannot expect to get what you want, it's unrealistic.

Woook3r1 votes

{quoted}

Here's the thing. If you don't fight back as a melee mid, people will think your a bitch, and will therefore treat you like a bitch. If you want to keep playing this same style, then you cannot expect to get what you want, it's unrealistic.

ive been doing a little better with him lately. the double dorans is way better than the flask option.

Divewing1 votes

Yeah I reckon flask is terrible now cos you can't buy potions with it.

WookieJesuz1 votes

no but in most of my games where AP ekko is played he does fine. Q seems good for farming/harass and the w passive should probably make farming easier too. He's good for like poking down the enemy team then w+r+e back in for penta.

Obscuration1 votes

i think of him more of a late game assassin like Kassadin so building ROA and getting a bit tanky helps a lot

MasterSomething1 votes

He really is viable in mid lane if the player playing him is good. Tank Ekko is considered good simply because he has heavy raw damage, and his ult makes him near unkillable. Think of it like Bruiser Fizz before the nerf. Except AP Fizz is equal in viability to bruiser Fizz this time.

Malaborath1 votes

no. he is a much much much better jungler. I got a solo ekko penta on another account, as ekko jg and went 20/7. look up my account. Drachentron. it was last saturday i think

Akali is SO HOT1 votes

They have nerfed his tank build multiple times.

?????

the ƒlásh1 votes

And he's fun to counter the yasuos out there. I like him mid, I've just started playing him but had a pretty quick 7/0 game against a yasuo mid.

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