Let's Talk About Twisted Fate
I picked him back up again recently after a very long absence from playing him. I've played him with decent success as both AP and the infamous AD bot lane TF. His damage in my opinion, as well as his mechanics are currently very good. I'd like to start by talking about the positives within his current kit.
Passive: Loaded Dice
Upon killing a unit, Twisted Fate rolls his dice, gaining from 1 to 6 bonus gold. Naturally, Twisted Fate has a higher chance to receive a larger bonus.
Ability Details *Loaded Dice is an on-kill effect. *Additional Information:
It will stack additively with similar effects (such as Avarice Blade item.png Avarice Blade). The chance of getting 6 gold is 1/3, while the chance of getting 1-5 gold is 2/15 each, making the total average gold 4.
Thoughts: Sure it's nowhere near as valuable as his entire team getting a free avarice, but for him specifically it makes him akin to Draven or Ashe in lane. Last hitting, which should be a skill that most people have down by now, will benefit anyone using this passive. Useful on either AP or AD builds to help him along. Combine this with his phenomenal wave clear and it's an excellent farming tool at least for himself.
Q: Wild Cards
ACTIVE: Twisted Fate throws 3 cards forward in an arc, dealing magic damage to enemies they pass through. MAGIC DAMAGE: 60 / 110 / 160 / 210 / 260 (+ 65% AP)
Ability Details *Wild Cards is made up of 3 linear, pass-through skill shots. *Applies spell effects as an area of effect ability. *Hextech Revolver Spell vamp is reduced to one-third effectiveness. *Crystal Scepter will apply a 15% slow. *Magic damage will be mitigated by magic shields. *Banshee's Veil Spell shields will block the ability. *This ability is considered to be a projectile for Unbreakable (Braum) and Wind Wall (Yasuo).
Additional Information:
Each enemy will only be hit by one card. the cast indicator is fixed in the sense that there are 3 skill-shots that are aimed collectively, not individually.
Thoughts: I can honestly say that right here would be an excellent "buff" for him is making his cards stack similar to Graves' Q (shotgun blast). Make each additional stack of Q do slightly less damage. We just did it for Viktor's E, which get's 70% AP scaling vs TF's 65%, it wouldn't hurt the current meta, and making this change could give TF some defense vs assassins without having to up his health or AR/MR scaling. It just makes too much sense to give him this extra tiny boost of utility that MIGHT save his life in a critical moment. It would come down to proper timing and application. Make the hit box for max damage be melee range with each 1 hit of his Q doing full and each additional doing let's say, 40% of the damage.
W: Pick A Card
COST: 40 / 55 / 70 / 85 / 100 MANA COOLDOWN: 6
ACTIVE: When first activated, cards flash over Twisted Fate's head in the following order: blue, then red, then gold (this cycle repeats itself). When he uses the ability again, he picks the current card over his head; the card picked converts his next basic attack within 6 seconds to deal magic damage and add a special effect. Twisted Fate has 6 seconds to select a card.
Blue Card Twisted Fate's next basic attack will deal magic damage and restore mana. MAGIC DAMAGE: 40 / 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 (+ 100% AD) (+ 50% AP) MANA RESTORED: 50 / 75 / 100 / 125 / 150
Red Card Twisted Fate's next basic attack will deal magic damage to both the target and all enemies within 100-range of the target. All damaged enemies will also be slowed for 2.5 seconds. MAGIC DAMAGE: 30 / 45 / 60 / 75 / 90 (+ 100% AD) (+ 50% AP) SLOW: 30 / 35 / 40 / 45 / 50%
Gold Card Twisted Fate's next basic attack will deal magic damage and stun the target. MAGIC DAMAGE: 15 / 22.5 / 30 / 37.5 / 45 (+ 100% AD) (+ 50% AP) STUN DURATION: 1 / 1.25 / 1.5 / 1.75 / 2
Ability Details *Pick a Card is an autoattack modifier. *The triggering attack will still apply on-hit effects. However, as the attack deals no physical damage, it will not benefit from life steal. *Critical strikes are disabled on the triggering attack. *This attack can NOT miss or be Aegis Protection blocked, Counter Strike dodged or Riposte parried. *The damage from Pick a Card triggers against structures. *Magic damage will be mitigated by magic shields. *Banshee's Veil Spell shields will block the modified attack and its additional effect but will NOT block other on-hit effects.
Additional Information: *Blue Card and Gold Card apply spell effects as a single target ability. Hextech Revolver item Spell vamp is fully applied. Crystal Scepter will apply a 35% slow *Red Card applies spell effects as an area of effect ability. Hextech Revolver item Spell vamp is reduced to one-third effectiveness. Rylai's Crystal Scepter will apply a 15% slow. The modified attack will increment Stacked Deck's counter and can trigger its bonus damage. *Pick a Card does NOT reset Twisted Fate's attack timer on cast.
Thoughts: Interestingly enough, Blue Card does the most damage, while Gold does the least while applying a stun. Scaling wise, this ability is quite balanced and forces you to choose between an all out offense or stunning a target for a team fight. Regardless of the situation, no Card feels left out, and each one is very useful and allows for some fast tower kills. the 100% AD makes it a great choice for AD TF still (converting that huge damage to Magic). The only minor gripe I might have is that it never applies lifesteal, which I realize the damage is magical, but it scales off of AD, AND it's a physical attack itself. Another good way to increase his terrible survive ability, I feel, would in fact be to test him out with the lifesteal applied, and scale it back as needed to bring it into balance. Once again, this change would not make him a tank, he would still be a target for assassins in fights, however with proper positioning and play he can survive longer, if not live in situations where he currently has no chance. This would also solidify Hextech and Rage Blade as part of his core, two items that don't get nearly the amount of use they deserve I feel.
E: Stacked Deck
PASSIVE: Twisted Fate gains bonus attack speed, and every fourth basic attack will deal bonus magic damage. MAGIC DAMAGE: 55 / 80 / 105 / 130 / 155 (+ 50% AP) ATTACK SPEED BONUS: 10 / 15 / 20 / 25 / 30%
Ability Details *Stacked Deck is an on-hit effect that triggers on every fourth attack. *The triggering attack will apply other on-hit effects and can critically strike as normal. *Runaan's Hurricane will not proc this effect. *The empowered attack WILL be Counter Strike dodged or missed, empowerment will NOT be consumed during attack attempts. *Stacked Deck's damage will go through Aegis Protection block and Riposte parry, while the triggering attack will be mitigated. *Magic damage will be mitigated by magic shields. *Banshee's Veil Spell shields will block the entire damage except other on-hit effects.
Additional Information:
Attacks against structures will not increment the counter nor consume the empowered attack.
Thoughts: This skill does not need changed. It stacks with Nashor's/Wit's End for AP TF, and critically strikes on AD TF (factoring in Static Shiv, IE, and Tri that equals a force to be reckoned with). The atk spd is fair and balanced, and while I could complain that maybe spell vamp should proc with it, it already get's whatever modest life steal TF has with items, so I think this ability should be left alone.
R: Destiny
I have no thoughts on his ult except that I think currently it's perfectly suited to what he does. It's still a strong ganking tool, but people often forget it's escape potential. I lovingly call it my global flash for all the times it's saved my butt during a really good split push where I would have been dead without it.
These are just my little suggested ways to bring Twisted Fate up to date. Don't make him more tanky, just give him subtle boosts to his lifesteal and utility.
