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Season 5: Is Mobility the new meta?

BIFF·2/4/2015, 6:38:22 PM·20 votes·7,761 views

I'm under the impression that Season 5 is the tipping point that more mobile champs take center stage.

The Champs with quick disengages are not completely eliminating less mobile champs however the fight does seem highly favored.

I don't want this to devolve in to a Nerf assassins rant. Quite the contrary I'd rather see older champs become more viable. As it stands champions with little or no mobility in their kit have no benefit over a more mobile counter part. Moreover Highly mobile champs have little to no penalties for the added mobility.

36 Comments

Stephenizgod2/4/2015, 6:38:52 PM32 votes

uh it has been the meta for awhile now lol where have you been?

DrCyanide2/4/2015, 7:23:54 PM14 votes

The balance comes when the tools immobile champions have are able to compensate for their lack of mobility.

For example, when Xerath's Stun and his Slow can make a champion think twice about engaging on him, then the mobility is ballanced. However, when those tools cease to be a consideration, then the ballance is skewed. What does a Kalista care if she gets slowed? Nothing. She doesn't need movespeed, and she has enough dashes to likely avoid the Stun too. Riven is in much the same boat, able to jump in or out of danger as needed. These two are by no means the only ones who can ignore slows, and this in turn leaves every champion with a slow in a weaker position than they otherwise would be.

We've also got mobile champions that can reduce immobile champions mobility even further. Tristana just got a slow on her Rocket Jump, Riven has a stun, Azir has a knockup with his dash, Kalista has a slow, Lee Sin has a slow, Kassadin has a slow, Gnarhas a slow and a stun, etc. Note that (with the possible exception of Azir) there's absolutely nothing the immobile champion can do to avoid the insuing CC. Contrast this with LeBlanc, who you can try and stun or zone away in order to not get rooted.

Right now we're at a point where the mobile champions hold all the cards. There's no reason to pick immoble Champion A when you could pick mobile Champion B who has the same CC, same damage, and more ways to avoid danger/engage. Either the balance team doesn't know how to give an actual cost for mobility, or the cost they are giving mobile champions is too trivial for the benefits mobility gives.

M0RD3CA12/4/2015, 7:03:12 PM8 votes

Last time I checked, mobility champs have been a thing for 2 seasons now.

BIFF2/4/2015, 7:48:33 PM6 votes

I guess the real question would be is Riot looking at making changes to champions that are crippled by their lack of mobility? As it stands they've shown they don't really care. i get the vibe that "if you want to play the game this season forget your favorites you're playing ours." I'm curious if anyone else is feeling restricted by this? Or if the community has found ways to counter play high mobility. I'd love to hear feedback and some scenarios.

tofutime2/4/2015, 7:53:18 PM5 votes

Anivia Brand Lux Malzahar Veigar Velkoz Viktor item 3070

WatchdaWorldBurn2/5/2015, 5:58:20 AM4 votes

Where have you been OP? If you look at the champions they've released for the last 2 years, starting with probably the Shyvana Elise point on the timeline, the champions Riot has been designing and releasing have a heavy focus on mobility compared to all the champions before. The last year or so has been absolutely insane. Every champion pretty much that they have released has been borderline OP or COMPLETELY OP as far as the mobility power in their kits.

Rengar Zed Khazix Vi Lucian Jinx Yasuo Gnar Kalista

And then if you look at the only champions in the last ~2 years that don't have significant mobility in their kits. Well they flat out suck, and are pretty unpopular. This includes a bunch of immobile AP mages that have been heavily nerfed in the same time period Riot has been releasing massively OP ADs.

Viktor Ziggs Zyra Syndra Aatrox Velkoz

Not to mention all the older immobile champions that a lot of people still love to play that have been mostly rendered ineffective and frustrating to play because of Riot's 180 degree design philosophy change. Seems like their new direction is AD playmaking champs > ALL. AP mages = support. Utility tanks = unplayable champions that just fill up space on the champion roster. And then ADC's = only viable if they have more mobility tools than anyone else in the game; and that bar just keeps rising.......

BIFF2/4/2015, 7:25:35 PM4 votes

I just find it frustrating that some champs are handicapped from the start because they have no mobility. On top of that I see no sign that riot plans on making any changes to that.

The Queen Viper2/4/2015, 7:37:42 PM3 votes

... it has been mobility meta since Season 3.

Old Man Teeto2/4/2015, 11:35:14 PM3 votes

Ability to avoid damage while dealing damage.

No character can tank damage, so you have to avoid it or you instantly die.

terkmc2/5/2015, 2:23:09 AM2 votes

"New"

bunies2/4/2015, 10:57:13 PM2 votes

mobility has been the meta since beta

GnomeDigest2/4/2015, 11:26:53 PM2 votes

The less talked about aspect of the mobility creep is how hard engage is becoming more and more important. Mobility doesnt matter as much if a champion is dead before they can exploit it. I think its the main reason Lissandra has become such a big deal.

Its true though. Mobility is a huge deal and it takes much more team coordination to play non-mobile comps well. So especially in solo que mobility will be extra strong.

Only Play Darius2/5/2015, 8:10:10 AM2 votes

When fighting against a champ that can "flash" through a wall every ten seconds, there are really only 2 ways you can beat them:

1: Play a champion who is capable of deleting them before they have time to react (Assassins can do this, and most assassins are mobile).

2: Play a champion with high mobility so that you can follow them when they inevitably abuse their mobility to pass through a wall after making a bad play.

So, the answer to your question is yes.

chumbler2/5/2015, 5:43:54 AM1 votes

"New" isn't really the correct term. Mobility has been the meta since like season 2 despite all of Riot's empty promises to do something about it, which they are either to stupid or don't care enough to deliver on.

TacoTheScrub2/4/2015, 6:45:05 PM1 votes

The only time i get any other boots other than mobi's is when when my team fed someone. Lol

ThePlasticSpork2/5/2015, 7:34:20 AM1 votes

Remember that time in the game's history where Anivia actually had some pro play (albeit only really from one player, but that's still something) because mobility wasn't creeped super hard?

Yeah.

warwiller4/21/2015, 2:21:32 PM1 votes

Do you idiots look at the LCS every new patch and copy what they do? Thats why I have to put up with your stupid presumpteous theories abt lol whenever i play?

!!!

O Fallen Scholar2/5/2015, 2:36:25 PM1 votes

{quoted}

I'm under the impression that Season 5 is the tipping point that more mobile champs take center stage.

The Champs with quick disengages are not completely eliminating less mobile champs however the fight does seem highly favored.

I don't want this to devolve in to a Nerf assassins rant. Quite the contrary I'd rather see older champs become more viable. As it stands champions with little or no mobility in their kit have no benefit over a more mobile counter part. Moreover Highly mobile champs have little to no penalties for the added mobility.

The problems with older champions is that they're old and need rework.

It all takes time. Be patient.

Ser Garland2/5/2015, 3:30:20 PM1 votes

Mobility has been the meta for every game ever made. Why tank damage when you could go for offence and speed and use skill to dodge and take no damage?

Silents4292/5/2015, 5:49:33 PM1 votes

Hasn't mobility been a huge thing since the end of Season 3?

Malix Farwin2/5/2015, 6:16:37 PM1 votes

nah ADCs are the new meta

junglerboy162/5/2015, 3:11:17 AM1 votes

Mobility has been the name of the game at least since I started playing last preseason, and all of season 4, so nothing "new" here. Kassadin and LB were top bans then, and they're back again. Top lane consisted of super tanks then only because of a few broken masteries, and after that immediately tended back towards hyper bully mobile bruisers. Lee and J4 and Vi have always been pretty solid in the jungle, Lucian dictated Bot lane for almost the whole time I've had an account. To be quite honest, the only role that isn't dictated by mobility is the supports, and that isn't universal either.