Does Yasuo's Windwall mechanic block too many things?

TheLegionofDark·Dec 23, 2015·171 votes·10,807 views

Okay so this is just as the title implies, I'm just looking for thoughts and opinions. I'm not necessarily looking for nerfs but maybe some clarity. I used to main a Nami support and for some reason never noticed it before this week, but Yasuo's windwall blocks Nami's Q (her bubble stun). I also have a friend who mains a Heimer who noticed that it also blocks Heimer's grenade. To me personally it bugs me that an ability that "lobs" something in an arc'd trajectory gets blocked by windwall. It literally appears to go over it, not through it, yet it simply blocks and cancels the ability. From a visual as well as just a gameplay perspective, this just doesn't make since. Shouldn't you be able to "lob" an ability over the windwall and hit Yasuo?

This isn't really an OMG NERF YASUO post. Just wondering if this mechanic has bugged anyone else but me and my friend.

235 Comments

NekusenDec 23, 201548 votes

they should change it to only reduce the damage from missiles and perhaps slow them (missiles), instead of completely negating the effects and damage.

KeevalroyDec 23, 201543 votes

See, right there - this actually makes sense. If you fire an Ashe ult at him, the arrow shouldn't disappear into nothingness, it should slow it's travel speed after passing through the wall...because that's what wind does Riot.

SaiannaDec 23, 20157 votes

Riot hasn't grasped what logic is yet, but don't worry they'll get it eventually ;)

(perhaps in season 79)

KeevalroyDec 23, 201517 votes

"Well we live in a world where two books make a gun item 3145 and two sticks make a hat item 3089 so why should we focus so much on realism?" - Riot logic.

Graves was reworked to specifically to give him a shotgun feel. Uhhh, help?

AbrahamBaconhamDec 23, 201511 votes

You can have magic or you can have physics. You can't have both.

PeponiPoroDec 24, 20154 votes

That is exactly what the world of Runeterra is though. They have Rune Wars and then they have the cities of Zaun and Piltover. Then there is also Yordles, who seem to show interest in both.

LlaniteDec 23, 20153 votes

Actually no, if you throw a knife into a giant fan, it loses velocity and falls to the ground.

Troll for TrumpDec 24, 20154 votes

No, but you can lob the knife over the fan

TheProAndrewDec 23, 20158 votes

talking about logic in LOL?

tell me about summoner 14 on

or Nami and Nocturne using item 1001

windwolf777Dec 23, 20153 votes

Have some adorableness Nami

Cassiopeia

Nin10do0014Dec 24, 201510 votes

Or Teemo blinding LeeSin

KeevalroyDec 24, 201521 votes

I won't accept Lee being blind until he has permanent burrowed Rek'Sai vision, is unable to see his allies to go along with it, and no longer has 350 ms to go with his ludicrous mobility. He's blind - it should be an actual impairment.

Troll for TrumpDec 24, 20154 votes

^Lee Sin hate threads in a nutshell

KeevalroyDec 24, 20155 votes

I'm not saying it should happen, but if it's insisted that he's blind, it should be reflected.

Troll for TrumpDec 24, 20156 votes

Maybe, but Riot will never Leesin to you,

Badum- tch

IonianDec 23, 201531 votes

This happens because the game is actually coded in 2D. For example, Trist's hitbox during Rocket Jump just moves in a straight line, glued to the floor.

TheLegionofDarkDec 23, 201511 votes

Wouldn't it be possible to just code abilities like the bubble to be ignored by the windwall?

The Yetii RiderDec 24, 201512 votes

{quoted}

Wouldn't it be possible to just code abilities like the bubble to be ignored by the windwall?

Riot doesn't want to do that. They want things to be clear to the Yasuo player, and don't want him to try and Wind Wall a skill he can't because it's not clear what is blocked and what isn't.

To that end, meddler said he was going to change Nautilus's ultimate to not go through Wind Wall, because the boards said it was odd that it was an exception.

IiIianaDec 24, 20153 votes

I understand and don't disagree with Riot on that matter, but isn't Fiora's riposte confusing like that? It blocks some things you wouldn't expect it to, yet doesn't block everything, even with perfect timing.

LeprechaunJinxDec 24, 20154 votes

For sake of clarification, what doesn't Fiora's Riposte block?

NegusInParisDec 24, 20157 votes

Nautilus ultimate was brought up when the boards wanted ground spells to not be blocket by wind wall.

StellafreyjaDec 23, 201528 votes

In my opinion, it should only block a limited number of projectiles before breaking. Someone in another thread suggested it break if Yasuo or someone else walks through it since Yasuos love to stand in the middle of it to avoid damage.

Riot has stated that they hate one-point-wonders, which is why they nerfed Swain's root duration. And yet, Yasuo's Windwall is the best one-point-wonder in the game. He levels it once and he's good and can afford to level it last.

For only blocking a limited number of projectiles, it should start pretty decently, like 3 or so and then increase as he levels it.

Braum and Yasuo's walls both fulfill the same function, but no one complains about Braum's because he still takes damage from projectiles BECAUSE HE'S A TANK AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO DO.

LatetotheRaceDec 23, 201521 votes

Velkoz He stops me from ripping the world apart?!?!?!?!?1? Like wtf?

kaltenashesDec 23, 201512 votes

Nami He stops me from drowning the world apart?!?!?!?!?1? Like wtf?

SeductiveGrandpaDec 23, 20159 votes

Gnar He stops me from boomeranging the world apart?!?!?!?1? Like wtf?

PeponiPoroDec 24, 20155 votes

Bard He stops me from cosmically warbling the world apart?!?!?!?!?!? Like wtf?

Troll for TrumpDec 24, 20154 votes

Teemo He stops me from turning the world into a living hell????? wtf?

Ariel the CruelDec 24, 20156 votes

Ahri He stops me charming new ~~victims~~ fans!?!?!?!?1? Like, wtf!?

OhZennyDec 24, 20154 votes

Blitzcrank He stops me from pulling the world apart?!?!?!? Like wtf?

morris1Dec 23, 201515 votes

Wondering how you haven't said anything about Nami's ult vanishing into nothingness if its corner ever so slightly even clips the wall.

TheLegionofDarkDec 23, 201510 votes

I 100% agree with you. I was going to eventually get there. It just didn't 100% mix with the "lobbing" question I had.

I don't know, personally I think the ability is just broken or needs better tuned for situations like Nami's bubble/heimer grenade, as well her it completely canceling out Nami's ult just by barely touching it.

For clarity I'm not in this case meaning its OP broken, but visually and mechanically broken and needs some work to better function with abilities.

PikmintsDec 23, 20156 votes

While I can see Riot's justification as it's one object, I think everyone who plays Nami agrees it should be treated like Azir's ult where if a section of the ult doesn't touch the wall then it keeps going the full distance. I will forever use this as a reference, but the cc on Galio's ultimate isn't able to be reduced by tenacity, so clarity in the game isn't a highest priority in 100% of the circumstances.

I think Riot should look first at multi-object spells like Talon's ult first. Nami's ult being cancelled can be pretty infuriating, but Talon's ult gets entirely stopped if one of the, what appears to be numerous independent projectiles, touches the wall.

NauthesDec 23, 201515 votes

I've also noticed it blocks Sona's Ult. Now i know its not a lob, but her Ult doesn't feel like a projectile. Its a Wave of music. To me it doesn't feel like I'm shooting anything. Im just spreading the irresistible urge to dance. But Wind > Dance Power

freeformlineDec 24, 20156 votes

To be fair, a zone of high turbulence would interfere with the target's ability to hear the music.

CrushforceXDec 24, 20154 votes

Simple fix, is code it like a lux ult. Applies the effect and does not travel, kinda like the wave just appearing there

Its Me MegaDec 24, 20158 votes

When you have a wall that can be thrown out at the last second, and it blocks every single projectile in the game, then yes it blocks too many things.

Sozan5Dec 24, 20157 votes

Meh, I don't mind it blocking projectiles as it does.

BUT, there is a much bigger issue I have with it - the projectiles completely disappear. I think they should change it to work exactly like Braum's E - that is, projectiles would "hit" the wall (that means Draven axes would bounce back if they hit a wall, Ashe ult would deal AoE damage around the wall etc.) instead of being erased.

fééd l0rdDec 23, 20156 votes

Windwall is a frustrating ability - I agree Should it exist? There are tons of frustrating things and if we would remove all of these things the game would get boring (flash tibbers, rocket grab, lantern, Zed's ult, Poppy's ult, etc.). I think that the windwall has so much potential is because they don't want Yasuo to be feast or famine. Also his ultimate is really bad for him actually. The first items Yasuo is picking up are? Statiks, Ie, Boots. With these items EVERY midlaner can burst him down quickly enough. During midgame teamfights Yasuo will fly into your whole team - because of his ultimate. Vi does the same, yes, but she is not nearly as squishy as Yasuo is. His ultimate provides utility due to the armorpen. but still for him it's a bad and really risky spell. Therefore I understand that his windwall is so damn strong.

TheLegionofDarkDec 23, 20152 votes

I think it can be strong, but not mechanically broken. Which in cases like Nami's ult where it just clipping it cancels the entire thing, or with like I was asking about lobbing abilities over it. I'm sorry but I also don't think one ability when placed should be able to 100% nullify an entire champion (which there are multiple champions this applies to).

Like I said in my original post, I'm not saying he needs to be nerfed, but more clarity and what I believe is common sense logic behind what windwall blocks and how mechanically its broken (looking at Nami's ult in this case) and needs to be fixed.

doiminat0r3600Dec 23, 20156 votes

I mean, Heimer's kit is blocked entirely by one yasuo ability. His ultimate can have its damage drastically reduced by his BS shield that blocks 90% of the damage that is coming in.

Its always bugged me (as a Vel player sometimes) that everything that vel does can be blocked by yasuo's windwall. My only hope is to have my Q go around the windwall or my AA go through it. Even then if one pixel hits the windwall that he is most-likely standing near/inside of, I cannot hit him. A decent Vel has almost no chance of beating a Yasuo simply because of his windwall.

On another note, It blocks all projectiles. That includes rifts, bullets, boomerangs, bubbles, waves, tornadoes (kinda BS tbh with the Wind:wind Ratio), and even unstoppable missles of magical energy. Something doesn't seem right here.

Braum has the same mechanic but at-least it still damages him a little. Passives also go through his shield and it isn't THAT much of a problem considering it is one sided (seemingly). On another note I have had Braum's shield blocking a Karthus Ult. No idea how but I thought I'd throw that in.

TL;DR: this is a rather big problem giving Yasuo, a Fragile champion, into a high defense and mobility champion. Blocking of everything with such a wide hit-box is sure to cause toxicity.

The GovernerDec 24, 20154 votes

Do you know Vel'koz's R is coded as a linear area-of-effect ability instead of a regular projectile? Yasuo's Windwall cannot block it.

The more you know.

WyrmbladeDec 24, 20156 votes

Windwall definitely needs to be toned down. It provides more utility than the ability Braum's entire kit is centered around.

DevlinCrowDec 24, 20155 votes

Definitely, look at Braum's shield, he's a bloody support and it only blocks 1 ability. They should be switched imo

IronwallJacksonDec 24, 20151 votes

His wall can be moved, but it still destroys projectiles. It's just that he still has to tank the effects and a portion of the damage. Probably because he's a tank and eating cc and damage are his job.

DevlinCrowDec 24, 20154 votes

You would think a champion dedicated to defensive support would be able to block more than a champion dedicated to damage

PenguinOverlord8Dec 24, 20154 votes

I have seen a Soraka's Star Call just disappear into the wind. A star falling from above ;-; Soraka item 3070

Nanuk PihoqahiakDec 24, 20154 votes

It shouldn't block abilities that rip through the ground, like Braum's ultimate.

LlaniteDec 23, 20152 votes

Every glass melee has a way to block/evade everything Fizz MasterYi Fiora Zed Ekko Shaco

There is no such thing as 'block too many'.

KnoyleDec 23, 20159 votes

Evasion and dashing makes sense, but unlike all the Champs you listed Yasuo has a literal shield that he can stand on. Having an escape method is one thing but just being able to flat out stand there and have no worries about incoming projectile damage? Yeah, no.

bladepuppetDec 24, 20154 votes

Plus you could say that he already has another strong escape method with his e dash (at least around minions), so giving him a shield is even more annoying.