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@Riot, Plans for Leona?

StoryDuck··3 votes·586 views

I was pleased to see that there will be a tank rework in the future with a focus on tanks that like to engage the enemy team. Leona was the first tank support that I got and I loved playing her as she felt fun, engaging and powerful with all the CC she has. To me she is the definition of what you guys are aiming to rework. The minor changes she received last were nice in that it brought more CC to her kit but she still really struggles to find a place in lane this season. I have a few questions about her and a couple suggestions.

First, I would like to ask "Is she in the tank rework?" Second, "If so, will she get a big update or just minor changes?"
Third, "What do you think she needs to be a competitive pick again?" Fourth, "What do you feel is core to her identity?"

I'm sure a lot of people have great ideas about Leona and her direction but I have always wanted to feel like this great protector with her. When I do get a game I feel she can play in I always feel so great about when I am able to protect my allies with my CC. It feels great to engage on the enemy too but I always enjoy the feeling of protecting my allies more. I've felt her kit to her theme is a bit....confusing. She has all this CC but her passive just adds some damage. She is encouraged to always engage but rarely to protect. I wish her passive was something more focused on Protecting rather then damaging, I feel that she never really makes use of her shield because of this. If she is the shield bearing protector of the sun shouldn't that be a bigger part of her identity?

10 Comments

DarkRitual3 votes

Honestly, all I'd lime to see is a new passive (even in duo lanes it feels nonexistant, and you miss out on most of it by EQ'ing like you pretty much need to do, and some ratio changes. You basiy need to EQ to be useful, or REQ, meaning you get maybe one passive proc, two at most. Even then, that damage amount is unlikely to make or break the fight. As for ratios, some AD ratios would be welcome for top/jungle fighter builds, even if they are fairly small ratios.

BastionKross3 votes

I agree. That passive is invisible power and it can be exceedingly difficult to use since it's very hard to weave your abilities with your allies attacks. Leona needs to chain CC, not wait for her ally to make a move while she gives the opponent a chance to get away from her engage.

We could have her stack multiples of her passive procs on people so that her REQ combo could triple the passive damage if the stacks are popped right after. Or we could allow Leo to proc her own passive somehow (this would allow her to jungle and buff her solo laning capabilities). Or we could just change it completely. I bet it's not something a lot of people would be torn up to see go.

Secondly, I'd be really happy with AD ratios. Leo's base AD is quite high, and she's one of the better users of sheen items and Gage because of it. Those AP ratios are low enough that building AP on her is wasting a lot of gold, so if you want a Leo that does damage AD is the best way to go. After CDR to take advantage of her high base damages, of course.

Finally, I want Riot to take a look at her ult's Incandescence mechanic. It was added to give Leo something to do while her abilities were on CD. Good intention, bad execution. What it ultimately achieved was the removal of "guaranteed" damage from her basic abilities and converted it into situational damage. If Leo wants to do the same damage with her kit she had before the Incandescence mechanic, she needs to land several auto attacks after her ult.

Granted that's not a tall order on someone with as much CC as Leo, but it's much less reliable than it used to be when that damage was on her passive, Q, and W instead. Luckily, if Leo was encouraged to build AD with some ratios, her auto attacks would give her something to do between abilities and the Incandescence mechanic could then be reverted back to more reliable damage on her abilities.

Kills two birds with one stone.

StoryDuck1 votes

Honestly, I would like them to move away from damage on her passive all together. I think she would gain far more value and use if she did something like granted small shields to those who proc it or just granted small shields to nearby allies when she activates an ability. It could represent her "Guarding" her allies with her shield. This would increase her survivability (because she would get shielded too) and give her a way to sustain a small amount in lane against aggressive AP poke which is quite rampant at this time. Just an idea of course, it wouldn't have to be these ideas specifically but I would like to have her be more tanky/utility focus in exchange for that little bit of extra damage from her passive/incandescence.

khorney1 votes

her passive is meant for early game

StoryDuck1 votes

Okay, I am aware of this, that doesn't change what I would like changed about Leona.

StoryDuck2 votes

At minimum I would like to see the passive reworked into something more meaningful. I feel that moving more of her damage to her ult in a similar fashion was a poor choice. I liked the reduced CD of her stun but those other changes were a pretty poor direction. She needs more protective presence not more damage.

Hammermancer2 votes

How about letter her proc on her own passive? and then give her a bond of stone that levels with her stun

StoryDuck1 votes

That would be nice but I think more damage isn't really the right direction for her kit. Remember she is the shield bearing protector of the sun but how often do you feel like you are protecting? Most games I played with Leona I was just a glorified engaging tool. That's all offensive. I want her lore and fantasy to match her play style of being the protector. Even in the videos it shows Leona always taking hits with her shield and protecting her allies but I never feel like leona plays like that. Still it would be nice to proc the passive solo somehow if it isn't going to be changed.

Hammermancer2 votes

I mean procing her own passive wouldnt be earth shattering, and i've suggested an additional buff in the vein of protector scaling on an ability that generally gets used by the best leonas to save laners from ganks in lane phase. Then for initiating in the later phase, or tower diving. this helps both and would be super useful. Add a splash of visual indicator with a sun shield or whatever over the lowest hp ally and bam, you got theme, and she has the ability to 1v1 as a combat support. Not 100 to 0, that would be busted, I'm not saying make her a zed, but something along the lines of malphite for damage, give her the ability to go top lane maybe?

Tenth Leper2 votes

I personally prefer they keep her an offensive play make rather than primarily a peeler. While the aggressive initiation may be a bit out of sync with here theme, you are right, I believe it helps differentiate her game play from Braum and Taric.

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