Why is mobility so common with new releases?

Hellioning·Nov 25, 2014·6 votes·1,249 views

Before you freak out, this isn't a QQ thread. I'm not trying to start or get into a discussion about how strong mobility is or how strong mobile champs are, that's for another thread.

What I'm wondering is why mobility seems to be more common in new champs. The last truly immobile champ I can think of is Vel'Koz. Yasuo has his one dash per minion, Kalista has a dash after every auto, Braum has one of the few ally only dashes, and now the new void chick has (possible global?) dashes to pre-ordained places on the map. Why is mobility so popular?

Does a champ need to be mobile to compete nowadays? Does Riot think people just like playing more mobile champs? DO people like playing more mobile champs? Do they think more mobile champs look better in the LCS? What is it about modern champ design that makes mobility so attractive?

26 Comments

MarenjiiNov 25, 20144 votes

Mobility Creep. Mobility needs to get nerfed across the board, and slows need to be reduced in effectiveness with it.

HellioningNov 25, 20142 votes

While I agree that mobility creep is a thing, that's not the question I'm asking. Are you saying that Riot is designing so many mobile champions BECAUSE there are other mobile champions, and they feel that a champion needs mobility in order to compete? If not, could you please explain what you mean?

MarenjiiNov 25, 20143 votes

While I agree that mobility creep is a thing, that's not the question I'm asking. Are you saying that Riot is designing so many mobile champions BECAUSE there are other mobile champions, and they feel that a champion needs mobility in order to compete? If not, could you please explain what you mean?

That is exactly what I mean. Only reason Vel'Koz is able to compete with his utter lack of mobility is due to the CC his kit has. If he had none, then he would be trash tier.

Fed by Snu SnuNov 26, 20144 votes

Because Vel'Koz didn't sell well since he didn't have mobility.

CreationFlawNov 26, 20141 votes

Because Vel'Koz didn't sell well since he didn't have mobility.

That's actually true, he has low play rates because his kit is challenging and always needs some degree of skill, while most mobility champions you learn a set principle of mechanics and perfect them, and there's very little fluctuating in the difficulty in performing those. Just my opinion, but I'd say a lot of people who play Zed or Yasuo/Vayne have to say that once you learn how to pull off the mechanics and other such things, it usually becomes pretty simple to execute.

Sire HippingtonNov 26, 20143 votes

Cause mobillity adds to dynamic fights, and atleast on melees u need quite some mobillity to have a chance vs ranged(or massiv, massive amounts of cc and tankiness)

On ranged champions, i don't know ahy there is that much need for mobillity. Yes, it is more fun to play a mobile ranged champ, but for every mobillity(or ranged cc) on ranged champions, melees need even more mobillity/cc to compete... Especially with the high amounts of damage we have right now, especially lategame compared to tankiness.

However, the main problem is the comunity. If they would releas a new champ with low mobillity, especially a melee, it simply wouldn't see much play while people stick with lee(26%pickrate), kata(17%) and co(see Velkoz(4%), Azir(4%)...) Everone is crying about mobillity creep, but i bet noone would play scarner(1,5%) if he was new released while everyone and his mother play vayne(28%) and kata 24/7(both not realy new champions btw)

A complicated but important task would be helping low-mobillity champs, especially melees, to compete. I think higher cc-resitance and over all tankiness for those champions would go allong way, but it probably wouldn't make them any more interesting to play though.

Ulric GreatswordNov 26, 20142 votes

Define 'interesting to play'. In my book one of the most interesting to play champs is Ryze. The reason he is interesting to me is that his abilities work well together in a very straightforward way. It's not like more modern champs, who have 'forced combos'--Yasuo can't ult until you knock them up with a whirlwind, for example. Some people consider Ryze's combo to be a bit too straightforward, but he has a kit that is made interesting by how he uses it to react to situations moment by moment.

TortferngatrNov 26, 20142 votes

One thing to note about Ryze is that opponents (especially melee opponents) doesn't really have the ability to outplay him when he's ahead. You can't do much to outpredict him (not even dodge skillshots)--and what you can do doesn't affect matters much.

So...add "interesting to play against" to that qualifier.

Ulric GreatswordNov 26, 20142 votes

I would say then that Blitzcrank or Heimerdinger are the winners of that category, then. Both of them represent different threats and forms of zone control that make laning against them exciting and annoying all at once.

Raja ChachkiNov 26, 20141 votes

oh yes, I love being shot to death by turrets, stunned, and then have missiles shot at me. And I also enjoy being grabbed in places that should never be grabbed and yanked by a robot. (P.S, both Heimer and Blitz are ez to defeat, just sayin there is nothing to like about them, much less to find exciting.

NarasimhaNov 26, 20142 votes

Mobility is used because its the easiest trade off to make for a character. The best example is Mordekaiser, pretty much the textbook example of 0 mobility and 0 CC. He's also known for being one of the few champions that can outduel ANYONE. If he didn't have his health costs, he'd be a monster early game and late. Same for Vel'koz. In exchange for being as mobile as a rock, he has incredible amounts of CC and damage.

Yasuo has decent amount of mobility, but is entirely auto attack reliant. Kalista can jump around everywhere, but her damage is on the low end for adcs and is reliant on her Soulbound. Braum can dash to an ally, but thats not really mobility creep.

Back to the point, its generally a triangle distribution of cc, damage, and mobility. The more a champion has of one, the less they'll have of others.

The Red WardenNov 26, 20142 votes

Explain to me how how Lee sin or Fizz is balanced in that cc/mobility/damage scale.

The main problem is that mobility isn't really thought of as a strength when they balance characters. Just look at Kalista, Kassadin level mobility, barely any mana costs, more damage and near as much cc as immobile adc's, and it all adds up to her having more overall power power than almost every other champion.

NarasimhaNov 26, 20141 votes

Lee is a problem child, that is a fact. Fizz lacks cc. He has his ult, which is easily blocked or dodged. And he has a slow, primarily used to escape. If he uses it to engage, he's in trouble already. Also, I'm not sure you've actually played with or even against a competent Kalista. Her 'cc' is a 45% slow on an 8 sec cd. The closest contender is Varus, who has an aoe slow of the same strength, with grievous wounds and does more damage unless she has quite a few spears stuck in already. Also, there are exactly two adcs she outdamages. Caitlyn, and Ashe. Caitlyn is known for being fallen off, and Ashe is known for her stronger utility, not her damage. Literally every single other adc outdamages her, even Quinn.

LSANov 26, 20141 votes

Mobility is used because its the easiest trade off to make for a character. The best example is Mordekaiser, pretty much the textbook example of 0 mobility and 0 CC. He's also known for being one of the few champions that can outduel ANYONE. If he didn't have his health costs, he'd be a monster early game and late. Same for Vel'koz. In exchange for being as mobile as a rock, he has incredible amounts of CC and damage.

Yasuo has decent amount of mobility, but is entirely auto attack reliant. Kalista can jump around everywhere, but her damage is on the low end for adcs and is reliant on her Soulbound. Braum can dash to an ally, but thats not really mobility creep.

Back to the point, its generally a triangle distribution of cc, damage, and mobility. The more a champion has of one, the less they'll have of others.

Mordekaiser's health costs don't make a difference. You hardly notice them. Removing his healthcosts would not make him a monster early game, he'd be almost exactly the same and it would make literally zero difference late game. One spellvamp quint solves his problem and lets him spam abilities as much as he wants.

Vel'Koz doesn't have "incredible amounts of cc" lol, what are you talking about? He has a small aoe knockup and a slow. Alistar has incredible amounts of cc. Leona has incredible amounts of cc.

Yasuo is not "entirely" auto attack reliant. He has his Q, which does the majority of his damage for him. He doesn't have a decent amount of mobility, his mobility is pretty ridiculous in lane.

sry m8

WheatloafNov 26, 20142 votes

Azir and Rek'Sai actually go a long way towards helping immobile champions; they both have the ability to use their limited mobility to outmaneuver champions with higher-uptime mobility and box them in for immobile champions to jump on. The problem is, do immobile champs have enough power to be able to turn against the same strategy? I didn't do any math, so I'm not sure.

LlaniteNov 26, 20142 votes

Because mobility is versatile. You could say the same about skill shot and aoe, which allows space for counterplaying (and being counterplayed).

DestínumNov 26, 20142 votes

I know that most people don't consider movement speed that much as mobility, but this is also part of the problem. Instant gap closers are so common that people doesn't even consider lesser mobility to be mobility anymore, which to me is an indicator that it's gone too far.

Pantheon is listed secondarily as an assassin and primarily as a fighter. Saying he's an assassin is like saying Ashe and Gangplank are supports.

Zeke MaelstormNov 26, 20141 votes

I believe it's because mobility is strong and creates amazing game play footage. Champions like Lee Sin were over powered and were not nerfed for quite some time. One patch Lucian was even 'nerfed' by decreasing his and but giving his dash a shorter cooldown. Games simply aren't as interesting to watch when people aren't all over the place and Riot loves "Flashy Plays"

Another potential reason is that the immobile champions aren't given the raw damage and have to be either up close or the range. Several of the ranged champions either have gap closers have either disengage abilities, Syndra for example has a stun and both Caitlyn and Ziggs have disengage. This causes champions without a gap closer or CC to have problems killing them, for example Mordekaiser could never chase any of the aforementioned, and Mordekaiser isn't great until late game, as several immobile champions are (Garen, Cho'gath, Ashe, Miss Fortune to name a few). However at this late game the mobile adcs (Vayne, Caitlyn, Tristana) can just kite them for days and there is almost nothing they can do.

CreationFlawNov 26, 20141 votes

I'm not really sure, but I'm pretty sure Yasuo's passive completely negates itself and is basically nonexistant because of the Infinity Edge passive, so he's still guaranteed what, 240% crits? He even got a buff for his Q cooldown and movement speed today, it's just dumb. Kalistas damage isn't really weak early game, considering she has standard range with the most mobility in the game. Put champions like Sivir against her and she dominates them because they're completely useless because they end up getting kited too.

TheI3igDaddyNov 26, 20141 votes

Because nobody will play immobile champs. The vast majority want to jump around like crack addicts while playing 'big plays' because mobility is flashy.

SmokingPuffinNov 26, 20141 votes

Mobility is fun.

Immobile champs are rarely popular.

Immobile melee range champs are hard to make viable in the modern game.

Riot is looking to create more differentiation between champions, and different conditional mobility mechanics are one of the best ways to do that.

We prebably have enough immobile champions already.

Ulric GreatswordNov 26, 20142 votes

I would argue that limited mobility is fun--being able to dodge that one crucial spell or escaping by the skin of your teeth is where mobility really creates those memorable moments and the infamous LCSBIGPLAYS. Like you said, differentiating between different types of mobility is a really good idea and I support it wholeheartedly. However, I want to also preserve champions like Mordekaiser and Xerath (who have different types of immobility). We're up to our armpits in immobile champs, and I don't think we need to worry about more appearing on the scene, but the reason there are still so many is because that's what league was designed around back in the day. The trouble with introducing highly mobile champs to the mix is that the current mix of champions is simply unprepared for such a different idea. That's why so much controversy surrounds Rioters like CertainlyT--people don't like the fact that their favorite champs are becoming increasingly unsuited to deal with the complexity and mobility that such new champs offer. Some of them see "mobility creep" as a betrayal of League's roots. Although I don't go that far in my own opinions on the subject, I really wish the more 'traditional' champs could be made more viable without necessarily becoming more complex.

SmokingPuffinNov 26, 20143 votes

However, I want to also preserve champions like Mordekaiser and Xerath (who have different types of immobility).

Good take. Mostly, I think that the various zone control patterns of these immobile mages have pretty much been done. I think Azir is a really interesting design, and a good example of how to grow League's mage pool in new and interesting directions. Meanwhile, I think Velkoz feels quite samey to other line skillshot mages, other than his parlor trick of offset Q shots.

The trouble with introducing highly mobile champs to the mix is that the current mix of champions is simply unprepared for such a different idea. That's why so much controversy surrounds Rioters like CertainlyT--people don't like the fact that their favorite champs are becoming increasingly unsuited to deal with the complexity and mobility that such new champs offer.

I don't actually think that most of the old champions are struggling to keep up with mobile stuff. Consider the following old and mostly immobile champions all happily coexisting with the new mobile champion designs:

Supports: Sona Janna Morgana Mages: TwistedFate Anivia Karthus Tanks: Singed Malphite DrMundo Fighters: Nasus Udyr Rumble Assassins (the class is mobile by design): Katarina Pantheon MasterYi Marksmen: Ashe Twitch KogMaw

Many old kits still work. The difference here is that these old kits have lots of ways to play and can therefore react effectively when the other guy uses his mobility button. When all you have is a gap closer, melee range cc, and a steroid, there's just not many ways to deal with the inevitable you gap close, they escape, you lose sequence. You don't necessarily need a kit with mobility, but you do need a kit with more potential for counterplay and less reliance on having bigger stats.

tl;dr We need the fighter project.

DestínumNov 26, 20142 votes

How are champions with reseted blinks (Kata and Yi), insane movement speed that grants slow immunity (Yi) and a targeted leap + a semi-global one (Pantheon) imobile?

A lot of those champions also are super fast. Movement speed counts as mobility too.

Also, Pantheon is a fighter, not an assassin.

SmokingPuffinNov 26, 20142 votes

How are champions with reseted blinks (Kata and Yi), insane movement speed that grants slow immunity (Yi) and a targeted leap + a semi-global one (Pantheon) imobile?

You're complaining about the assassin examples, and you're not entirely unjustified in doing so. The thing is, there are zero immobile assassin champions. Those three are arguably the least mobile examples of the class -- you could list Evelynn , but her kit is quite different from her original kit so I chose to leave her off.

In any case, the point here was that many kits designed for the old mostly-immobile era still work well in the new world.

A lot of those champions also are super fast. Movement speed counts as mobility too.

When we talk of mobility creep, we mean the increase in blinks and dashes. Nobody talks about an increase in movement speed buffs ruining the game, and hardly anyone speaks of Orianna or Draven as mobile.

In related news, the fundamental reason why we got mobility creep is that movement speed buffs are easily countered by slows.

Also, Pantheon is a fighter, not an assassin.

Riot lists him under the assassin tag. If you prefer something more unambiguously assassiny, Nocturne is a good substitute, but he's not as old as Pantheon so I left him off the first list.