Lets Rework This Champion: Tryndamere
I am going to post a weekly suggestion on X champion that should be reworked in order to make the champion viable in modern day league. About a year or so ago I posted on this account or another account about a Teemo rework, which now Teemo is getting his E moved to his passive, which is what I suggested back then. However, I want to discuss Tryndamere today, in hopes that this champion is next to get a full or WW level rework. So lets begin!
To make this a constructed post, I will address topics in the following order: Pros of Current Tryndamere, Cons of Current Tryndamere, Issue with Current Tryndamere, & My Rework Thoughts.
Pros of Current Tryndamere A.) Tryndamere introduces new players to the RNG system; aka critical hits (crits). This establishes a great feeling of when a crit can push you into a winning situation, but also shows the difference between a crit animation and a non-crit animation. B.) Easy game play and simple build path. Tryndamere doesn't have a secondary niche that he can fulfill. Meaning he just goes damage and cant be successful outside of his primary role: Split Pushing. C.) Great champion to introduce the role of Split Pushing as it usually requires 2 champions to address him if he has 2-3 Items.
Cons of Current Tryndamere A.) Low skill champion with an even lower skill ceiling; resulting in easy to counter and control. B.) Lacks any team play, which is defeats the purpose of this game being a team effort. C.) Ultimate makes him unable to every be top tier for his lane phase or any role as Riot has stated that if Tryndamere ever became good, they would nerf him right away; basically he is a OP/Broken or Bottom Tier champion; there is no in between for him.
Issue with Current Tryndamere A.) Continuing from option C in the Cons of Current Tryndamere, if people remember the rune that would heal you if you crit; I think the original conquer rune allowed Tryndamere to be god tier. He would heal all the time and was a Top and Jungle tier monster. He basically was the reason Riot changed runes to only proc on other champions, instead of on anything enemy. I am sure other champions helped transition Runes to typically only work on enemy champions too, but I remember this was one of the reasons they changed the rune, because of Tryndamere's increase to God Tier status. B.) Tryndamere is easily controlled and has no team play mechanics, which treats him as a too simplfied champion with no skill advantage to make him a better champion in the hands of a good player. When I say he is too simple and no skill mechanics, he basically spins in and gets a few hits and if you're below 80% crit chance, you're escape tool has RNG determining his outcome instead. Riot basically saw the same issue with Xin Zhou and addressed it by giving him an ultimate that prevented taking damage and such from outside of a protected area. Tryndamere's Ultimate works similar, but is not viable to be used until he is low health as it is connected with his passive to maximize his potential. C.) Tryndamere lacks game improvement and feels clunky and gimmicky. All of his damage is from auto attacks (AA) and his Skills do not help him generally. Use his Q, nerf his damage, use his W, not an AA reset for him, use his E, now you're stuck in a good or bad situation. Use his ult, just get kited or CC until it runs out. D.) Tryndamere's Ultimate is the real issue; he is the only champion where you put 1 point into your Ultimate and never increase its ranks as the ranks do nothing for you but increase your rage and he will usually already be at full rage anyways as you dont Q heal and use ult because that nerfs your damage anyways as mentioned above.
My Rework Thoughts Passive (Battle Fury): Every time Tryndamere takes damage or deals damage to one or more enemy, increases his fury meter by 5 per enemy hit. (Same crit % chance as live) so at 100% fury 35-50% based on level. No longer gains more fury for crits. (Fury loss over time same as live) This change will allow Tryndamere to increase his fury faster and allows him to become a jungler as well as a top lane champion. For example, if Tryndamere spins through a minion wave of 5, he gains 25 fury and 30 fury if he also spins through the champion.
(Q) Bloodlust: Tryndamere heals from 4%/8%/12%/16%/20% of all damage dealt for 8 seconds. Pressing Q a second time will consume all of Tryndamere's Fury to heal him for a flat 5/10/15/20/25 + 50% Bonus AD. CD: 13 seconds and goes on CD after the 8 seconds are over or if Q is pressed a second time.
(W) Warcry Taunt: Tryndamere shouts in a frontal cone, causing all enemy minions, neutral monsters (no epic monsters) and champions to shuttle in fear for 1 second and increase all damage to enemy's affected by 5%/10%/15%/20%/25% for 5 seconds. AA reset. Frontal Cone is 825 range. CD: 10 seconds.
(E) Spinning Blade: Tryndamere spins in the direction of the the mouse cursor. 700 Range. Dealing 60 / 90 / 120 / 150 / 180 damage + 100% Bonus AD. CD: 12/11/10/9/8 seconds. Secondary Effect (Pick only 1): A.) If an enemy is hit, Tryndamere can spin a second time. B.) Tryndamere's spin can crit for an additional 50% of this ability's damage and slows the enemy by 10%/20%/30%/40%/50%.
(R) Undying Rage: Tryndamere enters a state of increase rage and fury. Instantly increase his Fury by 50%/75%/100% and takes no damage from any source (excludes fountain damage) for 3/4/5 seconds. Undying Rage can be used even when affected by crowd control.
Conclusion: My rework design still keeps Tryndamere at his core, but reworks him into a functional champion instead of a gimmicky champion that relies on low HP. I provide a better passive to allow him to function in two roles instead of just a top laner. I addressed his lane/jungle phase by providing a better healing mechanic, provide CC/useful enemy debuff, and an updated gap closer that promotes more skill. Lastly, I address the Ultimate's issue of never increasing the rank, but provides an opening for counter play as rank 1 is just 3 seconds instead of 5 and the invincibility is useful at any time instead of being used as a life line.
