How these mana changes will affect mages (and it's not what you'd expect)
After reading the exact numbers and doing some math I don't think the changes are really well thought out. If the intended effect is that mages need to think more about their mana late game the changes completely missed their mark. Maybe I'm missing something here (or no one else bothered with the math ;-;) but if anything it nerfs everything else about mages?
First: a summary of both changelists (main changes):
- Dorans ring net nerfed for mid, net buffed for supports and jungle. (Makes sense. This post is focused on mid, supp/jg are for another post)
- Mid mage mana regen slightly buffed to compensate (makes sense too)
Okay I got no problem with this. Though minion kill -> constant regen lowers the value of zoning minions. Less reward for aggressive play
- Most completed mana items get 100 mana buff (what.)
- Mana components cost increased (Okay.)
- Completed mana items relatively unchanged or even cheaper, some gold transferred into combine costs, amp tome removed from build paths. (Wait wtf?!)
- Mages buffed by ~90 mana at level 1 but nerfed by ~90 mana at level 18 (most reasonable change here. But 1 spell cast nerf at lvl 18 is NOT as impactful as a 1 spell buff lvl 1)
???
Now just looking at these changes I really don't think this makes any sense at all if they're targetting late game mana and not anything unrelated to mana.
Unchanged: post lost chapter item coming online (I.e. Literally everything not in laning phase). In fact this could be buffed. On average your base mana is not down by 100 ever. So why buff the mana by 100.
Nerfed: timings of mana components, available AP while rushing mana components, tear mana
Buffed: mana before and after lost chapter (since you'll get it before the base mana change sounds become a nerf)
I'm guessing in competitive everyone built archangel's so they're taking mana from tear and Archangel's, and moving it into base stats so Luden's and GLP can compete? In other words this entire list of seemingly game changing adjustments is just an overly complicated way of nerfing archangel's mana specifically?
Lost chapter wise: The cost change paired with lvl 1 base change did net nothing for mana, all it did was remove amp tome from build paths, and thus lower laning phase AP. Which lowers your damage. Unless Twin shadows and other non mana items are supposed to compete for rush? But I seriously doubt it since lost chapter items are still 20% CDR 500+ mana and high AP.
All these changes amount to a lot of mages having the same mana if not more, AND since doran's mana regen isn't tied to minion kills you can lose CS and it won't matter. So you can play more passively vs. bad matchups, which will likely be more common since mana component cost increases and lost chapter item build path changes will make it harder to get a null magic/cloth armour first back and you'll have less AP without that amp tome otherwise.
Still a net nerf though, just in all the wrong places (for a small pool of champions with earlier but not lvl 1-3 shove, 1 less amp tome can mean they need extra autos or spell casts to clear caster minions. Luckily dorans ring gives 5 minion damage actually. I guess that's nice for champs who vs them?). The punishment for being set behind is steeper because if you die before a certain amount of waves you'll be less likely to afford lost chapter and/or tear.
Buffing mana and nerfing damage, making mages more passive early. Exact opposite of the post's goal unless they mean aggressive as in "more freedom to control the wave" (with abilities, to set up plays), and not extra harass on the enemy.
