My Aatrox and Varus Rework Concepts

Just wanted to get these ideas out there, I have played as these champions and against them. I deeply enjoy they're lore, looks, and kits. However, they do have balance issues, making them weaker than other picks. I believe there are certain problems that can be easily addressed with them. I'm gonna start with Aatrox, also just skip to the bold text if you only want to read the rework concept.

From reading Aatrox's lore, people would come to the conclusion that hes a diving bruiser. Just like these guys: . But also that he inspires his teammates to join the fray and mercilessly destroy the enemy. However, Aatrox doesn't actually have any direct method of strengthening his allies in his kit.

We could also come to the conclusion that hes lived on for a long time, which does get representation in his current kit with his high and almighty healing potential. When I play as Aatrox top, I'm either winning lane and waiting for my opponent to come out from under they're turret, unable to fight them, or I'm sitting under my turret, unable to cs. Either way, unless I get more than ahead, I will fall off as a tank or a bruiser.

When I fight against him and I'm losing, I'm frustrated; This usually doesn't happen but when it does I cant reach for any cs and I rely on my jungler to come and gank or the mid laner, as all poke or engages mean nothing due to him auto attacking constantly. When I'm winning against Aatrox, I feel pitiful of my opponent; They aren't going to be very meaningful when they fall off and they're already losing. I think Aatrox needs a more interactive kit, which is why I propose that we drop on most of the sustain and add in more ways for him to help his team and also get stronger for kills/assists and objectives, this all ties in together well with his lore.

Aatrox changes: Slightly raised health, armor, and attack speed. New Passive! Blood of the Fallen: Aatrox obtains Blood of the Fallen stacks for champion kills, assists, and camps in the jungle. Aatrox gains 1 stack for killing a lesser camp, (Red buff or Blue buff) and 12 for killing a boss camp (Baron Nasher or the dragon). Aatrox gains 3 stacks for assisting in a kill on an enemy champion, and gains 8 stacks for killing an enemy champion. Aatrox gains passive bonuses when he has the required stack amount. 20 stacks: Damage is increased by 15% against enemies below 50% of they're maximum health. 50 stacks: Gain movement speed equal to 10% of all damage dealt in the last 3 seconds. The movement speed gained by damage applied by items (Example: passive, active) is reduced by 50%. 100 stacks: Ignore 30% of enemy champions armor and magic resist. Calculated before flat penetration.

This would match up with the lore since it would make Aatrox more of a team fight bruiser.

New W! Blood Well (Not quite the same as currently, more interactive and interesting): Passive: Aatrox stores 100% of self inflicted damage into the Blood Well, while storing 100/105/115/130/150% of the cost of this abilities active instead. (Just like his current passive. But with special scaling to strengthen him in dire situations for being slightly weaker early on.) Active: Aatrox stops storing Blood into the Blood Well for the next 5 seconds but gains 0.4/0.5/0.6/0.7/0.8% attack speed per 1% stored in the Blood Well, capped at 40/50/60/70/80%. If Aatrox gains at least 1 Blood of the Fallen stack in this time, he heals himself for 25% of his maximum health over the next 5 seconds. If Aatrox takes fatal damage while this ability is active and Aatrox has at least 50% of the Blood Well filled up, he enters a 4 second stasis unable to perform any actions. Halfway through the stasis, Aatrox raises his blade struggling, consuming all the Blood Well to deal magic damage in an area around him equal to 30% of the amount consumed. After this explosion Aatrox can use item actives. Aatrox can still heal if he gains a stack of Blood of the Fallen during this stasis. Should Aatrox have health when the stasis ends, he will get back up alive; If not, he dies. Cost: 5% of current health Cooldown: 5/4.5/4/3.5/3 seconds (Goes on cooldown after the duration of the ability)

I wanted to keep Aatrox's sustain, since he can live for many decades it made sense. I also wanted to make his stasis on the edge of death concept more interesting. Aatrox's current Q and E, Darkflight and Blades of Torment stay the same, but Massacre has a change.

Massacre: Aatrox draws in the Blood of his foes, dealing 200/300/400 magic damage and filling the Blood Well by 20% per enemy champion hit. Additionally, Aatrox gains attack range along with attack speed and shares his Blood of the Fallen passive bonuses in an aura for allied champions. This ability lasts 12 seconds.

This would definitely fit in with his lore, him being able to inspire his allies and win wars. Aatrox would be a team fight orientated bruiser, who could actually sustain the jungle and go top without a hit or miss match up like he has currently. He wouldn't be deeply reliant on one ability to sustain a lane that was easily countered, and there would be noticeable windows of opportunity for his opponents to fight back. Now onto Varus.

By his lore, hes meant to be filled with hatred and desiring vengeance. He doesn't actually have any vengeance mechanics to punish enemies for fighting him. Playing as Varus, a problem is his mana costs and cooldowns leave such huge windows of opportunity for Varus to be punished, especially against all in bot lanes. Varus can be a strong lane bully, and is geared toward lategame when his ultimate disrupts teamfights, using his Blighted Quiver and Hail of Arrows to drain healing tanks from a distance and then using his Passive to assist in taking out more of the enemy team or the objectives. I'd say his gameplay captures him pretty well, except for the part about him seeking out vengeance. I don't actually think its healthy or fun to make such a thing, as we can take a look at Garen's ability to punish the enemy top laner for getting a kill on him early on. But I think Varus can use something subtle for that representation, something similar to the passives from or .

Varus Changes: Mana Cost of Piercing Arrow: 70/75/80/85/90 75 at all ranks. Mana Cost of Hail of Arrows mana cost: 80 70. We can chisle off some of the mana costs since Varus is gonna be more interactive, having another ability with a mana cost.

New Passive! Blighted Trance: Varus enters a deeper trance with more enemies around, gaining concentration. With every 2 opposing forces nearby, Varus gains a stack of Will to Kill, each stack grants him 50 additional auto attack range. An opposing force is any visible enemy champion or boss camp within 1200 units of Varus. This would be the part of Varus' kit that represented him seeking vengeance, much better than his current passive.

New W! Mastery of Corruption: This ability can only be acquired once Varus has 3 ranks in one of his other abilities. Varus silences all abilities without at least 3 ranks or more for the duration of 5 seconds. The next ability Varus casts is enhanced. Cost: 60 mana Cooldown: 13 seconds I know how this would look too: Varus picture Varus using that purple energy we see in his splash art.

Enhanced abilities: Q, Flaming Arrow: First cast Enhancement: Charge up time of arrow is quickened by bonus attack speed, with a minimum of 0.4 seconds charge time. Cast time remains the same. Second cast Enhancement: The first two enemies hit are Inflamed for 3/3.5/4/4.5/5 seconds. Varus' attacks to them on-hit deal 10% (+1% per 100 ability power) of they're maximum health as magic damage.

This would make Varus able to use his Piercing Arrow, his most used ability, actually able to hit a mobile marksman. It also captures the front line shredding mechanic of his current Blighted Quiver. I can imagine it as a black arrow with purple fire, with a more cynical hum to it.

E, Rain of Darkness: Desecrated grounds Enhancement: In the middle of the field, lies a tendril of blight swirling in place around an arrow in the ground. There are 4 other tentrils by the edges. If an enemy treads over a tendril of blight, it latches onto them to deal 40/60/80/100/120 (+10% of ability power) magic damage and lower they're vision to 370 for 2 seconds. An enemy taking subsequent damage from tendrils takes 50% less damage and doesn't receive the vision reduction.

This actually symbolizes the 'don't tread on me' message, about not stepping on a snake if you don't want to get bitten by it yourself, so more to vengeance! This would help a lot when an enemy with click to close gap abilities tries ganking, or a support trying to use lock down skill shots to engage on you to initiate that gank.

Chains of Destruction: Hit enemy champion Enhancement: Stuns instead of snares. As long as 1 target is hit Varus has 2 bonus stacks of Will to Kill.

This ultimate could turn from visually purple to red with black and white streaks. Varus would be a mid-late game utility carry. He would be able to thrive again in this meta of mobility and tanks. He would also be able to build Runaans Hurricane which was supposed to be for him in the first place. Please give critical feedback, I am an absolutely obsessed maniac lol.