Riot Game Developers Don't Know What To Do With Karma. It's Their Fault Though.
Meddler posted on OCE boards about how hard it is to work on champions with multiple iterations, like Karma who he mentioned. Isn't that part of the problem though? It's been 6 years and Developers still haven't done anything. Between the back and fourth nerfs, cancelled GU, sitting at a subpar 45-47% winrate, being one of the dullest champions in the game, and removing almost everything that made Karma unique and interesting to play . . . . Karma's problems lie in the fact that she isn't interesting, she has no gameplay identity, and other champions do her job better. There are supports better at supporting their allies than Karma. There are top laners who are better at winning lane than Karma. There are mages who do more damage and have more interesting mechanics than Karma. To make this champion function and have above a 50% winrate, Developers have to overbuff her kit . . . but that always leads it to be majorly nerfed right after. Having a champion that can do everything but not really excel at anything isn't healthy for the game.
The game has changed so much the past 6 years. Karma has 3 different playstyles because Developers removed what was interesting and unique about Karma and didn't actually address issues with her kit and gameplay identity. Players complain that Karma is too strong to play against because of her damage and sustainability, but that has to happen because without those numbers Karma is barely even a champion. Karma has one damage move, no hard CC, and one defensive move. One Mantra is always going to outshine another because of how her kit is designed and it's going to lead to the 3 different Karma players feeling like they are being shafted.
At this point Riot needs to double down on who and what they want Karma to be in this game. Do they want Karma to be a solo laner with supportive abilities or a support with sustained damage? All of the Mantra abilities need to be reworked/tweaked to make Karma more unique. Shield bomb, the fans, a proper VU, the clothesline mechanic, and other old things about Karma doesn't necessarily need to come back to make her a better champion. Riot Game Developers have the manpower, time, and creativity to make Karma more unique and a cohesive champion. The lack of a cohesive kit that functions with a gameplay identity is Karma's problem. The question of who and what Karma is supposed to be in this game and in this world needs to be addressed.
Is Karma a mage that can go top/mid and also support allies when necessary?
Is Karma a support with sustained damage that can protect allies and herself with superior utility?
The current kit needs to be worked on and there is no more excuses. With all of the attention Karma is getting it's really exciting and I want to buy the new skin . . . but I'm left feeling shafted on a gameplay level with this champion. Karma is not fun and interesting to play as and when she is over-buffed she isn't fun to play as or against.
