Cho Changes Discussion

9-12 PBE changes reverted a rather controversial change set to cho'gath's W, Feral Scream. Changes found: (https://twitter.com/SmashGizmo/status/773994996802260992)

As a Cho'Gath main I do believe targeting changes on Feral scream are necessary for the clarity of the game but the changes Riot initially intended are net nerfs for the following reasons.

• Cooldown decrease on a 110 mana (max rank) skill with a base mana around 900 lvl 18 is not too impactful without an additional mana cost decrease.
• His W on live is his only reliable form of damage (mele aa's and ult not reliable due to mobility) and between his q-w it will become a game of luck to land something.
• The current suggested range buffs are less then a teemo in length (85, a teemo is 100) and does not make up for the highly readable targeting changes.
• There is still no channel interrupt feature on his W.

Many of the suggested additional changes to modernize yet not make overbearing include (these are assuming W targeting changes stay):

• Base 5 movement-speed buff.
• Movement speed towards silenced (or perhaps knocked up) targets
• Q slow increased (with Rylai's nerfs this WILL be pessary)
• Some form of tenacity (with a trade off perhaps in ult damage or health)
• Base mana and health regen buff outside of laning phase (his passive becomes irrelevant)
• A form of passive on E, many suggested Vorpal Armour, a mini-thornmail.
• Fixing Q hitbox, at the moment it is smaller then the animation as well as shown circle.
• Making Q-W quicker cast, mobile champions can too easily react to Q and the suggested W changes.
• Scaling resistances buffs, as it stands his winrate falls from 4*% to 42% post-28 minutes.

There are many more suggestions out there as to changes but almost all of the following just aids in his current high power kit, modernizes, and/or generaly brings things he has in-line with champions with assimilate, more modern, abilities. All changes to Cho can easily involve power shifts. It is clear both something needs to be done about clarity on Feral scream for the playerbase AND Cho'gath needs changes to modernize or give him a fighting chance in the modern day Rift.

All of the prior points were general changes but can also be fine tuned depending on what the team wants Cho'gath to be. As it stands the player base doesn't know WHAT Cho is (I like that myself) and it could be time to finally decide what he is which would;d help future balance and changes going forward.

• Controll Mage
• DPS Mage
• Mage/Tank (Feel the tank part is hindered by mobility, higher base health champions, as well as low base resistances)
• Tank (See above)
• AP Juggernaut (he does have more range then juggernauts but his ranged skills are fairly slow as with Mord)
• Whatever Annie is (High damage yet burstable or Little less damage and tanky (roa build vs ludens rush))
• Whatever Vlad is (High Sustain, high damage when comboing abilities)
• Also Role, his peak was fairly early in leagues lifecyle as jungle, commonly seen top/mid now with growing support play.

By no means do I think Cho'Gath needs nothing but buffs, powershifts, buffs, and modernization of mechanics and skills all combined are needed, I guess a "rework" of similar scale to the mid-season mages or pre-season marksman. Cho'gath has fallen and fallen despite Ult buff after ult buff and it's time to look to other skills, he no longer counters who he formerly did (Those champions were assisted sooooo much by ad itemization changes and crd addition to items like zhonais and abysal) and it's time to give him a fighting chance once again on the rift.

Feel free to discuss below, ask thoughts, and so on.