I want to talk about Azir...

Fr4k·4/15/2015, 4:09:53 PM·8 votes·2,177 views

Champion.gg - Azir Middle Stats, Builds, Runes, Masteries and Counters

First off this isn't a hate post, this is just me wanting to talk about how awesome Azir actually is. It seems that every time I have played him, NO ONE knows how to play against him, so I end up capitalizing on there mistakes. Another thing to mention is that he can out range almost any mid-laner he fights, and his mana consumption isn't that high, making him able to stay in lane longer. So what I'm confused about is Azir's current win rate...47%?!There should be a link around here to show proof of the 47%. So my question is why don't people use him more often? Is it because of the high skill cap? Or is he not useful to the meta currently?

Also just needed to add one more thing, I know Azir is not PERFECT. In fact he has quite a few flaws, but it shocks me to see a mid-laner that I feel can be quite viable, have a win rate below 50%.

21 Comments

LegitBacon664/15/2015, 4:11:39 PM4 votes

It is because people don't know how to play him effectively to win lane. People who fight Azir are like oh this is an easy match up because people don't know how to control the soldiers correctly. I in fact play Azir, and yes I agree no one knows how to fight him if he is played well and focus on soldier positioning.

Davy Crockett4/15/2015, 4:14:02 PM4 votes

My only problem playing Azir (just picked him up) is actually getting a good CS score while in lane. When end game comes around I will be caught up though. Is it better to use soldiers to harass and farm, or not?

Volt Cruelerz4/15/2015, 4:39:50 PM3 votes

I've laned against three genuinely competent opponents that knew what they were doing against me when playing my beloved Emperor. Most just don't. Go super hard level one and then play super passive unless you got a major lead at that point. But they don't do that... Levels 2 and 3 are very much in Azir's favor.

It's just sad sometimes. I've made some genuinely awesome plays. I've ulted entire teams into Rumble ults, stolen dragon and pinned the enemy team in the pit with my ult where I just stabbed them, won a 4v1 when we were all equally fed (admittedly, I had to use my turret and burn flash and ignite and only barely survived, but I did it). Unfortunately, these aren't the ones that are congratulated (well, the 4v1 was because my team happened to be watching because they were dead; man, the explosion in chat in response to that fight's outcome was priceless), it's the ones where Katarina ults me and I ult her under my turret. Where Akali does the same and then keeps trying to ult me through my wall. When I'm in a jungle fight and I break off their team into two fragments with it. When I use it to peel for my allies. Are people really so used to inept Azirs that when you do the most natural thing in the world that they feel the need to compliment it. I've made awesome plays. But for some reason, people keep complimenting the menial things that are just obvious uses of his kit to me. Ulting someone back under my turret feels like when I play Malzahar against Katarina and just ult when she does. It's not even a question. It's just what you do.

As for why he's <50%, it's just his playstyle. Most people it seems don't know how to handle the soldiers properly or something. I've got a friend that would really like to pick up Azir, but it just doesn't mesh with him for whatever reason. I imagine most people are like that. New people (see champion.gg stats) suck with him whereas those that play him a lot do usually win.

Honestly, he is underpowered. People aren't good against him because they aren't used to him. That artificially inflates his win rate. If he were played more, people would learn how to beat him and it would drop. Oh well.

AbiwonKenabi4/15/2015, 4:30:58 PM3 votes

His winrate might still be reeling from his nerfs a while back. It will take a little while to see it go back up again.

He also is definitely more difficult than the average mid laner: there is certainly a learning curve for Azir that results in some unskilled Azirs losing and lowering that winrate.

Looking toward the professional level, Azir is starting to be picked and banned again, which is a good sign of champion strength (not the only sign, I'm aware, but a sign nonetheless). He made a big showing in NA(or was it EU?) Spring Semi-finals and was banned for the rest of the series. And even amongst pros, the pro has to dedicate time to learning Azir--as you would with any Champ, but moreso with Azir. He's unlike any other mid laner as far as mechanics go, but if you learn him, he's definitely effective.

LegitBacon664/15/2015, 5:34:30 PM2 votes

Azir is also VERY strong in team fights. Not only do his soldiers pierce through targets, its very useful to play in choke points on the map to use your ultimate effectively and you can position your soldiers to wipe about anyone from range.

One thing I truly love about Azir is his double passive. The fact that building CDR (which you heavily need for Q + W combos) gives you attack speed is one of my favorite things about Azir. He can simply build cooldown reduction and it gives him fantastic attack speed which you can use to just annihilate. Also his other passive, the turret, this is one of my favorites, if your team is trying to siege mid for examples, you take the outer turret and you can place a brand new one with your passive which protect your team from flanks, and the turret does INSANE damage :D.

I believe that Azir has a lot of potential as a champion. I think he can work against almost any mid laners if played correctly.

Stars Shaper4/15/2015, 4:17:27 PM2 votes

I played him since release and got a Penta before the fixes. Then I met an opponent Azir while I was playing Xerath, which unfortunally for him is my main... the poor guy... xD

Ternt4/15/2015, 5:25:52 PM2 votes

My first Pentakill was from Azir. He's the entire reason I started playing League to begin with, so naturally it seemed fitting. I truly love Azir, but I have spotty games with him. I need to practice with him more for ranked, but I definitely think he is at a good place now. (Other than some visual errors when Q'ing sometimes).

DarkPhoenix24204/15/2015, 4:34:19 PM1 votes

i think his high skill cap is what discouraging people from playing him. I love azir too. I'm hoping to pick him up when i get enough ip.

Rinky Dinky4/15/2015, 5:49:11 PM1 votes

He's a hard champion to play. That is why his winrate is so low.

Azir is a very strong champion.

Drunk Rummate4/15/2015, 5:56:37 PM1 votes

His laning actually has a ton of weaknessses. There are a lot of champions that can deny him CS between his long early cooldowns, not to mention the mana it costs to farm with soldiers early on. Makes him pretty easy to counterpick.

He's obviously strong late game, but a lot of soloqueue is dictated by the team that gets momentum and downs the 3 outer turrets first.

Sinister Snail4/15/2015, 6:01:16 PM1 votes

I've been enjoying some success with item 3027 > item 3115 and item 3020 . Masteries and scaling CDR runes round out the 40% CDR. The extra bulk from ROA is pretty useful for surviving long enough to contribute to teamfights.

Truly Prideful4/15/2015, 6:05:55 PM1 votes

He's just not easy to play well. A lot of people probably give him 2-3 games then switch back to a LeBlanc or another easier AP champion. He's definitely still very strong, he'll probably pick up again eventually.

Dat cool kid4/15/2015, 6:45:27 PM1 votes

Azir is one of those champs that if you know how to use him hes good but if you dont hes bad

Velasan4/16/2015, 1:31:48 AM1 votes

I find azir easy to play, but the attraction to the champion is the sustained damage as a hypercarry.

They keep nerfing his damage so he falls down as a hypercarry, but he brings way less cc to the team than any other mage. His two displacement abilities require him to be on top of the opponent and his slow is a skillshot that needs soldiers.

I mean yeah azir is good. Just not as good as other options for whatever role you need.

Huebone4/16/2015, 2:23:36 AM1 votes

ayy lmao Azir main over here.

I can tell you why the 47% winrate is there. When I first started azir it was god awful, I tried building cooldown and didn't know what to do with it, like when you're about to get down with yo girl for the first time, but now when I see Azir being free I get to see where Azir newbs fail.

The biggest mistake I see is that some build a Rabadon's and some magic pen boots, guys pls, Azir is not the average mage, he does high dps and his passive is what makes him so special, sure you get a turret, but if you're rewarded for getting cooldown, take the chance to build cooldown for more power yo. However, there are cases where you CAN put the cooldown for the 2nd or 3rd item. People also play Azir like the Q is the most useful ability he has, wrong honey, Azir is not THAT basic mage, he is the love child of an adc and a mage, he takes the skill of a mage to become as powerful as an adc, you need to utilize all those abilities Ascension gave you, Q is the positioning and attack, you CAN use it for the damage, OR you can use it to close off an exit for the opponent and play with them, W is.... well duh, tower=ded, soldier=alive, E is an escape AND an initiator, mastering E is what even I try to achieve, I make some mistakes with it, but it's what changes everything, a knockup to interrupt and synergies with the ult(UNF).

TL;DR Azir has high dps, don't shove AP down his throat if you can't suffer the consequences build cooldown He's high skill cap for a reason E is a weapon as much as it is a tool. I can ramble all day about Azir, but I made the basics short because I don't wanna bore ppl ;-;(though I take advice on him too, I'm not THE AZIR GOD, but he's my main and I like hearing about him)

P.S. I usually build a RoA first on azir... try it ;D